Looking for some coin detector recommendations

Bryan V

Jr. Member
Dec 13, 2009
83
17
Washington State
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800
Minelab Monster 1000
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hi everyone.
I have been metal detecting off and on for 20 years.
I started with coin hunting with a CZ5 and then went in to nugget hunting with other detectors for most of the years after that.
I have had some good "All around detectors" like the F75 LTD and minelab 505.
I have kind of been out of the loop for a while and am a little overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar detectors so I'm looking for a little help.
I currently have a Fisher Gold Pro and am going to keep that for nugget hunting, and it is a good all around detector in its own right.

I would like to get serious with coins. I want something that is HOT on silver and goes deep.
I will be hunting old parks that have been hit hard around here as well as old homes and abandoned homesteads..

The little research I have done so far points me towards something like a CTX 3030.
I can afford the CTX but don't know if I can justify that much money when I'm only hhunting probably once a week on average.

One more thing. Some of the places I hunt are absolutely covered in nails and rusted caps!
none of my fisher machines have been good at discriminating those out. I have learned to get around a lot of them but I hate wondering if I'm passing something good when I do skip the dig.
thanks,
Bryan V
 

Upvote 0
I have used many detectors for over 30 years now, Deus, F75, older Explorers just about all of them and few PI machines. The last a got couple of months ago is Nexus Standard MkII with the weird looking figure of eight 9" coil. I can assure you there is no deeper detector for any kind of coins out there. This beast easily gets a nickel 14" deep in the dirt. I'v tested few other detectors for the same coin. Non could get deeper than 10". If you get one of these prepare for a new definition of digging deep holes.
 

Hi Bryan,

You have had a great arsenal over the years. Based on what you want to find, the E-Trac or CTX3030 would do the job well. The multiple target ID and faster processor would make the CTX 3030 a better choice, but if you don't want to justify the cost, the E-trac is an alternative.

Wayne

Metal Detector Sales and Rentals | Fisher, Garrett, Minelab, Lesche and DetectorPro

What kind of difference are we taking between CTX 3030 and E Trac. Or even an older minelab like an explorer.
These machines are separated by $500 or more each step.
Are Fishers newer CZ machines anywhere close to the performance of even the older minelabs?
 

Are Fishers newer CZ machines anywhere close to the performance of even the older minelabs?
Yes the new CZ's are as good or better than anything else out there! New or old. Period!

Probably won't get a ML guy to admit it though!:)
 

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U can opt for a f75ltd or se great all around detectors I'm finding stuff honestly that my deus xp,v3i,Atpro & others haven't found in the same places & yes I did know how to operate the other machines just fine
 

U can opt for a f75ltd or se great all around detectors I'm finding stuff honestly that my deus xp,v3i,Atpro & others haven't found in the same places & yes I did know how to operate the other machines just fine

I had an F75 Ltd with boost for a short time. It was a nice detector but to be honest I like my
Gold bug Pro better. It is a lot more stable and seems just as powerful.
I consider the f75 LTD another good all around detector.
Im looking for something made for pretty much coin hunting only.
Im after silver and would like to find something that is better at sorting out the nails and rusted caps.
I read about these machines pulling dimes at 10 + inches and I don't think I have ever dug a coin past 6"in the roughly 20 years I have been detecting off and on.
Either everyone is full of it, or there are some coin machines out ther that can.
Im not talking relics. I'm talking small coins.
Thanks
 

I had an F75 Ltd with boost for a short time. It was a nice detector but to be honest I like my
Gold bug Pro better. It is a lot more stable and seems just as powerful.
I consider the f75 LTD another good all around detector.
Im looking for something made for pretty much coin hunting only.
Im after silver and would like to find something that is better at sorting out the nails and rusted caps.
I read about these machines pulling dimes at 10 + inches and I don't think I have ever dug a coin past 6"in the roughly 20 years I have been detecting off and on.
Either everyone is full of it, or there are some coin machines out ther that can.
Im not talking relics. I'm talking small coins.
Thanks

That I will agree with ya I had a lot of other high-end machines that were great machines, I don't have much time on the f75ltd but I do know exactly what ur saying being stable I noticed when I'm near power lines it goes pretty nuts but kick.that sensitivity down things fine, & I mainly relic hunt but I do also coin & jewelry detect aswell & this machine set right I been consistently pulling thi.vs out at 8",9" coins buttons ect in places I've already had those other good machines, my deep targets have dug were dug from.tone not vdi that was jumpy but tone right on my first was a nice merc last week a deep silver 9".
Curious now when u say the gold big is more stable then ur f75ltd did they both have the same 11" coil on them, I noticed the f75 with a 5" dd is completely different & much more stable normal then having the 11" if ur around those EMI fields
Good luck in ur search
If ur curious with any of these my recent detectors were deus xp,whites v3i,Atpro,xterra 705, & thr f75ltd I've had others but these were recent so still fresh, in the mind.
 

Yes the new CZ's are as good or better than anything else out there! New or old. Period!

Probably won't get a ML guy to admit it though!:)

Ya I wish everyone wouldn't get so loyal to one brand.
Its been a long time since I had my CZ 5 so it's hard to remember the details.
I know I found more silver with that detector than any I have owed since but I also remember
they weren't that deep and I pulled a lot of junk out of the ground too.
So is this newer CZ3D a good leap in performance over the CZ5?
 

Ya I wish everyone wouldn't get so loyal to one brand.
Its been a long time since I had my CZ 5 so it's hard to remember the details.
I know I found more silver with that detector than any I have owed since but I also remember
they weren't that deep and I pulled a lot of junk out of the ground too.
So is this newer CZ3D a good leap in performance over the CZ5?
Can't say. I'm relatively new to the CZ's. I got mine last summer and it instantly impressed me. Nickel count, particularly old nickels, went WAY up. It just simply loves old coinage.
Some say the the new CZ-3D's are not as strong as the old Los Banos ones but it's as deep as ANY other VLF out there today. Couple things of note: 1) I had my 3D sent to NASA Tom Dankowski for a tune up before I got it and it's a monster. 2) It's not as good as ID'ing bottle caps as my AT Pro so I dig more em. I gladly take that trade off for digging older deeper coins.
 

That I will agree with ya I had a lot of other high-end machines that were great machines, I don't have much time on the f75ltd but I do know exactly what ur saying being stable I noticed when I'm near power lines it goes pretty nuts but kick.that sensitivity down things fine, & I mainly relic hunt but I do also coin & jewelry detect aswell & this machine set right I been consistently pulling thi.vs out at 8",9" coins buttons ect in places I've already had those other good machines, my deep targets have dug were dug from.tone not vdi that was jumpy but tone right on my first was a nice merc last week a deep silver 9".
Curious now when u say the gold big is more stable then ur f75ltd did they both have the same 11" coil on them, I noticed the f75 with a 5" dd is completely different & much more stable normal then having the 11" if ur around those EMI fields
Good luck in ur search
If ur curious with any of these my recent detectors were deus xp,whites v3i,Atpro,xterra 705, & thr f75ltd I've had others but these were recent so still fresh, in the mind.

i mostly run the 5x10 DD on my gld bug pro. I have the 5" DD too but rarely use it.
I had the 11" on my F75 and the 6.5" elliptical. I don't remember any stability differences between the two coils.

The Deus Xp just seems weird to me and I can't get my self to spend much time researching it.
Looks like a gimmicky toy. I shouldn't think like this cause I haven't seen one in person but I can't help it.

Seems like everyone has an AT Pro and I have kind of put it in the F75 cattagory of "All Around" detector that does lots of things pretty good but not one thing like silver coin hunting REAL GOOD.
But again I haven't tried one myself. Just picked that up from some reading on the net.
 

i mostly run the 5x10 DD on my gld bug pro. I have the 5" DD too but rarely use it.
I had the 11" on my F75 and the 6.5" elliptical. I don't remember any stability differences between the two coils.

The Deus Xp just seems weird to me and I can't get my self to spend much time researching it.
Looks like a gimmicky toy. I shouldn't think like this cause I haven't seen one in person but I can't help it.

Seems like everyone has an AT Pro and I have kind of put it in the F75 cattagory of "All Around" detector that does lots of things pretty good but not one thing like silver coin hunting REAL GOOD.
But again I haven't tried one myself. Just picked that up from some reading on the net.

Ya my f75 came with the 3 coils 11",5" & the 6" the 6" did make it a little more stable not to much now the 5" dd made it like a knife & cut down the unstable by more then 70% more then likley because its smaller but from what I've read the 5" is very powerful & gets just about the same depth as using an 11"
The deus well not gonna lie things might change but still for now its still my absolute favorite detector, its actualy built very strong I mean theres a video of a guy taking a car running it over & its fine, but no it does have a lot of great features & it can adapt to various sites well I got on.file some awesome programs that will get that silver deep
The Atpro had one its also another great machine they all have there place & theres no one that will do it all ya no, each might perform better or worse in one place who knows
 

i mostly run the 5x10 DD on my gld bug pro. I have the 5" DD too but rarely use it.
I had the 11" on my F75 and the 6.5" elliptical. I don't remember any stability differences between the two coils.

The Deus Xp just seems weird to me and I can't get my self to spend much time researching it.
Looks like a gimmicky toy. I shouldn't think like this cause I haven't seen one in person but I can't help it.

Seems like everyone has an AT Pro and I have kind of put it in the F75 cattagory of "All Around" detector that does lots of things pretty good but not one thing like silver coin hunting REAL GOOD.
But again I haven't tried one myself. Just picked that up from some reading on the net.
A guy I hunt with has the gold bug pro with the 11 inch dd and that things finds a lot of silver and as deep as I've ever seen coins dug.
 

A guy I hunt with has the gold bug pro with the 11 inch dd and that things finds a lot of silver and as deep as I've ever seen coins dug.

I have a whites V3i and have found mercs at 6 to 9 inches. I believe it and the e trac are comparable in price, the v3i is more adaptable though.
 

Both the etrac & v3i are about the same price both great machines I havent used a etrac but I still hear out of all the machines still its still the best on silver even thought the say the v.is a multi 3 frequency detector all the time. The v.also does have also one of the biggest learning curves out there because its got so many options it can adapt to any site, its a great machine but if u don't put the time in.to learn it & start adjusting things ull most likely think.its broken
 

It seems a lot of shop agents are here and very few real users.
When it comes to depth non of those detectors goes near what Nexus MkII can do. I know from personal experience. I used most of the mentioned above detectors and all they vary about from one another is the digital whistles and bells, display appearance, functions etc., but non go really deep except the Minelab GPX and some other PI I'v tried, but that one could out gun Nexus only in highly mineralised conditions. On every other place is a follower.
 

The nexus ur right might be deep, but gotta remember not all sites are the same I've used high end machines aswell & some will out do others but the soil conditions play a big part I could use a v3i & dig a 10" coin in one yard while a deus xp can't find it then who knows right next door the deus could out do the v. For someone to say this so & so machine is the deepest out of all is pretty bold you would have to dedicate a a lot of time on each machine extensive time to be proficient with each one & then put them against each other,& that would only be correct proof if all were used in the same spot, any other spot could yield totally opposite results even leading the nexus with the least amount of depth. I'm not trying to start anything, just saying there all tools & if there was just one that could out do all the competition then everyone would have one there'd be no need for any others
 

You may want to check with the members of your local detecting club to see who is finding the good stuff and with which machine. There are lots of good coin machines, but as has been mentioned, there are different search conditions to take into consideration.
 

Hi everyone.

One more thing. Some of the places I hunt are absolutely covered in nails and rusted caps!
none of my fisher machines have been good at discriminating those out. I have learned to get around a lot of them but I hate wondering if I'm passing something good when I do skip the dig.
thanks,
Bryan V

Just a newbie here.. but have read a lot about masking.. I have not read anything about magic machines that can see silver through trash.. sounds like you need to spend the time cleaning the trash so you can see the deeps stuff with any machine, including what you own.
This site has considerable info on both the machines people are suggesting http://metaldetectingworld.com/
 

Never the less the detectors that are mentioned in this tread so far are not competitors to Nexus MkII in no search conditions.
You see guys. We are talking about comparing e resonant IB detector with a standard IB detectors - Minelab, Tesoro etc. To get the correct picture you need first to read some literature of how one and the other works.
Besides in no conditions any detector other than MkII can ever get a Nickel down to 14" in the real search. I know because I have already compared quite a few for my self to see.
Look what happen with Carl Moreland's tests where he attempted to duplicate the Nexus hoard test in the Geotech forum using 3 pounds of US quarter dollars in 4" mayonnaise tab. He reported that not even big PI and big twin boxes would get that hoard, not one of his 20 detectors in his collection. And Nexus does that with their big 20" coils.
We can argue all day long about the urban legends concerning the various ground conditions.
Non resonant detector can never excel over e resonant detector. It is a laws of physics.
 

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