What is the best highbanker under $500

What areas are you going to be prospecting? Are you going after larger stuff in your area, or is it producing mostly fines & flakes? The only reason I'm asking is b/c some equipment seems better suited for fines while other high bankers vet the bigger stuff more effectively. You could try building your own set up.....that's what I'm doing. That allows you to spread the initial $ investment over time and get exactly what you want by gathering components. The key here would be patience.

If I had $500 to invest, and were going after a high banker that was to be used in fine gold recovery areas, I'd go for a GMS high banker, or one similar from US Prospectors. The drop riffle design on those do great for gone fine gold capture, and the easy clean up is a plus. Read up on the sluicing forum, especially threads by Astrobouncer.

On the other hand, if I were looking for an earth mover that I was going to use in an area with larger chunky stuff, I'd go with the Jobe high bankers. You can get entire set-ups for $699, brand new with hopper, sluice, motor/pump, and hoses. Just wait a little and save for that if you are prospecting that type of recovery.

Then there are the folks that mix both types......best of luck on whatever you choose.
 

Caminochaos,
The $699 Mint_2k came up with is "CheaP" in cost! He also asks some good quesitons! Do you currently own a sluicebox like an A-52 from Keene? If so you can purchase a highbanker conversion from CASluicebox.co, delivered to you for about $80. The motor and pump are then needed and they can be pricy. Harbor Freight does have motor/pump units though they are bulky and are usually meant for low pressure 'trash fluids' pumping, flooded basement uses. Keen offers their P90 pump mounted on a 2.5 HP Honda engine for close to $800 and None of it is gold plated. The Honda engine/pump system is also sold at some saw and yard care shops so Maybe you could find it on Craigs list?? FYI Note: the P90 pumps 90 gallons a minute and is used on 2" suction dredges.

Good Luck............63bkpkr

Astrobouncer is still King of the Hill when it comes to complete DIY projects. Also, I've found carpeting as well as V mat material at Orchard supply hardware, they sell both as carpet runners so about 24" wide and by the foot they are about $1.50. There seem to be lots of options for expanded metal grizzlys as well as riffles which are not needed in a drop riffle design. Go Astro!!

Also, checkout the CASluicebox.com video of their "Boil Box"/high banker washing box as it really tells the story of what a washer box should be doing.
 

Heres a post I copied from eastern prospector's about my last high banker build I did. I think my total cost (minus motor) was about 135$. Motor ran me another 200$ but I got the 2 year replacement option and some hose + cam locks. I am going to order some more hose though cause I want some shorter lengths as well (all I have is 25 foot now and thats too long). I got the 1 inch harbor freight clear water pump, because I wanted something lightweight and it supplies plenty of water for the HB. Anyway I think making it yourself is the way to go. Any sluice will catch gold with the right operator, gold is so heavy its hard to not catch it, even the sub 100 mesh stuff.


------------------------------------------------------
DIY 2 stage 4 foot Drop Riffle Highbanker with vortex matting and punch plate. The punch plate is 12 inches long and half is 5/32 hole size, and the other half is 3/16ths. Under the punch plate is 2/3's removable rubber matting and then 1/8 inch drop riffles.

I had to custom make the punch plate cause no one in town had any, and I wasnt paying 20 bucks shipping for something that costs 15 bucks. If the stuff I made dosent work I will break down and order some.

Some features:

1/2 inch screened material.

16 inches of vortex matting (that will fit raised expanded metal with as well) under the grizzly for both initial gold catching area, and an inspection mat I can check while its running to see if I am in the money.

12 inches of Punch plate to keep the larger rocks off the first drop riffles.

50 drop riffles to catch any gold that got by the vortex matting + rubber matting (most gold wont make it this far). 20 of those drop riffles are what I call double drop riffles which feature a smaller 1/8 inch drop inside the larger drop riffle and have proven to be great for super fine gold recovery. Several of the riffles are reversed to give the gold additional reason to drop out.

Water deflector to sink the floating fines.




































Video of how It looked before I put the legs + finished the hopper:




I spent about 6 bucks for the legs + pipe holders. Legs are easily dissembled to carry in, and they are marked for basic setup in the field with 1 inch of drop per foot. Can easily change the angles if needed on the fly too. Weight is probably two pounds for em all.

I think i'm gonna call it the Spider Banker. I think it weighs about 20 pounds. Hope to test it this weekend and get some video of it in action.













And I bought some parts to start on my small dredge frame too, but that's for another post!
 

:o :blob7:

Wow, man! If you hadn't shown the build pics, I would have never guessed it was homemade.
You've got some insane talent there, man. VERY WELL DONE.

All I can say is....DAMN. :icon_thumright:

......I was thinking of using wood for the frame since I have no welding equip. for welding metal pipe together, but we travel in a small car, so saving weight is premium. I would have never thought in a million years to use PVC for the legs....

You are a genius.
 

been a while fellas so heres a story.... after i answer Joel er ahhh Caminos Question. Dude dont u have a keene sluice get a motor/pump like mine fore cheap....build a grizz and spraybar... But, weve both built and rebuilt a bunch of stuff.....hows my classifier doin ;D ?...So if u wanna spend some money check out the Lifestylestore....look at the Jobe HiBankers. By the way guys Camino knows about the fines and flower Gold Pickers and Nuggets we have in the Creeks of El Dorado County..(and Sierra :headbang:)..Me, thinks he.s over building his own gear..Now to the story........ Sorry we couldn't go out on Monday man been a long time.....So my friend and I went down to the spot on B.L.M. Tuesday...and a big classifier i had made and had stashed with my friends shovel and a portable wier i had made were all smashed and broken :angry5:....and left where i could see them.......B.L.M. land fellas accessed through my private neighborhood, claimable but not claimed YET :icon_pirat:....(Mr. Oates please P.M. me if i can ask a few questions).We went and pulled our sluices from their spots all safe and sound....not as cheap and more stashed than the foremention gear.. :whip2:..I know a couple of guys who detect down there and have heard of a guy sniping like us...i hope it isnt him cause when i ran into him i was gonna see if He wanted to use any of my stuff and watch it for me cause he's down there daily.. anyways after finishing for the day and strappin our sluices to our packs for their trip out :angry5: :argue:....i took a 55 gallon drum that was down there from a flood...put it where the broken stuff was,.....but the broken stuff on the barrel...carved F.U.(spelled out)....with my belt knife in the wooden frame of the classifier....heres the fun part,they took my pals shovel so i left a shovel i found in the woods as a gift....and left a nice picture in .45 Long Colt on the side ....and out the other side :headbang: of the 55gal barrel :thumbsup:....oh yea and one 255 grain slug for the head of the shovel....... ;D So let me know what u end up getting....next time you get Monday off I'll come shovel some material with you.
 

Pvilles experience is what I'm concerned about when I go in later this year. The claim has already been hit once by theives who ran off with some of my buddy's gear. I will have all nice new stuff and it will be mighty tempting for those who have little in the way of morals And, I never want to come in to the claim and find folks carrying off stuff or breaking it up, that would be bad/bad/bad timing on both our parts! Can't call the law as no cell signal in there, have to arrest them myself, do you think they will give in to a citizen arrest? Don't like this thought. Good Luck All and howdy Pville..................63bkpkr
 

63bkpkr said:
Pvilles experience is what I'm concerned about when I go in later this year. The claim has already been hit once by theives who ran off with some of my buddy's gear. I will have all nice new stuff and it will be mighty tempting for those who have little in the way of morals And, I never want to come in to the claim and find folks carrying off stuff or breaking it up, that would be bad/bad/bad timing on both our parts! Can't call the law as no cell signal in there, have to arrest them myself, do you think they will give in to a citizen arrest? Don't like this thought. Good Luck All and howdy Pville..................63bkpkr
Click to expand...


Four rounds center mass should cure that....
 

If,n you you wait a little, Highbankers will be for free in Crazyfornia
 

Watch out with a citizens arrest, if it's not warrented and not done correctly, you could be arrested when the cops get there. At the very least your opening yourself up to a lawsuit from a claim jumping dirtbag. Guns are great, I carry every day myself. But I suggest you give yourself some less lethal options, OC (pepper spray, don't use mace), Taser, probe only Stun gun/Taser, or just a big stick. The reason why you should not use Mace, is it doesn't work on animals and some people. You'll save yourself a lot of legal hassle if you can keep an encounter at the less lethal, if possible. Plus, wouldn't be more fun seeing a stinking claim jumper flopping around like a fish out of water after you hit him with a Taser?
 

You'll probably already have a shovel with you. Make them use to to dig their own hole. You can't be sued if they ain't around. But after the hole is dug you'll have to bury them. Thats probably a fair trade.
 

Im NO lawyer,BUT just a word to the wise....a person is probly a lot better off keeping comments of harm to another to themselves! Esspecially on the net! all the police needs is 2 people talking of something illegal (even jokingly) to prosecute them for conspiracy. plus if a person were to harm another, for whatever reason, then the prosecutors could nail you with premeditated..................and all these websites are being watched!beleive it or not!!
 

Yup, it is a crazy world and one can not for certain be safe protecting their property or their life and that is another worry, being safe protecting property & life & limb. I'd just as soon the bears tore the camp up as at least they are handsome animals even if they are ruining my equipment. I will haul in some locking cables and locks along with the other 200+ pounds of equipment and that might help to keep folks honest.

Heck, can't even be safe on this site! Why don't crooks, polliticians, mean people and the like all go to Mars!?

On another note, warm days are coming, Enjoy...............63bkpkr
 

Camino....Look on sac. craigslist theres a pretty much new packable banker for $450.....its a good deal....talk him down a little and its a steal......63pkr....thanks for you P.M. all of your assumtions about my activits are correct :wink: :evil5:.....i replied the other night but, must have hit the "off to nowhere" button instead of "post"... :dontknow: :help: .and i dont save as i go so i wasnt gonna retype my late night after work three beers in, post :laughing7:....what i did say was basically you be careful to Old Mountain Goat...if your heading down or there alone no matter how protected and you hear someone else you zip up and turn into a Argonaut Ninja.... disapear, be quiet and wait to see who it is.....Do Not Confront.....i like the cables and locks idea...good protection for remote spots....aholes tend to be too lazy to carry out really heavy stuff too but will vandalize.....i feel that 99% percent of prospectors who happen across...gear will leave it alone if they know it a cache..being used....unless its cached on your claim.... :icon_thumleft:..score lol..And will more than likely wonder oooohhhh whos using this and what are they getting?....maybe i run into him hope hes cool...thats what i do....ive found stashes behind logs and rocks on hillsides and let them be....normally classifers and prybars....same stuff i carry in only once or twice and hide.Whoever trashed my stuff was trying so send a message ..".Im a jerk and even tough i have no more right to be here than you....im gonna break yours stuff so you dont come back"..And since i have deeded access rights..and am an no way gonna be run off...i had to send a message too....I'LL BE BACK :icon_pirat:
 

Oh yea and as pretty much everyone else agrees....ASTRO you hi banker is awesome........we should all chip in and get this fella a fab shop for his birthday or somethin.... :icon_thumleft: :wink: ;D
 

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