What kind of portable river sluice box do you use and why?

[GoldHunter24k]

In the market for a sluice box and I was wondering what the consensus was. Looking for something fairly portable and less than 10 pounds

Here are the ones i've been looking at. Not looking to spend more than $100 or so or I will just make one myself. Would LOVE to spend around $50 and the Angusmackirk looks pretty good for the price.

I've also heard really good things about the Letrap

Stream Sluices - Production Sluices from Angus MacKirk Mining and Manufacturing Equipment

Le Trap Sluice Box - Bank / River Robber Sluices

Sluice Box: Buckabilly Sluice Box Gold Prospecting

Keene Folding Sluice Box a52p (SOLD OUT)

CALIFORNIA SLUICE BOX - SLUICE BOXES

This one looks real nice too

http://coloradogoldsticks.com/catalog/i32.html

 

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[CT8620]

Keep in mind the Le Trap is 4' long, it's not particularly small. If you're gonna put a Keene behind the Le Trap, you're gonna be rockin' about 7-8 feet of sluice which won't be easy to set up in many (if not most) locations without a bunch of time consuming work to get the flow right (time spent setting up your sluice(s) is time lost getting gold). If you classify to 1/2", I know the Le Trap will catch the small stuff, but I can also tell you from personal experience that the superfine flour gold is a major pain to deal with and you're probably going to need at least a Blue Bowl or the like to separate it from the black sand. So be prepared for that. Even though I like my Le Trap and my Super Mini Bazooka, I see WAY more Keene's out there and that has to mean something significant. And yes, you HAVE to add a bar across the top of the Le Trap (I used a piece of wood that works fine) otherwise it'll twist like hell when you go to clean it out and its full of rocks, dirt and water. I also left the top part of the plastic piece that you cut off to make it a River Robber, that helps with stability also. The bar/wood should be a few inches wide as you will also NEED to put a rock on it like NEO said, as it's plastic and it'll float right the hell down the river the second you let go of it. And it's also a great carrying handle. The Le Trap isn't that great out of the box, but once you do the mods, it works great. I'll post a pic if you think you might go with that one.

It's possible you might be over thinking it just a bit. Simple is good.

CT

 

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[nuggetshooter323]

I use the Bazooka Gold Trap and the Top Runner, the reason I went to those two sluices is zero classifying, and now I can run 20 or 30 five gallon buckets in about 2 1/2 hours. I've got the regular Prospector model of the BGT, but I bet if I got the Miner model I would get even crazier production. I set up the BGT and the Top Runner and feed them at the same time, if I changed to the Miner instead of the Prospector in this configuration, I might be able to run in the 40 to 50 range. I think most of my time will be spent filling 5 gal buckets 2/3's full to keep up with these two sluices. I think I need to find some kid's who'll work for food so they can fill my buckets for me.

 

[blynch35]

welll the keene is much larger but you need to classifie to atleast 1/4'' to get the best results and thats hard work and lost production time but if you have slow water it might be a ggod bet as the bgt sluices need alot of water i posted a picture of them on the problems ordering a bazooka with the deminsions the super mini is very small compared to the a52 light and it sets up in a jiffy,also the keene clean up is alot more involved you have to take it apart and really clean the carpet good kind of a pain for me as im pretty tired by this poind it takes two seconds for the gold trap to clean out i keep mine in a two gallon bucket with my small hand tools in my trunk just in case of emergencies lol and did i mention super easy to transport!!! my money goes to the bgt but im goiong to hold on to my keene too

 

[blynch35]

sorry for the miss spells my window is really meesed up i cant even see the text tell i post for some reason thats why i cant post the picture here i will as soon as the is fixed
the super prospector is 9.25'' bottom 16'' flare and 48.5'' long.
super mini is 4.75'' bottom 8.75'' flare and 24.75'' long.
mini is 4.75'' bottom 7'' flare and 16'' long.

 

[walldo]

I have a mini gold grabber w/hand pump and a jobe's 32 sluice. I have packed in on a few trails. gold grabber with a few tools is 68 lbs. the sluice with a few tools is 25 lbs.
After seeing the bazooka gold trap. I think that is my next purchase. No classifying just digging. A bucket a shovel and the BGT.

 

[CT8620]

I've got a Super Mini Bazooka (the middle one in blych's pic) and a modified Le Trap. The SM Bazooka is great, but it's a little small to run major material through, that's it's ONLY drawback I've found. The Miner and Prospector models (bigger) I'm sure are better for moving major material, but less portable. I carry both, the SM Bazooka AND the Le Trap, with me as they're both really lightweight and use whichever one is better suited for what and where I'm sluicing. Cleanouts are lightning fast with the Bazooka.

 

[dpdkld]

Check out prospectors plus out of Washington State. They have an alluvial type stream sluice made in a 2 foot a 34 inch and the full 48 inch sluice. I use the small one hear in Missouri for glacial gold which most is fine and I'll tell you it gets gold so small you have to squint to see it. Very reasonable/comparable prices. I've got enough gold this season in spring to use it to buy the goldnsands hand pump with it. It would be killer in Cali. Also when you get more involved the have a highbanker kit for both the 34" and 48" also. Pat

 

[GoldHunter24k]

Good info guys thanks. I ended picking up a Mad Miner 10" x 51" sluice box. Supposedly the guy that designed them is a serious local prospector and he basically took the Keene A52 and made it better. Readjusted the ribs, better carpeting, keeper grating. I'm going to pick up a smaller, lighter sluice for further expeditions and easier cleanup since this one is about 16lbs.

The mad miner fits inside my framepack with the flair sticking out the top with room for a nice shovel and a few other things. I don't think i would be able to carry my tent along with all my mining gear though but I haven't done any overnight trips yet.

@dpdkld I'll check out Prospectors Plus and see what those alluvial sluices are all about. Unfortunately the area I go to banned motorized equipment but i'm in the process of designing some pieces that use natural power.