What should I buy?

[beeman553]

The amount of information out there about metal detectors is astounding! I am just a few months into the hobby, but have had a MD since the 1980s. Time now allows me to invest more into this hobby. I purchased a Gamma 6000 late 2012 and have had some success. I think I need a better coil, but unsure about spending more money on this unit. I have looked at the Teknetics T2, AT PRO, Garrett GTI 2500, and many more. I am much interested in the CTX 3030, but unsure if the additional money is worth what I will be getting. I need some input into what or where I should go now. The CTX 3030 may seen too much of a machine for me now, but I feel as if time spent in the field is worthy of the best machine I can acquire. And this is a hobby my wife and I will be doing for years to come. ANY input on what I need to buy will be appreciated. By the way, I live in central Alabama, mineralization is a problem at times. Lots of trash metal most places I go. Good possibility of some beach combing as well. Thanks...

 

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[liftloop]

Beeman533

white's pulse scan sl
it will smoke any other detector on the market at or below it's cost
white's make more detector than any other brand
It will eat any garret..tesoro.minelab..bounty hunter..fisher..tecknetics
depends how you set it up
it will only find what you want
the best when it comes mineral soil

 

[beeman553]

Beeman533

white's pulse scan sl
it will smoke any other detector on the market at or below it's cost
white's make more detector than any other brand
It will eat any garret..tesoro.minelab..bounty hunter..fisher..tecknetics
depends how you set it up
it will only find what you want
the best when it comes mineral soil

Other than the price, what features does the White have that may set it apart? I owned a White probably 20 years ago and know they have some nice products.

 

[liftloop]

go to white's Electronics and look it up
but it can be set too only find low conducting metals or high conducting metals or iron only
plus it will go down a bout 18 inches on a nickle
over loads on a tree ring bullet a eight to nine inches
there isn't any other detector on the market at that price that can do that
you tube has a few videos on it
the pro is better but that cost more

 

[beeman553]

Thanks liftloop. I am looking into the features on this machine now. Not sure why during my searching I didn't run across this unit already.

 

[Terry Soloman]

A Pulse Induction unit is VERY deep, but does NOT discriminate out iron, tin foil, anything. Works great on wet saltwater sand and in saltwater, but in the dirt and dry sand you dig EVERYTHING. Muti-frequency VLF also works in wet saltwater sand, and in highly mineralized soils. Single-freq VLF machines DO NOT work at peak performance in Saltwater, or wet saltwater sand (too conductive).

I suggest a machine that you can manually ground balance for maximum depth like the Tesoro Vaquero, or Minelab Xterra 505 at the low end, or a Minelab Safari or Explorer SE Pro at around $1,000 - $1,200.00

 

[thrillathahunt]

Welcome to the wonderful process of choosing a detector! I don't think one detector is perfect for every detecting situation. That is why there are so many different kinds and types. So, you decide what you are mainly going to use it for, water hunting, relic hunting, coin shooting, nugget hunting, etc. If you are mainly after coins, especially silver, you cannot go wrong with the Minelab E-trac or SE.

 

[beeman553]

I know I could never go wrong with the E-trac, so many being used by experienced users. Still, any opinion on the CTX 3030? I feel like now maybe it is not worth the price for what you get. I am in no hurry to buy, so I have time to evaluate and research each unit. Also, would it benefit me now to upgrade the coil on my Gamma 6000? I only have the standard 8 inch coil. Can't find a lot on the machine, but what I do gives the machine high marks. What coil would benefit me? Thanks...

 

[thrillathahunt]

While I don't know anything about the 6000, I have used smaller coils to great benefit in trashy areas for better target separation. However, in my opinion, unless you are going to be hunting vast areas of land a larger coil can have more drawbacks than benefits. They tend to lack sensitivity to smaller targets and have a tendency to "mask" more targets in iron infested areas, not to mention harder to pinpoint with.

 

[beeman553]

Thanks so much, thrillathahunt. A slow and maticlous I am now, a smaller coin may help. So much trash at the sites I visit. Thanks to all so far for the advice. I want the best detector for my area and I am still open for any advice. With the ctx 3030 that I have looked at, I have set the price limit to 2500 dollars. Seems crazy to spend that much, so I am taking this process of selection with lots of advice and research. I believe not that I can get as good machine for much less. So keep the advice coming. I am researching each and every unit that I have been advised on. Again, thanks...

 

[Silver Searcher]

Thanks so much, thrillathahunt. A slow and maticlous I am now, a smaller coin may help. So much trash at the sites I visit. Thanks to all so far for the advice. I want the best detector for my area and I am still open for any advice. With the ctx 3030 that I have looked at, I have set the price limit to 2500 dollars. Seems crazy to spend that much, so I am taking this process of selection with lots of advice and research. I believe not that I can get as good machine for much less. So keep the advice coming. I am researching each and every unit that I have been advised on. Again, thanks...

Have you considered the XP Deus...seems you have a good budget.

SS

 

[beeman553]

Just looked the Deus up. Like the wireless feature. I will do some research tomorrow. Thanks...