Worst prospecting equipment you have used?

crumbaker said:
I have a recirculating highbanker, I forget the brand but it was really cheap. I think it might be ok with a different pump, but the bilge pumps that come with a lot of these really aren't powerful enough.
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For real... most anything that is supposed to run with a bilge pump is greatly improved by getting a better pump.
 

El cheapo Chinese gold pans not rigid enough to hold shape with half a pan of material.

Homebuilt stuff, model 1-3, 6-7 fluid beds, and Bucket Buddy.

Tsunami bilge pumps....good!
 

I tested the AMP mini which was advertised as a "low flow" sluice. Complete and utter bull hockey. Worst sluice I've ever used. Didn't even get to run material through it. I got so frustrated with just setting it up with those plenums that i threw it out of the creek bed and set up my bazooka in like 25 seconds.
 

1. Any suction dredge smaller than a 3".
Early in my prospecting journey, I bought a 1 1/2" backpack dredge. I quickly learned I would get more gold with a shovel and a sluice... even the hand suction dredge tubes would outperform.

I can commiserate regarding the Falcon because they can be unstable. Mine was driving me crazy this Summer at high altitude but I think it was going off on the thunderstorms, perhaps even airplane radar... not sure. I found a video on youtube to show how you can do a small adjustment which worked so far for me. When the Falcon works, it impresses me with it's ability to see the tiniest gold. I credit it for several pieces of high-grade ore on its first season's use.
 

the worst was the RDH mini-highbanker

although I didn't find much with my Keene sluice box as a river sluice I have converted it to a dredge, a high-banker
and a recirculating sluice and now have it setup with Gold Hog washer mat for processing my concentrates.
.
. copy_DSC01178.JPG . DSC01736.jpg
 

The trick using small dredges is to run it as a combo. Shovel into it as a sluice use the hose for cleaning the cracks you uncover.

Ditch floats use legs. Use a suction nozzle vs. jet so you don't have to worry about being at water level for suction.

I've gotten a lot of gold with a 2.5
 

Goldwasher said:
The trick using small dredges is to run it as a combo. Shovel into it as a sluice use the hose for cleaning the cracks you uncover.

Ditch floats use legs. Use a suction nozzle vs. jet so you don't have to worry about being at water level for suction.

I've gotten a lot of gold with a 2.5
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Makes sense GW. I have a Keene 2.5 high banker/dredge combo and really like it as a high banker.
 

winners58 said:
the worst was the RDH mini-highbanker

[/ATTACH]
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That was my highbanker I couldn't remember the name of. Yeah it really does suck with the current pump, but I could see it doing alright with a better one but I haven't tried. I guess at least it's a sluice with metal legs that can be adjusted.
 

I missed one, the roaring camp pan, I have the red one, I love the color and the pan itself has a good shape but that trap in the bottom under the cheater riffles screws me up every time, I have been thinking about maybe filling it in with bondo.
 

The single most disappointing, back breaking, arthritis in your thumbs pain in the keester combination of:

Classifier and 5 gallon bucket.
AAAIMTHIRSTY.jpg
Stay Fluid My Friends
 

Omg i love this P70...stay fluid my friends indeed!!
 

I haven't really used any bad equipment. The worst I can say I've seen was the guy trying to sell the 5 gallon bucket classifier with a washer built in for $185.00.
 

Pyramid Pro pan.

Especially for the price.

I use it as a funnel now.
 

The tri folding backpack sluice.... couple of brands out there but they all look to be the same manufacturer just rebranded.

Never owned one but worked side by side with a buddy that had one. That sluice twists badly and loses gold at each folding joint. He modified it a bit... glued the joints and bolted them so they couldn't fold any more but was still not rigid enough to stay square and flat. Great idea but too cheaply made. I wanted that as my first piece of gear originally. Fate had other plans for me.

Other then that the Turbo Pan I do own... don't like it in the slightest.... serves as a bucket cover these days. Learned to just pan better and accurately (bump method) .... since then never been tempted by hoopa joop pans. I like a wide deep riffle GPAA or Garret pan. Bout the only thing the GPAA is good for.

Oh yeah that reminds me.... The Tom and Perrys cleanup gutter sluice... they didn't even cut the ribbed mat right. Works marginally, very little holding capacity. Better off learning how to pan right then messing with that junk.

Saw a 2.5 highbanker/dredge listed in this thread.... agree that they work really well if you shovel the top material into the hopper and just use the nozzle for crevice detail and bottom of hole cleanup. With a nozzle guard you can just leave the nozzle in the hole to keep a steady feed of material while you shovel. They work good enough for those lazy days sitting in the creek too. I used mine mostly in a shallow bedrock laden creek... loved it. Was the perfect transition from 10" shovel sluicing to the next step of making a hopper for highbanking... later adding a dredge hose and nozzle for the best of both. You don't have to buy it all in a day.... its nice to have your equipment grow with you.

Most importantly it can get you in many spots a 4" or larger can't... in heavy hit places that makes a big difference on the gold take.
 

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