Which Metal Detector is Right For You
Metal Detecting for treasures opens up a new world of excitement and outdoor adventures not only for you but can also be a great way for your family and friends to join in the fastest-growing hobby. Metal Detecting is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors exploring for valuable treasures of all kinds. Not only is Metal Detecting for Treasures a fun hobby & sport but it’s the only hobby we know that pays for itself with the money and valuables you find. So, what’s the best metal detector for you?
What to Look for in a Metal Detector
The best metal detectors are the ones that are right for your personal wants and needs. Depending on where you live, your budget, and what you’re interested in finding – there are a number of different metal detectors you can choose from. This article is a practical guide for you.
Metal Detecting for Treasures
What is it You Want to Find? Coins, Rings, Jewelry, Gold Nuggets, Relics, Artifacts & Antiques?
Most metal detectors manufactured today, are all-purpose detectors that will find everything from coins, rings, and jewelry to relics and even Gold – and they’re available within every price range. Detectors such as the Garrett ATX, or the Nokta Simplex Series are perfect for finding just about anything you could want. All are easy to use for beginners, retirees and Seniors, and very affordable.
If your main goal is to have fun and adventure plus get some exercise, there are plenty of places to go “coin shooting and jewelry hunting”. You’ll want an all-purpose metal detector with exceptional pinpointing abilities and discrimination features to eliminate trash and junk targets. all are customer favorites with affordable prices and very automatic features… Easy to tune and easy to use.
Searching for relics, artifacts, buried coins and treasure caches? You’ll need a deeper seeking detector like the Garrett ACE 400i and Nokta Invenio Metal Detector are recommended. For real hidden and buried treasure, Minelab’s GPX 5000, and Nokta Makro INVENIO Pro Pack are some favorites of serious treasure hunters, a little higher price for a lot more depth.
If it’s natural gold ,Gold Nuggets – Gold Flakes, that you’re after, you’ll need a detector that operates at a higher frequency with smaller coils or special-shaped coils and is more sensitive to smaller gold which is harder to register on standard detectors. Look at Nokta Makro Gold Kruzer, Garrett’s AT MAX , all are medium priced. Higher priced and Super Deep gold detectors from Minelab and Nokta are world-wide favorites. All are worth checking out. You do not need a gold detector to find gold coins and gold jewelry. They are also found with all-purpose metal detectors.
Where Will You be Metal Detecting for Treasures?
It’s no surprise experienced detectorists go deep-sea diving to look for expensive treasures underwater. And that’s what you’ll do if you get serious about treasure hunting. But in the beginning, you’ll spend more time hunting on the land, beaches or rivers and streams.
But assuming you prefer hunting in ordinary places like parks, schools, backyards, or gardens, get an all-purpose detector. If you’ll be beach hunting, choose a good beach metal detector. Why? Beaches are saline, meaning ordinary detectors can get chirpy there.
Coil Size
The coil in these gadgets affects depth and sensitivity. Well, we have different types of metal detectors coils. However, you can only use the ones the manufacturer recommend.
Here are the main types of coils:
- Concentric coil. Several VLF detectors use it. Some are round. Others have a teardrop shape. All in all, you’ll enjoy a large field detection with this coil.
- Double D coils (DD). These ones have a D shape. They work best for canceling minerals in the ground. However, the coils are less sensitive than concentric coils.
Also, coils come in these shapes:
- Elliptical – good for hunting in rocks and thickets.
- Round – detect well in flat grounds
- Open-web coil – designed for aquatic environments.
Last, we have small and large-sized coils. The large coils detect deeper, but often miss out on small targets.
Small coils, on the other hand, are ideal for prospecting small targets on the surface. We recommend using the coils in trashy regions.
Notes on the Ground Balance
One common term you’ll come across in our world is ground balance. It’s the ability of your detector to cancel out minerals in the ground and capture the signals from your targets.
There are friendly detectors with an automatic ground balance only. Others have two settings- automatic and manual ground balance. The models with automatic GB settings are relatively cheaper than those with the two options.
You can comfortably use a detector with automatic GB. It will fine-tune itself for you to hunt. Later, you’ll upgrade to a detector with manual ground balance settings to detect in highly mineralized soils.
But there’s no problem if you can afford to buy a model with the two GB options. It’ll assist you learn the right time to use the two.
Discrimination
Your future machine should have some sort of discrimination capability! This feature simply means the ability to ignore the metals that you are not looking for.
For examples, it is common to find aluminum caps while Metal Detecting for Treasures, this happens all the time,By setting the proper discrimination setting, your device won’t pick up those signals and you will only dig for the good stuff!
So, if you are living in trashy areas, then you should definitely consider opting for a detector with good discrimination.
Operating Frequency
Each metal detector operates on a frequency or a set of frequencies! This generally influences both sensitivity and depth , In other words, when the frequency is low, your machine tends to be less sensitive to smaller targets, but it can go deeper. On the other hand, when the frequency is high, your machine will be able to react to the small items, but it won’t go very deep.
Target ID
This is a feature that will help you to identify your target! Based on that you will be able to decide on the value of the detected object! Generally, you should buy a metal detector that offers a wide range of target ids. Thus the recognition will be much easier , In general, the elements that have more electrical conductivity display higher values! Yet, you should always refer to the constructor manual.
What is the best metal detector for a beginner?
There are many metal detectors for beginners, but most aren’t as good as the brands claim. Some like the Equinox 800 are effective, but they’re costly for most beginners. Usually, most people would prefer a budget-friendly machine to test if Metal Detecting for Treasures can be their thing.
What next after knowing how to choose a metal detector?
With several metal detector brands, it’s overwhelming to purchase a good metal detector. It’s even harder to choose one when every brand claims they make the best models.
So, the easiest way to buy the right one is to consider the features we’ve discussed like your desired targets, budget, ease of use, etc.
If you follow our guidance, you’ll pick the best device to help you start this hobby today. We’ve included the best picks to save time scanning through hundreds of detectors online.
After you’ve selected one, start practicing to build your confidence. Soon, you’ll find yourself exploring different Metal Detecting for Treasures grounds and perfecting the art with time.