Choosing a Metal Detector

With all the current metal detectors on the market sometimes it can be tough to make a decision on which one to
purchase especially for gold prospecting. Not to mention all the questions one might have about the purchase itself.

Should I purchase of Minelab, Tesoro, Whites, Fisher, Gold Scan or other?

Should I purchase a PI (pulse induction) model or a VLF (very low frequency) model?

How much money should I spend?

Who should I purchase from?

What are others saying about these different models?

In my opinion you should purchase the best metal detector that you can reasonably afford.
Also you want to take into consideration the various weight factors of each model.
Pulse induction metal detectors generally weigh more than very low frequency models.

If you take time to read people's opinions on the various gold forms you'll find Prospectors prefer pulse induction
models in general over very low frequency models.

 This picture was taken in 2003. That's me at Rich Hill with a 9 gram nugget found with a VLF Whites GMT. Click the picture to enlarge. VLFs do find gold.

However this is not to say that very low frequency models cannot match the performance of pulse induction models.

If I personally had to look back at the gold nuggets I have found in the last few years with a metal detector although
they all have been found with the pulse induction detector I honestly would say 60 to 70% of the nuggets could have
been found with a very low frequency model. The average depth of gold nuggets found in dry placer areas is about 2 to 8
inches in depth. From my experience the average weight of gold nuggets found in dry placer areas is roughly one half gram
to 5 grams in weight. Many of the larger gold nuggets I have found weighing over one half ounce to over 1 ounce have been found
at depths greater than 10 inches which often due to ground mineralization are well out of range of VLF models.

I can say this because I own and have found with both types of metal detectors.
 

Above, nuggets found with a Pulse Induction metal detectors in 2006.
It is under these conditions where the pulse induction metal detector really shines. But remember I believe that 60 to 70%
of the last several hundred nuggets I have found could have been found with a very low frequency model.

95% of the time you'll find me with a pulse induction metal detector in my hand. It's a personal preference.

Very low frequency metal detectors will out do pulse induction metal detectors on old mine tailings and piles of ore.
So if you plan on hunting old mines and their tailings primarily you would want to choose a very low-frequency model.

Another thing to consider when making the decision is that gold is normally found on bedrock.
A lot of bedrock is very shallow if not completely exposed and the very low frequency model will excel in these areas
just as much as a pulse induction model providing the bedrock is not extremely hot. What I mean by hot is ground minerals
and bedrock can be so mineralized that they produce signals to the detector that sound like real targets.
Pulse induction metal detectors do a much better job of dealing with this than very low-frequency models do.
However if you purchase a higher-end very low frequency metal detector you will have much greater success than if
you purchase a cheap model. With either type of unit once you learn to distinguish the various sounds your metal detector
will produce the easier it will become for you to distinguish between hot ground and real targets. This takes time and patience.

The best way to find out what others are saying about the various models and types is to read the various Internet
forums were people particularly Prospectors interact online and share their opinions. Beware of dealer bias.

When it comes to making decisions about who to purchase from again the forums are a great place to get opinions
from independent sources. Just because someone is popular does not mean they are honest. Also some dishonest dealers purchase gold
from several sources to make it appear that certain newer models perform better than others. Hype.


A true life example of not needing the latest and greatest technology I will share with you.

My good friend and gold prospecting partner Ted Scott uses an older model pulse induction metal detector than I do.

Many times he has outperformed me with his older model metal detector. The reasons for this vary but nonetheless
there is ground where his detector will always excel over mine even though my detector is newer and cost more.

Simply put there is ground where his metal detector is more suited to the task at hand. And there is ground where my
metal detector is suited to the task better. These places are few and far between where each machine just flat out outperforms the other but they do exist.


Most (95 percent) of the time his SD2100 and my GP Extreme are very evenly matched, not due to technology but experience simply because we both know and understand
our metal detectors and that is what you need to succeed. We both know how to tune our machines for optimal performance
in any given situation.  We both know how to tune our machines for optimal performance
in any given situation. This only comes to field experience and time. You have to be willing to learn your metal detector.
It speaks its own language and in time you will understand what it is saying to you.

Remember gold prospecting is a lot like life it's not what it has to offer you is often what you bring to it that matters.

If you are attempting to learn both metal detecting and gold prospecting at the same time you will find it is very difficult.
However some people are faster than others that's just the way life is.

Another good example is take a 1 square mile area and take a "newbie" and give him all the latest and greatest equipment out there, also take a veteran prospector and give him 5 year old technology - let them prospect. My bet is the veteran will out perform the newbie based on several factors, experience, field experience (yes they are different) and with expeirence the veteran will know "how to read the gorund" and other things to look for where everything the newbie does will be random. The newbie might get lucky but he will not know why.

No matter what you do the main goal is to have a lot of fun. You also will want to consider having several if not many
coils for your metal detector. The size and type of coil can make the difference between a skunk and gold.
Also some metal detectors do not have many coils available. This is something you should also consider what your purchase.

There are two main types of coils the Mono loop coil and the double D. The Mono loop coils are more sensitive and have
greater depth however double D models are less affected by ground mineralization.

It is good to have options, you need to keep this in mind before you part with money.

Remember a fool and his money are soon parted. Let the buyer beware. Even if you choose the wrong model to start with
often you can sell the detector quickly.

No matter what you choose good luck and have a lot of fun.

Please join our forum we would enjoy hearing about your adventures http://www.arizonagoldprospectors.com/invision