Nautilus Detector Users Forum

My wife and I were coming through NC this past Saturday, and I stopped at a Pawn shop. They had a decent-looking DMC 2ba with a huge coil for 250.00. It was missing the "top" knob on the double-knob control. That's all I saw wrong with it, but you could still turn it with the stem. Other than that, it was clean. I talked the guy down to 175.00 cash, and then didn't get it. I have too many machines, and relic hunt alot. Never owned a Nautilus and always wanted one. Did I screw-up by not getting this? Thanks.

Yes, go back and snap his hand off,.you may never get another chance of buying one.

That would have been a hellva deal if the machine had no problems. And most of them don't. Usually the coil needs to be re-tuned if anything. Depends on what kind of dirt you dig in but other than the red dirt around Culpepper Va. these machines are relic monsters. Takes a few trips to get used to the settings and signals but once learned, they are easy to use. Go back and get it! Heck if it needs a tune up Steve and co. in Coats can fix you right up. Better yet, tell me which pawn shop you were at and I'll go get it!
Mike

Thanks. All I know is that it was at a Pawn Shop near New Bern, NC. I'm in Va, so it's too far to go back. We went to Atlantic Beach, via Moorhead City way, and it was somewhere on the road closer to New Bern(coming home), if I remember right. I'd have to look to see which road I was on. Oddly enough, there was another pawn shop closer to Moorhead City, but not far from that pawn shop, and they had a Nautilus DMC also, but it wasn't tha "a" model. That one was cheaper, but showed more signs of wear. Both machines had the "newer" style shafts(with arm-cup). I can tell you that coming from the beach, we went over the Moorhead City bridge, and turned left toward home. that road goes toward New Bern. both of these shops were on the right going toward NB. A friend of mine has an older Nautilus(with the old curved u-shaped handle). He says it has a large coil on it, and he hasn't used it in 20 years. He says it's about a 30 year old machine. He doesn't even know if it still works, but if I can get that one and mount the electronics on a better shaft, I may do that. I can probably get it for 100.00 or so, if it works.

Well I had a IIb a while back and sold it 4 years later for $200 less than I bought it for new. I just picked up a IIba a few weeks ago for $250, and it looks like new. For whatever reason the Nautilus machines don't have the resale value they used to have. A nice IIba on ebay never got a bid. I don't get it, but I'll never let go of mine. Only a high dollar PI will beat it, and if you tune the Nautilus right you can dig like crazy even in Culpeper dirt. I've dug bullets and buttons at DIV behind other machines when everyone told me the Nautilus would only work in mild soil. If you learn how to use it it will work in about any soil.

Thanks! I've seen some junky ones since the trip to the beach, with missing knobs, scratched-all up, etc, and the people all want like 250 for them. If I could find a nice clean one that works good, I may would pay that for one, but I left the "deal" down in NC, regretably.

If you're patient another great deal will come along. Nautilus machines go up for sale on a fairly regular basis and rarely get bought.

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Shenandoah Digger
If you're patient another great deal will come along. Nautilus machines go up for sale on a fairly regular basis and rarely get bought.

You're right. There hasn't been one on e-bay in quite a while now. When you put "Nautilus metal detector' in the search box, all that comes up is a pair of Gray Ghost headphones(unless one has been put on this afternoon). Usually, you can search and find ANYTHING on fee-bay, so I was very surprised not to see one on there in the last week or so.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2011 07:50PM by Dirt Poor.

Yep and those Gray Ghosts are way overpriced.

i bought it saturday read your post and drove up from burgaw nc stoped at every pawn shop and found it thanks for the tip digging fool..... husaberg chuck

Cool! Glad you got it. I'm surprised it was still there. Have you tried it out yet?

found a old ring at 10 to 12 in. at a civil war earthen works site no stone an very thin my friends minelab excaluber did not see it. its going to take some time to learn but i will keep it thanks again diggin fool husabergchuck

Glad you're liking it! I located one locally that doesn't work. It looks good, and was working fine years ago, but after coming out of storage, it won't work. If I can get it cheap, I'll send it off to get it fixed. Good Luck around the earthworks.

I am reading that the coils need to be re-tuned from time to time on a Nauty....what does that entail? Thinking of buying one...how do you know if the coil is out of tune? Thanks.