Metal Detecting Forum

I enjoy reading the forum and all the ideas shared but the one thing I don't ever see is this thought. I by no means consider myself a expert on detecting but I have spent thousands of hours over 40 + years in the field and find that sometimes the newest detector isn't the answers, it a new location. I read were a manufacturer will say in their ad you will be able to go to those hunted out places and uncover deeper or mast treasure missed by others, and I agree that the technology is always improving but latest and greatest isn't always the answer. I do believe you never find it all, I have been thru this many times in the past. When I look back over the great finds that I have been lucky enough to uncover it has made some terrific treasure stories, I look at my log and still relive that day or season when I had some unbelievable good luck. When I started detecting there were BFO or TR units and just a few companies making detectors, now the market has really expanded. Some companies are still here and others are gone. I still enjoy researching and my time detecting or sharing treasure stories, I have always kept a log to reference what site has payed off or not. When someone has asked I even have a list off all the detector I have owned over the years , some good and some not so. It is so important to know your machine than to have the newest on the market , thinking outside the box and using your imagination. Hunt the path less traveled, take your time and know your equipment. Looking at my log book the other day I thought back to 1985 and lake michigan water levels where at a all time high. At the time I thought no more beach hunting, the water is eroding the beach not realizing it was uncovering treasure that has not been exposed for a hundred years, what a bonanza. That opened up other new but old locations, the sidewalks that needed repair, the curb strips that were damaged and so on. This was done with the same detector, not a new detector just a new location. There are countless new locations in the same areas you have looked for years but maybe never connected the dots. The newest detector doesn't give you any advantage if the treasure you seek isn't there to find. Sometimes the journey is more fun than the destination.

All good information, thanks for sharing. Location is definitely the most important part of the puzzle when your metal detecting, just this last year I noticed this scraping going on in the park where we've hunted many times before and never found any silver there, they were planning on putting a new play ground in at this new location so they scraped off about a foot of top soil to get it level. Well, you guessed it, we found several nice silver coins in there before they got started putting the play ground up.
You definitely need to keep your eyes open for any new opportunities like this.

So true. Getting caught up in the new gear marketing frenzy is sometimes hard to resist. In the end we can only use one machine at a time and the more we know about the one we have, the better the outcome.

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Active detectors and accessories: Fisher F19 LTD on Mars universal shaft, F19 on original shaft, Nokta Fors CoRe, Whites MX7, Makro and Nokta pointers. Killer B's and Jolly Rogers headphones and assorted coils.
Previous detectors in order of acquisition: Bounty Hunter Discovery, Fisher F44, Fisher F5, Omega 8000 V6, Minelab X-Terra 705

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dfmike
So true. Getting caught up in the new gear marketing frenzy is sometimes hard to resist. In the end we can only use one machine at a time and the more we know about the one we have, the better the outcome.

Beware of the man who owns just one gun, he probably knows how to use it.

What an outstanding post.

Well said, location is everything.

Yes.....brilliant post and so so accurate.I laugh when i hear somebody's field has come alive after they have bought the latest technological marvel.....all i can say is the detector they were using before was either useless or they hadn't got a clue how to use it.
Also,40 years experience gives your words quite a lot of weight......it's so good to hear somebody talking sense.

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Nauti Neil
Yes.....brilliant post and so so accurate.I laugh when i hear somebody's field has come alive after they have bought the latest technological marvel.....all i can say is the detector they were using before was either useless or they hadn't got a clue how to use it.
Also,40 years experience gives your words quite a lot of weight......it's so good to hear somebody talking sense.

I agree 100%. I've been swinging the same detector for 8 years and it continues to bring new life back to my same old dead sites over and over again.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2019 05:18PM by 2 Much Trash.

This notion is only realized by hunters who have been at it awhile,and likely with a very good machine to start. LEARNING EVERY ASPECT of the machine will bring more targets,including what coils to use with it! There are very few targets that will hit cleanly with one machine but not at all with another,UNLESS settings are all wrong or you downright MISS it. There is a point at which some older machines which aren’t very capable will be outpaced by newer tech, but the location really is everything,as stated. My high end machine won’t find ANYTHING in a site with nothing,but my Compadre will do quite well in a virgin old yard in town! It only makes sense,but we each only have certain options. The OP says to expand your options....it’s great advice!

I am living proof that the latest, greatest detector does not mean success nor competency. I’ve only been in the hobby for a short time and am convinced there is no replacement for experience with your machine and location.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2019 03:17PM by Kraemer.

I have to somewhat disagree..... Used a Tesoro GSII for 22years and made a lot of great finds. It's the only machine I'd ever used at that time. Started to realize that the older coins were a little deeper than the GSII was capable of so being very happy with Tesoro I stepped up to a brand new Tejon. What I noticed real quick was the Tejon was a much deeper machine than the GSII....BUT, the machine didn't give me the extra info needed to help my decision of whether to dig or not? So the time I waisted digging deeper crap actually slowed me down over the course of a hunt and less GOOD targets dug? So after following the forums here I started to notice more GOOD old coin finds on the eTrac forum so I took the spendy plunge on the eTrac. If I wouldn't have spent so much dough on the eTrac I might have wrapped it around a tree in the beginning....lol Once I started to learn the machine my finds (old coins) jumped dramatically and I kept saying to myself.....WHY didn't I do this change years ago!!!!!!! I no longer coin shoot as I have to travel too far so I've switched over to nugget shooting but I'll never part with the eTrac. With me it boils down to the fact that my hunt time is valuable and limited and the extra info the eTrac gives me allows me to be much more productive with the limited time I have. My trash to treasure ratio did a complete 180 turn once I learned (still learning) the extra info the eTrac gave...…. jmho

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Minelab Gold Monster 1000
E-Trac (13" Ultimate, 6" EQ2, NEL ss, Pro, X-1)

With age comes great wisdom.

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oneguy
I have to somewhat disagree..... Used a Tesoro GSII for 22years and made a lot of great finds. It's the only machine I'd ever used at that time. Started to realize that the older coins were a little deeper than the GSII was capable of so being very happy with Tesoro I stepped up to a brand new Tejon. What I noticed real quick was the Tejon was a much deeper machine than the GSII....BUT, the machine didn't give me the extra info needed to help my decision of whether to dig or not? So the time I waisted digging deeper crap actually slowed me down over the course of a hunt and less GOOD targets dug? So after following the forums here I started to notice more GOOD old coin finds on the eTrac forum so I took the spendy plunge on the eTrac. If I wouldn't have spent so much dough on the eTrac I might have wrapped it around a tree in the beginning....lol Once I started to learn the machine my finds (old coins) jumped dramatically and I kept saying to myself.....WHY didn't I do this change years ago!!!!!!! I no longer coin shoot as I have to travel too far so I've switched over to nugget shooting but I'll never part with the eTrac. With me it boils down to the fact that my hunt time is valuable and limited and the extra info the eTrac gives me allows me to be much more productive with the limited time I have. My trash to treasure ratio did a complete 180 turn once I learned (still learning) the extra info the eTrac gave...…. jmho

The Etrac is an awesome detector. But main stream folks now consider it, along with many other units, old school or old tech. Right now if your not swinging an Equinox, XP Deus, or an Anfibio you're not with the program. In next few months those will probably be considered out dated and if you don't get with program you not gonna be successful. lol.

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2 Much Trash

I have to somewhat disagree..... Used a Tesoro GSII for 22years and made a lot of great finds. It's the only machine I'd ever used at that time. Started to realize that the older coins were a little deeper than the GSII was capable of so being very happy with Tesoro I stepped up to a brand new Tejon. What I noticed real quick was the Tejon was a much deeper machine than the GSII....BUT, the machine didn't give me the extra info needed to help my decision of whether to dig or not? So the time I waisted digging deeper crap actually slowed me down over the course of a hunt and less GOOD targets dug? So after following the forums here I started to notice more GOOD old coin finds on the eTrac forum so I took the spendy plunge on the eTrac. If I wouldn't have spent so much dough on the eTrac I might have wrapped it around a tree in the beginning....lol Once I started to learn the machine my finds (old coins) jumped dramatically and I kept saying to myself.....WHY didn't I do this change years ago!!!!!!! I no longer coin shoot as I have to travel too far so I've switched over to nugget shooting but I'll never part with the eTrac. With me it boils down to the fact that my hunt time is valuable and limited and the extra info the eTrac gives me allows me to be much more productive with the limited time I have. My trash to treasure ratio did a complete 180 turn once I learned (still learning) the extra info the eTrac gave...…. jmho

The Etrac is an awesome detector. But main stream folks now consider it, along with many other units, old school or old tech. Right now if your not swinging an Equinox, XP Deus, or an Anfibio you're not with the program. In next few months those will probably be considered out dated and if you don't get with program you not gonna be successful. lol.

I mentioned "I no longer coin shoot and switched to nugget hunting".....so I could care less about a Nox, Deus, or?..... wake up McFly!!!!!! The eTrac will also hold it's place in history as one of the best coin shooters of all time for many years to come regardless of what else comes along...….imo. This thread kinda leaned toward "it's not the machine but the operator & the location". My point was basically that not all machines are created equally...….

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Minelab Gold Monster 1000
E-Trac (13" Ultimate, 6" EQ2, NEL ss, Pro, X-1)

All things being equal, such as everyone being on the same site, I feel that experience is the most important factor. Most of these guys on here can beat the pants off of me even if they use an old detector, and I use the latest and greatest detector. (!)
One reason for this is because they know thier machine so well. Anytime you get a new machine, the learning curve will be pretty steep. So for a while, while you are learning your new machine (which seems to get more complex all the time), the guys with thier old machines will beat you every time.
When they start coming out with the MRI Xray type machines, where you can actually see the target, I'm getting one. Even if it takes me a while to master it. I don't care how good the older machines are supposed to be. Even then, experience will be most important factor, such as what sites to hunt, etc.