You are right on Snowy... different coils for different specific needs. I'd like to agree with all you guys on the "too many choices.... which probably three sizes of coils should be adequate". And at first I thought having a small one for heavy trash, an 8 inch for everyday, and a monster for deep would cover all the bases. Then I found myself in some old researched places where there might be a seated half between two iron nails and a 2 cent piece beneath and I quickly learned the right tool for the job makes a huge difference. In this one fairgrounds, I worked the same general area (close to where the grandstands were) over and over from different angles. Then I'd switch coils and find 20 or so more relics and coins, then I'd switch to a different coil and again start finding more, and it didn't matter which coil I'd use, I would still find more stuff. If it rained, there were coils that were just about worthless, others that would come to life like I had never hunted there before (8 inch SUN RAY for one, I owe close to 100 Indian head pennies to that one alone and some are key dates). There was this particular area where the nails were infested, about a 400 square foot area, I walked across it swinging every coil as I went back to the truck literally a hundred times or more and every now and again I'd pick out an Indian or a cuff link, a button and such. Well it had just rained and the sun went down and I had my Sun Ray 8 on which previously was too large to get separation between the lots of nails and coins in that particular are (most times I needed the 5 and still had a slow go of it) and all of a sudden, I started hearing the high tones clearly between all the nails and was easily able to pinpoint them with this coil that should not have been able to do that (it's an 8 inch coil). I couldn't do it with coils half that size. It is no doubt why I have a fond liking of my SR8, for some reason, in that specific situation, that coil does what no other can do. Try it sometime. When the sun went down some coils would actually work better (power lines no longer running same voltage I guess). But each of my 13 or 14 coils had definite strong and weak points in specific areas and just about every coil had a purpose. Honestly, a new coil can bring an old site to life like a new machine can. Most people don't realize that because they are probably not working a site where their next find has the potential to pay for their machine all at once, so they don't spend the time trying how to unmask just a couple more hits, and such. If you are in a pounded park and the oldest coin you are going to find is a mercury dime, chances are, you just might not have enough incentive to pull out all the stops to pick it clean. I wouldn't. So I guess what I am saying is, first do some research and find an old site, whether its been hunted or not is absolutely unimportant, just make sure the finds that were there are valuable enough to put forth the effort. Then try different coils from different directions, at different times of day, with different amounts of soil moisture content and you will be utterly amazed how quickly you will wish for more varieties and different sizes of coils. And real quick, you will learn which ones are the bomb and which ones aren't, as well as which one is your most effective for certain situations. It started as a hobby and now I am an addicted, anal scientist.
These statements aren't directed towards you like you don't realise these things, I was just agreeing and expanding on your statement "different coils for specific needs" and giving examples of my own experiences. I still want a 4 x 14, or a 4 x 16 DD for quickly combing a farm field, wide enough coverage to move quickly, lighter than a big round, and able to go between corn stalks in a single bound!!!!
