Infinium or TDI?What do you think?

[JoeR]

I plan to nugget detect in the Alabama gold belt and want a good affordable PI unit for the hot ground over there.The Whites TDI and Garret Infinium are both in my price range and seem to have interesting features.I would appreciate the members' opinions about them.

 

[Digger Bob]

No question in my mind, the TDI is the way to go. Although, for your location I think a VLF machine may be better suited. Only because of the size of gold typically encountered in your neck of the woods. All the pulse machines are best suited for the "larger" nuggets, that being 1/2 dwt on up. That's where you get the real depth advantage. They just don't have the sensitivity to the small flakes that you can detect with a Goldmaster or Gold Bug. On the other hand, the pulse machines, especially the TDI are unaffected by the hot ground. I've yet to find ground it can't balance out.

Go here for more insight from the experts;

http://tdi.invisionplus.net/index.php?mforum=tdi&showforum=3

Digger Bob

 

[JoeR]

Thanks for the input Bob.Actually I have three VLF machines which may be usefull:my MXT,a Goldstrike which I recently bought,and my son`s Lobo ST.I will experiment with all of them but my research keeps turning up the term "graphitic schist",which is the stuff which makes the Austrailian gold fields such a challenge.Indeed there used to be a lot of graphite mining here during World War II.I also recall Ty Brooks reports from years back in which he found VLF detectors to be nearly useless for coin hunting in much of this area.

I too have heard that nuggets are tiny in the Alabama gold belt.However,there were large ones found in the old days and my approach is to get out of the creek bottoms and try to explore higher terrace gravels if I can locate them.These would have been hit less than the streams and the hot ground may work to my advantage if VLF detectors missed anything there.Thanks again.

 

[bearkat4160]

Hi Joe,

I have used both and I prefer the Infinium and I used to live in Georgia. I have found a 1/4 nugget and a 1.2 nugget and several smaller ones there with Infinium and my GTI 2500. If you want to go where no one can go for the gold nuggets in Alabama which is the water, other than the dredgers I'd go with the Infinium. It can win you some nice .5 grammers and up. The TDI is great machine and a tad more sensitive than the infinium. I now live in Oregon near the Cali border and both are needed out here because the ground is hotter than hell. Alabama and Georgia red clay aint got nothing on this iron infested ground here. And the brown clay here in Oregon is nasty sticky mess.

There are large nuggets still to be had in Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina as I have some. But much are on private property so be careful and get permission. Good luck.

Alan

 

[bearkat4160]

oops the nuggets were 1/4 oz and 1.2 gram. My bad.

 

[JoeR]

Thanks bearkat4160!Is the fact that it is a water machine your main reason for preferring the Infinium?My chief concern about the TDI is the grip which seems to me like it would be very fatiguing;the Infinium looks better in that regard.

 

[bearkat4160]

Well the Infinium came out before the TDI so I had it already anyway and was not going to spend $4500 on a minelab. Just my preference.

Alan

 

[nvchris]

Thanks bearkat4160!Is the fact that it is a water machine your main reason for preferring the Infinium?My chief concern about the TDI is the grip which seems to me like it would be very fatiguing;the Infinium looks better in that regard.

No fatuge when you use a hipstick works on any detector.


nvchris

 

[David]

Both the Infinium and TDI are comparable and very good. But if you need to work in water and in the rain get the Infinium.

I also heard the TDI is a bit more sensitive (than the Infinium) to very small gold and is more adjustable. If you want to get the very tiny gold, get a TDI with the small dual-field elliptical 10" mono coil is my recommendation: http://www.jimmysierra.com/loops_jimmytdiC.html

Also look at: http://jimmysierra.com/loops_diggerC.html

The TDI Chest Harness--it takes the weight off your arm: http://jimmysierra.com/tdiharness.htm

Yes, not only the very good Hipstick(I have one), but also look at the Swingy Thingy(I also have one of these) from Doc's Detecting in Las Vegas.

Helpful: http://jimmysierra.com/tdistand.htm