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What machine to buy

N

NYNURSE

Member
I always roll my eyes when I see this kind of post, but I have to ask. I have the opportunity to do a good amount of beach detecting this year and I have almost no experience in wet sand or shallow surf. I don't swim, so trust me, I'm talking really shallow. So the question is, if you were going to get a first time machine specificaly for salt water, what would you get ? Would you seriously consider a used machine ? My priorities are VLF only, reliability and short learning curve, in that order.
 
Why VLF only? I do a lot of this kind of hunting. I have a PI, Excal and CZ along with half a dozen VLFs (bought and sold a dozen more). I have never found a VLF to work half as well as the multi-frequency units or the PI in wet sand or surf. Watch what the successful hunters are using on the beaches you want to hunt. Talk to them about why they have that unit and what they would rather have. I think you will be way ahead in finding a machine you are happy using.
 
Working within the parameters you outlined, have a look at the ATPro for all the reasons you mentioned...I do agree with Toms advice...but lets just look at this a moment...

You may be on to something here...a lot of dry sand gets walked past by the guys with the heavy water rigs, and the Pro would be perfect for working all of that, you can choose to upgrade the Pro to a large NEL coil and become a 'dry sand specialist' if you so desire, and never set foot on the wet...

You can also get by with a mid quality light aluminum scoop and not need a super heavy tool for working deep targets in the wet sand and surfline..since you wont be hitting anything deeper than lets say 6-8 there with a VLF generally...

On some large beaches here, I walk the edge of the surf and drag the coil right through the riffle trough. Easy since you are not swinging the coil, just dragging it... 3 miles down and back, walking briskly, all the while eyeballing the dry for signs of activity, travel patterns, towel and cooler tracks, etc. that may need a sweep....if a guy happens upon what looks like a fresh cut, a guy can then wade in and sweep that area good up to knee/waist deep...

So a VLF employed in this fashion, understanding its limitations and utilizing its strengths, covering a lot of ground and going after shallow targets on salt is indeed a valid strategy, but you really got to be in phenomenal shape for all the miles you will be putting in...you can easily figure on walking on the sand 100 miles+/mo if you just go out for a few hours every morning...so everything has to be light and efficient, including your clothes and footwear (barefoot for me) and preferably before the Sun comes up or you will quickly get overheated and the crowds are also a problem to hunt around...@4am to 6am and out...:thumbup:
Mud
 
I would consider a used machine...

The first thing to do is remove both shaft camlocks on account of sand/silt jams them up very quickly making them unusable and impossible to adjust the shaft anyway..and then also get some Eneloop AA rechargables, on account of you will be changing batteries at least once per week if not more...If you seriously take to this, you will be going through the batteries, the Pro gives you @15hrs running time per set of 4...dont start a hunt and wait until they start to drop off though, because the power scale is non linear, so you got to keep track in your head and just do a swap out (or recharge) every 3-4 days or so...a pack of 48 will get you through the summer...you may find your best hunting in the Spring and Fall...its cooler and no people, and sand gets moved by storms, and you can cover a lot of ground..:thumbup:
Mud
 
Appreciate the words and may have learned my first lesson. I stated a limit to VLF, when I should have said I would prefer some form of discrimination or target ID. I'm making the assumption that the trash level is not much different at the shore line then it is in the dry stuff. I have machines I can use for dry but nothing I would risk dropping in salt.
 
The Pro has disc and TID, and multitones, fast recovery, comes with the attached arm cuff band too....and you can drop it in the water with no trouble, (good to 10' depth)...there are generally good deals on used ones on the For Sale part of this forum, they have a loyal, successful, and active following, name recognition if you decide to sell...and most importantly, it loves gold, hits rings like a train, hits chains better than multifreqs...so its got everything you need in an affordable package, that also works well for general purpose dirt work..the stock 11" coil is a good one, no need to really swap it out unless you feel you want (and can handle) a larger NEL.

Unlike its brother, the ATGold, you can set the ATPro up to hunt wet salt, semi effectively, not with the depth of a multifreqs, but still, get it on top of a decent target within a reasonable depth, and you will hear it..speaking of hearing, theres ample phones to chose from that fit the Pro..

You have a bit of time to do some reading about beach/water hunting...CliveClynick has some great books that you may find helpful...there was another great site called "The Golden Olde" written by a man now deceased named Norm Garnush...
Mud
 
Ditto to what Mud has already stated. What is your budget? A lot of your decision making depends on how fat your wallet is and would determine if you want to buy new or used etc;. When you plan to beach hunt, a big factor, like Mud has mentioned is the huge amount of sandy real estate you will be covering! so if you don't travel light, you'll feel it at the end of the day (aching back and arms)!!! BUT, as we all know, the payoffs are worth it:thumbup:
 
Another cracking piece of kit for the salt sand is the whites M6.This machine gets good depth on jewellry and is so stable you would'nt believe it.The stock coil is great on the beach and it will go a tad deeper than the at pro.....we've tested them.
 
We talking salt water or fresh? Most multi freq are VLF machines. Single freq isnt your BEST choice on a salt water beach near the water. Nothing wrong with used..... most times IF anything goes wrong and you need a repair most companies go over the machine really well and its as good as new when you get it back........ and you still have less money in it than new. I like the Sov for what you are talking about. Not water proof, but can be chest mounted making it lighter..... i use a freezer baggie over mine when near the water. Yes it works especially good to keep the over spray off the machine. There are still a wide verity of coils for the Sov and its a SIMPLE machine. On dry sand there are about 100 to 1 ration of bad targets, wet sand about half that and in the water about half that again. No need for a TID machine..... on the beach you need to kick it or dig it unless its a shallow bottle cap. These Sovs HATE iron better than any machine ive seen. Its also multi freq. Even sea weed and rain can affect a single freq machine on a salt water beach. Multi freq handles the salt and minerals better.... but in the dry sand a single freq may pick up smaller targets of value.

Norms site is worth reading..... he puts it in simple terms even the PROs should read it.
 
I would not recommend a PI unit. Over the last year I have purchased & tried the ATX, Infinium and the TDI. With the PI you will be digging everything. I sold the ATX & infinum but have kept the TDI pending some more use this summer. The only reason I am keeping it is because I have a area of beach that has very little iron otherwise I would have gotten rid of it. I spent 15 min digging a target with the ATX only to find it was the leg of a staple. The PI's are very sensitive but unless you have a clean beach its too much. Yes you can change settings to eliminate some stuff but then you reduce sensitivity so just get the excal.
Don't get the AT-Pro if you are going in salt water. Friend had one for the beach and sold it.

If you are going into the water/wet sand the Excal is the one to get. I do not use it much on the dry sand because of the minimal discrimination.

If you can afford it I would suggest the CTX. I just got one and so far it seems to be pretty good for the dry to wet shallow surf. I am going to limit it to knee high for now. Not sure if I want to submerge it. Got the excal for that.

just my opinion.
 
Get yourself a used Minelab Excalibur with a 10" coil
 
Thanks guys (and gals). I won't say the decision is made, but at least it is a more informed decision. The hardest part will be thinking with the head and not the heart.
 
I can only tell you what I did. I started out with the Sovereign GT. Great beach machine but I was afraid of ruining it if I got into the water with it as only the coil was waterproof. I just knew that the Ocean would send along a rogue wave and drown my machine.

So I considered two different machines. The Minelab Excalibur II and the Fisher CZ-21. I finally decided to go with the Excalibur II as I thought that the tones would be the same as what i was hearing with the GT. Headphones for underwater use do not produce the same tones but close enough that I quickly could tell most of the time what I was going to be digging.

I did not consider any of the PI machines as I dig enough trash with the Excal. The Excal was a bit expensive for my wallet But in a little over a year the Excal repaid me what it cost in Gold/Silver jewelry and clad coins.

As with any endeavor one must make up their own mind as no one machine will do everything and no one machine will satisfy everyone.

Good Luck in your quest.
 
The AT Pro is not good in salt. Salt machines are simple, PIs all work but with descrim its the Minelab Excal.........
 
I would add to my previous comments a couple observations. My experience and from what I have heard from others generally, trash diminishes the closer you get to the water and that continues as you get deeper. I dig virtually everything hunting wet sand to knee deep in salt water so the PI's minimal discrimination really is not a problem for me. There are absolutely some beaches that are just too trashy for a PI at all. That is why I said you need to see what the successful hunters are using on the beaches you want to hunt and talk to them about what they use, why and what they would buy. Also, I know a couple guys who hunt the wet effectively with AT Pros, so it is possible though it would NEVER be my choice. If it was all I had though, I would not hesitate.
 
Whites BH ID 300. Simple vlf, 2 frequencies, great depth. If it flashes red at all DON'T dig,it really is that simple. Oh,and about 1/3 less than an Excalibur.
 
if money is no problem and you do not mind the weight(5lb 11 oz) and you want easy the answer is cz-21. (no brainer)
 
I am a freshwater hunter, but I am with Araworn on this one. The Whites BH300 ID seems to meet all of your requirements. Simple, target lights, waterproof, multi freq, and has disc. An effective rig that cost less than the minelab options mentioned. Watch on ebay and you can get them fairly cheap. Make sure you buy one of the newer models with the less buoyant coil. Also if you need a repair, I have heard and read minelab is slow at these. Whites on the other hand I read and heard has exceptional repair time. Just my 2 cents. Also look at use Fisher CZ21's. They have been around forever and there is a reason for that. Not knocking the Minelabs, just saying there are cheaper options that meet your requirements.
 
Want to be successful on the beach? Go when it's active. When it's so crowded you have to hunt very early or in the evenings. Otherwise good luck. There's Treasure to be found during the winter months, but your up against being sanded in along with slim pickens. Spring break beaches are great for all kinds of booty. Flip side, prices can be prohibitive, very prohibitive.
A beach that's real busy, I suggest a light machine, a coil say 8-11inches. Something you won't have to struggle with. You might already own one.
 
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