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New From North Carolina


Hobo6228

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Hello everyone, I am basically new to metal detecting besides messing around with a family members detector.  I found some interesting items but their detector is super old and cheap.  So now I am looking to buy my own detector.  I live in the foothills of NC which is basically all red clay soil.  I am looking for coins and relics mostly because this is what I've found on the property.  I honestly cant spend a lot on the detector (around $200-300).  Due to the soil here being red clay it is super thick/dense and figured I would want a detector suitable to this if possible in my price range.

So from what I've researched i have a few I'm looking at but i am completely open to other brands and models i may have overlooked.  So far though, I'm looking at:  BH disc 3300 (cheapest with ground balance), BH ranger pro, and the minelab 305.  Any suggestions and input will be appreciated.  thanks everyone

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Welcome to the forum. From what I hear the red clay effects many detectors so first choice is a detector with a DD coil. Lots of brands to check out. I have a couple of Garrets and a Tesoro here. Garrett does have a sport package on their AT Pro but think that is a bit higher on your price range. I had used an old Bounty Hunter for many years but I think you may do better with a machine that has some ground balance control or at least the option to be able to manually ground balance the machine. 

Relic hunting and coin shooting you can use a wide range of machines. Fisher and Teknetics also have some good machines to check out and many in the forum may have a recommendation for you.

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So you think the BH with manual ground balance are not as good as Teknetics, Fisher and Garrett?  From what I've read, most seem to agree.  I hate to start a thread like this because I know it is asked a lot but I see so many conflicting reviews on metal detectors, i just dont know what is accurate.  So I really just need to find a quality brand with manual ground balance and a DD coil i guess.  Not sure if I will find both of these in my price range besides buying a cheap detector with manual ground balance and then upgrade the coil to a DD.  The BH land ranger pro is the only one I've found so far.  Thanks again for your help.

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I think a descent DD coil and manual ground balance matters more than a particular brand name. Good relic machines with frequencies 8-15khz seem to do well in high mineralization where higher frequency machines 17+khz start to struggle. Lower frequency will go deeper typically. Lower frequency machines are less sensitive to gold but work good on copper, bronze/brass and silver. 

Check and see if you can get extra coils for that detector as it will expand its usefulness. Nice to be able to get a different coil down the road.

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I looked up the BH Land Ranger Pro and that is pretty pricey for what it seems to be. Garrett has a sport package on their AT Pro at 488 that is not much more. Note the standard AT Pro ships for 552 with headphones and standard 8 1/2 x 11 coil. Sport package has the 5x8 coil and no headphones. The slightly smaller coil works very well in trashy areas and there are tons of coil options out there for the AT Pro. It is also water proof to 10 ft. I have had mine for a  few years and no complaints as it is a proven stable machine and very durable. Fisher, Teknetics and BH are under the same holding company First Texas and it looks like they share components such as coil castings, logic boxes etc across some models so hopefully someone that has those machines can chime in. All 3 of the First Texas companies seem to carry a 5 year warranty. Garrett has a 2 year but I can attest they have some of the best customer service.

Lots of choices out there. If possible see if there is a local dealer you can take a machine for a swing and see what you like.

Sorry for the double posting.

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Thanks for this info and help.  I've found the land ranger pro for about $260 shipped.  Also looked at the Quest Q20 which seems to have what I'm looking for but doesnt seem to be as popular, maybe just because they were released more recently in fall/winter 2017, I believe.  So I'm still browsing and researching but hope to make a purchase this weekend.  Im ready to start detecting!

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Wow that's a good price, thought those went for around $450 or so. Did you get it from a reputable dealer?

You will also need a digger of some sorts, hand digger if your hitting parks, headphones and groomed lawns and a pin pointer.

Let me know how that detector works out, might get one for my nephews.

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Welcome, Hobo6228!  You are asking the right questions at the right place.  Here are some threads you should read: 

https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/3531-first-texas-value-fisher-f44-teknetics-eurotek-patriot-bounty-hunter-land-ranger-pro-etc/page/2/#comments

https://www.detectorprospector.com/metal-detector-database/teknetics-minuteman-r98/

https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/8616-how-to-get-started/?tab=comments#comment-85792

One thing you'll notice is that difficult ground comes in many categories, and the detector(s) that can handle it in one place may not work in another.  It helps to have locals (for example, metal detecting club members and knowledgeable dealers) who are familiar with the conditions you expect to hunt.  Treasure Mountain Metal Detectors is located just south of Knoxville, TN and have prices that are competitive with most Ebay dealers.  It couldn't hurt to contact them.  They may be familiar with your area and its ground conditions:

http://treasuremtndetectors.com/metal-detectors/

Unfortunately you will come in contact with people who have a favorite detector and are not very knowledgeable about other models.  That can happen anywhere (even here...?) and it's good to diplomatically probe a bit.  Another thing that occurs too often is that you state a price ceiling and you get recommended detectors that cost way over that.  I'm pretty sure there is a detector (and probably multiple detectors) that will work adequately in your area and are in your price range.

 

 

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