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Hello all. I have done a small amount of detecting years ago with a Whites detector (don't remember the model) and really enjoyed it. I search mostly on Iowa farmland that I own where old homesteads were. Sold detector several years ago but want to get back into the hobby. I would like to find coins, jewelry (not really any gold laying around here except corn!!) and such. Looking to spend around $1000 for equipment. Been researching some companies and Minelab looks like it has good detectors but never used one. Would appreciate any advice on what equipment would be appropriate of this type of detecting. Its not so much about the finding for me, its getting outdoors and the solitude of detecting. Finding is definitely a plus. I sure do dig up a lot of old  rifle casings!! Would be nice if detector could differentiate these brass casings from other metals. Thanks Mike

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48 minutes ago, ziessen said:

Looking to spend around $1000 for equipment.

Welcome, Ziessen!  When you say 'equipment', do you mean everything -- e.g. hand held pinpointer, digging tool(s), headphones?

50 minutes ago, ziessen said:

I sure do dig up a lot of old  rifle casings!! Would be nice if detector could differentiate these brass casings from other metals.

Typically those don't ID the same as 20th Century USA coins, so if this is your goal there are many detectors that will fit the bill.  However, if you also want gold jewelry and some of the obsolete 19th century coins like silver 3 cent and 5 cent pieces, you're going to be digging spent casings (and lead bullets, for that matter), regardless of the detector you get.  Now, you can probably eliminate those casings by notching out or ignoring certain parts of the Digital Target ID scale, but you will also be eliminating some desired targets -- those which also happen to have those DTID's.

As site admin Steve Herschbach often says, metal detectors find metal, and the signal depends upon composition, but also on size and shape.  I used to have access to metal working machines (not anymore) and thought that an interesting experiment would be to make pieces out of just aluminum that would cover most of the non-ferrous part of the digital TID scale.  It might be tough to imitate large USA coins (e.g. half dollars), but other than way up there on the conductivity scale I think it would be doable.

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For your budget, I would recommend seriously considering the Minelab Equinox 600 or 800.  Equinox is the one of the most versatile and capable detectors around and at an excellent price point.  The multi-frequncy Equinox can be used for coin shooting, relic hunting, jewelry, and fresh or salt beach hunting.  The 800 adds a gold prospecting mode (that can also be used as an alternate mode for relic, jewelry, and coin hunting as well). The 600 is limited in the number of custom settings and single frequency settings but performs just as capably as the 800 when set up with similar settings.  There are a number of recently released capable but less expensive detectors such as the multi-frequency Minelab Vanquish and single frequency Nokta Simplex and the forthcoming multi-frequency Apex.  Whites has unfortunately started the process of going out of business.   Anyway, peruse Steve Herschbach's detector database and reviews section of the site for more information.

https://www.detectorprospector.com/metal-detector-database/

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Welcome to the forum Ziessen,

    Those are solid detectors GB and Chase mentioned!

   I think you can be set up with a good package deal (if you need everything), with one of those detectors (not the 800) and a bag,  headphones, digging tool, a pinpointer, and a few extras, for that $1000  pricepoint! Shop around the sites, after you zero in on your detector! Or someone may point you in the right direction for a deal! 

  Read, and ask question's on the forum! (There free)   If you want to be more specific after some research! Ask away!!   

Good Luck!!👍👍 

   

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Thank you all for replying so quickly. Yes GB I would like a pointer and the headphones. I think the Minelab detector comes with some of these but I will check. I like the idea of gold ability in case I use it on the beach at Hilton head Island (maybe won't be water resistant but I will read up on it). The brass casings are only in one area but it is a good area.It sounds like the Minelab 800 is the way to go. I hear there is a slight learning curve with it but thats ok. I will let you all know what I purchase and how it works. Thanks again for the info.  Mike

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Welcome Mike! Glad to help, where i can!👍👍

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14 hours ago, ziessen said:

I would like a pointer and the headphones. I think the Minelab detector comes with some of these but I will check.

The MInelab Equinox 800@$900 is about as good as it gets in terms of performance and flexibility/settings.  There are other strong performers that are in the ballpark -- no one detector does everything best.  It's a detector that, assuming you click with it (most, but not all do), you won't be wanting to "trade up" as you get back into the swing of detecting.  It doesn't lack for features or capability.  If you bought one of the other detectors Chase mentioned (Nokta/Makro Simplex @255, Minelab Vanquish 540@$400, soon to be released Garrett Apex@$450, and even the Equinox 600@$650), it's possible after a few months you'd wish you had those features that the Eqx 800 possesses that they lack.

Yes, the Eqx 800 comes with wireless headphones and also an audio receiver WM08 module (transmitter is in the detector itself) which allows you to plug in any headphones you prefer.  So if you don't like the included ML80 headphones (many do; I don't), you can still substitute any of the plethora of 'wired' headphones on the market.  You can even use some aftermarket 3rd party wireless bluetooth headphones but there are latency (delay) issues with some models so choose carefully.  (Lots of help here doing that.)

The Eqx 800 comes with with one coil.  However, that coil (11 inch diameter) is very versatile.  I have the two optional coils as well but only use the other two for special situations like hunting gold in the deserts of Western USA.  The Eqx 600 model with same coil is an equal performer in most cases, but lacks several features some (like I) really appreciate.  For one thing you don't get the ML 80 headphones or WM08 receiver, although it is compatible with those, just beware ML charges and arm and a leg to buy them individually.  (The headphones can be duplicated aftermarket for much less.  The WM08 is proprietary so no option there.)  Besides not having the Gold modes, the 600 also doesn't allow custom tone breaks.  I use those to assign certain audio frequencies ('pitches') to certain targets, allowing me to let my ears and brain decide which targets are worth investigating rather than constantly having to peer at the screen (very tedious/tiring in my experience).  There are other ways to get similar capability, but again, the 800 has the most bells and whistles -- so to speak -- between all the sub $1000 detectors still in production.

A top quality handheld pinpointer is in the $120-$150 range.  Here's a recent thread on the subject, but it's not an easy decision typically as there are several that more/less perform equally.

Take a bit of time reading through Steve's database (see the link Chase included) and also browsing some of the general forum threads here.  Don't just take our quick recommendations.  😁

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13 hours ago, ziessen said:

Hello all. I have done a small amount of detecting years ago with a Whites detector (don't remember the model) and really enjoyed it. I search mostly on Iowa farmland that I own where old homesteads were. Sold detector several years ago but want to get back into the hobby. I would like to find coins, jewelry (not really any gold laying around here except corn!!) and such. Looking to spend around $1000 for equipment. Been researching some companies and Minelab looks like it has good detectors but never used one. Would appreciate any advice on what equipment would be appropriate of this type of detecting. Its not so much about the finding for me, its getting outdoors and the solitude of detecting. Finding is definitely a plus. I sure do dig up a lot of old  rifle casings!! Would be nice if detector could differentiate these brass casings from other metals. Thanks Mike

Hey I’m in Iowa too! If you got 1000 dollars I’d get a minelab equinox 600 or 800. If you got the 600 you could also get a pinpointer and some nice digging tools

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I would add to the above list the XPs Deus and Orx which are excellent machines , and if the detector weight is important for you they are much lighter that the Equinox. They are also excellent in iron trashed areas . For a beginner I would suggest the Orx , which is simpler to use than the Deus.   

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I too agree with the above on the XP ORX or maybe the Deus. The Deus is the most advanced machine I have ever had. Very light weight.....deep and fast.

 

The ORX is just as fast and just as deep with less adjustments....but the performance is still there. 

 

You would not go wrong with either machine. 

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