Gold Detector

[Karl48]

Hi guys, I’m new here, any one can get me an advice on a gold detector ?

nothing expensive, I’m a starter 

im in Queensland, only go prospecting weekends nothing fancy for now.

appreciate the help

thank you 😊 

[Ridge Runner]

It’s several that may live not too far from you on here and I hope they will respond to your question. Being here in Texas I’m not any help to you.

 The best!

 Chuck 

[Rick N. MI]

I'm listing some detectors that can be use all around including nuggets. I'm not a nugget hunter but I do relic &  jewelry hunt including tiny jewelry.

I would suggest a Xp Orx with 5x9.5 coil. You wouldn't have to buy any extra coils. If Chuck still has his, it's a great deal on the classified.

Another good detector is the Nokta Legend pro pack that comes with a 6" coil. The 6x9.5 is great coil for it too.

Also the Nokta Gold Racer is great. It is a nugget detector but can be used for other detecting. It's no longer made and you might be able to find a good deal on one.

I have the above detectors and they all qualify for nuggets, relics and jewelry hunting.

If you want a nugget detector design for only nuggets, the Garrett GoldMaster 24k is nice and there is a 5" concentric coil that was made by White's.

I'm sure you will get other options.

[GB_Amateur]

This is an excellent place to start learning about gold detectors.  I don't see the Nokta Legend there (article last updated 9 months ago so at that time the Legend was still somewhat unknown in its gold prospecting abilities).  Once you've absorbed that you should be better positioned to understand the responses you get directly in this thread you've begun.

 

 

[Ridge Runner]

Thanks Rick but I just shipped it off today and it had both coils.

 Chuck 

[phrunt]

I think it's best giving a basic idea of area you'll be hunting, Queensland has some hot soils and many not be overly suitable for a VLF (the cheaper sort of detector) and you may end up being better off buying a used PI machine.  Regardless you'd do better with a PI in most cases.

Hopefully someone from QLD can step in and help you, quite a few people on this forum are from or hunt in QLD for gold.

[dig4gold]

Ask JP. Jonathan Porter. Queensland is his back yard. He may see this & chime in, but don't hold your breath as I have noticed he hasn't been on here in ages. You could try message him directly. He is a Minelab tester, dealer/agent.

You would most likely be better off with a pulse induction detector as has already been mentioned due to hot ground that the cheaper vlf's dont like. Because they are cheaper doesn't necessarily mean they are no good.  Just given a hard time by mineralised ground. My vote for a "cheap" but usually very good  vlf in mild type ground would be the gold monster & the Nox 800. If you are also keen on jewellery & relic hunting then the nox 800.

For a PI that might be within your budget a 2nd hand GPX 4500 or 5000. 

Good luck.

D4G 

[RONS DETECTORS MINELAB]

Lots of people are selling their older model detectors for the newer models coming out. I guess it’s like having packrat syndrome, must have the shiny and new. This opens up a good opportunity to get some good detector prices for people on a budget.

 

As a dealer and trainer I get asked a very good question by a lot of customers on what prospecting detector would be best for them. My answer is usually what is your price range and how mineralized is the area you planning on prospecting? How much rubbish is in the area your detecting? If they are new to prospecting and not sure where to even go, I recommend them doing some research on the mining districts closest to them. My usual recommendation for their best chance of finding nuggets is to get a PI detector when in medium to heavy mineralized ground or a VLF with a very good target VDI for low mineralized ground in rubbish littered areas. Usually the PI detectors exceeds there price limit. There are options for used PI detectors at VLF pricing, but this comes with risk by not having any warranty. I recommend only keeping a detector that’s under warranty due to the high price of repairs, but do understand there are some really good prices on used detectors also, such as the GPX-5000.

The following list is just a recommendation from my experience using a majority of these detectors on what will work for nugget hunting. I am not saying price always determines the best performance due to many variables in metal detecting. This is not a debate on detector performances as it is more about what price to expect to pay to get into this hobby. All the VLF’s listed here can or should pass the bic pen sensitivity test. There are many more comparable models out there, but these were probably some of the lower priced prospecting detectors I have found for the money.

 

Just a few Detectors for light mineralization and a low price where a VLF can work well:

 

$289,00 Minelab X-Terra Pro 3 year warranty. Has ground balance. I recommend nugget hunting in Park 2 15Khz mode for best sensitivity. Also a multi-purpose detector. Great price and also can use Equinox coils.

Fisher Gold Bug newer Digital w 5 inch coil 19Khz.  5 year warranty.

Fisher F19 w 6 x 10 inch coil package. 19Khz 5 year warranty.

Nokta Legend Pro Pack w 6 inch coil package Multi Freq. 3 year warranty. Also a multi-purpose detector.

Nokta/Makro Gold Kruzer w 4 x 7.5 and 5.5 x 10 inch coil package 61Khz. 3 year warranty.

Garrett 24K w 6 x 10 inch coil 48Khz. 2 year warranty.

 Fisher Gold Bug 2 analog or digital w 3 x 6.5 inch coil 71Khz. 5 year warranty. This detector is probably a specialty detector with the most sensitivity for cleaning up the smallest leftover nuggets. If you need more sensitivity then the GB2 then probably recommend the Gold Falcon MD20 pin-pointer 300Khz. 

Minelab Equinox 800 w 6 inch coil Multi Freq. 3 year warranty. Also a multi-purpose detector. Very versatile.

 

Many other used VLF models can come in well under $500.00, but with no warranty probably better to buy a new model for the price difference.

 

For medium to heavy mineralization, a PI is really necessary to have the best success: Weight is usually the downside to PI detectors until the last few new releases. So weight is included on the PI list.

Expensive Options!

A used GP 3500 can be found for less than $1,400, ATX for less than $1,500, GPX 4500 for less than $1,700, and GPX 5000 for less than $2,000. Most likely non warranty, but these older PI’s were built pretty solid.

 

Maybe others can describe the best options for your areas mineralization though.