What Is Your Favorite Gold Detector And Why?

[flakmagnet]

so, sort of dragging your feet until the new ML announcement? (now where's my ironic smirk emoji)

It's funny you kicked off this thread but won't let us know your thoughts…come on we're interested.

[Gerry in Idaho]

Why do I feel this detector gets my vote of confidence as the best gold detector on the market today.

As a multi line dealer and one who enjoys the hunt for gold, I have spent more time and money than most folks trying out all the different gold machines on the market.  Another of my attributes is having qualified Field Staff Experts who have been and still are in hot pursuit of the soft yellow precious metal.  Some of my team goes back 20 yrs with me and many trips across the gold bearing western states including Alaska.  Even my newer Staff have proven their stature with many ounces and or pounds of gold being recovered, but more importantly, by a variety of gold detectors.  We also take our knowledge of the many detectors and share with each other.   Heck, many times we are together and even comparing different detectors and or settings to get the ultimate signal.  We find the happy medium between clearest target vs strongest response and this can really speed up ones abilities at sniffing out gold with the best of the best.

At times in recent years I’ve been labeled as a Minelab guy who pushes them for profit.  What those folks don’t understand is that profit is the last of my worries.  Heck to be really truthful, Minelab has one of the lowest % margins out there.  Early in my Dealer career, I was labeled as a Fisher guy, then a White’s dude and it seemed any detector I used and pushed, it branded in their minds. 

What I have learned is to put the best tool in my customers hands that will give them the greatest chance of Success.  If they are finding gold, I have a walking advertisement for my business and they’ll share their experiences with all those around them who are interested.  That my folks is how I work and it brings me long lived happy/repeat customer… becomes my profit.

As a true die hard detectorist when in the hunt for gold, I have no other objective but to find it.  I really don’t care what country detector is made, what brand, model or name it has on the label. I’ll even go so far as to say I also do not mind spending the money on a detector if I feel it will help me recover more gold.  The bottom line is for me to be Successful at finding gold.   This should be the case for most folks who look for Au and especially if you want to be proficient at digging more than most others. 

Here is the problem for the vast majority of people out there who want to detect for the heavy metal.  You listen to the wrong music, lol. Most don’t have the knowledge of all the different gold units and or technologies and how they work best.  Not only that, lets be honest, the majority don’t have the ok from the wife (the money) to buy them all.  But even for those with no wife and or no budget limit, you still don’t have the time.  OK, at least those with no wife and no limit on spending, you might have more time than most others.  On top of all the scenarios  already mentioned there is still one factor that really does help my detector of choice and this is where so many people get confused or have been mis informed.  My detector finds more varieties of natural gold than most any other and as a bonus, it also finds man made gold as in rings and gold coins with more accuracy than the competition.  But that last bit is a bonus, so we won’t even count that part of the equation, even though gold is gold.

So what is this detector I speak so highly of (at least until something comes out and proves to be better)?  It’s a gold machine with features I really like, use in the field and prefer.   Some of the most important (in no given order) details are listed below.

1. Target Identification -  So many detectors now have the ID of (Don’t Dig/Dammit = Ferrous or Hot Diggity/Dig It = Nonferrous) and that is a nice feature, but I want more.  I want digital ID that can split my Hot Diggity/Dig It targets into sub categories and it’s accuracy of low conductions, medium ones and higher ones where most gold never reads, is pretty reliable.  Actually, nothing is 100% accurate when it comes to digging gold, but I’ll play the odds and trust me, I’m usually right more often than wrong.  Now I will say, knowing the kind of gold at the location is very beneficial when trying to use a detector with such accuracy of nonferrous targets.
2. Ground Balance – Better have Auto & Manual Ground Balance.  My styles of detecting gold has me in many states, different terrains and soil conditions.  I sometimes even go back and forth at a certain site as the day goes on and the speed of ground I am covering.  Cruising and trying to find an Indicator Nugget is best left for the Auto Track Mode.  But when I want to dial in a certain small section to get best depth and sensitivity, I go into the Manual Mode and do a Fine Tune.  I want the option of being in charge, not having my detector do it for me.
3. Iron Discrimination and or Iron Bias.  Some of my more productive sites have bigger man made iron targets and I want the ability to adjust how they will respond.  Some folks say you have to dig it all and I’ll laugh you silly at sites you can’t get 3 feet without a iron target.  Sure you can dig each one and waist precious time and energy (are you listening you PI hot shots at Ganes) or you can be selective.  When there is big gold in an area, big iron can fool so many detectors and to be fair, small tiny iron will also fool quite a few machines too.  I feel my gold detector is the best in and around a variety of old mining camps and mined materials.
4. Ergonomics - Light weight non tethered.  It’s 2020 folks and a cell phone has more capabilities than any detector on the market.  I want a detector with the main base/housing to fit into the palm of my hand.   We shouldn’t be tethered to the dang detector with a battery on our backs.  We don’t need extra dangling rods attached to the main detector to help swing the beast, it’s flipping 2020.  Yes I do realize the size and number of a batteries are part of the amount of hours in a day’s use.  I also realize some detector coils pull more juice.  My detector does just fine with the weight is minimal and only needs charged after 10/12 hours (2 days hunting for most folks).
5. 100% Waterproof.  Heck so many people seem to think this is a big feature and a must have.  I think you folks are dreaming and actually many of you who desire to find gold in a river or stream, have never actually attempted it.  Sure it can be done as I have had some success doing so.  But the reality of using a 100% detector under water is:  It is hard enough to find gold on dry land let alone in a moving stream or river as the current is constantly fighting the coil, the gravels are filling back the hole you are trying to dig and the chances of you seeing what the heck is going on under water is most minimal.  You better have a good waterproof pin pointer to help you.  But I still want 100% WP so I don’t have to worry if someone throws me in the river.  At least might detector is still going to live.  Another size note, my 100% WP detectors has found me over 100 gold rings and most were in 3 to 5’ depth of water.  I don’t like hunting on the beach.  Yes this detector I speak so highly of for as the best gold nugget detector is also my favorite in the water jewelry hunting unit.
6. Proper Frequency – We all know the king of tiny flea bag gold is the famous GB-2 and it’s very popular 71 kHz.  We also know the medium kHz in the teens (likes of the MXT, AT Gold, LST to name a few) runs smoother in highly mineralized ground and is also deeper on larger gold.  So if you want to hunt a variety of gold in different gold conditions, you better have a few gold detectors  to maximize the opportunities of finding the different gold sizes, characters and shapes.  The one I use, runs a variety of frequencies at the same time.  In such doing so, allows for my detector to have the best chance at finding all sizes of nuggets and kinds of gold (wire, crystalline, salt/pepper specimens etc).  But as an added bonus, the varying frequencies going into the ground can compensate for different ground conditions as we know they change from site to site.  Sure a fixed frequency is optimized for 1, but how about the other 99 potential variables?
7. Price – I’m a big fan of everyone staying within your budget and lifestyle.  At the same time, I also realize all the items I want on a detector and that it may not be within someone’s investment range.  Since we have gold capable detectors of $500 and up to $8000, it would not surprise me if my desired detector was priced around $1500 to $2000, and I’d still but it.  As I mentioned before, price is not the deciding factor for me as long as I feel it will find me more than my other detector tools.  What really shocked me, is the detector I feel is best is less than $1000, but gold is almost $1800 an ozt.  Now that is a bargain.
8. Warranty/Support – Metal Detecting manufactures warranty varies but not long ago the industry standard was 2 years.  The one I like so much has a 3 yr transferable warranty.  I like having transferable so if I ever decide to sell it, the next guy has a piece of mind for a while anyway.  Shame on companies who do not have transferable warranty.  Support here in USA, if there is an issue, is a big must for me.  I’m not interested in sending a detector outside of the country for repair and not having a unit for a month or longer.  Let alone the cost of shipping there and back is a big turn off.  Luckily my gold getter has a facility here in the US.  At the time, their Customer Service turn around is good and within the allowable 2 week window. I’ve even experienced a few of my customers within a week, which is hot damn skippy good.  But there is always exceptions and or things out of our control.
9. Proof of Finds – I know it works.  My staff knows and so do a few others.  This is where so many people are just now seeing the benefits and icing on the cake.  Seems the manufacture of this detector has their head so far of their ars, they can’t figure out how to properly advertise it?  Well at least their Engineers know how to make it (thank you) and those of us who took the initiative to get in the field have since found out it really is a gold detector.  But most impressive, it is the best VLF classified gold detector on the market (at this time) and possibly the best of all?  Please manufacture, when you make your next catalog and on your website, it would be wise to put this in both the Gold Detectors and the General Purpose section too.  Heck, might as well put it in the Water machines as well, it rocks gold rings just fine.  If you feel I messed up on the category of this detector, then please remove the X-705 from the gold detectors as it won’t even hold it’s own water to this machine.

If you have not figured out by now what my favorite gold detector is, just call me with a credit card # and I’ll have one in the mail to you.  When you open the box, it just might surprise you.

My favorite gold detector is the Multi IQ Technology Minelab Equinox 800, nicknamed the NOX for those who are new.  

Just my opinion and everyone has one hanging around.

[Dances With Doves]

I have been playing around with the nox and gmx in  moderate ground and the nox keeps up with it but gives much better id than it for  small targets.  The nox  can do so much more then the Gmx.I can put on the 6'' coil and hunt a tot lot with the best of them. Walk 50 yards change coils,then walk 60 yards and  I am in the lake water hunting a  swim area  in the gold modes for small  gold and any big  targets that get in the way.I then go out to the 500 foot area in  front of this roped  area, put it in    park 1 f2-7 and I can get rid of most bottle caps and hunt    rings. I then can  put it in park 2 and have a better chance to get gold chains and smaller gold.I then can go about 400 yards to my   ghost  pier and hunt for silver coins in Park 1 f2-0 in the  big nails.What a machine.The Gmx is a great tot-lot machine and fun too.I am glad I have both  .THE last time water hunting me and my friend got 13 silver coins at the ghost   pier and it was the first time he water hunted with the nox .He also got a gold ring that was deep.By the way we have pounded  this silver spot.

[hecbom]

My favorite and the only detector I have found gold with is the GMT chest mounted. I also own as noted on my side bar a TDI SL I have modified with the higher voltage Li Io battery pack. So far no luck but then again, not hitting the right places. My next detector will most likely be a Nox 800 or Garrett Apex. I am waiting for the jury to be out on that comparison. Best luck so far, relics!

[flakmagnet]

I love the Nox. Gerry that is an all around great choice.

I have taken mine out into mineralized ground where I hunt and was driven crazy by
amount of signals the minerals produced on the Nox. I tried all sorts of settings - because this fantastic
machine has such a range of possibilities - but in this case I honestly could not get the Nox to
settle down enough to where it could discern the mineral I was looking for, gold, from all 
the other signals that abounded.

For gold I'll stick with the 7000.

[Gerry in Idaho]

22 hours ago, Dances With Doves said:

I have been playing around with the nox and gmx in  moderate ground and the nox keeps up with it but gives much better id than it for  small targets.  The nox  can do so much more then the Gmx.I can put on the 6'' coil and hunt a tot lot with the best of them. Walk 50 yards change coils,then walk 60 yards and  I am in the lake water hunting a  swim area  in the gold modes for small  gold and any big  targets that get in the way.I then go out to the 500 foot area in  front of this roped  area, put it in    park 1 f2-7 and I can get rid of most bottle caps and hunt    rings. I then can  put it in park 2 and have a better chance to get gold chains and smaller gold.I then can go about 400 yards to my   ghost  pier and hunt for silver coins in Park 1 f2-0 in the  big nails.What a machine.The Gmx is a great tot-lot machine and fun too.I am glad I have both  .THE last time water hunting me and my friend got 13 silver coins at the ghost   pier and it was the first time he water hunted with the nox .He also got a gold ring that was deep.By the way we have pounded  this silver spot.

One of the reasons I sold my $2500 CTX 3030.  NOX can do so much more than the 3030 and the features the 3030 has over the NOX is as important.  As many know, the NOX is a way better nugget detector than the 3030, but realize the CTX was never designed for that purpose.

[Gerry in Idaho]

12 hours ago, hecbom said:

 My next detector will most likely be a Nox 800 or Garrett Apex. I am waiting for the jury to be out on that comparison. Best luck so far, relics!

GMT was a serious winner in its day.  As for the comparison of the NOX vs APEX.  I just don't see much written or hype about the APEX gold prospecting capabilities.  It would literally kill the sales of their AT Pro, their AT Max and their AT Gold.  I feel they are not in that position for such a loss of detector sales.  Now for the Coin/Relic/Water/Salt Beach Hunting and at that price point, it could be a real contender, especially since the majority of population is not in gold bearing regions.  Thanks for input and I do hope to see many happy people with the APEX and their results.

[Gerry in Idaho]

12 hours ago, flakmagnet said:

For gold I'll stick with the 7000.

I have yet to get an invite to hunt CA so it is not my stomping grounds.  I sure would enjoy a few days out West though to see how much gold I could find before you folks sent be back to Idaho.

You have to stick with the detector you feel is giving you results and is most fun for you.  I have no issues with your selection.  Just don't go hunt any ore dump piles with it, or you might go nuts when you realize what it can't see as good as your NOX.