The Allure Of New Metal Detectors

[sisyfos]

Hello everybody, my obligatory first post, Steve´s rule effectively activates long time lurkers like myself.

In the midst of this influx of wonderful new detectors, a friendly reminder of the variables that affect success in metal detecting, in descending order (in my opinion):

1.       Location (50%)

2.       Invested time (20%)

3.       Digging endurance (15%)

4.       Detector (10%)

5.       Luck (5%)

Of course, this is nothing new to any of us. Why then all this fuss about new machines?

Yes, this year I got Deus 2, but not because I believed in the ”superior” performance of the machine. The detector simply fits conveniently in a backpack and opens up new search locations in the city center areas when moving by bicycle. So, for me it’s most, if not all about location.

Don´t get me wrong, I love testing and learning new detectors and collecting oldies. But after 28 vlf´s and 3 PI´s I don´t believe in ”miracle machines” any more. For me, fun factor is the most important feature in a new (or new to me) detector. After all, metal detecting is supposed to be fun, isn´t it?

Happy hunting to all in 2023!

[Guest]

3 hours ago, sisyfos said:

For me, fun factor is the most important feature in a new (or new to me) detector. After all, metal detecting is supposed to be fun, isn´t it?

Hard to argue with that. Good luck in the New Year.

[Beeper Bob]

I think most newer  detectors are at their peak or close to peak depth. Most everything they add each year to a new model, to me are just bells and whistles. Having confidence in your detector and your skills are most important. I am sticking with my good old 5000 and the Evo coils until my shoulder goes bad. The lighter 6000 is great but my 5000 runs smooth and quiet. I like the multitude of adjustments I can do for depth and sensitivity for any ground conditions. So for now i am sticking with it.

[Compass]

I thought of a couple more but maybe they fall under other items on your list:

Experience - coil control, target retrieval, reading a beach and so much more can really make a difference.

Weather/Environmental conditions: As a beach hunter, primarily, this actually might be the most important variable to me. When the big surf is moving sand around, I start getting excited!

Strategy - Choices become very important - which beach do I go to? When do I go?(high tide, low tide, night, day) What part of the beach do I hunt?(under the cut, low on the slope, in the water) Which detector do I use? (pulse, discriminating detector) Do I dig it all or do I go after specific targets? (high conductors, low conductors) If I'm finding some targets do I stay or go to another location in the hopes of doing better?

[strick]

2 hours ago, Compass said:

I thought of a couple more but maybe they fall under other items on your list:

When the big surf is moving sand around, I start getting excited!

Strategy - Choices become very important - which beach do I go to? When do I go?(high tide, low tide, night, day) What part of the beach do I hunt?(under the cut, low on the slope, in the water) Which detector do I use? (pulse, discriminating detector) Do I dig it all or do I go after specific targets? (high conductors, low conductors) If I'm finding some targets do I stay or go to another location in the hopes of doing better?

Compass this is great.... love it finally someone that thinks like me...lets go on a hunt together...I'll bring the Valium 😀

strick 

[F350Platinum]

Welcome to the forum! 👍

One more, although it might be related to "digging endurance"...

Persistence. 

Some of the farms I hunt are huge, one in particular is about 200 acres. It pretty much looks all the same except...

If you spend a lot of time cris-crossing and walking around, you will eventually (or not 😀) find a "hotspot" where a lot of activity occurred. Total bonanza that no amount of research would find.

That and pure random searching, which has netted me some great stuff.

[GaryC/Oregon Coast]

 I might bump up location to at least 75%.  Seems for me, that is what produces the most.  GaryC/Oregon Coast

[Compass]

3 hours ago, strick said:

Compass this is great.... love it finally someone that thinks like me...lets go on a hunt together...I'll bring the Valium 😀

strick 

Thanks Strick, From what I'm hearing we might need it this week. One surf forecast I saw yesterday said possible 20 foot + surf in So. Cal Jan.6th! 😮 Even half that height with the good tide cycle those days should really shake things up. Fingers crossed!

[Rattlehead]

2 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

 

Persistence. 

 

+1. That or “invested time” definitely accounts for a large portion of my finds. 
 

Location is definitely a big factor and a little luck never hurts. Detector performance percentage may not be huge if comparing a modern detector to another modern detector, but if we compare something like a Deus 2 or Equinox to the detectors I was using back in the day (Whites 5900, XLT, etc), I’d probably bump that percentage up a bit as performance has come a long way since then! Heck, I remember several of us would call BS when folks claimed they dug a coin at 7” deep back then. Nowadays we dig them at 9”-10” regularly.

 

Another one that I’d include is “understanding your machine”. That’s a big one IMHO.

[Pyriteboy]

I may use different words than some of you, but the ideas are the same:

1.  Operator.................45%

2.  Location.................30%

3.  Detector.................15%

4.  Luck........................5%

5.  Valium.....................5%

-Jerry