Metal Detector Database With User Reviews

[Steve Herschbach]

I have been doing reviews of various gold prospecting metal detectors for years. I also have maintained a Guide to Gold Nugget Detectors that summarizes and links back to the detailed reviews.

That's fine, but this website has branched out into all things detecting, and my reviews are limited to one niche of the metal detecting world. I also find I have an ongoing need to link to metal detector specs, and having a complete database of detectors past and present can help me as we go along. The main thing however is I am hoping to get a good user review database going.

Long story short I am working on a new Metal Detector Database With User Reviews. I have created a simple framework, and am putting basic specification information in for current metal detector models. The detectors are listed alphabetically by manufacturer and model. There are basic specs highlighted - internet price, frequency, weight, waterproof or not, and whether the detector is a current model. You can use the "Sort By" function to sort the entire list by any of these criteria.

The heart of it all however is the ability of each forum member to leave a "Five Star Review". You rate the detector overall - one star is poor, five stars superb. You can do a written review, hopefully one that simply says what you like most about the detector, and what you like least. I prefer this be kept clean and useful for others.

This may or may not turn into anything as it really depends on all of us. The more reviews that get left, the more useful it will be for everyone.

I am plugging basic specs in but as I get caught up I will go back and try and make each entry a compact listing of information about each model, possibly listing common accessories with part numbers. I already am linking to manuals etc. That way when somebody posts in the future about a detector, links can be made to the appropriate database entry so people can get more details. You can figure I will be doing a lot of that cross linking so it's not something people need to do unless they want to.

Finally, when that all gets caught up, I will start working backwards and add discontinued models. I will stick with more popular stuff at first, getting more obscure over time. In a few years this could be a really great resource. I will be building the database regardless. Many of the entries are just placeholders at the moment, but if anyone wants to please feel free to place some reviews. It might help me tweak the system, and I am open to suggestions. As always there is only so much I can get on screen at one time, so the specs I highlight and such are limited more by screen space than anything.

Check it out at Metal Detector Database With User Reviews. I will rejigger the menu structure in the future to make this easier to find but right now it's a little off the beaten path.

[Steve Herschbach]

With Bounty Hunter, Fisher, Garrett, Minelab, Nokta/Makro, Teknetics, Tesoro, White's, and XP plugged into the database I can now tell you that just between those few manufacturers (First Texas owns Bounty Hunter, Fisher, and Teknetics) there are just over 100 models of brand new detectors for sale. Yikes - no wonder people get confused!

[Lunk]

It’s a work of art Steve, thanks for yet another great resource!

[Steve Herschbach]

Thanks Keith, it may turn out to be but is still a work in progress.

It's not like it has not been done before but I think it has promise. I am doing this in large part because in the past this website was more prospecting focused. The slow pace of the industry made it pretty easy for me to just review every new nugget detector that came along personally.

Now that the website is expanded into all phases of metal detecting there is no way I can review them all, and frankly I am not inclined to doing many more reviews in the future anyway, being content now with what I have. This will hopefully keep the review bandwagon going by opening it for all to contribute reviews in a more organized fashion than is possible of the forums.

I have Tesoro done and Bounty Hunter, Fisher, Garrett, Minelab, and White's mostly done. Barely a dent in Teknetics. I made a few changes to the menu structure that put the new database front and center and my older reviews more in the background. Eventually I will have it all crosslinked anyway.

[Steve Herschbach]

Bounty Hunter - got a good start

Fisher - all current models listed

Garrett - all current models listed

Minelab - all current models listed

Nokta/Makro - all current models listed

Rutus - Alter 71 listed

Teknetics - almost done

Tesoro - all current models listed

White’s - all current models listed

XP - Deus and Orx listed

[Steve Herschbach]

All current Teknetics models have been added. I am now going to start listing the most popular discontinued models from various manufacturers that are still in use.

[Steve Herschbach]

Adding select discontinued models now. Added....

Garrett Infinium

Makro Racer

Minelab Eureka Gold

Nokta FORS Gold

[strick]

I'm sure you have already thought of it but don't forget to include pin pointers. A very important tool !

strick

[DolanDave]

Real Nice, thank you Steve, never seen a database that covers so many detectors...

[Steve Herschbach]

On 12/24/2018 at 11:58 AM, strick said:

I'm sure you have already thought of it but don't forget to include pin pointers. A very important tool !

strick

I will add the most popular pinpointer models for sure.