Got a new detector last week,a Garrett Ace 400.Was gonna get an AT Pro but this was a little cheaper for now.Might upgrade later and let my kids use this one.My pinpointer and digger came in the mail today.And my shovel comes in the mail tomorrow.I'm mostly interested in finding old coins.So far Iv found 5 pennies in my and the neighbors yard.Plan to try and get permission to look on some older properties hopefully.I enjoy it tho.

Sounds like a cool hobbie. You could probably hit the beaches also. Keep us posted with your finds.

Yeah my wife's from Delaware.Plan to hit some of the beaches over there.And Virginia Beach in August.Ill let ya know if anything shows up.

People don't realize the history,even where I live.I know some guys that are big into it about 20 minutes from me.They find 1700 copper and some silver coins out in farm fields detecting.One guy found a French gold coin from the 1600s along the river shore not far from me too.All that history is what interests me the most.

Oh that would be awesome finding those historic items. It really puts history into perspective when you see how much was simply lost and how we walk right by it everyday.

I’ve found 3 gold rings in limited detecting but no coins

Just make sure you don't get where you don't belong. Most state land is off limits here as is federal. Beaches get pounded more than you might know. but if it's a busy beach there are always fresh drops.
I dig a lot of trash some days with not much to show. The other day I was at a busy beach. Of course I go early when no one is there. After picking a whopping 23 cents in change one small ear ring and a pile of twist off beer caps. I was just getting ready to call it quits. Working back to car I found a small silver ring with little stone. first ring of the year for me. I'm at my camper for the weekend and brought the detector with me. Lake is low their working on the dam. So I'll e out somewhere on the beaches scrounging. Where it's easy digging I dig everything.

Mac

Mac-Was just wondering if your new hip would set off your detector!

Moosetrot

LOL, planting some fruit trees on a hillside here 15-20 years ago.
Starting finding small pieces of pottery.
Then a small silver fork.
Got excited.
Me and the kids started digging everywhere.
More pottery. More silverware.
Thought it was OLD!

Then plastic swizzle sticks!

Cleaned up the silverware.
Mayflower Hotel, Wash. DC

Turns out they catered some horsie events here in the 60s LOL.

Kids got a metal detector about 10 years back.
Dug up tons of horseshoes, nails, a tractor rim, etc.

Moosetrot
Yes it will can even get right on it with the pin pointer LOL. Got wand scanned going into the Brewers game after setting off the walk threw. But then you should know that.
When I first started detecting many years ago now I would sometime get weird signal that came, went couldn't find. Then I realized I was keeping the coil so close in front of me. That I would sometimes pick up the steel shanks in my boots, or believe it or not my big brass belt buckle. Even when I wade now I drag my big sand scoop behind me so don't read off it. Now most time I have the coil way out in front of me. Can get all messed up with false signals trying to work under power lines too.

Mac

will probably plaay with my new one this weekend some.2 civil war belt buckles are probably my best finds.old remote country here.been at it 30 yrs. research is key for me usually.

I need to research more too.Would help figure out where to center more attention.Found a couple pennies under a big old tree last night.But if love to find something a little older,at least wheatys or mercury dimes.

Just bought the At Pro and at pinpointer myself. Nothing much but a few wheat Penny's so far. Good luck !

lol. I just recieved my new Garrett AT Max Waterproof Metal Detector on Thursday. I have not had time to play with it yet but I cannot wait to give it a go when I get some free time.

Hope you guys find some cool stuff.Iv only been out a couple times at a School near my house.Have found .85 cents and a ring.But have a couple older properties im hoping to get to soon.

GREAT Hobbie, I have the AT pro and love it!!

In farm country find the gates, doors, outhouse path. And follow the shade trees, this will be where coins are concentrated.

Yesterday morning early I went to the beach for hour or so. Sixteen cents in change, one small silver ring, full can of beer, 3 sinker that are probably worth more than the 16 cents LOL. Also the usual pile of twist off caps. I dig them even though I know there most likely a cap. Beach is easy digging with my scoop so I get them out of the way.
Was at my place at the lake over weekend. Water is down because their working on the dam. Found some of my dock parts dropped in over the years mostly nuts and screws nothing of value. Did find a 7/16 craftsman wrench I forgot I even dropped in until I found it. One of them I will get it next trip things been there for couple years now.

Mac

interesting that one joint is now setting of a walk through at a brewers game.
to give you all a better Idea how bad air port security was pre 9/11 a friend with 2 artificial hips with a Gerber multi tool on his belt walked right through the walk through at the Las Vegas air port. not even a beep. he didn't even remember he still had the multi tool on his belt till he was on the plane. this would have been 97. he would set off the walk through about 50% of the time going through air ports when he did , he would drop his pants to his shorts show the huge scars tell them he had 2 artificial hips and on he would go.

Something I will get some day.

Gwc, wife has the 400 and outfinds me on more than one occasion. It is a great hobby, but, more parks and schools are getting shut down due to slob diggers though. People show up with a spade and dig a foot deep hole for a three in. deep penny and leave a mess behind. Don't take long for someone to complain.

I pretty much just hunt farm fields anymore, you don't find as much but it is older and I find a lot of cw era buttons, tokens and other weird things you won't find on grass. I'm in the process of thinning my herd down but it's hard to find one do it all machine. Anyways, good luck to you guys, the good stuff is only one hole away.

I've had a Minelab Excalibur for about 15 years. It works in water or on dry land. I mostly detect in the water. I've found V nickels, Barber dimes, Indian Head pennies, Liberty quarters, etc. I've found many rings and other jewelry. My best find was a man's 14K gold bracelet. I sold it for scrap to a jeweler and got $400 for it.

Where I live, people lived on the land dating back to the 1850s. I've found many horseshoes, metal buttons, and some things I can't identify.

At the rate of 5 pennies how long will it take to pay for the machine?

It's kind of like buying a hunting rifle what is the pay back on that unless you shoot pile of fur. The first water machine I had I bought used and paid for it fairly quickly finding items doing dive jobs. The Excalibur machine I have now cost way more than that first machine. I've only ever sold a few wheat pennies that I've found. Got a box full of all the other items gathered the last 30 years. I don't keep track but I think my new machine was paid for like the last. Not by sale of my recreational finds because I've never sold any, but using it on dive job finds..

Mac

I keep saying I'm going to get one and just haven't pulled the trigger. Funny how so many people in here are alike in other ways too. I too am one of the people that can feel the history of old things in my bones when I see it and really enjoy it. People not like us just see old junk.

When I was a kid I took my gma on a hike back the lane, through the field, through the woods, down a dry creek bed, and under the bridge where we cooled off in the shade probably a mile or two.

Anyway, she lost her wedding ring following my lil 10 yr old butt around. It'd be cool to retrace and find it now thirty years later.

about as long as it would take you to pay for all your fishing crap by selling the fish you catch. Or the next day when he finds a diamond ring.

If you're in it to make money, it probably will never happen. It's like that hunting rifle will probably never pay for itself, but it's hard to put a price on the enjoyment it will bring.

think of them,not only as a toy,but as a tool as well.my first was paid for 100 times over.

Iv moved on to pro status now,I'm up to about $1.10 in change.Honestly I don't care if I pay it off in finds,but it would be nice.Kinda like all the time guys put into trapping fur.They do it because they enjoy it,but Iv found I make a lot more money working my regular job than my time invested in trapping.But I enjoy trapping.I also just bought my daughter a metal detector,so that's our thing we enjoy doing together now.

I just shipped my machine back to Minelab for service yesterday, so that sucks. The 1.07 in change I found before the thing quit working didn't even come close to paying the shipping. I'm hoping it's just a broken wire in the headed phones. Almost tore into it myself. But I really need it to be water proof so I can use it diving. Hopefully it won't cost me to much? I'm at the camper for the weekend so brought the Ace 250 in case I can't stand to not play.
If you've ever have had any modified number 2 coyote traps plowed under you'll be glad you have even a basic machine. I lost several good 1 1/2s fox set ups to the plow back in the late 1970. Save over half dozen coyote traps since I've had my first machine think in 1988. Have recovered couple hand guns for law enforcement using a detector too.


Mac

What kind of headphones do you use?Of heard they can get broken wires.I just got a pair of Gray ghost originals yesterday.Gonna try them out tomorrow.

My head phones are married to the machine on the Excalibur making them submersible, think they are Koss. Most people consider them kinda low ball part of the machine and change them out. There are some after market modes for the Excal and I think gray ghost is one of them, but I think they can't go underwater. The service center will call when they get my machine. I'm going to ask about the mode for using different head phones. But I don't think they do it or you think it would be an option when a person first buys the machine.

There are a lot of machines/most that you can run the coils in the water. As long as you don't get control box wet your good. Their also making a lot of machines now that can go in water to 10ft. I use my Excal a lot in swimming holes just in water to my chin, but I actually dive with it too. So on occasion I need a machine that can go deeper than the 10ft. Same with my pin pointer I bought one can go deeper than 10ft, just in case need to, and I have.

Mac

Iv heard good stuff about the Excalibur.My headphones arent waterproof but the gray ghost amphibians are.I plan to get the at pro or max later on for more underwater hunting.Like you said,I can only go up to my control box and supposedly not good on wet salt sand either.I use a garret carrot pinpointer,supposed to be good down to 10'.Doubt ill need to go that deep with it tho.

When the snow drifts here I use a detector to find the sets that are drifted over very handy!

Reading about your finds reminds me of the BBC program called The Detectorists. Two guys spend their time looking for lost or buried treasurer in England. Often times they don’t dig deep enough when they detect something and only find pulltabs. Great program worth finding on public television. My wife and I thoroughly enjoy it when it’s on

I bought a Whites prizm years ago and the darn thing quit after 2 years. Was so disgusted...never sent it in for repair. Would love to back into it....just want better quality for the price

I just found that show recently.I started out not to crazy about it but it grew on me.Ended up really liking it but think Iv watched all the episodes.

i'm gonna poke around later after the rain stops i believe.

Look up The Hoover Boys on youtube. They put out a new video every Wednesday. They are somewhere on the east coast and they find a lot of colonial and civil war relics. Plus its fun to watch a group of friends having fun and busting each others chops along the way.

I watch there videos every week.They live about an hour from me.A couple of my friends detect with them and have been on there show.The French gold coin that Brad found and broke with his shovel was found near me too.They're a nice group of guys.

Its all genuine excitement from those guys, none of that fake idiocy of the Digger tv show.

"Dig it all, and take your trash with ya." Why Bill, "cause all holes matter"

Lol yeah they have fun.The Diggers"are they the two guys with Garret detectors?Jump around and yell nectar in the hole?If so,it was interesting seeing there finds but it did seem very scripted.

I liked that those guys got to dig in spots most of us would get shot at for going. Did dig some cool stuff because they were in those places. Don't care for all their whooping and hollering and major roundage in the hole type yaking though. Roll around,flopping on ground like been hit on head. To much drama!

Most everyone I know will show some friends when they find something cool. But a lot of folks treat it like fishing. Never want to say where they caught the big one. I've got some gold rings and coins from the 30s-40s. Still waiting on that one real Wow! lookie what I found. That too is all perspective other than a gold coin or something of solid value. One mans trash is another mans treasure as they say.

mac

check out treasurenet.com, that's a amazing sight about detecting and finding treasures.
I had the money saved up to buy the at pro but spent it on a Springfield xds that was on sale instead.

Gonna start saving again. Cool looking hobby. Like I need another, but I'll get there.

Well been having fun with my metal detector.In two afternoons iv found 7 old flat buttons,a harmonica and an accordion reed,a few old round balls and a few other old things.Have a couple friends that hunt with me and are helping me learn.They regularly hunt with the Hoover boys and have been on a few of the videos.They found a few things on my permission too,including a 1859 fatty Indian Head Penny.They gave that and a flat button to me for letting them go.They are brothers and one of them asked me to stop by his house after work yesterday.Figured he found something he wanted to show me.When I got there,they handed me a big box and said it was for me.Opened it up and it was a brand new At Max Metal detector with Z link wireless headphones,a backpack,digger and other stuff.They had went halves on it for me,I was shocked,lol.Real nice guys.Were heading out shortly for my first hunt with it.I was also gonna meet the Hoover boys at there house but they were still out detecting the river.Save that for another day.Its a fun hobby to get into.

Wow that was mighty nice of them...
You don't need a $500 detector to find coins, and rings. I've found lot's of coins with an old Garrett freedom ace. I have a Garrett Ace 250 plus, and to tell you the truth I like the old one better. If your detecting trashy areas the old Garrett freedom ace is great detector.

Been playing around on my property with my new Garrett AT Max. For some reason it has taken a liking to detecting beer caps around the camp fire pit and one .25 cent quarter. I have also found a significant amount of .22 and 5.56 casing everywhere else..
One of my best investments along with the metal detector was the Garrett Pro pointer. The pointer makes it so much easier to pinpoint a target once the detector has identified a decent piece of metal.

I agree,I bought the garrett carrot pro pointer and it makes it nice.Tonight I found my first wheat penny,1944.Friends found 3 more wheatys,oldest being 1912.I also found my first dandy flat button and an old tiny drawer knob it looks like.Other guys found a flat button and old round balls too.Fun hunt.

Was actually thinking of buy another machine a Minelab Equinox. Then I had the issue with my Excal so sent that out. turn around time was really quick and I have it back. But what I spent for repairs on Excal shot my buying another machine. so I got to get out there now find that rare item if I want another toy. Haven't had the Excal out since it back. rivers a little wild right now. But I got a couple lake spots going to be hitting. I'll share if I find anything cool. For sure will have the usual pile of trash to show.
Happy Hunting

Mac

Didn't find much yesterday but a fun hunt.Found my first big dandy flat button,a 1944 Wheat penny and a tiny little drawer pull it looks like.Plus the normal trash.Friends with me found a few wheatys,oldest was 1912.A flat button and a few small round balls.Gonna hunt some river banks soon,know some guys that have been finding quite a few old coins along them.Even one or two Spanish silver reals.

I never seem to have time anymore I hunted hard for years with first a garrett gta 350 , than a 500 and now have a gti 1500 , I found better stuff with the 350 but have found some silver coins a little deeper with the 1500, was wanting to get the AT PRO now the AT MAX but when I have some time .

I haven't found any silver coins yet,hopefully soon.Iv got a Garrett Ace 400 that I really like.Now using a AT Max.Did notice I found stuff with the Max in ground that I already hunted with the 400.Guess just because of better depth.But I like them both.Lack of time is my issue too.Between work and other more important responsibilities,I just get out when I can.

A few years ago, there was a show on where these two guys would detect various places mostly in the east. When one would find something, he would scream like a little kid, saying he found "Nectar." His partner would drop everything and come running. Really stupid. Another reality show that didn't last.

Now that my machine is back from repairs I finally got out the other day. Went to a place on local lake where all the kids hang out now. Wasn't expecting to find any thing expensive and of course I didn't. Found 50 cents in coins with oldest being 1964 penny. Is funny how the old pennies hold up so much better in the water than newer ones. Anyway I thought I find at least some low end jewelry and found none this trip. Was the usual trash but not much newer trash. Lot of old type beer can tops. So at least the kids aren't throwing their twist off bottle caps in.
I did find a couple old items, trash really but I don't mind them so much their interesting.
Base off old paper shot shell, older brass spinner blade, inner aluminum spool off a fly reel. Been in the water long enough the outer steel part was all rusted away.
Then there is a brass lure part I don't recognize??? Seems to be some kind of spinner part/spoon other parts rusted or rotted away??? any body know what it is off of???





Mac

Man,im not sure what those pieces are.Bet it was still nice to get out.I like old shotgun bases.I found one recently that after researching it,found they were made between 1884-1897.And another from 1905-1938.Still cool history.Gonna hunt a new field this weekend,think there used to be an old house there from 1870.Looked the other day without my detector.Didn't see anything but my daughter did find a little porcelain doll or figurine head laying in the dirt that looked really old.So who knows,

The spinner blade is a Colorado spinner blade. They are very common blades used on small spinners.

No pictures gwc?
You gotta take pictures. Here is one of my finds. I don't know exactly what it is but it's probably from a Chinese miner. It's copper with dragons on the sides.

That's really a neat piece oldtrapper.I take pictures of everything ,I just dont know how to post pictures on here.Wish I did.

oldtrapper
That is way cool I love that kind of stuff. I can't tell from the pic is that like a ring? maybe was used like tie bolo on bandanna??
I search mostly in water so have found a lot of old brass lure part over the years. In all my years fishing and detecting, I just don't recall ever seeing a blade like the one I found the other day. I'm always looking at old lures too. don't collect them or anything but do look just to compare.

Mac

Kinda excited,gonna do my first river shore hunt today with a couple friends.Same spot where Brad off Hoover Boys found his French gold coin from the 1700s.A lot of flat buttons and other coins have been found there too.So hopefully we find some cool stuff.I'm gonna have fun either way tho.Starting out in farm fields.Extreme low tide isn't till close to 9 tonight so gonna be doing a night hunt.Gonna be interesting.

Found a walking liberty half today in real nice shape.

If a blind squirrel like me can find a nut, they are still out there. Keep on diggy diggy.

Been digging a lot of years it's a hobby that you can pick up anytime for a few minutes to all day. Dig a lot of civil war stuff here in Virginia but it's getting harder to find. Better machines can still unearth some deep finds in burned out spots. My best advice is keep looking every spot you can. You will find little a lot of times then when you least expect it you hit a honey hole. My oldest coin 1694 British and coolest civil war find is most of a chess set carved from bullets. If you find civil war stuff dig every decent signal a lot of coat buttons sound choppy.

Those machines operate at different frequencies so that could be a reason you are finding stuff where you have already hunted. Also the moisture content of the ground has an effect on signals, I can hunt a spot with my AT pro when the ground is really dry, and then hunt the same spot when the ground has more moisture with the same machine and find stuff that I didnt even hear when the ground was dry.

Thanx Garey...

Mac I am not sure.. honestly I don't know. I found it near an old stone hotel out in the desert.

I prefer to detect in the water near swimming areas. I've found many pieces of jewelry. I've found quite a few Indian Head pennies, some V nickels, a barber dime, lots of Mercury dimes and Buffalo nickels. Several Standing Liberty half dollars and quarters.

Any one own a Whites MX Sport I am wanting to get into detecting and want a detector that's really user friendly. I've been putting some cash back and am looking to keep it around 700-800 dollars. My fear is I am not real savvy with tech stuff but I have a lot of areas where I can detect so don't want to buy one that has to have a lot of adjustments.

no experience with whites, but you may want to look into the Garret At Pro or AT max, or minelab equinox 600 or 800. I have an AT pro, easy pre sets, then just ground balance and go.

i wanna see those!!!

both are on display at our county historical society along with a dozen different bells that were made locally and a neat set of hickory shafted golf clubs.getting a bunch of old local bottles around for them now to display at the county fair.2 weeks is the fair and the buckles will be on display and i'll get a pic.

YES!!!!

were buckles of that era gold?

where most communities have lost a lot of history and interest in it,my area is blessed with a pile of volunteers and donors to keep the local history alive.at a work bee a month ago at the fairgrounds over 40 people showed to vol. their time.they have a weekly meeting that gets 25-30 people a lot of times and to say we are rural would be a huge understatement.

me too,,alot of arrowheads found on my place(not by me)i live on the river and edge of the old wyandot indian reservation. Found an old 32 cocked and loaded the horses uncovered tearing up the sod one frosty morning. I assume it jammed and was buried...thieves stole it a few yrs ago.

I was actually thinking about getting another machine the Equinox.. but my plans change when I had to send the Excal for service... still need to hit the local beach again now that river is going down. Also was shown a little swimming hole I've never been too and over looked for years. Never know if anyone has hit them little swimming holes until you try them your self.

Mac

I am in the research stage before I buy I will look into these other detectors.

Always a Good idea
It really does depend on what you want to look for the most and where you plan to use a machine. And of course what your budget is.

Mac

i've had a fisher forr 30 yrs and like them.new one is a fisher fx4.middle priced and more than i need while you are researching

Oh I forgot to mention the tones or sounds the detectors make. The tone kf one detector may make your ears bleed and be perfectly fine to another persons ears. So make sure you atleast youtube them to hear how they sound.

It would suck to buy a 600-800 dollar detector and not be able to stand its tone.

Ok will make sure to do that.