Hey Gents,

The wife is wanting a metal detector. We picked up a used 1980's White metal detector at an auction, and it has more than paid for itself since. However, this thing is a BRICK, it weighs a ton and wears you out quick. My wife is ~6' tall and petite frame, so the lighter the better. What do you all recommend? I have absolutely no experience with metal detectors or detecting in general. Also, what about a hand wand or something to pinpoint? Figured I'd ask the experts here first.

Appreciate the help,
Pintail.

It's the pricey option but I'd watch Aquachigger on youtube and see what he finds and he shows you the sounds he's looking for and the settings he is using. He uses a Garret AT Max or Pro I think. Watch some videos and you'll see what I mean. Its nice to hear all the sounds and he trys to teach you whats going on and explains what he's thinking.

It really depends on the application and how much you're willing to spend.
My metal detecting is exclusively for gold nuggets. What I look for in a metal detector is different than what a coin shooter would look for in a metal detector.
White's went out of business a few years ago. Do not get rid of that detector.
Really any name brand will do fine for coin shooting. Minelab, Garrett, tesoro, Nokta, etc.
Depending on how much she's into the hobby and what the budget is, anything from $600 to $1500 will get her a well made machine. As a gold detectorist, Minelab has my vote

Pinpointer-- Garrett carrot. Make sure you buy from a reputable dealer. There are many fakes on the market sold from non dealers. I'm talking about detectors in general.

2bit hit it on the head. No idea what y’all have in IL. In SE VA, we have a lot of Colonial and Civil War sites. I’m looking for an all around unit for ferrous and non-ferrous items. I run a Garrett and several of my buddies run Minelabs.

Check out at least one different coil for whatever unit you purchase as well. I’ve hunted sites that were hit heavy and changed to a different coil and found items that were missed.

Too bad you are not closer. I won a Vanquish 540 and will never use it. The shipping would kill you though. 300 plus shipping but I think it would be in pieces by the time it arrived.

pancky metal detecting kit and a 15$ Amazon wand is what works for me

I'm a Minelab fan myself.
That said it really depends on what you plan to do. I bought my machine years ago to operate main in the water. So for land use there are lots of machines way more user friendly than mine. I don't know what model White's you have. My next door neighbor has been running Whites machines for years. He hunts mostly parks, ol yards and older sites. He has a higher energy machine he knows very well and some really cool finds.
There are tons of reviews on different machines on the Internet.
Much like making a dirt hole set. You will have lots of people doing it differently. Main thing is learning your machine.
I know this isn't a buy this machine answer but it is how it works with any machine.

Mac

"Never Forget Which Way Is Up!"

Start her out with a Garrett ACE 300 Metal Detector and see how long her interest lasts. Don't spend a lot of $$$$. More detectors end up in a closet after a few uses than used. Kellyco is an excellent detector company to deal with. https://kellycodetectors.com.



Proud owner of:
Minelab Excal II - Land & Water - waterproof to 200 feet
Minelab E-Trac - Land - All phases
Whites V3i - Land - All phases
Whites Coinmaster Pro - Land - All phases
Tesoro Silver Umax - Land - All phases
Troy Shadow X2 - land - All phases

I appreciate the replies. She has used it several times since we won it at the auction. She used it to find our water lines for me and buried junk in the back yard. The machine has paid for itself as we recently had a new roof and new siding put on the house. Even though the contractors swept the yard with their magnet, we still collected over 1.5 pounds of nails. I drive through the yard often with my truck to get to my barns, the amount of tires it has saved me so far was worth the investment. My Wife gets excited every time she hits on a nail or something with the White. I tossed a few silver coins in the grass for her to hear the difference in the metal.

I like that Garrett wand. I will check out the suggestions.

Thank you
Pintail.

I have two detectors, a Fisher Aquanaut and a Minelab Excaliber. I've often thought about upgrading to a Minelab Equinox 800. I've heard some great reviews about that detector.

I have a Garrett Ace 400 I started with and a Garrett AT Max that is my main user.I love the Max but if I get another one I’ll probably get the Minelab Equinix 600 or 800.Iv also got a couple of the Garrett carrot pinpointers,one is zlink that pairs up to my wireless zlink headphones.And I use predator brand trowels.

How much do ya have to spend to get a noice one….. Not Top end,,,, but great

How deep will is penetrate?


How easy is it to detect the signal from gold and silver and trash,,,,,,guessing learning curve…




I have a entry Garrett (picture posted above) that i used to find septic tank until i figure Grandpa Avereral pasted on the witching thing….cheaper then batters……

Garrett is coming out with a new one actually. Aquachiggers last three or four videos have been with a prototype of it. It seems pretty legit as he is retracing his spots that have already been hunted and is finding good stuff.

Before that though he always uses the Garret AT Pro or Max I'm not sure and it submerges in the river and does fine. Watching his videos isn't really a tutorial of how to use it but is pretty close... learn the sounds it makes and listen to his pointers and you will be leaps and bounds ahead of buying something and trying to figure it out.

You need the machine, headphones, and pen pointer and looks like those packages are almost $800.

I have seen several people not happy with Garret but they also bought the cheaper entry level one. I've been looking for a couple years and thats my suggestion. Two years ago that package was more like $500 not $800.

They have them on Amazon. Prime one, try it, and send it back if you don't like it.

Watching.

Moosetrot

You can always keep your eyes open for good used detectors. The older xterra models ( minelab ) are great detectors. One of my best finds, a Maynard 50 Caliber, was found with my daughters Ace 200 or 300. But any detector would have found that. Minelab or Garret pinpointers are both good. Package deals are also good from KellyCo, but they always throw in stuff that’s really not needed.

Personally, I would not advise buying a used detector unless it was from a reputable dealer. . . and don't buy from Ebay or similar web sites!
PS. IMHO, it's 30% machine / equipment and 70% operator knowledge of that machine / equipment.

My oldest dog tax tag. Found with an equinox 800.

Flintlock a few weeks ago in the mill pond. Nox 800

If you want a really nice pin pointer then the garrot carrot is the thing for you, it’s waterproof and it makes a really clear dinging sound and it vibrates. It isn’t cheap tho

Found this at a farm house. Gave it to the owners.