Here you sit and think about maybe purchasing your first detector.... We have all been there and I know how it feels. I remember the time I went out to purchase my first Video Tape Recorder and I did not understand ANY of the buzzwords or anything about them. I had to come up to speed fast and learn how to not only set the clock but adjust tracking and dozens of other features that stupefied me. I used several methods. I am more of a hands-on person than the precise book reader who would spend months reading dozens of booklets about something before making a choice. I console myself with the phrase "I am a man of action" that makes me feel better when I have blundered again.
I have learned much the hard way and I hope to help you with your decision whether you are the precise person who has their right thumb over the top when their hands are clasped or the klutz like me that has the left thumb over the top. Try it, it can be fun but beware right-overs do better at the job generally because they are bean counters. Left overs are the creative folks who go stark raving mad when they are forced into a boring job and excel when they finally find their field where they can have an outlet for their creative talents. Both have their warts. If you do not use your left side of your brain or the right side then you should be a PHD in Archeology. If you use both sides then please give me a tip on the stock market.
Ok, Skip the mind bender and think first about these things:
Your geographic location is extremely important because it determines to some degree what kind of detector you will need as the soil has different mineralization in different locations.
You need to have some idea as to what you want to hunt for. For instance if you live in states that have had quite a bit of Civil War activity or Colonial settlers in the area you may want to hunt relics or very old early American coins. If you live in states that have had gold or silver mining then you may want to hunt gold nuggets and that would require a special type detector.
Most detectors simply will not compromise between dry land hunting and salt water beaches because they chatter too much near the water to use effectively. If you think you really must do this then there are a very few choices and only a few detectors that will give you fair performance under both conditions. I should say that the best of beach or shallow water hunting provides much gold and silver as people loose jewelry at the beach everyday that the sun shines in summer. However there are geographical considerations for beach hunting also and in several places where there is too much black sand or iron then you must choose a certain type of detector to use there.
Have I got you confused enough? there are still more things to consider but the first thing you have to do is talk to some of the folks around your area that hunt or visit a treasure hunting club nearby. It is always important to see what they are finding and then if something appeals to you then narrow your choices.
It is important to read all the brochures that the detector people put out but ignore the message "our detectors go deeper" as false propaganda. You can obtain them at the detector shop near you or on the internet on The Golden Olde links pages. The major detectors do not include the "fly swatters" that you find at your local electronics store so you would do well to ignore them. Major brands include Whites, Fisher, Garrett, and Tesoro. All these are American companies and they build quality products. The exception to the all American detector is Australia's Minelab detectors that seem to appeal to certain types of people who would have nothing else.
Now if you have done all this and truly cannot decide exactly what or where you want to hunt then you have decided on a general type of detector that is good at coins or most other types of targets as well. I do not sell detectors or push any particular kind but I will try to give you a hand up so you do not have to spend thousands of dollars paying for detectors that do not work for you only to finally discover there really was one detector that would work well for you.
If you hunt beaches in the Northeast farther up the coast than North Carolina you might consider a pulse type of detector and there are several makes that work well for this. I am given to understand also that the Minelab Excaliber seems to work there too although the other non-pulse or VLF types will not do well.
If you have determined that you live in a highly mineralized location like parts of Colorado you might like the Minelab XS.
There are a number of gold nugget detectors that work well but you get what you pay for.
If you hunt for deep old relics then use the Fisher 1266X.
If you live or plan to hunt the lower mineralized area on land you should think about the Garrett GTA1000, Fisher CZ6a, Whites XLT, or better Tesoro models.
If you plan to hunt the salt water beaches and water hunt in lower mineralized areas like Texas then choose the Fisher CZ20 or any pulse unit.
If you plan to hunt low mineralized areas on dry land and also hunt the beach and very shallow water then try the Fisher CZ6a, CZ7, or CZ20. Some Fisher models have a salt mode that makes them available for salt or land operation and the CZ6a is splashproof(not waterproof).
There is a special class of detector that has more adjustments and knobs and displays than any other for the precise person who will go into the field and obtain as much pleasure from playing with his detector as finding anything and that is the Whites XLT. (It's a good detector too)
Garrett makes some of the best "turn on and go" detectors for people who do not want to play with the knobs but just to find something.
So, you have gotten this far only to discover that this is going to cost too much money! Well I wouldn't lead you wrong and let me say that I paid for my moderately expensive detector the first year I bought it with my finds. After that I have bought several very expensive detectors and I am well on my way to paying them off too. If you just hunt for an hour on Sunday though you will never pay it off and it would require you to spend more time at it but at least it would defray the cost of the detector.
Lastly the best news, you do not have to pay retail unless you want the local shop to help you with your choice and then you should buy one from a reputable local dealer. There are several discount dealers on the internet where you can save substantial amounts on your first detector so DON'T BUY THE CHEAPEST ONE! At least buy the moderate priced detector around $500 and don't be afraid to purchase a more expensive one. There are classified places on the internet to sell them if you want to sell it and if you like you can save even more money by purchasing a used unit. Be warned that some manufacturers will not honor a used detector and it might not be guaranteed. Fisher generally accepts a second hand purchase as do some others.
I have discussed some of the specific detailed functions about purchasing a detector on another article and you should follow up with it. The detectors that I have suggested here are not exclusive and others also may work as well.
