Buying A Metal Detector

Hi guys,
First of all I know there is probably a post on hear somewhere explaining this.
I'v been looking around and doing some research on detectors. I'v been out doing some sluicing and panning. Time to get a Metal Detector, I don't have a big budget. I was looking at the Minelab X-Terra 705. Will this work around creeks, streams and dry creek beds? Im not wonting to go into the water just to make that clear or go beach detecting. Best machine for the dollar ?? Any help is good help.

Cheers
Jason

try this Jason

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=26

For gold I would recommend saving up for an SDC2300.

I wouldn't bother with any other cheaper options.
I've been there and wasted money until I got the SDC.
It's waterproof finds tiny gold is easy to learn and use and can fold away nice and compact.

I agree the best bang for your buck is the SDC. I have the Makro Gold Racer. It's also a great machine for the price and works well if the ground isn't too hot. Unfortunately in variable ground there's a lot of time spent fiddling with the settings to really get the most out of it and it's easy to lose a ton of depth if you don't closely monitor the sensitivity. The SDC on the other hand is a no fuss switch and go machine which offers great depth on small gold in all conditions. That's what you're giving up with a VLF.

Couldn't of said it better!

There is a massive difference in price between a Xterra 705 and a SDC 2300. Approx. $3000 difference if I am not mistaken. Jason said he does not have a big budget.

I believe the 705 will serve you well as a great entry level detector. It is more capable than many people think. Just look at the hundreds of threads on various forums about its capabilities.

Jasonr there's a 705 dual pack just listed in the for sale threads for $580.00 ship Australia wide only 4 months old with balance of warranty :Y:. Don't know anything about them but there does seem to be plenty who like them. For gold definitely the SDC is a standout machine for ease of use and proven results that would suit anyone new or experienced. In saying that you still have to put in the ground work and walk over the gold. As far as the 705 goes if it picks up coin and jewellery you might just find enough / something that'll go towards an upgrade.

1968falconxt said:

There is a massive difference in price between a Xterra 705 and a SDC 2300. Approx. $3000 difference if I am not mistaken. Jason said he does not have a big budget.

I believe the 705 will serve you well as a great entry level detector. It is more capable than many people think. Just look at the hundreds of threads on various forums about its capabilities.

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Plus if you can only afford to spend a few hundred then the xterra 705 gold would your best bet..it also has automatic ground tracking +a few other features some of the other vlf's don't have. :Y:

Hi guys Thanks for the input.

Is the Minelab sd2000 detector worth a look at??
I can get it for around the same price.

Jasonr said:

Hi guys Thanks for the input.

Is the Minelab sd2000 detector worth a look at??
I can get it for around the same price.

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Sdc around $2000 for a secondhand
Xterra around $500..But if you can afford it definitely go the SDC.

there is a Minelab sd2000 on ebay starting bid at $500
but i can see it going for well over $1000 if thats the one you are talking about

SD2000 is only really good for half a gram+ gold and they are very old now and really out dated unless you find virgin ground. You'd be better off with a VLF to start with. It takes some people years to find a bit of gold big enough that an SD2000 would find. But the little bits a VLF can find with give you more of a chance of sticking with it imo then upgrade later.

The best bang for your buck at the moment is a Makro Gold Racer. RRP: 899

Stay away from vlf in the gold fields.

300 said:

Stay away from vlf in the gold fields.

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You do realise that until the 1990s all we had were VLF machines, lots of gold found back then.

There are people out there finding gold regularly with VLF machines, saying anything else is just plain misinformation.

Yes but these day I would never suggest a VLF detector to a newbie they will be disappointed with the results and end up with a PI detector as many have before them I do not sell detectors or have any dealings with any detector shops regards john :Y:

old hand said:

Yes but these day I would never suggest a VLF detector to a newbie they will be disappointed with the results and end up with a PI detector as many have before them I do not sell detectors or have any dealings with any detector shops regards john :Y:

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All depends where /how often/budget ECT.. I live in Caboolture.. why would I need a pi..I would have to travel hours just to get to a FLOGGED area..My vlf works great in my soil conditions..and I only payed $850....not 5 or 10k....All depends on where he plans to hunt :Y:

old hand has a very good point, i started off the same way with a vlf whites gmt and it was hard to get the hang of as they can be noisy in the gold fields
IF you don't know how to set them up and IF you can't distinguish between ground warbles and targets, experienced user can do this, i then had a gpx4000, i should have
kept this but i was not confident that i was setting it up right, i was finding lead and all sorted of bits of metal, i sold it bought the SDC2300 and found gold first time out.

great machine, i also had a whites sp and thats a PI and i struggled with that, so it can be very hard when you are new and not tuned to the sounds.

as a noob it can be easily dishartening and thats why people try to steer you towards these more expensive detectors, they are actually trying to save you money
in the long run.

Buy the best you can afford or warrant spending for use required ................... gets pretty frustrating very quick walking around with what can amount to not much more than having a broom stick in ya hands.
SDC has to be the pick ................... at home on the beach as it is on the gold and with a resale value equalled by no other if you decide to quit :Y:

Good point about the sdc resale value, if you bought a second hand one the most you could lose (if you look after it) would be a couple of hundred. You would probably lose more buying any new $1000+ vlf and sdc's are in pretty high demand from what I see.

So you might have to spend more but at the end if you get over it you can sell easily without much loss.

If you can't get your hands on the extra cash I guess the same goes for a used GM1000