What detector should I buy for Prospecting, or Which Metal Detector is Best For Me?

This is probably the most common first question asked on the electronic prospecting forums by new guys, and there are a lot of opinions out there. I am presenting my own opinions here - I not a dealer, nor am I allied with any detector manufacturer, so I have no axes to grind one way or another in buying or selling metal detectors.

If you are trying to figure out what to buy, you need to start by asking yourself two questions. First, What do I intend to do with my detector? Will I be using it every week? Some guys know they want to be able to go prospecting with their detector, but can only get out in the field for a few days each year, and that makes a difference. Second, you need to figure out what you can afford, even if you have to spend some time saving up.

There is no simple one “best” detector for all purposes – that’s why they make so many models. When looking at the costs, many guys see how expensive the top of the line prospecting detectors really are and want to cut corners and buy a less expensive detector. Gold detecting isn’t easy, and that may not be a very good idea. You can sometimes get decent bargains in used equipment, but in the end you do get what you pay for. Commercially available gold nugget detectors use either VLF or PI (pulse Induction) type technologies in their operation. Each has their place, but it is no coincidence that the guys doing the best in AZ and NV (and many other locations) are doing so with minelab pulse detectors in the GP and SD series. In certain parts of the mother lode country of California and also Alaska, there are places where the advantages of minelabs are not really significant because the mineralization is mild, but unless you know that those are the only places you will be hunting, you'd be better off in the long run with that more expensive minelab. Even in CA and AK, minelabs have a big advantage in many parts of those states.

Gold is heavy and it tends to work its way down deep, and here the PI detectors like the Minelabs have an advantage in seeing gold deeper, especially in heavily mineralized soils. Because they can ignore considerable soil mineralization, large coils can be used where deep detection is an advantage. The disadvantage to most is the high cost of purchasing a complete PI outfit, including accessories and a few aftermarket coils. The other disadvantage is in prospecting areas with large amounts of very deep trash, where your PI may have you digging crater sized holes for deeply buried trash – this is the downside of deep detecting. Gold is hard to find and you should not intentionally handicap yourself getting a detector that will be at a disadvantage in competing with other prospectors who have PI detectors. The deeper your detector can see, the more places will be open to you in detecting. Many prospectors deal with the two different technologies by having both a PI and a VLF detector, but it is certainly not necessary to own two detectors to be successful in finding gold.

I was plenty skeptical about the Minelab PI units when they first came out, and I wondered if they were significantly better in the gold fields beyond what the VLFs could do. Only after seeing one produce gold in the field did I see how much better they are, and that they were indeed a significant improvement over the existing VLF models of the time. If you are going to detect for nuggets regularly in well mineralized areas, it will be worth it for you to purchase a pulse induction detector.

In the end, much of this decision comes down to what you plan to do with your metal detector, and what you can afford. If you can afford it, get both a VLF and a PI machine. I own a Whites MXT and a Minelab GP Extreme, and use them both. The MXT is a multipurpose detector, and between the two of these detectors, I pretty much have all the bases covered.  If you plan to mostly detect for coins and jewelry in local parks and the like, with only an occasional prospecting trip, then a multipurpose machine like the MXT or Minelab Xterra 70 might be a good choice. They sell new for around $700, and a couple hundred less if you can find one that is used. The lobo supertraq is also a good inexpensive multipurpose machine that can detect parks and schools, but can also do some work in the gold fields. 

For detecting the smallest gold in areas with mild to moderate mineralization and shallow bedrock, I recommend the Gold Bug II by Fisher (now part of Bounty Hunter detectors). They are still making them, and new one is around $700, but used gold bug II can be had for around $400 or so. The Gold Bug is a VLF detector built specifically for gold nugget detecting.

However, if you really are going to be seriously detecting for gold on a regular basis, in most cases you probably would be better off with a Minelab PI machine. In this class, I recommend a GP class machine (GP Extreme through the current model, the GP 4000). A new GP4000 may sell for $4000, but a used GP Extreme can currently be purchased for around $1100. Some SD class Minelab PI detectors can sell for as little as $700 (SDs are an older model of minelab Prospecting PI type detector). Unless money really is no object, take your time and think about what you want to do, don’t rush, and as I said, get the very finest detector you can possibly afford.

Nevada Outback Gems