DetectingWales.com

H,i i want to start metal detecting as a hobby but need some advice on what detector is best for me as a begginer and where i can purchase one from, i live in the south wales area and have a budget of £200. Any advice please.
Thanks

Thanks I'm hoping to spend most of my time during the caravan season around the beach and fields. Is that a suitable detector for those grounds ? Thanks

If you intend doing the beach as well then as Mick says look on ebay but look for a Whites coinmaster, the new purple and not the older blue models. Like this;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHITES-NEW-PRIZM-COIN-MASTER-PRO-BEGINER-EXPERT-/270894951978?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item3f1298ee2a#ht_1916wt_952 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WHITES-NEW-PRIZM-COIN-MASTER-PRO-BEGINER-EXPERT-/270894951978?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item3f1298ee2a#ht_1916wt_952)

My mrs swears on her whites coinmaster , she forever finds more than me , and said its alot better than the garrett , i have asked her if she wants to upgrade to a more expensive machine and yet she still says no , and if she does she wants the whites coinmaster pro lol ........ i must admit the machine is very simple to use and there's no messing about with it , just turn on and go .

Cheers mate just looked at it on eBay gonna look at them both and decide in the week not much difference in the price really but if the Whites is better for both soil and sand then I will prob go for that one. Can't wait to get started now !

good luck mate :)

Choices choices, i know the feeling S12aun im trying to make choices on a limited budget lol ,Always in the hope that a bargain will be mine!! ;D

Until then im stuck with my little Garrett Treasure Ace 100, an old but basic machine and easy to use after some welcome advice from Chef,Neil and Taff etc.

Ive found its taught me a lot over the last couple of months and trust me ive put some hours in!!!! initially i was digging Iron,Iron,Iron. Once it was on the right setting i was on it like sonic, been a basic old machine it only wants to pick up High conducting materials (as Chef pointed out previous) but is hitting the right stuff (My First Roman silver two weeks ago).

Depth isnt great and it manages about 6'' at the most on coins etc but no more, it will only go deeper on large iron items and i mean large plough parts etc!!

All in all for a £20.00 bargain off a local selling site it has done me justice and confirmed that i do have tecting in my bones, and ive got the bug/disease whatever it is, i love it ask Al (Deadlock)lol and ive lost 10lb aswell (bonus) if anything its a great social and satisfying hobbie with plenty of fresh air and exercise and nice people.

In conclusion to my long waffle!! been new to the hobbie and from my experience you wouldnt go far wrong with something similar to the treasure ace which are going for between £40 to £75 on ebay when they come up!! 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METAL-DETECTOR-GARRETT-TREASURE-ACE-100-/280833889089?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item4163011341 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METAL-DETECTOR-GARRETT-TREASURE-ACE-100-/280833889089?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item4163011341)

This will confirm your desire to continue with the hobbie and make your next machine feel like a Rolls Royce!! I cant wait for my upgrade ;D

Kind regards
Nick

I'd try and buy a second hand sov elite, its very easy to understand after some practice, still a formidable machine for any type of beach tectin, and very good inland.

maybe a slight heavy than other makes an models. ;D

Thanks for all your advice guys , my heads in a right spin now lol !!!

I reckon you can buy a detector and provided you look after it, if its not for you then you can sell it for what you paid for it 6months down the road.im on my 5th in 4 years and ive always had what i paid for them.good luck with it all.

I'd second the suggestion to go for either a new Garrett Ace 250 or a used Garrett Euroace 350 both work very well on the beach and are excellent on fields...ask our very own Ferret who spent months searching the beaches in North Somerset with great sucess. They are lightweight simple detectors that don't need complicated setting up.

Alternativly you could look out for a used Minelab Musketeer or Advantage . Both are very good machines that work well enough on a beach and are very deep seeking machines . The Musketeer is a legend still in demand today. but they are very heavy detectors especially when used with 10" coils.

None of these detectors are specialist beach machines but they will work well enough..

Just came on and seen my new posts , thanks for your advice.
I've just got a coin master pro off eBay but I'm wondering if I've done right now lol after so many recommended the garret model, only time will tell. I'm sure it'll be ok for me can't wait to start detecting now ! Need to sort out the essentials now ,any advice on those ie digging tools ect. My coin master will come with s spade but that's it

depends where you'll be digging ? if you are on the beach a small lightweight spade like the Silverline would probably be adequate http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-675182-Mini-Round-Shovel/dp/B000LFU1B2/ref=sr_1_2?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1330956891&sr=1-2 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-675182-Mini-Round-Shovel/dp/B000LFU1B2/ref=sr_1_2?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1330956891&sr=1-2)  
and if the sand is dry the plastic scoops  are great for seiving the sand
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/purple-metal-detecting-plastic-sand-scoop-metal-detector-beach-treasure-sieve-/280824718478?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item416275248e (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/purple-metal-detecting-plastic-sand-scoop-metal-detector-beach-treasure-sieve-/280824718478?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item416275248e)
 but if you are detecting in pasture you'll need a strong spade something like a ladies spade or border spade with a narrow straight blade because the ground is pretty firm at the moment due to lack of rain.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-Garden-Border-Spade-930mm-633530-/220943485680?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenEquipment_HandTools_SM&hash=item3371420af0 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-Garden-Border-Spade-930mm-633530-/220943485680?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenEquipment_HandTools_SM&hash=item3371420af0)

You'll probably need a small lightweight backpack or rucksack to carry food, drink, camera, waterproof jacket or fleece etc
Best investment I ever made was a pair of cheap waterproof over-trousers. They are brilliant in the rain and keep your trousers dry at the knee when you are kneeling but best of all they cut out all wind chill and leave you feeling warm and cost whatever gale is blowing.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WATERPROOF-OVERTROUSERS-DOG-WALKING-HIKING-LARGE-/270764462136?pt=UK_Other_Men_s_Clothing&hash=item3f0ad1d038 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WATERPROOF-OVERTROUSERS-DOG-WALKING-HIKING-LARGE-/270764462136?pt=UK_Other_Men_s_Clothing&hash=item3f0ad1d038)

You must be at level 11 out of 10 on the excitement and anticipation scale at the moment.! ;D

best advice is just to get out there and experiment and you'll soon know what you need or have a list of questions to bring back here.

enjoy yourself! ;)

Thanks for the advice peanut !
I'm taking delivery of my coinmaster  tomorrow along with another for a family member we are going to have a trial run in some fields on a farm that belongs to my wife's uncle theres a castle ruins close by roman I think so I'm hoping to find some goodies there , I'm not hoping to strike it lucky mind , il be happy with anything of interest... thanks again !

Now that sounds like the sort of farm most of us would sell our souls for and we've lost count of the 'begginers luck' stories.
If you find a hoard, dont tell us. We'll all want to jump off a cliff. :o

Best of luck. Hope you enjoy and find. ;D

Val

just make sure that the castle site isn't scheduled. If it is, don;t detect within the scheduled area.

happy hunting

Val if he does find a hoard I have a problem in that there are no cliffs around here, so can I come and use yours?............Please

Got just the one in mind Geoff.  Suggest we throw him off first. ::) ;D  see attached, think that one will do.

Val

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

I'll let you know how it goes ..............or maybe not ?  ;D

I found Regton shop brilliant. Very good after sale service.

Well I ended up Getting a coin master but aint had time to go out much yet,can't get my head around the sensitivity settings can someone explain to me in laymans terms how it works please. Thanks

if im correct in saying...I think the coinmaster is the new name for the whites prizm range.......

first of all discrim out nails....try and run sensetivity as high as possible......I used to run mine on 7 notches......if its still "bleeping" out of control ease back to six......if your hunting trashy areas put your discrim up 1 notch

there are nice machines by the way  ;).........

Thanks il give it a wirl as I'm up the caravan for a couple days and I'm going on the beach with it so there's no interference around because that effects it to doesn't it ?

depends on the beach  ;)  some beaches have a lot of coke and other 'hot' rocks and plenty of iron too.
If you find the detector giving off loads of seemingly random squeals and screeches adjust the sensitivity back a notch or two until it is quiet.  The rule of thumb is set your sensitivity as high as it will go without getting false signals.

Re discrimination I would recommend that you start with zero descrimination (or all metal) and dig everything. Listen carefully to the signal of each find and you will soon learn to tell the 'good' signals of non ferrous metals from the iron and also size of targets like aluminium drinks cans as apposed to ring pulls.

The more you increase the discrimination the more targets you are likely to miss and descrim also effects sensitivity and depth to some extent on some machines.
Have a great time

Great advice here. Still not bought an MD yet though!!