DetectingWales.com

Right, I got the cheapo and was disappointed as I was warned  >:(

I have a fixed income as I am a carer for my wife who is wheelchair bound so the wallet is very slim, given that, I want to get back into detecting properly and as far as I can afford I have got 3 detectors to choose from so given the choice which of these would you get if price is a restriction? ( I saw some on ebay for up to £3500!)

Garret 250 New
Garret euroace Used
Fisher F2

any help much appreciated

you might get a second hand explorer for that cash,good luck

I have a explorer 2 of my mates who is looking to sell. Think he is looking for £400. Its like new, has carry case battery packs, instructional dvd booklets etc. I can ask him what he is doing with it if you want. Good unit as i have used her on both pasture and beach.

Thanks Alun but that is too rich for me  >:( limited to a meagre £250ish and I will have to beg forgiveness for that!

sorry guys, perhaps a magnet with string? ???

Just had a look at Staffs website and they have a fisher 1270 for £265
http://staffsmetaldetectorsonlineshop.co.uk/fisher-1270-426-p.asp (http://staffsmetaldetectorsonlineshop.co.uk/fisher-1270-426-p.asp)
Also a XP 250 (no good on beaches though) for £295
http://staffsmetaldetectorsonlineshop.co.uk/xp-250-505-p.asp (http://staffsmetaldetectorsonlineshop.co.uk/xp-250-505-p.asp)

But there are some very good reviews coming out of the States on the new "teknetics eurotek pro" fitted with the 11" coil and new it only costs £260 with a 2 year gurantee.
http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/261248994461?var=gv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y&lpid=65&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=65&ff19=0 (http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/261248994461?var=gv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y&lpid=65&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=65&ff19=0)

Thanks Chef

They look good looking at all the Regtons detectors was educating.......

Now for a real newbie question  ::) I see that most detectors offered have the option to use a range of coils what makes the difference between an 8" coil and an 11" coil when they are connected to the same display box? also I have not yet read the posts on programs for detectors is it a case of being able to change versions of software like you do with say windows?

 :-[ :-[  thanks for your indulgence

Just thought I would wander over to Teknetics website only to find they are Teknetics, fisher and bounty hunter!

To an idiot like me I get kerfuffledfied! must be price, technology and performance per name and machine versions?

Don't worry brisad, you're not on your own. I'm a little better now but, not being gadget minded, when I first started it was like a different language.

Just keep asking.

Re. the size of heads. Some are better than others but mainly size counts  for ground coverage. Personally I prefer a small head for pin pointing and getting in between the iron.

Val 

How long have you got lol.
Well the general rule of thumb is that the larger the coil the deeper it can detect. Also the 8" coil is a concentric and the 11" is a Double D coil and once again the DD coils handle discrimination far better as its narrow search pattern isolates signals and will detect deeper in mineralised ground.
Concentric coils will detect deeper in unmineralised soil but will signal "good" on far more iron targets and falses in mineralised ground.
After market coils are generally better due to the companies specialising in coil production rather than a more "best fit" attitude by the machine producers. ;)

Fisher, Teknetics and Bounty Hunter were all independent but have been bought up by First Texas over the years.

There's a Quattro on preloved. Its a bit more than your budget, maybe you could negotiate on price. That would be a killer detector for the money, bloody annoyed I missed it!

Hi Brisad,  The common sense thing to do, given your budget and amount of time you'll have is to go for the new Garrett 250.
It's got a really good reputation, has found some wonderful stuff (Scottish Gold Torcs) is a switch on and go easy to use machine, usually sells fast second hand, is in your price range, has a guarantee, good on land and beach.  What more could you want.
If in time you decide to go one better, save up a few pennies and put the proceeds of Garrett sale together and then look at some of the above mentioned.  All bells and cymbals machines are O.K. but !!!!  Plus you've got to bear in mind you might not stick at it.  Just my thoughts  ;)

Val

I forgot to ask Brisad, where do you think you will be doing most of your detecting.....beach or inland?

Chef Geoff

I am surrounded by farmland and have shooting rights (apart from the sheep  ::) ) on the farm behind me........ we used to lease the old farmhouse that was built in the 1860's to replace the "old" One when the wife became ill I packed up the business to be her carerand now have bought a nice bungalow on the edge of the farm  ;D

We have an ongoing project going on where we are 95% finished converting an ambulance into a "motorhome" with the wide doors at the back and ramp we have been able to visit places this year after having no holidays for the last 19 years! at first we really looked like "travellers" lol but it is slowly emerging into something better that will give us FREEDOM! so the answer will be mostly fields and farms and occasional beaches.

VAL

I was swayed by the female logic and was stuck between the 250 with double d and standard coil second hand or a new 250............ after rereading your posts I went for the new 250 from regton  ;D as it does have the 2 year warranty.

Thanks for all the input and I really was torn about which to get but the dice have been thrown, all I need now is a torque or 3  ;D

I can now go and plant the runners for next years new strawberry plants feeling calm happy and excited  ;D

Well done Brisad and good luck to you. We all look forward to seeing your finds. ;)

Val

Val

Been married 38 years so I know my place in life  ;)

Regards Brian

Some good second hand units out there Brisad, hard choice though.
Good luck and hope to see you on a rally sometime.

Sounds like my Hubby.   'I know my place, somewhere behind the horse, dogs and cats'  I've heard it before. ;D

Val

Wow!

Bought the Garret 250 Sunday evening on fleabay from Regtons............... Just had a knock at the door from a delivery guy and it was the detector! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D any faster and it would have popped out of the screen.

I must say they are good and there was a few free goodies with it too, in the first 20 minutes of opening it I have found 3 different screws a 1p 5p 10p 20p 50p £1 and a gold earing!.........ALL returned to the Owner........... the wife!

Cant wait to get out of the house though feel a day out coming on, so far only problem I have found is I have to put my reading specs on to see the screen  :( :(

Just put in a call to scrap gold dealers to arrange Securicor to collect all my gold finds up to this Friday  ::) ::) ::)

Don't bother with the screen. Get used to the iron signal and dig everything else. ;)

If you don't mind a few bumps in the back garden, practice there first.

Val

Thanks Val

I would but it is paved over for wifes wheelchair mind you a few bumps..... nah will try field later

Brian

See what I was on about with 250's finding good stuff. Have you seen that Henry Vlll coin of Nicks. :o

Reckon your next  ;)

Val