Friendly's Believe it or Not

[maxxkatt]

Most of us have modern digital processors in our detectors say like the Equinox and some of us with these modern detectors have trouble finding silver coins.

Yet Paul M in New York using a 50-60 year old Garrett Playmate detector finds a Silver Washington Quarter per July 2021 issue of the Garrett metal detecting magazine or adverzine "The Garrett Searcher".

Makes you wonder were these older detectors better than we remember?

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Unfortunately, this hobby is overrun with carnival barkers looking to sell you the latest and greatest metal detector, when the old ones work just fine. They prey upon people who think they can buy their way into finding the good stuff without actually working for it. Save your money. Do research and put in the hours and you'll find the good stuff, even with a cheaper or older detector.

 

[cellrdwellr]

Unfortunately, this hobby is overrun with carnival barkers looking to sell you the latest and greatest metal detector, when the old ones work just fine. They prey upon people who think they can buy their way into finding the good stuff without actually working for it. Save your money. Do research and put in the hours and you'll find the good stuff, even with a cheaper or older detector.

GREAT post Tim!

 

[mh9162013]

Sure, it's more about where you hunt and your skill than your detector. But I doubt all of us running an Equinox, Vanquish, AT series, Apex, F75, Simplex, GPX, E-Trac, etc. would gladly trade in our machines for the Playmate.

 

[diggin4clad]

Over the years I found PLENTY of good stuff with my vintage 1988 White's Eagle II. Like others have said.......if you know what you're doing, an older detector will work well.

 

[grinsebring]

Been at it for 50 years.

The biggest changes i see over the years has been less weight and more compact electronics. The depth has improved of course but some of the older heavyweights can see as deep but cannot id. My old DFX heavy would see an item, a coin for instance at a foot but no ID, so it was up to the operator to dig or not. It all boils down to the "Indian and not the arrow"

The plus on the newer gear is you can swing a 2 1/2 minelab a lot longer than a 4+ machine

D4C, we think alike. Saw your post after I hit enter

 

[Rattlehead]

I spent plenty of time swinging those old heavy detectors back in the day. Found lots of good stuff with them too… mostly because there was so many good sites that hadn’t already been hunted to death by everybody and their brother.

Sure, you can still find good stuff with the old school units, but modern detectors are lighter, faster, deeper, more ergonomic, more versatile and easier to use. Go swing one of those old boat anchors for a while and I guarantee you’ll have a new level of appreciation for your current machine.


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[IDXMonster]

GREAT post Tim!

X2. A good solid middle of the road machine with sites that have potential and that haven’t been searched to death will produce very nicely. I found a TON of coins with my used 200$ IDXPro. A “Playmate”? Maybe if we were talking about women here, but we’re not, so NO. But nobody should feel as if they can’t find anything without spending a grand, that’s ridiculous.

 

[IDXMonster]

I spent plenty of time swinging those old heavy detectors back in the day. Found lots of good stuff with them too… mostly because there was so many good sites that hadn’t already been hunted to death by everybody and their brother.

Sure, you can still find good stuff with the old school units, but modern detectors are lighter, faster, deeper, more versatile and easier to use. Go swing one of those old boat anchors for a while and I guarantee you’ll have a new level of appreciation for your current machine.


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Hey! Shouldn’t you be out making a video instead of butting ahead of me in posting line??

 

[Rattlehead]

Hey! Shouldn’t you be out making a video instead of butting ahead of me in posting line??

LOL. It’s grandkids weekend so no detecting for me. I get to kick back and spend my time annoying you guys while playing with the rug rats.


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[Cherry Picker]

What I see is those with a lot of experience know how to use a detector new or old, so it becomes more a matter of location. Someone new to detecting is better off starting with a modern detector. The biggest advantage I've seen in detector technology is the ability for someone new to stand a chance of finding keepers and less trash.

If I had to I could take a 30 year old TR discriminator and do just fine. Someone new would have a tough time and give up. Today you can hand someone new to detecting a $250 detector and they will come home with some coins as long as they go to the right spots.

 

[bmattioli]

First White's machine was the Eagle Spectrum and loved it. Replaced by the DFX.. If you asked me to quickly go get a machine to find something the DFX would be it..

 

[IDXMonster]

What I see is those with a lot of experience know how to use a detector new or old, so it becomes more a matter of location. Someone new to detecting is better off starting with a modern detector. The biggest advantage I've seen in detector technology is the ability for someone new to stand a chance of finding keepers and less trash.

If I had to I could take a 30 year old TR discriminator and do just fine. Someone new would have a tough time and give up. Today you can hand someone new to detecting a $250 detector and they will come home with some coins as long as they go to the right spots.

Excellent point. Knowing the BASICS of detecting goes a long way, new or old machine. But a complete noob is likely going to do better with today’s technology.

 

[IDXMonster]

LOL. It’s grandkids weekend so no detecting for me. I get to kick back and spend my time annoying you guys while playing with the rug rats.


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Yeah, it’s just as well….I need a chance to catch up anyway.

 

[Cfmct]

I spent plenty of time swinging those old heavy detectors back in the day. Found lots of good stuff with them too… mostly because there was so many good sites that hadn’t already been hunted to death by everybody and their brother.

Sure, you can still find good stuff with the old school units, but modern detectors are lighter, faster, deeper, more ergonomic, more versatile and easier to use. Go swing one of those old boat anchors for a while and I guarantee you’ll have a new level of appreciation for your current machine.


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I hunted a private property with my old school MXT with the 6x8 coil in relic mode after I was done I invited a friend with his NOX 800 and larger coil... he found 2 pennies and a modern button I missed... I pulled 20 silvers off that permission and 132 wheats along with IH pennies and V nickels... as others have said its the operator not the detector.

 

[Rattlehead]

I hunted a private property with my old school MXT with the 6x8 coil in relic mode after I was done I invited a friend with his NOX 800 and larger coil... he found 2 pennies and a modern button I missed... I pulled 20 silvers off that permission and 132 wheats along with IH pennies and V nickels... as others have said its the operator not the detector.

Oh I agree that knowing your machine is a huge part of being successful in the hobby, but I tend to believe it’s a combination of things including op skill, location AND machine. Hell a lot of it is just getting your coil over the target.

Yeah, an experienced detectorist with an old White’s 5900 will likely hunt circles around a noob with a Equinox 800. But if we put two equally talented hunters using those same two machines, my money is on the Equinox user waking away with more finds. No matter how you slice it, the Nox is substantially deeper and faster.


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[FreeBirdTim]

Sure, you can still find good stuff with the old school units, but modern detectors are lighter, faster, deeper, more ergonomic, more versatile and easier to use.

Sorry, but I'm not buying the deeper hype that all the carnival barkers like to expound on. Even if it were true (doubtful), that is a very minor factor when it comes to finding the good stuff. Contrary to what these metal detector dealers like to stress, most good coins are not a foot down. They are iin the 4" to 6" range. All of my 1700's reales have been in that range, as well as 95% of my big coppers (large cents and KG's).

Bottom line, don't buy the hype when they want to charge you a grand or more and swear they go deeper than a $500 machine. Probably not true and definitely not worth paying an extra $500 or more for that claim.

 

[Rattlehead]

Yeah, it’s just as well….I need a chance to catch up anyway.

You’re just being modest Kevin! I bet you’re well ahead of me on silvers FTY.


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[FreeBirdTim]

No matter how you slice it, the Nox is substantially deeper and faster.

Sounds like you've fallen for the carnival barker's hype. Sorry, not buying it. I watch dozens of metal detecting videos on YouTube every week and I'm just not seeing Nox users pulling out any more coins than AT Pro users.

 

[Rattlehead]

Sorry, but I'm not buying the deeper hype that all the carnival barkers like to expound on. Even if it were true (doubtful), that is a very minor factor when it comes to finding the good stuff. Contrary to what these metal detector dealers like to stress, most good coins are not a foot down. They are iin the 4" to 6" range. All of my 1700's reales have been in that range, as well as 95% of my big coppers (large cents and KG's).

Bottom line, don't buy the hype when they want to charge you a grand or more and swear they go deeper than a $500 machine. Probably not true and definitely not worth paying an extra $500 or more for that claim.

You can’t really generalize coin depth based off your location alone. I’ve hunted spots where 130 year old coins are sitting one inch below the surface and other spots where they’re damn near a foot deep. Yeah the majority may be 5-6”, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s plenty more that are considerably deeper. Just depends on the soil and a few other variables. Heck just go watch some of Kevin’s vids and you’ll see him regularly popping out silver from 9+”. Good luck hitting those with an old Spectrum XLT.


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