Anyone have a Metal Detector? (1 Viewer)

[Parmcat]

On a whim, while being stumped as to what the kids wanted for Christmas, I got a bit greedy and decided to get them something that I have always wanted. I got them metal detectors.

It will get them outside away from the screens and video games, and we will be able to do research, and find stuff to aloow me to retire earlier.

The boys are 12 and 9.

Does anyone else have any expirience with MDs, especially with thier kids?

Any big finds?

Thanks

 

[KCitons]

I have one. Only used it once or twice in the past 5 years. It was fun at first, but like most things, if you don't find enough stuff on a regular basis, it becomes more like picking up trash than treasure hunting. When my kids were younger, they thought it was cool to find any coin. Nickels and dimes were like Krugerrands to them.

The last time I used it was when my son lost his necklace while playing football at the park. Took about 30 minutes, but did the job.

 

[Tecumseh]

I have a couple. My daughter and I enjoy it, but it gets dull just staying in the yard, and i don't have any desire to knock on doors to ask permission to dig in other people's yards. They are fun to use at the beach, but it's mostly hooks, sinkers, and poptops.

 

[Guest]

That is something I have always wanted also every since looking through the JC Penney Christmas catalog as a kid. Never have owned one though.

If you like "treasure hunting" something I did with the kids was Geocacheing. That was a lot of fun and took us to quite a few out of the way places.

 

[Scoresman]

every time I've seen someone using a metal detector, it's been some weird reclusive old dude.

 

[McGarnicle]

Love my metal detector, use it all the time.

 

[Porkchop Express]

I think they are too young for a serious detector so I assume you got them a cheapo Radio Shack version, which is fine. Depending on your price range here is a good place to look.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/metaldetectors/kids/

In addition to your backyard, city parks are an excellent place to take the kids. Just make sure there is no ordinance against it. Lots of coins and dropped stuff there. Also make sure they fill in any holes they dig, thats a huge thing for those in the hobby.

I have a MD and its a fun hobby, a little like a treasure hunt every time out, although if you want to find the really good stuff you have to put in the time for research and getting permission. Though Ive found gold and silver stuff at public places.

 

[Parmcat]

I think they are too young for a serious detector so I assume you got them a cheapo Radio Shack version, which is fine. Depending on your price range here is a good place to look.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/metaldetectors/kids/

In addition to your backyard, city parks are an excellent place to take the kids. Just make sure there is no ordinance against it. Lots of coins and dropped stuff there. Also make sure they fill in any holes they dig, thats a huge thing for those in the hobby.

I have a MD and its a fun hobby, a little like a treasure hunt every time out, although if you want to find the really good stuff you have to put in the time for research and getting permission. Though Ive found gold and silver stuff at public places.

I bought them each one of these:

Better then entry level, but still a cheaper model

I am pretty stoked!

 

[Tecumseh]

I think they are too young for a serious detector so I assume you got them a cheapo Radio Shack version, which is fine. Depending on your price range here is a good place to look.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/metaldetectors/kids/

In addition to your backyard, city parks are an excellent place to take the kids. Just make sure there is no ordinance against it. Lots of coins and dropped stuff there. Also make sure they fill in any holes they dig, thats a huge thing for those in the hobby.

I have a MD and its a fun hobby, a little like a treasure hunt every time out, although if you want to find the really good stuff you have to put in the time for research and getting permission. Though Ive found gold and silver stuff at public places.

I bought them each one of these:

Better then entry level, but still a cheaper model

I am pretty stoked!

That's perfect for a beginner/kids model. I started on the Ace 250 myself.

 

[jon_mx]

Love my metal detector, use it all the time.

every time I've seen someone using a metal detector, it's been some weird reclusive old dude.

 

[spreagle]

Kids are inept with metal detectors. They will need some guidance from someone who knows what they are doing or they will lose hope quickly. I suggest finding a sandy spot to try it out and throw a few quarters in front of them, without telling them you did it of course, to get them motivated. As for the big treasure good luck with that you will need to put in hours and hours between decent finds, and in public places the old good stuff (silver and gold) is usually deeper than 6 inches (at limit of your detector) and remember the obvious old public places have been picked over by metal detecting experts for 40 years.

But there is stuff to be found, my buddy has an inexpensive detector and found 50 silver coins and a few gold rings this year, and a few hundred dollars in pocket change, mostly hunting fields and construction sites, but he really puts a lot of time into the hobby.

 

[Fat Nick]

My Mom is getting my Father one of these for Christmas. Some contractor stole our old one. We used to use it a lot when I was a kid. We grew up near some Civil War battles in Virginia. We started in the front yard and after a few days stumbled upon a site that must've been a camp or something. Found several miniballs, and even found one that was half-melted. It was pretty cool because it had one side like a bullet, and the other side was smashed, and had the imprint of a blade of grass in it. Pretty cool to realize that was a blade of grass from the 1860's.

It's a fun hobby, but like others have posted, I think the trickiest part is finding good places to explore.

 

[Porkchop Express]

I think they are too young for a serious detector so I assume you got them a cheapo Radio Shack version, which is fine. Depending on your price range here is a good place to look.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/metaldetectors/kids/

In addition to your backyard, city parks are an excellent place to take the kids. Just make sure there is no ordinance against it. Lots of coins and dropped stuff there. Also make sure they fill in any holes they dig, thats a huge thing for those in the hobby.

I have a MD and its a fun hobby, a little like a treasure hunt every time out, although if you want to find the really good stuff you have to put in the time for research and getting permission. Though Ive found gold and silver stuff at public places.

I bought them each one of these:

Better then entry level, but still a cheaper model

I am pretty stoked!

That's perfect for a beginner/kids model. I started on the Ace 250 myself.

Agreed. Thats a good start. I would recommend the 250 myself if you wanted to get into as well. For the price its an excellent detector. If you get more serious you can move up to the AT Pro.

 

[tonydead]

Recently sold my bounty hunter at a garage sale for $10. Bought it for the old lady 5 years ago for Christmas. She ran down to the local park, Denver back then when the ground was frozen, she couldn't wait to try it out. When she wasn't looking I through a couple quarters out in front of her. She was so excited until she picked them up and they were warm from being in my pocket. She didn't think it was near as funny as I did and never used it since.

 

[Swing 51]

We grew up near some Civil War battles in Virginia.

I have a buddy who does this in Northern Virginia. He finds mostly yankee stuff since obviously the confederates didn't make it too far north. When people buy a teardown to build a McMansion he'll call the excavation company to get permission to search the grounds. He's found some cool stuff. Lots of bullets from NY, drummer boy's belt buckle with two little holes for the drumsticks, etc.

 

[Parmcat]

That for all the advice.

I do plan on getting one for myself before the spring, but needed these for Christmas. There is a local club here, that if you join, they have some affiliation with some properties we can search...I may or may not join.

This January, the city starts to tear down a hospital that is over 100 years old, and I hope to get to search around there....Also, I work at a psychiatric hospital that has some of the original buildings still standing from the 1800's. I am going to look where I need to get permission to try to hunt there also.

The old Psych hospital

 

[SWC]

i saw a show on cable with a guy who was a wrestler once and they would go around and dig up peoples yards and he would shout boom baby real loud but long story short i do not have one take that to the bank brohans

 

[Flying V]

Just an FYI, the National Park Service can confiscate your detector if you should happen to wander onto a battlefield at 2AM.

And if they ask you why you ran from them, "Cuz I thought you were ghosts" doesn't work.

 

[Porkchop Express]

Just an FYI, the National Park Service can confiscate your detector if you should happen to wander onto a battlefield at 2AM.

And if they ask you why you ran from them, "Cuz I thought you were ghosts" doesn't work.

Yeah State and Federal Parks will take your stuff if you are caught.

 

[Porkchop Express]

That for all the advice.

I do plan on getting one for myself before the spring, but needed these for Christmas. There is a local club here, that if you join, they have some affiliation with some properties we can search...I may or may not join.

This January, the city starts to tear down a hospital that is over 100 years old, and I hope to get to search around there....Also, I work at a psychiatric hospital that has some of the original buildings still standing from the 1800's. I am going to look where I need to get permission to try to hunt there also.

The old Psych hospital

Local clubs are a good way of networking. However, for whatever reason most MDers are extremely protective of good places they know and will not share that knowledge. Almost like crazy old gold miners protecting their finds.

That hospital looks great but in my experience has probly been hunted already, not everyone waits for permission.

 

[Parmcat]

That for all the advice.

I do plan on getting one for myself before the spring, but needed these for Christmas. There is a local club here, that if you join, they have some affiliation with some properties we can search...I may or may not join.

This January, the city starts to tear down a hospital that is over 100 years old, and I hope to get to search around there....Also, I work at a psychiatric hospital that has some of the original buildings still standing from the 1800's. I am going to look where I need to get permission to try to hunt there also.

The old Psych hospital

Local clubs are a good way of networking. However, for whatever reason most MDers are extremely protective of good places they know and will not share that knowledge. Almost like crazy old gold miners protecting their finds.

That hospital looks great but in my experience has probly been hunted already, not everyone waits for permission.

I have worked there for 22 years, and have never seen anyone detecting on the grounds. We have 24 hr security on grounds and in hospital. I almost got my camera gear taken when I was taking pictures of the old building.

There is 40 or 50 acres of property, that all used to belong to the hosp....I bet there is some good stuff in that ground.

 

[spreagle]

That for all the advice.

I do plan on getting one for myself before the spring, but needed these for Christmas. There is a local club here, that if you join, they have some affiliation with some properties we can search...I may or may not join.

This January, the city starts to tear down a hospital that is over 100 years old, and I hope to get to search around there....Also, I work at a psychiatric hospital that has some of the original buildings still standing from the 1800's. I am going to look where I need to get permission to try to hunt there also.

The old Psych hospital

Local clubs are a good way of networking. However, for whatever reason most MDers are extremely protective of good places they know and will not share that knowledge. Almost like crazy old gold miners protecting their finds.

That hospital looks great but in my experience has probly been hunted already, not everyone waits for permission.

I have worked there for 22 years, and have never seen anyone detecting on the grounds. We have 24 hr security on grounds and in hospital. I almost got my camera gear taken when I was taking pictures of the old building.

There is 40 or 50 acres of property, that all used to belong to the hosp....I bet there is some good stuff in that ground.

Don't get your hopes up the contractor will probably put a big fence around the construction site and you won't be able to get in to detect the grounds unless you know him, or are very good at sweet-talking him. Usually they say "Nope, liability is the reason I can't let you in".

 

[Parmcat]

That for all the advice.

I do plan on getting one for myself before the spring, but needed these for Christmas. There is a local club here, that if you join, they have some affiliation with some properties we can search...I may or may not join.

This January, the city starts to tear down a hospital that is over 100 years old, and I hope to get to search around there....Also, I work at a psychiatric hospital that has some of the original buildings still standing from the 1800's. I am going to look where I need to get permission to try to hunt there also.

The old Psych hospital

Local clubs are a good way of networking. However, for whatever reason most MDers are extremely protective of good places they know and will not share that knowledge. Almost like crazy old gold miners protecting their finds.

That hospital looks great but in my experience has probly been hunted already, not everyone waits for permission.

I have worked there for 22 years, and have never seen anyone detecting on the grounds. We have 24 hr security on grounds and in hospital. I almost got my camera gear taken when I was taking pictures of the old building.

There is 40 or 50 acres of property, that all used to belong to the hosp....I bet there is some good stuff in that ground.

Don't get your hopes up the contractor will probably put a big fence around the construction site and you won't be able to get in to detect the grounds unless you know him, or are very good at sweet-talking him. Usually they say "Nope, liability is the reason I can't let you in".

You have been a ray of ####### sunshine in this thread!

Thanks

 

[spreagle]

That for all the advice.

I do plan on getting one for myself before the spring, but needed these for Christmas. There is a local club here, that if you join, they have some affiliation with some properties we can search...I may or may not join.

This January, the city starts to tear down a hospital that is over 100 years old, and I hope to get to search around there....Also, I work at a psychiatric hospital that has some of the original buildings still standing from the 1800's. I am going to look where I need to get permission to try to hunt there also.

The old Psych hospital

Local clubs are a good way of networking. However, for whatever reason most MDers are extremely protective of good places they know and will not share that knowledge. Almost like crazy old gold miners protecting their finds.

That hospital looks great but in my experience has probly been hunted already, not everyone waits for permission.

I have worked there for 22 years, and have never seen anyone detecting on the grounds. We have 24 hr security on grounds and in hospital. I almost got my camera gear taken when I was taking pictures of the old building.

There is 40 or 50 acres of property, that all used to belong to the hosp....I bet there is some good stuff in that ground.

Don't get your hopes up the contractor will probably put a big fence around the construction site and you won't be able to get in to detect the grounds unless you know him, or are very good at sweet-talking him. Usually they say "Nope, liability is the reason I can't let you in".

You have been a ray of ####### sunshine in this thread!

Thanks

Sorry about at how about I erase my pessimistic comments?

* "Sure go ahead and bring your kids anywhere for their first detecting experience, they won't care if they find anything or not, they will love the experience of digging nothing or absolute junk and will ask for more!!!!"

* "You should have no problem getting permission to detect that demolition project, contractors generally don't mind letting the general public and their kids are climb over construction rubble."

Better?

 

[Parmcat]

That for all the advice.

I do plan on getting one for myself before the spring, but needed these for Christmas. There is a local club here, that if you join, they have some affiliation with some properties we can search...I may or may not join.

This January, the city starts to tear down a hospital that is over 100 years old, and I hope to get to search around there....Also, I work at a psychiatric hospital that has some of the original buildings still standing from the 1800's. I am going to look where I need to get permission to try to hunt there also.

The old Psych hospital

Local clubs are a good way of networking. However, for whatever reason most MDers are extremely protective of good places they know and will not share that knowledge. Almost like crazy old gold miners protecting their finds.

That hospital looks great but in my experience has probly been hunted already, not everyone waits for permission.

I have worked there for 22 years, and have never seen anyone detecting on the grounds. We have 24 hr security on grounds and in hospital. I almost got my camera gear taken when I was taking pictures of the old building.

There is 40 or 50 acres of property, that all used to belong to the hosp....I bet there is some good stuff in that ground.

Don't get your hopes up the contractor will probably put a big fence around the construction site and you won't be able to get in to detect the grounds unless you know him, or are very good at sweet-talking him. Usually they say "Nope, liability is the reason I can't let you in".

You have been a ray of ####### sunshine in this thread!

Thanks

Sorry about at how about I erase my pessimistic comments?

* "Sure go ahead and bring your kids anywhere for their first detecting experience, they won't care if they find anything or not, they will love the experience of digging nothing or absolute junk and will ask for more!!!!"

* "You should have no problem getting permission to detect that demolition project, contractors generally don't mind letting the general public and their kids are climb over construction rubble."

Better?

lol

Yeah, I have done NO research on what to expect. My kids will be completely "inept" with their machines, and will probably toss them in the river because Spreagle know all.

MOST contractors, in this area, from what I have learned, will allow access to the grounds, but not near the demolition, but you knew that, because hey....you know.

Thanks again...what machine did you say you use again?

 

[Porkchop Express]

That for all the advice.

I do plan on getting one for myself before the spring, but needed these for Christmas. There is a local club here, that if you join, they have some affiliation with some properties we can search...I may or may not join.

This January, the city starts to tear down a hospital that is over 100 years old, and I hope to get to search around there....Also, I work at a psychiatric hospital that has some of the original buildings still standing from the 1800's. I am going to look where I need to get permission to try to hunt there also.

The old Psych hospital

Local clubs are a good way of networking. However, for whatever reason most MDers are extremely protective of good places they know and will not share that knowledge. Almost like crazy old gold miners protecting their finds.

That hospital looks great but in my experience has probly been hunted already, not everyone waits for permission.

I have worked there for 22 years, and have never seen anyone detecting on the grounds. We have 24 hr security on grounds and in hospital. I almost got my camera gear taken when I was taking pictures of the old building.

There is 40 or 50 acres of property, that all used to belong to the hosp....I bet there is some good stuff in that ground.

Ok, thats more promising. I doubt they will put a fence around the whole area. Plus if its city property you have a much better chance of detecting it since it technically belongs to you just as parks, playgrounds and schools are, as long as there are no signs or ordinances forbidding it.

I know plenty of people who only hunt demo sites and they do really well in finding cool stuff.

 

[E-Z Glider]

I think they are too young for a serious detector so I assume you got them a cheapo Radio Shack version, which is fine. Depending on your price range here is a good place to look.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/metaldetectors/kids/

In addition to your backyard, city parks are an excellent place to take the kids. Just make sure there is no ordinance against it. Lots of coins and dropped stuff there. Also make sure they fill in any holes they dig, thats a huge thing for those in the hobby.

I have a MD and its a fun hobby, a little like a treasure hunt every time out, although if you want to find the really good stuff you have to put in the time for research and getting permission. Though Ive found gold and silver stuff at public places.

I bought them each one of these:

Better then entry level, but still a cheaper model

I am pretty stoked!

That's perfect for a beginner/kids model. I started on the Ace 250 myself.

Agreed. Thats a good start. I would recommend the 250 myself if you wanted to get into as well. For the price its an excellent detector. If you get more serious you can move up to the AT Pro.

Ace 250 still a good model? Mainly planning to use it at the beach. Will this thing find awesome treasures?

 

[Porkchop Express]

I think they are too young for a serious detector so I assume you got them a cheapo Radio Shack version, which is fine. Depending on your price range here is a good place to look.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/metaldetectors/kids/

In addition to your backyard, city parks are an excellent place to take the kids. Just make sure there is no ordinance against it. Lots of coins and dropped stuff there. Also make sure they fill in any holes they dig, thats a huge thing for those in the hobby.

I have a MD and its a fun hobby, a little like a treasure hunt every time out, although if you want to find the really good stuff you have to put in the time for research and getting permission. Though Ive found gold and silver stuff at public places.

I bought them each one of these:

Better then entry level, but still a cheaper model

I am pretty stoked!

That's perfect for a beginner/kids model. I started on the Ace 250 myself.

Agreed. Thats a good start. I would recommend the 250 myself if you wanted to get into as well. For the price its an excellent detector. If you get more serious you can move up to the AT Pro.

Ace 250 still a good model? Mainly planning to use it at the beach. Will this thing find awesome treasures?

Its a solid model for a beginner, it doesnt have the depth and IDing accuracy of more expensive models but if you arent sure if the hobby is for you then its good to start with. Will work just fine if you doing beach sand. It can go in the water but dont submerge the control panel or its game over. If you want a submersible detector a good one is the AT Pro, which will run around 600 new. If you are strictly doing beach and water there are models designed specifically for that which may be a better choice than the all around ACE250.

 

[Tecumseh]

If you're going to a salt water beach, don't bother trying a 250 on wet sand or in the water. You'll get nothing but false signals.

 

[Porkchop Express]

If you're going to a salt water beach, don't bother trying a 250 on wet sand or in the water. You'll get nothing but false signals.

This is true.

 

[lod01]

I used to use mine at old houses in NE Ohio. oldest coin was a 1800 large cent. Coolest coins were the 3 - 1/2 dimes and the 1864 Bank of Upper Canada large cent that I though would be worth something. It's not.

It's a white's metal detector that tells you what the coin is.

 

[The Hardline]

I have not been able to go in a while but some advice that someone told me when I was younger has helped me find a few things:

Ask older people in a town/area if there are places where events like carnivals, fairs and church services used to be held - if they are accessible they are good places because people spend money or make contributions at these locations. Back in the day this would have been more with coin than folding money.

if you are able to find old houses that you can detect around start on the west and south sides of the homes if you can. An old man once told me that when people would hang their laundry out to dry on those sides of the house and he said he found more items there - it made sense to me but i cannot say I have done enough to notice a difference. If you can find where laundry lines used to be hung those can be decent spots.

Non paved driveways near old houses. I used to live in a house built in 1902 without a paved driveway. I found several coins, keys, and an assortment of small toys in areas where people parked their cars over the years. People drop things all the time getting in and out of their cars without noticing.

Locations where old schools and/or churches once stood. These were gathering places.

Lakeside beaches and camping grounds are good ideas as well but you have to sift through a lot of old metal trash if your detector cannot differentiate.

My best find was not even my own. My wife's friend realized her engagement/wedding ring was missing after a day of planting flowers and bushes in her yard. Not sure why she left her ring on but it was gone at the end of the day and she had no idea when it went missing. She mentioned it to my wife on the phone and my wife says "My husband has one of those dorky metal detectors if you want to try to use it to find the ring." Of course the husband was furious as they had just had the ring redesigned and the value was around $10K after it all. He borrowed my Minelab XTerra 30 and watched the short dvd on how to use it. He went out the next day and within 20 minutes had found the ring at the bottom of a large flower pot under about 1.5 feet of soil and flowers. I like to think I saved their marriage.

 

[FlapJacks]

Evilgrin72 is my metal detector

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=238037&hl=metal

 

[Parmcat]

I started this thread. I have been using the Ace 150 with my son, and it is a great little unit. Basic, but powerful. We have not found anything valuable or awesome yet, as we have about 5 hrs hunting. I have found hits 4-6 inches deep, but lots of aluminium.

Lots of clad, and some old sewing scissors, and a shell casing.

The tool that is the best is the pin pointer. We have 2 Garrett Propointers that makes hunting much easier.

I am trying to permission to hunt on the 130 year old grounds of the psych hospital.

I do recommend the Ace 150 for the beginner

 

[Porkchop Express]

I started this thread. I have been using the Ace 150 with my son, and it is a great little unit. Basic, but powerful. We have not found anything valuable or awesome yet, as we have about 5 hrs hunting. I have found hits 4-6 inches deep, but lots of aluminium.

Lots of clad, and some old sewing scissors, and a shell casing.

The tool that is the best is the pin pointer. We have 2 Garrett Propointers that makes hunting much easier.

Yes this cannot be stressed enough. A pinpointer is worth every cent you pay for it. It saves hours of time and frustration in searching holes. Garrett's pinpointer is the best, and they just came out with a new model recently.

 

[peaces]

wear a tin foil hat