Metal Detector for large item

[RVTravel]

How much metal detector would be needed to detect a 10" x10" bronze item buried less than 6 inches in the ground? I was hoping to get away with a cheaper model, maybe Harbor Freight?

 

[highdesertranger]

is this item solid bronze? if it is almost any detector will sound off on it. the problem with most cheap detectors beside being cheap is that they don't discriminate very well. which means they sound off on everything. if the area you are looking for the bronze is trashy or highly mineralized you will be digging a lot of holes.

so I am curious what is this bronze item? highdesertranger

 

[ToyotaEscaper]

Yeah you'll be more than fine with a cheap detector especially since it's big. I have a cheap bounty hunter from the 90s that I got for free from someone that got it at a yard sale for $20 before. It's actually not going to be as difficult as the desert ranger guy says. I use mine for digging up iron items in ground littered with nails and wires. The key is listening to how the detector sounds off and watching the coil as it does. Get some scrap metal or anything you can to practice with above ground, it's quite easy to tell the size and approximate shapes of the big items. Some really dense highly conductive metals can ring out big as well like when I go hunting for copper pipe caps around old construction areas but it will only ring out over a really small area and in a way that deeper items don't.

 

[Zil]

That sounds like a cemetery marker. Are you grave robbing?

 

[RVTravel]

I am considering using one for searching legal areas in the Forrest Fenn treasure hunt.

 

[Jack]

I'm looking for a fun hobby once I hit the road. Metal detecting is a good possibility. Thanks for mentioning it! (Sorry I'm no help with what you need but I wish you tons of success in the hunt!)

 

[JeanInaBox]

I would suggest Garrett AT pro.... A decent all terrain ( waterproof) detector. If your gonna hunt for that treasure you may need the waterproof feature. It has great discrimination. User friendly. IMO it’s best bang for your buck machine. I’ve owned one and found a lot with it. I can steer you on where to get a good deal on a new one. And the dealer I know may even have a decent used one laying around. PM me if you want the info.

 

[NctryBen]

is this item solid bronze?  if it is almost any detector will sound off on it.  the problem with most cheap detectors beside being cheap is that they don't discriminate very well.  which means they sound off on everything.  if the area you are looking for the bronze is trashy or highly mineralized you will be digging a lot of holes.

so I am curious what is this bronze item?  highdesertranger




probably his gold medal. He was so proud of it he had it bronzed. My keys fell off my belt loop and I ended up putting them through the snow blower at work. I borrowed a metal detector and man oh man I forgot a power line goes through there for an out building. I think you have to know a bit about the unit your using if there are obstacles like that. I miss my keys... haha!

 

[RVTravel]

Forgot to update. The treasure chest is not solid bronze but has an inner wood lining, I think. I bought a harbor freight detector because I won't use it for anything else most likely. It did enable me to realize I was in a wrong spot and have since chosen a new search spot but have not worried about it being buried, for now.

 

[highdesertranger]

have you tested that detector on other items?

note, air tests don't really count. bury something and see if the detector responds to it.

highdesertranger

 

[DannyB1954]

With most if not all metal detectors one can tell if the buried object is small or large by how long the unit sounds off while moving the coil over it.
A 10" x 10" object will have a longer response than a coin or nail would. I have a dozen different models. The more expensive models try to tell you what the object is, but can often be wrong. It could tell you it is an aluminum pull tab when it really was a gold ring. The unit could tell you it is a nail, but there may be a coin next to the nail. Dig it all is the general rule.

 

[highdesertranger]

i forgot to mention, bury your test item in the same soil that you are looking in. different mineralization causes the detector to act differently. that's the reason you must constantly adjust your ground balance. highdesertranger

 

[RVTravel]

I did test it with a few different metals and found different things out in the field, mostly metal cans.

 

[maki2]

I always thought metal detecting would be fun to try. Maybe next winter someone I meet out on BlM land will give me a lesson with their machine. Small wishes have a way of coming true!

 

[Cammalu]

Maki I’ll be bringing a couple with me next year. One I had probably 20 years and haven’t used it yet. I don’t know anything but there is a metal detecting club in Quartzsite and there are people bringing gold nuggets they found each month in to the meetings.

 

[DannyB1954]

I always thought metal detecting would be fun to try. Maybe next winter someone I meet out on BlM land will give me a lesson with their machine.  Small wishes have a way of coming true!

I often hunt in a local park for coins. I always enjoy letting others have a go at it. People are often happy to discuss their hobby, so don't be afraid to approach someone and say I would like your advice on metal detecting. It will make them feel important. There are lots of Youtube videos about it as well. Here is a good starter model. I still enjoy using the one I have. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tesoro+compadre+metal+detector they sell new for about $160, buy I bought mine used for under a hundred if I remember right.

 

[highdesertranger]

Danny has a good point about coins. I have found many clad coins in parks and beaches. helps pay for the detector. highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

good tip Guy. i have found plenty of clad coins in playgrounds, also low budget jewelry. still hoping for that million dollar ring, LOL.

yes always have permission first.

highdesertranger

 

[grumpygrizzly]

Make SURE.. if you have to dig for it, to fill the hole back in when you're done. A LOT of places don't allow metal detecting because the folks don't fill the holes back in.

There's a large soccer area with about 4 fields for games and every summer I see folks out there sitting in the grass watching the games but, I never see anyone detecting there. I've thinking about giving it a shot and if anyone asks, I'll tell them something about my wife losing a ring or something.

I'd think the most I would need would be a small garden shovel. Once your detector locates something, dig a small hole and see if you get it.. If you do find a coin, fill the hole and then, sweep your detector over it again.. there might me more than one coin in that spot.