Anyone here into metal detecting?

[Trailhead00]

Thought about purchasing one, was always interested in it but just wanted to hear some opinions. I know you can't do it on state property so I don't plan on doing that. Would be nice to hear what people have to say before I spend some money. Thanks in advance.

 

[MarkBNJ]

It's a hobby that has always fascinated me, because of the potential of finding cool or valuable lost articles. I purchased a cheap detector a few years back just to play with it, but quickly realized that finding anything takes a lot of time. I have the patience to spend a Saturday carefully combing a field, but my home life and other duties rarely grant me large blocks of time like that.

Then again there is the question of where to look. The choices boil down to: private land, public land, or private land that has been set aside for pay-as-you-go treasure hunting. The latter holds little interest for me. Private land requires that you identify and negotiate with owners. Public land is the most accessible, and areas like beaches remain good prospects, but as you note most of the state forests are off limits (something I don't agree with, but it isn't changing anytime soon).

 

[GermanG]

I’ve kicked around the idea of getting one too, but the legal aspect is what stops me. I have no interest in looking for coins or jewelry on the beach. I would just be interested in historical items, but as Mark said, the sites you can legally do it or remove artifacts from are limited.

 

[MuckSavage]

My wife always had an interest in it, but never acted on it. A few months ago, she was reaquainted with an old High School friend. They went to lunch & talked about how their life has evolved on the 30+ years since school. It turns out that my wife's friend is an avid metal detectorist (???). A few months ago, the girl found a ring on the beach that was appraised at 18-20 thousand dollars! Well, they made a date to do some detecting. They started of in my front yard so my wife could learn the ropes. They found a pop rivet & some nuts & bolts. They went into the woods behind my house, the site of a former lake swim club, with concession building, rest rooms, etc. I showed them where the cellar holes are & where the buildings stood. After a few hours, they came back to the house with a gold wedding band, a bunch of old coins (wheat cents, Mercury Dimes, etc) & a big bag of trash.

All in all, my wife says she's hooked.

 

[Trailhead00]

Thanks for the info everyone. You bring up good points, like how much time could be involved!

MuckSavage, did your wife purchase a detector and if she did what model? Thanks

 

[MuckSavage]

Trailhead,
She has yet to purchase a detector. She was using a borrowed Garrett Ace 250. Her friend (Debbie) stated that this unit is a very good, reasonably priced starter unit, but many experienced people still use it often, even when they have a thousand dollar machine. Apparently, A "Pin-Pointer" is almost as important as a detector. A pin-pointer is a small handheld detector that is used once the "big detector" gets a hit.

I was thinking of buying this for Mrs. Muck;
http://www.kellycodetectors.com/garrett/garrett-ace250pro.htm

It's the Ace 250 with a pinpointer & multiple other accesories.