The two leading VLF machines for gold are the MineLab Gold Monster 1000 and the Nokta Makro Gold Kruzer/Gold Finder.

They just rereleased the Gold Bug 2 as well - the standard for decades.

PI (pulse induction) detectors are better but they're usually pretty expensive. There might be something available used

Michael,
Given your budget you are looking at a VLF detector. And there a lot of capable units on the market.

There is also not one size fits all when it comes to detectors. I would like for you the think about a few things before buying a unit. First off how much time are you going to give the detector to learn every subtlety of the machine? Detectors like the Gold Bug II are excellent detectors and fully manual. This means that you must put in a lot of time in learning the detector and a great deal of time tweaking in the field. At 71kHz it is one of the most powerful detectors every built and one of my favorites. I’ve been swinging Gold Bugs since 1986.

On the other side of the spectrum there are auto/manual detectors like the Garrett/Whites 24K, the XP- ORX Gold, Garrett AT -Gold, Nokta Gold Finder 2000 and the kruzer. And a few more. These detectors can be run in an auto mode meaning you have little to no input or n a manual mode where you have complete control. In the Fully auto world, there is the Minelab Gold Monster 1000.

All are sub $1000.00 detectors and all good choices but now we get into the next question, where will you be working the detector the majority of the time? Living in Arizona I have some of the worst ground in gold country which can make new detectorist a little crazy trying to work a Gold Bug II, It is overly sensitive by design but a bear to keep tuned to the ground you are working. Those that stick with it and learn everything there is to know about the detector and the ground they are working succeed while other, not so much.

Talk to detectorist in the areas where you expect to spend 75% of your time and make an informed choice about buying a gold detector, please. Ask the question of someone that is successful in your area “What detector do you use and why?”

Detecting is not all about the machine, it is seeing a big picture where everything is in play. All too often I run in to people in the field that are not accomplishing what they would like too simply because they have a good to great detector and do not know everything about the machine or have a different expectation than what the detector is capable of. Or they may have a great detector and not understand the ground they are working and therefore fail.

Please take the time to find the right detector for you. Detecting is an investment in equipment and time. choose and use them both to the highest level and you will succeed.

Kevin Hoagland


[quote]
Posted By MICHAEL WEIDEMAN on 13 Feb 2022 08:04 PM
Looking for suggestions on the best metal (gold) detector under $1500 for a new prospector. Thanks for your responses.
[/quote]

Mr. Hoagland, your profound expertise and experience is always so wonderful to take in. I only just got my detector myself and have been planning a trip, but I'm not sure where even to go with it. I had assumed Arizona was the BEST place to go and it surprised me to learn it's the WORST. I'm curious where would be a good first trip with my Gold Kruzer, to learn the machine and maybe even find a nugget? Is there a GPAA claim your can recommend? (I'm a member)

Thank you!

I was going to make a new post but I figured the OP is probably in the same boat I'm in

How well does the gold monster 1000 do for other types of detecting? On the beach, etc? I'm considering a Nox 800 because of its versatility and while not the best it can still be used for nugget shooting yet do great for coins/etc. Haven't seen anything about the Gold Monster being used for anything but nuggets though.

Yeah, I'd prefer to get one of each but that's just not realistic at the moment. :)

Usarian,
First off let's get something straight :-) I am Kevin, hey you or anything else except Mr. Hoagland PLEASE.

Arizona is a good place for the Kruzer as long as you know the detector and will take the time to set it to the ground. Which is pretty easy with that unit.

Go back in some of the older post and read about setting the sensitivity to the ground you are working and how to stay balanced. That alone is 3/4 of the battle.

With an op freq. of 61kHz the Kruzer is killed on small nuggets once you learn to handle the ground and the sensitivity.
One advantage that the Kruzer has on a detector like the Gold Bug series is the ability to run your ground balance (GB) in Auto/fixed/tracking. When you start in a new area go with tracking for a bit and listen closely to the ground and what it is telling you. You will hear the ground changes within the threshold, and this will tell you everything you need to know.

Start in General which is Nokta for ALL METAL. Get to your threshold and get it low and rhythmic. Tracking GB and after the balance is done just sewing low and slow….. Perfect, that’s it now slow down some more. You are not detecting for gold at this point you are learning about the ground.
If there is not a lot of variances in the ground try detecting in Manual for a bit checking the GB after every few swings to assure that the unit is handling the ground. If it becomes to bouncy, go back to tracking.

From there my greatest piece of advice for the Kruzer or any other VDI (display scree) detector is to not use the VDI at all. Takes a lot of energy to drive the VDI and I will and do hear signals that never resister on the VDI. Most are tiny pieces of gold. Remember this, “The threshold is the voice of the detector. It will tell you everything you just need to learn to listen.” At the end of your swing when you start to come back the other direction and (with the coil flat on the ground) you get a little warble in the threshold, slow down. That is the unit telling you, you are going to fast. So on and so forth. Take your time.

So where in Arizona you ask. Hummmm Vulture Bait and the Soldier Boy Double JJ. Two completely different types of ground and both with good gold. Read the reviews in the Online Mining Guide.

Let me know how you are doing once you get a bit more sorted.
Kevin Hoagland



[quote]
Posted By <a href='https://www.goldprospectors.org/AccountPreferences/userid/2959064' class='af-profile-link'>Usarian Skiff</a> on 14 Feb 2022 01:01 PM
Mr. Hoagland, your profound expertise and experience is always so wonderful to take in. I only just got my detector myself and have been planning a trip, but I'm not sure where even to go with it. I had assumed Arizona was the BEST place to go and it surprised me to learn it's the WORST. I'm curious where would be a good first trip with my Gold Kruzer, to learn the machine and maybe even find a nugget? Is there a GPAA claim your can recommend? (I'm a member)

Thank you!

I was going to make a new post but I figured the OP is probably in the same boat I'm in
[/quote]

Scott,
The GM-1000 is not what you want if you are going to do anything other than nugget hunting. I carry a Nox 800 with me every time I go into a new area to be able to look at the ground and see the Man-made stuff as well as the gold.

I could go into a long diatribe about the difference between the two types of detectors, but it is late in the evening on a endless Monday. So here is the skinny. Buy the Nox 800 if you want a detector that will work as a multi-tasking unit. And know that it does coin, relic, park, beach detecting Great and is a really good gold detector with the small coil. I have found some surprising gold with the Nox 800 and then came back in with a more dedicated gold detector and found more. But when I take the Gold Monster 1000 to the beach or around an old homesite, it’s about 5 minutes and I am done. Ferrous and Non-Ferrous is not enough for me in those cases. I want/need to be able to discriminate beyond Fe & Non-Fe.

If you choose the Nox 800 and you are going to use it for gold when you can, the small coil is a must have. Not a want but a must have.
Let me know what which way you go on the detector.

Kevin Hoagland


[quote]
Posted By Scott Parker on 14 Feb 2022 02:47 PM
How well does the gold monster 1000 do for other types of detecting? On the beach, etc? I'm considering a Nox 800 because of its versatility and while not the best it can still be used for nugget shooting yet do great for coins/etc. Haven't seen anything about the Gold Monster being used for anything but nuggets though.

Yeah, I'd prefer to get one of each but that's just not realistic at the moment. :)

[/quote]

Thanks for the info.

Thanks Kevin, I'm just sort of getting started into prospecting. I'm currently working in California, but really don't have time to prospect out here and my home state is Colorado. In about 3-1/2 years hope to retire and travel around the country prospecting, rock and mineral collecting and just enjoying life with no alarm clock. Of all of the detectors that you mentioned, if you had $1500 to spend, which detector would you purchase?

Thanks, hope you're having a good weekend.

Michael

Hi Kevin:
I purchased a Garrett AT/PRO several years ago. My first detector and I chose it based on water proof compared to the GB II. Now though knowing that the GB is at a much higher frequency than my Garrett I wish I had bought the GB. My question to you is if using a sniper coil how well would the Garrett perform in the King Tutt area near Meadview, in your opinion. Thanks, do appreciate your insight..

Daniel,
Yes, the Sniper Coil will greatly increase the capabilities of the AT-PRO in the ground that you are working. More importantly though is that you will need to set the units sensitivity to match the ground. I have other post that covers this in detail throughout the forum.
I like the PRO with the exception that it is not a threshold driven detector, and many users are completely dependent on the VDI screen over the audio responses. If there is any fluctuation on the target ID at all, did the target. Hope this helps.

Kevin


[quote]
Posted By Daniel Friend on 16 May 2022 08:23 PM
Hi Kevin:
I purchased a Garrett AT/PRO several years ago. My first detector and I chose it based on water proof compared to the GB II. Now though knowing that the GB is at a much higher frequency than my Garrett I wish I had bought the GB. My question to you is if using a sniper coil how well would the Garrett perform in the King Tutt area near Meadview, in your opinion. Thanks, do appreciate your insight..
[/quote]

Kevin,
Thank you, that was a quick reply and very good info. Hope to get out to the Meadview area soon...
Thanks brother