Buying a Metal Detector
Before you buy your first metal detector, you need to keep in mind that you need to buy a detector designed for your needs. First you should decide where most of your hunting is going to be, and what you are interested in finding. Where are you going to be metal detecting? On the beach? In the water? In the woods? Then find a metal detector that will work for you, because there is a variety of detectors out there nowadays, and some may work better then others.
Making a Choice
Is it better to buy an expensive detector or a cheaper "basic" one? Buying the right one can be a hard task, so you need to research the detectors on the market like we did. If you're still not sure whether you're going to like this hobby or not, you may just want to get something basic.
Fact: Me and my wife just came from a competition where she won a cheap detector. Both of us have been in this hobby for several years, we decided to try one of our new spots that yielded some old coins before. I took my trusty "complicated" unit, and she with the $100 machine. Well, you know what... half an hour later I was leaving empty-handed, and she is coming smiling with a large cent and a silver quarter in her hand.
Quick Tip: Location is more important then the brand or a model. Study your local history and you can beat your competition any day! Even with a cheap detector. Yes, its true!
Detecting in the water: You will find more jewelry in the water and mostly coins in the dry sand. Why? Because cold water will shrink the fingers and you can lose your rings and not even know it until you get home. If you don't yet have a waterproof detector, chances are your coil is waterproof and you can detect real shallow water.
Detecting in dry sand: While detecting dry sand on the other hand, will yield many coins since people are always playing and rolling on the blankets. You might find an occasional ring, but there's more in the water than in the dry sand.
Choosing the Best Detector
A lot of people prefer to purchase a detector near to where they live. Some people like to buy them on Ebay and can get a really good deal. But don't buy those cheapo ones, or you will regret it. Even though they say that they are awesome, and give them triple AAA reviews, you're better off going with a company that has a established reputation in the metal detecting community. The more expensive name brands you can resell if you don't like them, but the unknown cheapo ones, no one will buy.