Detectors-How good do they get?

[GroundScrounger]

My first and best detector was a BH 505 @ $289.00 new. I dug only repeatable signals and skipped newer penny signals. I dug a few iffy signals and came up with junk. It seemed to be good at identifying coin type, was real consistent with quarters. Supossedly had a coin scan depth of 11" but I never found one more than 6" deep. Anyway, sold it, needed the cash and now use a $120.00 BH Fastracker. With it, I Find way too many pennys but I've been told to dig all signals anyway??? I havn't experienced any better detectors. So, my question is...What can I get in a detector compared to the BH 505 and how much will it cost me? Good Diggins!

[coinhead2]

I've been metal detecting for year's, And I really believe it's not the detector but the user. By that I mean with a decent metal detector. I had a Garrett Freedom Ace Series 2 and I knew that detector like the back of my hand. I knew the good sounds from trash and the deep sounds also. The key to it is KNOWING your metal detector and what it is telling you. I started off with a White's 4000 D, Went to Garrett, And still use a GTAX 400, Even had the GTAX-1000. In some ways I prefer the old non-motion VLF, Yet the GTAX-400 has already paid for itself 5 times over. And as time goes on, They keep coming out with newer & better & deeper, ect, ect. If you "KNOW" your detector which ever brand you choose and do some research into the past, You will make good finds.

[JEBar]

I can only speak as a person very new to detecting with very few actual days of detecting and have no doubt the following observations will most likely not apply to folks with much more experience .... I have two detectors, a Whites DFX and a Whites BeachHunter .... neither are cheap machines but the DFX is definitely higher end ... I've found using it to be extremely simple for a person who is just starting out ... it is easy to set on automatic (coin, coin & jewelery, etc) programming ... with it screen the DFX it is easy to pinpoint an object and you will know very close to how deep the object is before you start to dig ... the BeachHunter has 3 lights that help tell you what an object may be ... I find it more difficult to pinpoint an item by tone and when I start digging I have no clue how deep to dig ... I'm sure that as time goes by and I learn to translate what the BeachHunter is trying to tell me, I will do a better job with it ... based on this limited experience, it seems that the high dollar machine makes it easier on new folks and has the built-in capacity to deliver even higher levels of performance as using it gains experience ... for me, I prefer to start out with a top quality machine and grow into using it

Jim

[TonyinCT]

There is a few ways to look at this. A novice with any detector is not going to be as good as a person with a detector they know very well. However ; a person with a better more performance detector that can be adjusted and tuned in better will soon beat out the user that has a cheaper less performing detector no matter what his skill level. It is up to the user to learn the detector they have.
With that being said ; the 505 will never get 11" on coins. There are ,in my opinion, many detectors that are better. The garrett Ace250 which discounts to 212.45 is one. The Tesoro Compadre at 152.00 is better also.
It really boils down to the consistency of good finds at a decent depth that will ultimately determine whether or not the detector is a good performer. Some people have a lot of fun with cheaper detectors finding clad coins . That's great . I for one want to get to the older , deeper ones. A cheaper , less perfromance detector is not going to do that on a consistant basis.