NEW NOKTA MAKRO SIMPLEX METAL DETECTORS - WATERPROOF and FUN!!!

Minelab Equinox will
breathe new life into your hobby!!!

           
Minelab
Garrett
White's
Fisher
Pinpointers
Security scanners
Quality recovery tools, Lesche, Apex

..and much more in stock!
Visit our product pages .

Big Valley
Our Treasure
Metal Detectors 

Call me!!! Find us on Facebook  

Call Larry at
(916) 225-9150  

larry@bigvalleymetaldetectors.com


"Site to Site, Season to Season"

Big Valley never sleeps while its customers are awake!

Open daily. Call for hours.

HOME

metal detectors &
treasure hunting accessories
BEST
metal detectors
BEST
gold detectors
BEST
pinpointers
VIDEOS
GREAT FINDS
DETECTING
RESOURCES
ABOUT
US
CONTACT
US
Remember...the way to get the best deal on a metal detector is to make sure you know how to use your equipment.
So support your expert, and your expert will support you!

"What is the BEST metal detector?" This is the most common question I get, (followed by "What is the DEEPEST metal detector?")
The answer is....


There is NO BEST metal detector.


That said, the best metal detector is the one you'll be able to use properly. Although it doesn't take a rocket scientist to operate a metal detector, in order to use one successfully, you should be absolutely sure you are going to buy it from a reputable dealer who can help you with operating your detector under the conditions specific to your region. Ideally there will be a showroom to demontrate the products and you shoud steer clear of anyone who odders to make you a great (but shady) deal in parking lot or a park. This is the only way to make sure you get the right machine for you and that you will have personal support when you need it.

So let Big Valley Metal Detectors help you to choose the best metal detector to meet your personal needs and budget. After I got the above question numerous times I decided to add a 'Best Detectors' page as a guideline, which helps all who visit my site avoid mistakes in choices brought on by the voluminous amount of information and opinion on the internet. Yes, I have my opinions, but those are based on my experience as a detectorist and a multi-line dealer.

Below are general purpose metal detectors. There are many more, and if I have not mentioned the one you are interested in, it is not necessarily because it is no good. More than likely I just decided to keep this page from attaining a daunting length. Also, this is one of the last pages to be updated on a regular basis, as I spend more time with my customers in person, and the web really does come last. Just give me a call and I'll give you my honest assessment if you don't see what you are interested in.

NEWS FLASH! A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY presented itself with the failure of the Oroville Dam's spillway. Much of the gold containing bedrock was exposed after the dirt was washed away by the wild flow of water out of the reservoir. People are starting to realize this and are taking their gold detectors up to that area. We are seeing a MINI GOLD RUSH.

If you want to find gold nuggets, you'll need a metal detector that can hunt for gold. Please go to my Best Gold Detectors page for that. Although... the humble Tesoro Compadre, a great all around metal detector and incredibly simple to operate, can find fine jewelry, including gold.


Check it out in this video:

.


 

All price categories mentioned here will usually refer to normal internet prices.
Often better deals are available: just call or come by to see what's new.

Price Range: to $350.00

Garrett Ace 200, Ace 300 and Ace400

Garrett Ace 250 metal detector

Comments: From 2004, the White’s Prizms dominated the lower end of the professional market. Garrett in later years came out with their Ace 150, to compete with the Prizm line. They added some features to their basic Ace, and came up with the Ace 250 and Ace 350.

 

This has been some time, and Garrett has never looked back. They now have a new basic model, the Ace 200, which is very reasonably priced, and the Ace 300 and 400 for those who like a few more things of which to keep track..

See the Garrett Ace 400 here
See the Garrett Ace 300 here
See the Garrett Ace 200 here



Price Range: $400.00 to $900.00

Garrett AT Pro

Garrett AT PRO metal detector

Comments: this machine shows that Garrett is paying attention to customer demand. This is a machine you can submerse in water and then take it to hunt the highest mountain peaks.

The available search modes include both standard and professional settings and the new 11"DD coil it ships with make this machine a huge breakthrough for technology at this price point.



See the Garrett AT Pro here

Price Range from about $1000.00

Garrett ATX

Comments: Garrett's has a new machine in their AT line-up. This is a pulse-induction machine, and seems to be well thought out, keeping the roaming treasure hunter in mind.

Due to its radically changed design, you'll find it much easier to store and transport.

See Garrett's ATX here

Garrett ATX side view Garrett ATX top view














Minelab Safari and Explorer series

Minelab Explorer SE metal detector

Comments: these metal detectors use FBS circuits or full band frequencies (28 actually), Minelab's unique way to filter out negative ground and magnetic interference. The active frequency may be about 3kHz and the other harmonics act in concert to sample and neutralize ground noise and power lines. When the noise is neutralized, your ability to hear the deeper targets is enhanced.

The 3 kHz will double the signal on deep silver vs other f requencies. The output is digital, and although the Explorer makes it easier to hear that deep silver without having to tweak, your lower conductors (gold, nickels and other jewelry) are usually ignored by most of the Explorer users. Foil, shards of aluminum and crown caps sound a little too good, where competitor's circuits chop those targets up.

The Explorer has great gain and a smart find screen. The Explorer SE lacks a audio and visual pinpointing system; it uses a more conventional VCO pinpoint.

All in all, these are nice, pretty deep metal detectors and are nice silver shooters.

See the Minelab Safari here
See the Minelab Explorer SE here

Garrett GTI 2500

Garrett GTI2500 metal detector


Comments: Bells and whistles, good depth but long in the tooth and on the heavy side, Garrett's GTI 2500 offers a nice wide screen. Although it is not as sophisticated as the other "big dog" competition, it does offer sizing technology A through E. Most coins and jewelry fall out in the B, with man hole covers in the E size along with some caches, I guess.

Depth is above average for a single frequency detector at approximately 7 kHz and seems sensitive enough for gold rings. Ground tracks in the all metal mode. I suspect that the discrimination mode and ground balance point is automated in the chip and cannot be manually manipulated.

This detector actually can be programmed to talk to you using a female voice. A poster on one of the forums, who is a single bachelor, actually put it on voice mode and slept with his GTI 2500... now that's love!!!

See the Garrett GTI 2500 here

Minelab E-Trac

Minelab E-Trac metal detector

Comments: this is the "minesweeper" for silver coins in parks.
Newer technology allows you to hunt what you had to leave behind with the Explorer II. With a much faster response time, this is not your father's Explorer....



See the Minelab E-Trac here



 

Minelab CTX3030

Minelab 3030CTX metal detector



Comments: the new CTX3030, with its color screen and too many features to mention, is clearly Minelab's new top-of-the-line coin/relic hunting machine.



See the Minelab CTX3030 here










Call me!!! Questions?
Call Larry at (916) 225-9150

larry@bigvalleymetaldetectors.com





Visit our product pages.

"Site to Site, Season to Season"
Big Valley never sleeps while its customers are awake!

BEST
metal detectors

Located in Citrus Heights, California, we are an easy drive from Sacramento, Fair Oaks, Roseville, Rocklin, Orangevale, Folsom, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Loomis, Placerville, Antelope, Antioch, Auburn, Cameron Park, Chico, Colfax, Colusa, Concord, Courtland, Davis, Dixon, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Elverta, Galt, Granite Bay, Isleton, Jackson, Lakeport, Lincoln, Lodi, Marysville, Napa, Newcastle, North Highlands, Oroville, Rancho Cordova, Rancho Murieta, Redding, Rio Linda, Sloughhouse, Stockton, Tahoe, Vacaville, Vallejo, Walnut Creek, Walnut Grove, Williams, Wilton, Winters, Woodland, Yuba City and many more places. Call for directions. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.

It's hard to beat Minelab's Equinox 800 or 600, so come see me at Big Valley Metal Detectors to get yours, and I'll show you how to use it properly, too!!
Sacramento Valley Detecting Buffs, SVDB