monster coils do they ever find stuff?

[pasttarg]

you see these massive coils like a dustbin lid that look heavy but do users ever make them pay for themselves? you might need to dig massive holes as well

[Fusion]

They ought to be good for large-target hunting in non-motion mode, holding the coil steady, at a reasonable height, then walking smoothly forwards. Much like you would use a two-box machine. But you have the advantage of then being able to sweep the target, and hopefully easily identify large iron. I've tried this type of hunting with regular-sized search-coils, and the finds can be quite deep, so I don't think you need really massive coils for this to work, perhaps 15" / 18" is enough. I can't see the need for 24", 36" etc sizes. But ... if you've never used them, it's tricky to say how good/bad they are. I think the mechanical issues are going to be one of their troubles. Custom shaft assemblies to go with them sounds like a good idea. Things like one-piece carbon rods, counter-balance weights may be useful.
I also wonder if they are prone to pick up more electrical interference, which may limit where you can use them.

I suppose I should add: "pay for themselves?"
That seems to be a US detecting 'thing' , how long did your detector take to pay for itself. I'm sure over here, someone would buy a new coil because they wanted it, they wanted the fun of searching in a different way, for different objects, perhaps on heavily-detected land that isn't so productive with a regular detector/coil combination. The possibility that something valuable may come up is just an added bonus.

[Fusion]

So then, Mr.Targets, don't ask a question then walk off ( despite your very long track record of doing exactly that ). Tell us why you're asking. Are you thinking of buying one? Do you have access to land that may contain cannonballs, or other large deep items? Do you own a machine that a big coil is actually made for? Or are you thinking of getting a custom-made one ?

[littleboot]

A machine 'paying for itself' is a thing over here in Boot Central too. I expect my kit to...at the very least...wipe its face. They always have done as well. In fact it has been quite a good discipline to have because I have lots of other stuff I need/want to spend my moolah on and I need to justify extra expense to myself. So, if and when I buy extra kit I work out if it is likely to reap enough reward both in terms of enjoyment and upping my finds. These things are so closely linked it comes to the same thing.
I had a big coil (as in big but not mega-big)for a very short time and I found it irksome, unwieldy, heavy and not at all suited to my permissions. I got rid of it pronto. I left it home most of the time and it represented a dead loss of 150 quid.So I sold it on and chalked it up to experience. I'm a standard coil kind of gal ever since. (Plus a tiddler for interesting crevices.)

[jcmaloney]

Largest I used was an 18in, no issue pinpointing just drag and listen to the tone drop away.
Power source, size of coil and size of target are the three factors that influence "depth".
Sensitivity is more important when it comes to coins.

[oldartefact]

The Guys on Aussie Gold Hunters (Quest TV) use coils the size of Dustbin lids... and they definitely find stuff ... from minute 1g nuggets to rippers big enough to send the coil into meltdown.. !! And they get lots of depth, even on the 1g nuggets.

[Fusion]

The thing about gold nugget hunting that's different is this : a bigger target means a bigger more valuable lump of gold. So it's advantageous to look for big items, using a big coil. Compare with us in the UK, where 'big target' means lump of ploughshare, sheet iron, a huge blob of lead casting scrap; generally valueless stuff. We're better off looking for the small/medium size stuff.

Personally, I think if you want a machine to 'pay for itself' , you should buy a cheap machine. A Bounty Hunter Tracker4 could easily pay for itself in spendable money from parks and beaches, with the odd random jewellery find, and shallow targets from cultivated land. Making a CTX3030 or a full Deus setup break even will surely be much harder?

The likely 'large' targets you may want to find in the UK would be buried hoards of coins. Sadly, the odds seem stacked against you. Pots of coins appear like lots of small targets, not like one giant lump, because they're not in electrical contact with each other ( though they do magnetically interact ). Plus, the masking effect means that only the top few layers of coins are really detected, all the ones below are magnetically hidden by the ones above 'hogging' the detectors signal.
If the 'treasure' is in a big lead pot, then you may be in luck. If it's in a pot/stoneware vessel, you may find the pot is magnetically active, and shields the contents, making them much less visible.
( like some of those Roman tiles/bricks that give a coke-like response ).

[littleboot]

I tend to buy used detectors....the 600 I have now was used and came in at 150 pounds less than new and had hardly any wear. So that puts me ahead. I get decent machines though and don't ramp up on the extras either.
My last tesoro was £500 and a nice machine, almost new L'Invincible (for the French market)..I sold it for 250 and found over £3000 of stuff with it. (conservative estimate)
The GMP was bought for 400 and again made a similar profit on paper. I sold it for 200. The Nox hasn't made a bad start so far so I expect it to be into profit in the next few months.
Lots of capable machines around at reasonable prices that will pull this trick on decent permissions.
I don't sell all my finds by any means and there are some I'd never sell so it remains a paper exercise. However, sometimes selling a find has been a get-out-of-jail-free card when things get tight.

[oldartefact]

The thing about gold nugget hunting that's different is this : a bigger target means a bigger more valuable lump of gold. So it's advantageous to look for big items, using a big coil. Compare with us in the UK, where 'big target' means lump of ploughshare, sheet iron, a huge blob of lead casting scrap; generally valueless stuff. We're better off looking for the small/medium size stuff.

Yes they definitely get very very excited about the big Rippers, though I think that some of the prospectors seem to be looking for the really small stuff, because the small traces may be indicative that larger bits maybe around. Dont know how they do it but some of the nuggets are ridiculously small, I feel sorry for the diggers, waving massive coils, mattock in hand, digging deep targets in 40+ degrees, only to stuff no bigger than grain of wheat.

[littleboot]

You definitely have been watching Aussie Gold Whatever-it-is, OA....
You have Aussie-itis.
'Big rippers'....you will probably be saying Strewth and Crikey, all while throwing another shrimp on the Barbie.

[Kritika]

Sorry Target

All I can say is from my experience when someone on a Rally has multi frequency machine with a big coil, its like someone drove onto the field towing a Military Jamming device.

As to do they find anymore then anyone else.... from what I have seen its quite the opposite. Its always the guys with the smaller lighter machines and coils that cover more ground, that seem to be the ones who account for the best finds on the day.

One thing I do know is, the ones with the big coils seem to always be the ones back at their cars for an early lunch, to stretch their aching backs

[Pete E]

A machine 'paying for itself' is a thing over here in Boot Central too. I expect my kit to...at the very least...wipe its face. They always have done as well. In fact it has been quite a good discipline to have because I have lots of other stuff I need/want to spend my moolah on and I need to justify extra expense to myself. So, if and when I buy extra kit I work out if it is likely to reap enough reward both in terms of enjoyment and upping my finds.

That's fair enough, but reading a couple of American forums, many there talk about a machine paying for itself purely in financial terms. I ve seen people brag their particular machine has found them $X in Y months...

This is often from finding cash and modern jewellery on their beaches, an aspect of our hobby which frankly bores me to tears....

[littleboot]

A machine 'paying for itself' is a thing over here in Boot Central too. I expect my kit to...at the very least...wipe its face. They always have done as well. In fact it has been quite a good discipline to have because I have lots of other stuff I need/want to spend my moolah on and I need to justify extra expense to myself. So, if and when I buy extra kit I work out if it is likely to reap enough reward both in terms of enjoyment and upping my finds.

That's fair enough, but reading a couple of American forums, many there talk about a machine paying for itself purely in financial terms. I ve seen people brag their particular machine has found them $X in Y months...

This is often from finding cash and modern jewellery on their beaches, an aspect of our hobby which frankly bores me to tears....

Well the hobby IS an entirely different beast over there. From the finders-keepers philosophy to the detecting tot-lots for loose change. Can't knock it though because there is not much alternative so the whole essence of the sport is different. The history slides away (except in very specific areas) and it becomes MUCH more like beach detecting here, but inland.
I suppose, in those circumstances the maths really IS important.

[THE MOLE]

I had the large coil on the velox 1, think it was 17 inch. cant say it found anymore than the stock coil to be honest but the weight after an hour or so was a bit unbearable so if your not built like arnnie you should be thinking of a harness for that one

neil

[Filternozzle]

you see these massive coils like a dustbin lid that look heavy but do users ever make them pay for themselves? you might need to dig massive holes as well

I dont know about the rest of you but I never thought about making a profit out of metal detecting.
For me it's a hobby and like the majority of hobbies it costs money. It could be golfing gear, club subscriptions and travel expenses. So the outlay for my detectors, coils, all the gear required and travel expenses is all part of the course for which I am happy to spend my hard got cash on. Apart from a period of unemployment in the 1970's I have never sold anything, however during that period I did have a need to sell a few items.

As for 'massive holes', it goes without saying, the deeper you go the wider the hole becomes, there is no other way.

Those who use very large coils generally have a good reason and dont use them as the norm'.