MIKE HAER: Beginners guide to metal detecting

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So you want to get into metal detecting but where do you start? There is so much information out there that it can make it confusing. I want to break it down, step by step and simplify the process for you.

What kind of metal detecting do you want to do?

The first thing you need to figure out is what kind of metal detecting you want to do. There is water hunting, prospecting, coin hunting, relic hunting and some of those can even be broke down. For example if you want to go to a park and find newer coins vs hunting for silver coins. And of course you might want to do more than one of these and you need a detector that can handle everything you want to do or more than one metal detector for various types of metal detecting. Determining what kind of metal detecting you want to do will help you choose your machine. There are some great metal detectors out there but most have a specific purpose and you want to make sure you choose wisely.

If you're not sure what kind of metal detecting you want to do I would suggest talking to locals who metal detect. See what kind of hunting they do and see what is possible, social media is great for this. Make sure the type of metal detecting you want to get into is either local to you or you plan on traveling. I wouldn't suggest buying a gold machine if you live in a state that is not known for gold unless you understand and know you are going to do some traveling.

Choosing your metal detector

When I was a dealer I would often have customers who would want a metal detector to find silver coins/relics but they didn't have the money to afford a metal detector that could consistently do that. Or they simply didn't want to spend that much. There are so many hobbies and very few give back the way that metal detecting can. I used to compare it to fishing and hunting a lot. There are people with 1,000's of dollars in poles and lures alone, add a boat and some have an investment of over 50,000 dollars to go fish, most throwing the fish back! Wrap your mind around spending a little money to get what will actually do what you want to do, even if that means holding out and saving up! If you don't want to wait I suggest a 200 dollar metal detector and get out every day you can to schools and parks and find the money to buy what you want, believe me, It can be done and it's a good introduction to metal detecting.

Choosing a metal detector dealer

Choosing a dealer is a very important part that is often overlooked. I would suggest to always give your local dealer a chance if you have one. You might pay a little more but often the service is well worth it. If you don't have a local dealer I would research where others are buying their metal detectors and equipment online and I would stay away from the big box dealers. They rarely have time to help you out, if you call you're usually getting a salesman who doesn't detect in most cases. If you have questions about your metal detector, accessories etc. they aren't going to be able to help you like a smaller dealer that actually gets out and metal detects. With some of the big dealers you have to be aware of the trickery. Don't fall for the 300 dollars in extras, in most cases its 50 dollars (tops) in junk. A lot of times a local dealer will even take you out detecting and help you learn your machine, teach you proper techniques and will always be there to answer questions. Always give them a chance first! Don't be afraid to ask around social media to find out the good dealers who will be there after the sale to help you if you have any questions or need help.

Read more :  http://allmetalmode.com/mikes-blog/2017/06/13/beginners-guide-to-metal-detecting/