Gold detectors have come a long way in the last 20 years or so. Gone are the frustrating days of trying to use a coin detector to find native gold nuggets. Modern gold detectors are less affected by the often heavily mineralized ground found in most mining districts of the southwestern US.
I will go into more detail about each of the 6 best metal detectors for gold prospecting, but for now here is my short list.
Fisher Gold Bug 2
Minelab Gold Monster 1000
Garrett ATX
Minelab SDC 2300
Minelab GPX 6000
Minelab GPZ 7000
The three types of gold detectors
There are three types of gold detectors being used successfully these days.
Very Low Frequency – VLF – least expensive – detects smaller gold – shallow recovery depth – automatic and manual settings (some models)
Pulse Induction signal – PI – more expensive – detects larger gold – deeper recovery depth – manual settings
Zero Voltage Transmission – ZVT – most expensive – detects larger and smaller gold – deepest recovery depth – manual settings
VLF Gold Detectors (Very Low Frequency)
The first type we will go over are VLF detectors. These are the most affordable. But make no mistake, they are excellent gold detecting machines. In fact VLF detectors are used by many seasoned prospectors.
Their main advantage is their ability to detect very small pieces of gold that the more expensive PI machines can’t pick up. Their main disadvantage is they can’t match the depth that the PI machines get.
There are many gold detecting areas across the southwest US, unfortunately the most easily accessible have been heavily detected and are considered by many nugget shooters to be worked out. There are two VLF gold detectors that consistently bring home smaller, shallower gold from these heavily worked areas.
Minelab Gold Monster 1000
This gold detector is a great choice for both the novice and the experienced prospector. The settings are easy to use. It can be set to automatic or manual adjustments. Works well in mineralized ground with practice, but as all detectors do, it will give a fluctuating signal in the presence of iron and “hot rocks”.
Gold signals are crisp and repeatable. It’s a lightweight (2.9 LB) well balanced detector. Comes apart easily for carrying in a pack. And as far as quality metal detectors go, it’s affordable at about $900. As soon as I’ve got $900 to spare, I plan to get one.
Fisher Gold Bug 2
Another great entry level gold detector. At 2.9 LB. the Gold Bug 2 is on par with the Gold Monster. In fact they are both extremely good at recovering small gold targets. Also affected by “hot rocks and mineralized ground.
As with all detectors it takes time to become proficient at reading the small differences in target sounds and signals. The Gold Bug 2 has a bit longer learning curve due to the manual tuning and ground balancing, but it’s also less expensive at about $750.
How deep will a VLF gold detector find gold
The depth of gold recovery from VLF machines varies depending on gold size, ground mineralization, settings adjustment and coil size. Both the above machines should sound off on nuggets in the one quarter to one half gram weight range up to about 4 to 6 inches deep. On average. Your results may vary.
The chart below is from Fisher and shows what happens with the Gold Bug 2 when using different coil sizes. The smaller coils have greater sensitivity to smaller shallower gold. And obviously the bigger coils pick up bigger deeper gold. source fisherlabs.com
| Gold Weight | 6.5 Inch Coil | 10 Inch Coil | 14 Inch Coil |
|---|---|---|---|
|
0.5 Grains |
1.5 Inches |
0.25 Inches |
On Coil |
|
0.8 Grains |
2 Inches |
1 Inch |
0.5 Inches |
|
5.0 Grains |
4.5 Inches |
4 Inches |
3.5 Inches |
|
1 Pennyweight |
5 Inches |
6 Inches |
6.5 Inches |
|
1 Ounce |
8 Inches |
11 Inches |
14 Inches |
Minelab Gold Monster 1000 vs Fisher Gold Bug 2
Check out the video below to see a side by side comparison of these two dedicated gold machines in action. You’ll see what I mean when I say they are both excellent detectors.
If you want to learn more about how to detect and drywash for gold, make sure and check out more of their videos. A great YouTube channel “I Brake For Bedrock” These guys are dedicated and seasoned prospectors who can and do bring back a lot of AU.
PI Gold Detectors (Pulse Induction)
The second type of gold detectors are the PI or pulse induction machines. They are serious gold machines and can find bigger deeper gold where the VLF machines can’t.
They are also quite expensive, heavy, bulky and have a long learning curve before you will become proficient at using them. That being said they are great detectors if you’re in the market for one, here are two of the best and most popular.
Garrett ATX
Garretts first dedicated gold detecting model, the ATX has been around for several years now and has become very popular. It’s quite a bit cheaper than the comparable Minelab SDC at about $2,300. The ATX is submersible up to 10 feet and ruggedized to military spec’s. You can get the Deepseeker package with a 20″ coil for another $600 or so.
Manual ground balance only, you will spend time tuning to changing ground conditions. Weighs in at 6.9 pounds, but fairly compact with good balance. It’s a multiple frequency machine, which is a great feature. Good sensitivity to small gold for a PI machine, although won’t pick up gold much smaller than 0.1 gram.
Minelab SDC 2300
Minelab’s mid-priced gold detector is about $1000 more than the ATX. IT’s a single frequency machine. weighs a bit less than the ATX at 5.7 pounds. It’s easier to operate than the Garrett ATX with auto ground balancing. All in all the Minelab SDC 2300 is a great gold detector, but If I had to choose between the two, I would probably pick the ATX. it’s a versatile machine.
Check out the video below and draw your own conclusions.
These last two gold detectors are the heavy hitters. The powerful, expensive super detectors that are made for the big and very deep gold.
Minelab GPX 6000
The Minelab GPX 6000 as I write this has only been on the market for a few months. It’s a step up from the GPX 5000, and with a price tag of about $6,000 costs about $2,000 more. It’s very lightweight for a PI machine at 4.6 pounds, and works very well on sub-gram gold. The controls are intuitive although it can be quite noisy in mineralized ground.
Minelab GPZ 7000
The Minelab GPZ 7000 is still the king of gold detectors and the go to machine in the Australian outback and anywhere there is deep gold.The Zed as they call it is the third type of detector in our list. It uses what is called Zero Voltage Transmission or ZVT. It is the only detector made that uses ZVT technology. The Zed is like the best of both worlds, small gold sensitivity, and maximum big gold depth.
According to Minelab the Zed will detect gold 40% deeper than their GPX line. Every gold prospector out there would love to get one for Christmas, I know I sure would.
It is very quiet and stable in mineralized ground. It weighs in at a whopping 18 pounds and costs an amazing $8,000. The new GPX 6000 may just give it a run for it’s money on the smaller gold though…
Check out the video below and see what you think.
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