Gold Metal Detectors

How Do I Choose the Right Gold Metal Detector?

Choosing the perfect gold metal detector comes down to what you are looking for and the likely location of your most frequent searches. This is because some gold metal detectors are designed to operate at higher frequencies, finding flakes of gold as well as nuggets, and some can also operate at deeper depths.

Gold Metal Detector Coil Types

Search coils on metal detectors come in two types: Concentric and Widescan. Concentric coils are much better at discriminating as they offer greater sensitivity to smaller objects. Widescan coils will give you better ground coverage because the coils are larger than their counterpart. However, widescan coils are less sensitive to small nuggets so smaller flakes and nuggets could be missed.

Gold Metal Detector Operating Frequency

In general, a gold metal detector with a higher operating frequency will be most sensitive to small gold nuggets and flakes. However, if you are working in an area that has a lot of iron content, you may end up with a lot of false signals from this sensitivity. The average gold metal detector is a VLF (very low frequency) detector that is less sensitive to smaller nuggets but handles ground iron better. The frequencies on today's gold metal detectors range from a low of 3kHz to a high of 71kHz. Alternatively, a Pulse Induction (PI) detector's main advantage is its ability to ignore the worst ground mineral conditions and find gold at deeper depths.

Gold Metal Detector Depth

As you shop for a gold metal detector, it's important to ask yourself how deep you'll want to go. Naturally, bigger objects can be discovered at greater depths. However, if you are consistently prospecting for gold at deeper depths (a foot or more), a Pulse Induction style detector is the wisest choice. Regardless of the depth, small targets will emit a fainter ping on the unit. In order to enhance your ability to hone in on these targets, a quality pair of headphones to accompany your gold metal detector is always recommended.

There may not be one best gold metal detector for all conditions. This is precisely why Kellyco has a wide variety of detectors so that you can find the one that suits your particular needs. If you have questions about features or specific models, our experts are available with answers and can help you make the right choice.