Treasure Hunting

5 Best Metal Detector for Gold

Gold hunting is still prevalent right now, and many people are trying their luck in searching for gold. However, it is not as simple as randomly digging in a certain area, hoping to find gold. If you do that, you might end up wasting years before you see even a speck of gold.

Looking for gold is not something that you can do easily without a metal detector. Also, you cannot use any kind of metal detector; it has to be made for gold hunting. Take note that there are metal detectors not meant to detect all kinds of metal in the ground, so this particular device is unique.

The best metal detector for gold allows you to detect gold on the ground since it is created solely for detecting gold and neutralizing soils. If you are thinking of gold hunting, let’s check out some of the best metal detectors that you can find in the market made specifically for gold.

Things To Know Before Buying A Metal Detector For Gold:

Not all metal detectors are capable of detecting gold underground. Hence, you need to look for the right metal detector to use when your primary purpose is to look for gold. The following factors should be considered when getting a metal detector for gold:

  • Price

Cost is the first thing you need to consider when buying a metal detector. Your goal is to find gold, but there is no assurance that you can find one.

Always remember that metal detectors are not guaranteed to find gold, so don’t expect too much. It means that you don’t have to spend too much unless you are planning to go all-in on your gold hunting.

  • Ground Balance

Ground balancing is a feature you have to consider because it will help ignore the high levels of mineralization in the soil and just focus on the things that you are targeting. If you are looking for gold, there is a big chance they are buried under mineralized grounds, so you need to pay attention to this.

  • Discrimination

Discrimination helps you pinpoint the metal that you are targeting, so you have to look for a metal detector with this kind of feature.

  • Operating Frequency and Coil

For the operating frequency, you need to look for a metal detector that operates at a higher frequency since they are more sensitive to small objects like gold. You need to choose the right search coil as well because it will determine the sensitivity and depth of the metal detector.

With all those features in mind, we have scoured the Internet to search for the best metal detector for gold hunting. After a thorough examination, we’ve found out that Bounty Hunter TK4 Tracker IV Metal Detector Combo Kit is the best choice.

Want to check out other good metal detectors for gold on the market? Start with our runners up below:

Comparison Chart

Best Metal Detector for Gold: Brief Reviews

National Geographic Society is considered one of the most popular non-profit scientific organizations. The National Geographic PRO Series Metal Detector is one of the best products that it can offer to help you learn how to search for treasures anywhere.

Product Highlights

The National Geographic PRO Series Metal Detector is created for beginners and children. As such, the features are mostly for educational purposes to help you learn how to use a typical metal detector.

The metal detector has a 10-inch waterproof detection coil. It is very portable, as you can fold it when not in use. It is exactly 22 inches when folded, and it will extend to 51 inches.

Additionally, it only weighs 2.3 pounds, so you can bring it when hiking or when you are playing on the beach. There is also a rugged arm strap that would secure the detector in your arm when you are using it.

The National Geographic PRO Series Metal Detector has three detection modes as well as four sensitivity levels. The three detection modes will allow you to pinpoint valuable metals and filter all the garbage metals.

The sensitivity levels, on the other hand, will help you to distinguish different metals as deep as 12 inches. Lastly, there is a pinpoint function to improve the precision of the National Geographic PRO Series Metal Detector.

What’s to like about the National Geographic PRO Series Metal Detector

One thing you would love about the National Geographic PRO Series Metal Detector is that it has an LCD that is easy to operate. Another is that children can operate it with ease, not just because it is lightweight but also because the functions are straightforward, and it comes with a learning guide.

What’s not to like about the National Geographic PRO Series Metal Detector

You won’t like the fact that you cannot replace the 10-inch detection coil of the metal detector. Also, it is the only part of the device that is waterproof.

Pros:

Lightweight

Very portable

Easy to use

Cons:

✘ Coils can’t be replaced

RM Ricomax is still very young compared with other manufacturers of metal detectors. They have only been in the market for five years, but they already developed more than 40 models of electronic tools. This particular RM Ricomax Metal Detector is the best metal detector for gold if you are looking for something affordable.

Product Highlights:

The RM Ricomax Metal Detector has a true discrimination mode that can detect different metals on the ground. You can set the target range or you can discriminate certain metals that you don’t want to search. It also has a 10-inch waterproof search coil that would increase the sensitivity of the metal detector.

It has an LCD control box that is very easy to use. You can easily see the volume level, detection mode, sensitivity level, as well as the battery condition. An arrow can also be seen below the icon if a current setting is in use.

Like other metal detectors, the RM Ricomax Metal Detector also has a pinpoint function that would accurately distinguish the target. The distinctive audio prompt, on the other hand, will tell you the type of metal found by the detector. You will memorize the audio tones if you try it on different types of metals.

What’s to like about the RM RICOMAX Metal Detector

The best thing about the RM Ricomax Metal Detector is its LCD. All the settings you need are displayed, and even children can easily use it.

What’s not to like about the RM RICOMAX Metal Detector

The only problem with the RM Ricomax Metal Detector is the battery life. If you use it continuously, the battery may not even last for a couple of hours.

Pros:

✔ Intuitive LCD

✔ Easy to use

✔ Three switchable modes

✔ Lifetime warranty

Cons:

✘ Short battery life

RM RICOMAX is a professional team on Amazon dedicated to the development of different tools. RM RICOMAX Depth Gold Detector Professional is one of their best products so far, and is backed by a warranty.

Product Highlights

The RM RICOMAX Depth Gold Detector Professional is the best metal detector for the whole family. Weighing around 1.2 pounds, it features an ergonomic stem that you can adjust irrespective of the height of the person who will use it.

The stem would allow you to use the device underwater. It also features an IP68 waterproof search coil with a 7.8-inch diameter. However, the control box is not waterproof, so you should never submerge it underwater.

The RM RICOMAX Depth Gold Detector Professional also has three audio tones that would indicate the type of metal that your device found. For the low tone, it would be ferrous metals, screws, nails, and other common metals, while for medium tone signals that you’ve found medium conductivity metals. Lastly, the high tone would be for the high conductivity metals.

The Ricomax is also fun to use as it is made with children users in mind. It has a large back-lit screen that would display operating mode, sensitivity level, battery level, depth, and discrimination.

What’s to like about the RM RICOMAX Depth Gold Detector Professional

The best thing about the RM RICOMAX Depth Gold Detector Professional is that despite the fact that it is affordable, the features and durability remain top-notch. It is also lightweight and easy to use, making it suited for both adults and children.

What’s not to like about the RM RICOMAX Depth Gold Detector Professional

The only problem with the RM RICOMAX Professional is the volume. Although you can hear the beeping sound from the metal detector, it is tough to distinguish if it is a low, medium, or high tone. You will have to use a pair of headphones if you want to distinguish each of the tones.

Pros:

Lightweight

Waterproof coil

Easy to use

High sensitivity

Affordable

Cons:

✘ Low volume

Buyer’s Guide

It’s definitely a good thing that you have a list of metal detectors to choose from, but is that enough to find the best metal detector for gold? If you are serious about gold hunting, you should know a bit of information on how to find the one designed for gold hunting. Thus, here are some of the things to keep in mind when looking for one:

1. Cost

The amount of money you would spend on a metal detector would depend on how serious you are with gold hunting. If you only plan to do this as a form of hobby or you just want to try it out with your children, getting metal detectors for beginners would be the right decision.

Beginner-friendly metal detectors are not too expensive, and you can buy a few of them, maybe one for each member of the family, without spending too much. But of course, they are only meant for exploration and not really for gold hunting.

Thus, if you are serious about the activity, there are metal detectors that would cost thousands of dollars but are specific for gold hunting.

2. Ground Balance

One of the essential features of a metal detector beginners should check is the ground balance. If you are only buying a metal detector for leisure or you just want to try the activity, ground balancing may not really be beneficial to you. On the contrary, if you are serious about gold hunting, you have to learn more about this feature.

Ground balancing is important because it will help reduce or remove ground falsing, which usually happens in highly mineralized grounds. Soil contains non-conductive iron minerals, and the level of mineralization can affect the detection of your metal detector. It means that highly mineralized soil can mask the targets and make them invisible.

A regular metal detector won’t be able to find or detect a targeted metal if the soil has a high concentration of minerals and ground balancing can reduce or eradicate this problem. Most of the modern metal detectors allow you to do the manual and automatic balancing.

3. Discrimination

Discrimination is something that you always see on metal detectors. This is a vital feature that you should always check when buying because this is practically the most important function of your metal detector.

The discrimination feature allows the detector to differentiate one target from another. It can send you signals if the item you are currently targeting is a treasure or a trash item.

You have to remember that the ground has so many different metals like bottle caps, rusty nails, and screws. This feature will help you choose the target wisely, preventing you from repetitive digging and ending up with something you don’t really need or want. With discrimination, the metal detector will discriminate all the useless items and focus on more valuable metals.

4. Operating Frequency

The operating frequency of a metal detector indicates the number of times a signal is received and transmitted by the detector. For lower frequencies, they scan deeper, so if you want to search items deep in the ground, you need to look for a metal detector with low frequency.

As for the high-frequency detectors, they are more sensitive when it comes to gold, so if your goal is to hunt for gold, this is the best choice. If you are looking for smaller relics, you also need a metal detector that is operating at a higher frequency. The only problem is that they don’t penetrate deep enough in the ground.

5. Search Coil Type

The size of the coil can determine the depth and sensitivity of the metal detector. Larger coils can search deeper, but it has less sensitivity on smaller targets. A smaller one will be more sensitive but has reduced detection depth.

Search coils are divided further into three types based on how they are wound within the coil. Here are some of the types of search coils:

  • Concentric Coil: It has an inner circle as well as an outer circle winding. The search pattern is actually cone-shaped, and it is often used to pinpoint the target accurately. They are also noisier on highly mineralized grounds.
  • Double-D Coil: This type of coil has two overlapping windings in the shape of two letter “D’s” wherein the other one is reversed. The main point of this coil is stability, especially in highly mineralized grounds, as well as good depth and sensitivity. It also provides a thorough search pattern.
  • Monoloop Coil: This is a special type of coil, and it has one winding of wire in the circumference, which will be used to receive and transmit information.

F.A.Q.

Knowing what to look for in a metal detector is just the beginning. You should learn a few things about how it works. Here are some of the frequently asked questions we receive about gold metal detectors.

1. Can Gold Be Detected by a Metal Detector?

Yes, metal detectors can detect gold in the ground, but not all metal detectors are capable of finding or detecting gold. Detectors with low frequency cannot find gold since the size is usually small, and the conductivity is very low. If you want to search for gold, you have to use metal detectors that are operating at a higher frequency since they can identify smaller materials accurately.

2. How Deep Do Metal Detectors Detect Gold?

A typical metal detector would be able to detect gold up to 1.5 meters below the ground. Anything beyond that is impossible for a conventional metal detector. You would need devices that cost thousands of dollars to search for gold beyond 1.5 meters.

Nonetheless, you will be able to find gold within the 1.5-meter range. A fair size nugget can already be found on that range, but it will still depend on several factors.

3. Where Is Gold Most Likely to Be Found?

You can usually find gold in small waterways. That is why metal detector coils are typically waterproof. These waterways run through rock formations, and the water would carry gold pieces down the stream, and then, gold would settle on the sea bed and would be covered by sand and dirt.

4. How Do You Stop a Metal Detector from Detecting Gold?

Metal detectors will practically detect any type of metal in the ground. If you don’t want your metal detector to detect gold, you can change its settings. You can go for a lower frequency. You can do this if you are planning to search for other precious metals aside from gold.

5. Can Gold Be Found in Any River?

No. The notion is that a river should pass through a mining area before it can be considered as a gold location. There are instances, though, where regular rivers have gold in them even if they don’t pass through a mining area.

Final Verdict

Metal detectors can be used as a hobby, and you can just do it for the sake of exploration, especially if you want your kids to experience it. With that in mind, gold hunting is something serious, and standard metal detectors won’t be able to find it.

All the metal detectors mentioned above can detect gold, but not made for serious gold hunting. They are definitely the best for beginners and for the people who just want to try gold hunting for fun.