metal detector

[trapper]

Is the metal detector in the current harbor freight flyer worth having around a mill?
anyone with experience with it?
thanks
marv

[Fla._Deadheader]

You get what you pay for.

  As much as I don't like doing business with Kellyco, that is probably your best bet, after Craigslist. Bounty Hunter, Garrett, Whites are all good machines. Used to sell all of them.

[Tom]

I have used a White BFO, made in '58 and then got a Garrett in about '75 that I traded for another used machine in about '81.  I'm still using it.   It's been back to the factory one time to get all of the connections retightened.

My opinion is that a detector should be taken seriously and not as a dime store hammer type tool.  Go to the people who have the reputation for making and engineering metal detectors.

Buying a detector from White or Garret is likened to going to a Ford or Chevrolet dealer for a car.  Buying a detector from Radio Shack or Harbor Freight is like going to Montgomery Ward to buy a Motorcycle.

[Polly]

 :)i got one from harbor freight the first log i scnned ,i laid the log down in the driveway and went over it with the detector , put the log on the mill and the second cut hit two big spike nails ,granted i dont kno nothing about scanners are all of them like this i think i gave around 50 dollars for it :

[Fla._Deadheader]

 There is a little tuning involved with detectors. They are basically transmit-receive radios.

Set the tuning knob to all metal or NO discrimination.

Turn the volume up. scan by sliding the coil ON or nearly ON the log.

Every inch you hold the coil off the log is, 2 inches of depth you lose.

  GO SLOW

Try to hold the coil, so it's NOT "looking" straight down, into the log. It is far better to try to "look" at the side of a potential nail, than straight down, at the head of the nail.  This does NOT mean to scan the side of the log, instead. It means to kinda do a deflection of the signal, as in a bullet deflection off a target.  Can't explain it as easy as showing. ???  :

  A coil puts out a cone shaped signal. The deeper the signal goes, the smaller it gets.

  Bounty Hunter bought out another company, that had excellent products. Can't remember the name of the other company.

[brdmkr]

I posted recently about finding a finish nail deep in a pine log with a bounty hunter that cost about 120.  Granted, the nail was in the best position (it was more on the long side than the head), but I detected it regardless.  FDH had some good advice with go slow and no discrimination and max sensitivity.  I turn sensitivity up until the detector 'chatters' then I back off until the chatter just stops.

I also had a HF detector.  I found metal with it, but it was not nearly as reliable.  It also had a tone unless it hit metal, then it went silent.  I prefer silent until I hit metal. 

[Sawyerfortyish]

I have a Rens it is made with a large curved scanner that covers the outer curve of the log. it will pickup a 8penny nail 8"deep. This is a very expensive unit made just for logs. 10 years ago it cost 2 grand but worth every penny. The first 20 logs I found steel in paid for the thing in down time cost and log cost. Most logs that have steel in I don't play with they go to the firewood pile unless they are a really nice good grade log then I will spend a little time to try to get it out. The worst metal detector that never fails to find the metal is your sawblade anything you can do to stop that is a plus and will save you time and money

[bandmiller2]

I wonder if it would pay a detector manuf. to make an optional curved head just for logs.Seems theirs a large gap to be filled between coin finder and Rens proffesional.Frank C.

[ohsoloco]

I purchased a White's XLT on ebay years ago for about $650, a little more than half price of new at the time.  It will tell you how deep the metal is in the log, and I'm able to pull boards off of the log until I'm just above the nail (or whatever is in there), and then chisel it out 

[maple flats]

I bought an Ace 250 from KellyCo. It was about $200. I asked KellyCo which they would suggest for finding metal in logs and that was one they said that seemed to be in my price range. I have had it for over 2 years and have only been let down once. It has found lots of metal too. The let down was a porceline insulator with a big lag screw. I hit the porceline and lost some teeth. The lag was pointed straight away from where I tested it. I have found 8 penny nails up to 8" deep. This will tell how deep the metal is, 2-4-6-8". My blade cuts 8" max deep and i have often read it as 8" and cut down 4 or 5", tested again and it was at least 2 0r 4 more. I am sure a more expensive one will be better but I am not disappointed in my choice. I just checked KellyCo and they now get $213 for this one. I would not trust the harbor freight one at all.