coyoteslayer Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 While out nugget hunting this weekend and last Luckylundy and I have been using the stock coils on our Minelabs. Ya we have coiltek, nuggetfinder, and commander coils, but to be honest with you the stock coil that comes with them is just as good in my opinion. I did good last weekend Lucky handed it back to me this Saturday. But I wanted to share a picture and a little story of what the stock coils are able to do. There is a area that we work that has a few tailing piles. One tailing pile we have pulled at least 10 nuggets out of. I found a 8dwt and Lucky got a 6.7dwt out of this tailing and a bunch of small ones 1-2dwt. So I had the bright idea of tearing this pile down with my pick. The tailing sets right on top of a clay layer. After tearing about three feet into it I got tired and grab my detector to see if this was going to pay off or not. Sure enough I swing my coil (stock gp3000 coil) and I get a loud clear fast signal. I dig down about 8" in the clay and my coil is over loading I thinking its another big one. I get down about another two inches and stuck in the bottom is my nugget not as big as I had hoped .9dwt but still I was impressed on how well that coil picked up that nugget at that depth(10"). Then to top it off not a foot from that one I get a soft fast signal. I take off inch maybe a inch and a half and I found this little 2.4GRAIN picker. I'm gonna be honest with ya don't just throw that stock coil in the closet and forget about it they work great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyLundy Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Now. CoyoteSlayer is talking about the stock Commander DD 11" Round coil. I've been using this coil pretty heavy this month, figuring I could save my back from digging 100 holes a day. I've made a couple of great finds with it at depth and have all the trash marked, so it's getting close to pulling out the big Mono on this patch for the deeper targets. What I really think about coils is that you have confidence in what ever brand you swing...Until our next hunt! LuckyLundy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony Teixeira Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Well my all time favorite coil is the Minelab Commander 8 inch mono. I really like the Commander 11" mono, I am sure El Dorado loves the 11" DD coil since he pulled out that small planet which he calls a nugget. Tony Teixeira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Most people would be wise to learn their new machine with the stock coil BEFORE they invest in other coils...yes, every coil has its special use but the manufacturer chose that coil for good reason... Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I think the stock coils are every bit as capable as any aftermarket coil. I have found targets every bit as deep with the 11DD as I have a 16 in DD and in a lot of cases even the large mono. I really think the only major advantage to the larger coils is ground coverage providing its not so rocky or brushy that you can't get a larger coil in tight places. And like Lucky said some areas are just to trashy to use a larger coil. Hawk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richs Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Coyoteslayer I have to agree with you 100%. No one is going to convince me that Minelab cannot make a very good coil. Yea the weight can be an issue but if you adjust your bungee correctly its not that bad, in fact if you upgrade your bungee to a thicker one it's not bad at all. I love the 11 inch mono. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Needless to say, I'm impressed with the stock DD coil! In Brazil, they refuse to use that coil. When the EMI or soil conditions got so bad the threshold could not be kept even close to smooth a DD coil would do the trick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Since I live in Mariposa, and use a 2200sd, DD coils are all I can use, its just to hard to hear a target with a mono coil in this soil. That being said, a 4000 or above with run smooth quiet and stable running a mono most of the time up here. Not so with a 2200, or even a 3000, or 3500. There are times when you can run mono's on them, but the area up hee is some of the worse mineralized soil in the world here. But then that means big gold and lots of it. I do wish I still had my 4000, it was a great versitile detector. Until I find some more gold I'm stuck with my uncles extra 2200sd. Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I agree about the stock Minelab coils and use them almost exclusively these days. Why? because I think they work as good or better than any of the competition and I have used them all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY SMITH Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Good to see ya posting Bill!!! I have to agree with using the Minelab coils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knowitall2b Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Hey all, I'm really green. I gather from what I've learned at Bill Southern's site (5 star site Bill) that all of you above me in this thread have been talking about PI detectors. They sound very impressive on paper, and some of the nuggets (LuckyLundy, ElDorado, tony Teixeira) are awesome. Did any of you guys start with VLF's and graduate to the PI? They are pricey, after all. Do you still use VLF's on occasion and why? And after you get the nugget out at 8, 10, 12, plus inches, do you put your detector into the hole one more time before refilling? And how often does that cause you to keep diggin? Thanks in advance for any responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micro Nugget Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 This is really a good question that should be [and has been] the subject of its own topic posts [scroll back through past posts -- this issue has been discussed several times]. But a brief answer to your question Knowitall2b is that VLF's are specialized tools that are especially good at the micro end of the gold spectrum and an excellent complement to a PI. A VLF is a good three digit way to learn how to find the really smallest bits of natural gold. Many of us started with VLFs and still take them into the field. The four digit PI machines are way slick. They punch down quite deep and hot rocks do not harass them nearly as much as VLFs. But the bad news is they cost in the four digits. And, yes, you always check the hole before back filling. Occasionally a second or third sibling is hiding down there -- but in my experience mostly only singletons are pulled out, plus maybe some trash metal. The general rule of good manners is to pack out all the trashy things [birdshot, bullets, boot tacks, tin foil, bits of fine wire, etc and NOT leave it in the back filled hole as a funny haha for the next detectorist to deal with]. Keep us posted on your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knowitall2b Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Thanks for the information Micro Nugget. I didn't know what subject line to search for in the older posts. All I know is how green I am. My chances for success will not begin to be explored until I've healed from the bi-lateral hernia operation in another month or so and can handle the load. And then what's first on the agenda is catching some trout with the flies I've been tying when I'm not preparing for au-some experiences. Fishin'll give me time to adapt to the new environment while doing visual exploration as well as records exploration in that area. There's no pressure for me to find gold 'casue I know the secret. This grand adventure has a few years and miles still left. And no doubt a few tons of earth, shovelful by shovelful. I can dig it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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