do i need a 18" coil ?

Hello all, I am considering purchasing a Minelab GPX 5000 package. To me price is important and naturally like everyone I’m looking for bargain. I shortlisted two Minelab distributers, one in Parramatta , the other in Mudgee. The Parramatta “Ultimate Package” includes a “Nugget Finder 18" Round Mono Coil “. Now here is my question: as a Newbie , do I actually really need an 18 “ coil ? There are already two coils in the standard package,…. or would it be a good investment? This !8 " coil seems to make the package a lot more expensive and I wonder if I should go for it.
Cheers : George

Hi Willtalkforfood,
That depend of lot of things.
Depend what type of ground you will be detecting etc.

I have been detecting around 2 years and have used 18 mono one day so far.
If you a chasing a smaller nuggets you will not need that coil. (there are much more smaller nuggets then bigger ones).
The bigger coils might be little bit noisier which annoys lot of newbies( including myself at the time).
There is a weight factor as well if you are detecting all day with bigger coils as they are much heavier then smaller coils.

I think 8 inch coil would be perfect for beginner and also 11 inch mono.
You can always try the bigger one later once you know what you are doing.


GoldEN

Gooday George,

That's a bit of a hard question that without knowing what terrain you want to prospect in, makes it a bit hard to answer.

The 2 coils that you get are the 11"DD that you'll really only use in trashy areas or extremely mineralised ground (with the right settings) and the 11"mono, a very good and capable all-round coil. If you want to detect in some deeper ground (18" +), then a 18"mono would probably be a good addition. Initially though, as a newbie, it would be better to stay with the 11"mono and master that coil, as the 18"mono is a little bit more specific, both in settings and the terrain you wish to detect in. Still, at the right price, it would be a good adition to have in the car "in case" the time arises that you may need it.

A18" coil would be a handful pinpointing if your only learning.might be worth trying to see if they'd throw in a 14 instead of the 18 ..only a thought .

Fully agree with Cougarcans here.At this stage of learning George,you'll be far better off opting for a 14 round and not an 18.Ask yourself this,is it a coil you intend using on a regular basis,or a coil you'll be thinking of selling after a couple of uses.

         Cheers Kon.