Minelab FT16000 Fast Tracker good or bad?

Hi everyone i am new here and also to prospecting, but i am very interested in the hobby

I am looking for a good beginners detector at a pretty cheap price but i don't want anything nasty and cheap. Is the Minelab FT16000 Fast Tracker a good place to start and learn?? I can already tell Minelab are maybe the best in the business and although this detector is now old i assume it would have been highly regarded in it's time.

I was considering and Ace 350 but i don't think it will be as useful as the Minelab FT16000 Fast Tracker, and seeing as i spend most of my time in gold country i think the FT16000 would be a better buy.

Just looking for any advice on a good first metal detector really.

G'Day..........
The FT 16000 is a great machine....however it is a VLF and I think about 8kHtz....it had the reputation of punching deep for the big nuggets.....a bit restricted on small stuff and in noisey ground....for one in good "nick" you will pay $300/400.
The big draw back is it takes 8xAA batts......but it can be wired for a12volt rechargable batt (NOT RECHARGABLE AAs).
It is also good on the beach......2 for the price of one.
If the dollars run to it,you will be better off going for the 17000, which is a dual frequency machine( 6 or 15 Khz).....it will set you back around $500/600
Good Hunting.
sandy 2010
ps. My 16000 found me a 25 oz patch many years back.

Thanks for the reply sandy. Finding big deep nuggets is no problem for me

I think the land that i will be using it will be pretty noisy (between Leonora and Laverton).

Is this machine easy to use as a beginner? I have read the manual, i think it is writen very well and easy to understand.

So high frequancy machines are best for finding gold

If the price is good i may get the 16000 otherwise i will wait for a 17000 to pop up.

Yes it is a good unit for starters, and yes it is easy to use.......if you upgrade later, keep the 16000 for the beaches.
Regarding the frequencies....the lower ones go deeper for the bigger stuff and the higher ones find the smaller shallower nuggets.(that's the advantage of the 17000 with the dual frequency settings).
If you experience noisey ground and you have trouble tuning it out, then lift the coil off the surface (usually 3 to 5 cm) to where the sound is comfortable.......it's all "trial and error".
Enjoy and be lucky.

Thanks Sandy, i think the 16000 will be a good start. Maybe i will find a big nugget that will pay for a GPX5000

Wow this FT16000 is going through the roof. Check out the price

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320636148062&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT