New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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Fisher Gold Detectors

rgmcbrid		Posted : Monday, 5 September 2011 12:11:39 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 3/06/2010(UTC) Posts: 583 Location: Southland Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 180 time(s) in 140 post(s)		The subject of the Fisher Gold Bugs has come up several times and people seem to be confused about the models (not surprisingly). As a quick rundown Fisher at one time apparently made a detector called the “Gold Bug.’ I don’t know anything about them, but they later came out with the Gold Bug 2 which operated at a high frequency and was very popular. So when I got the bright idea to import some Fisher detectors and sell them my cohorts said I should get Gold Bugs 2’s because that is what they used and they knew they were good machines. I was leaning toward the new Gold Bug because it was cheaper. My reasoning was that if it found gold and cost less it was better. So before getting anything I had Fisher send me one of the new Gold Bugs. At that time they were calling it the ‘SE’ or ‘Special Edition’ when you looked them up on Kellyco for example. Kellyco no longer has them and I think Fisher is just calling them ‘Gold Bug.’ So the cohorts took the Gold Bug I got and tested it against their Gold Bug 2’s. As far as sensitivity and the ability to pick up buried objects they couldn’t really tell them apart, although they thought the new Gold Bug went a bit deeper than the Gold Bug 2. Now this was not a rigid scientific study by any means but because of it I was confident enough that I went ahead and got a case of Gold Bugs. I don’t know how all of them have worked out for people but the ones I am aware of, like 1864Hatter for example, have been quite successful so I still think they are a good machine. To add to the confusion there is also a Gold Bug Pro with a 5” coil and a Gold Bug DP (Deep Penetrating) with an 11” coil. They are the same machine as the regular Gold Bug, except they have updated software, and to the best of my knowledge that is the only difference. I kept quizzing Fisher about it and they finally put me in contact with one of their engineers. I asked him if the upgrade was worth the extra money and he said that in his opinion it wasn’t. So I stuck with ordering the regular Gold Bugs although I have gotten the other Gold Bug models for people who wanted them as well. People were still contacting me wanting Gold Bug 2’s so I got some of them in. The real practical difference between the two is that the Gold Bug 2 is specifically made for hunting gold and only has rudimentary discrimination; you flick a switch and it cancels out iron. People who hunt gold with them (in all metal mode) like this because it is quick and easy to use. You can also take the control box off and put it in a backpack if you are wading down a creek (it has an extra long cable to the coil). Before I ordered them I asked Fisher if they intended to keep this detector in production. They were somewhat indignant and told me that there was no end in sight for such a fantastic machine and that they were still selling like hotcakes. The new Gold Bug besides costing less than the Gold Bug 2 is a really good all around detector, particularly with the 11” coil. It was my first real detector and I loved it and would still be happily using it if I hadn’t tried out an F75 (Fisher top end detector) and gotten spoiled. The new Gold Bug has a lot of features that make it great for coin shooting etc. So in summery what I tell people is that if your only intention is to hunt gold, get a Gold Bug 2. They are a bit sturdier and are specifically designed to find little bits of gold and they work well in this regard. If on the other hand you want to be able to hunt gold, but also would like to find coins trinkets and other rubbish in amongst the bottle caps and pull tabs in the park, the regular Gold Bug is a much more versatile -especially if you have both the 5” coil for gold and the 11” for coins. So that is my view on Fisher gold detectors at this point. I have big plans to do more side by side field testing this summer to see how they stack up against each other and other detectors. For example one would expect a high end Minelab pulse induction machine to go much deeper, and I am sure they do, but I would like to know how much deeper. I would also like to see how the Fisher detectors stack up against other quality brands. It is pretty hard to get real comparative information from the reviews, and I want to see what happens when you have them side by side with experienced operators. I will keep you all posted of anything I learn.
		WWW

chrischch		Posted : Monday, 5 September 2011 1:49:45 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 811 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 192 times Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 104 post(s)		Thanks for that...some good info there
		Fisher Goldbug Pro, Fisher F2, Garrett Propointer.

gjj109		Posted : Monday, 5 September 2011 5:37:54 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 14/03/2011(UTC) Posts: 464 Location: Thames Thanks: 217 times Was thanked: 194 time(s) in 115 post(s)		Thanks for that info Robert. I am considering getting another metal detector to use down south over summer. It's getting a bit tough on the body to fill in all the daylight hours shoveling into a sluicebox so I am looking for something to take for a walk for part of the day. I don't have to find every bit of gold, just a bit every now and then to keep me interested. I have appreciated your posts and also those from JW. Now's the time for the homework.

simon		Posted : Monday, 5 September 2011 10:49:36 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		nicely put summary of the gold bugs. i have a gold bug 2. they are definitely a good buy if you don't want to spend a fortune. i've seen what these can find and mine has so far stood up pretty well to the ruff and tumble of schist rocks and riverbeds. someone i know wore his out by breaking the iron discrimination switch. this may have been a bit of a major with some brands. on the gold bug as its a common switch they are available for same day replacement at the likes of dick smith. the elliptical coil is perfect for the terrain around these parts. it can poke into all those nooks and crannies that the bigger round coils can't. lastly its nice and light so easier to swing around all day. i bought this 2nd hand. the previous guy took it to oz to work so it even has a little moulded case for air travel. at around $800 it would take a lot less time to pay off than a $9000 model, whether you are hunting coins, gold or whatever. but at the end of the day the GB2 really is made to find that really small gold that other detectors miss due to lower frequencies i think.
		WWW

chrischch		Posted : Monday, 5 September 2011 11:12:06 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 811 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 192 times Was thanked: 105 time(s) in 104 post(s)		. Edited by user Monday, 5 September 2011 11:14:46 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified
		Fisher Goldbug Pro, Fisher F2, Garrett Propointer.

gohard		Posted : Tuesday, 20 September 2011 9:09:02 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 7/09/2011(UTC) Posts: 5 Location: NZ Auckland Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 4 time(s) in 4 post(s)		I'm looking at a new gold bug how deep can the small coil detect? and how much can you supply one to me?
		WWW BLOG

nzpoohbear40		Posted : Tuesday, 20 September 2011 10:20:30 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,482 Location: Matura Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 384 time(s) in 329 post(s)		robert,i will test my small head out to see how deep it goes to help you answer this question for gohard..
		Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/

nzpoohbear40		Posted : Wednesday, 28 September 2011 6:13:07 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,482 Location: Matura Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 384 time(s) in 329 post(s)		ok Gohard..i did a small test with my gold bug using my small coil..I dug a hole in my front yard exactly 8 inches deep..firstly i put my gold nugget/ over sized flake in the hole and nothing not a peep...then i put my wedding ring in the hole and the detector sounded off nice and clear so we know that with an object the size of a wedding ring the small coil will detect atleast 8 inches deep..posibly deeper if my hole was deeper...also depends on the size of the object..if bigger than a wedding ring then i would say it would detected well past the 8 inches....now I started filling the hole back in an inch at a time to see how deep the small coil would detect a small nugget like i have..i had to fill the hole back up to about 3 inches deep befor it started beeping which i didnt think was bad for how small my gold is. In the pic i used a new 10 cent and an old 1 cent piece as well as my gold nugget to give you an idea how small it is.. so you know what i tested with. nzpoohbear40 attached the following image(s):
		Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/

mem		Posted : Wednesday, 28 September 2011 8:05:30 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/10/2010(UTC) Posts: 115 Location: UK/south coast Thanks: 25 times Was thanked: 14 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Thanks for taking the time to do the review rgm, i only just took the time to read it all, now you say the gold bug 2, the gold bug and the new gold bug,if buying one is there a serial number to look out for to make sure a person gets the new gold bug rather then the gold bug or are they both the same machine,yes i am confusing myself if you are getting confused with this question. Thanks ,Mem.

1864hatter		Posted : Wednesday, 28 September 2011 8:19:15 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 4/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,007 Location: Auckland.... Thanks: 49 times Was thanked: 566 time(s) in 269 post(s)		Hey mem, both the original gold bug and the gold bug 2 dont have a digital display and i think they came with a elliptical coil. I appologise if this is not true but to the best of knowledge it is. (ive got the new gold bug)
		And now....On sandy beaches and muddy soil, rings and coins await my coil!

nzpoohbear40		Posted : Wednesday, 28 September 2011 8:47:31 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,482 Location: Matura Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 384 time(s) in 329 post(s)		ya i have the new gold bug as well with the digital readout hatter...
		Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/

rgmcbrid		Posted : Wednesday, 28 September 2011 9:06:40 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 3/06/2010(UTC) Posts: 583 Location: Southland Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 180 time(s) in 140 post(s)		Mem, There are some older out of production Fisher gold detectors (Gold Strike?) but I don't really know anything about them. The new series and the Gold Bug 2 all say what they are on the faceplate so there should not be a problem getting them mixed up. NZPB, That was a pertty scientific test you did there!
		WWW

nzpoohbear40		Posted : Wednesday, 28 September 2011 9:19:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,482 Location: Matura Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 384 time(s) in 329 post(s)		hahaha i dont know how scientific but it worked..lmao...with the 5 inch coil detecting that little spec of a nugget of mine at 3 inches just immagine how deep it will go with a real nugget..lol
		Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/

mem		Posted : Thursday, 29 September 2011 9:26:15 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/10/2010(UTC) Posts: 115 Location: UK/south coast Thanks: 25 times Was thanked: 14 time(s) in 12 post(s)		Thanks for that every one, thats cleared things up a little. Mem.