where to get metal detector.

[martrix]

Seems like Jaycar don't have any cheap metal detectors any more.

Anyone got this one?
It seems its aimed at Security guards etc, but would it be good for use on timber? ..

Ive been using a bit of recycled redgum, and have not hit any nails yet, bet my luck is sure too run out ..

[soundman]

Yep, I've got one.
I got one in to try it.
It's partly sucessfull, but not 100%.

on high sensitivity it will detect small pieces of metal like small nails, BUT they have to be lying in the right direction.
If a small nail is lying across the scanning direction it won't pick it up.
It would certainly pick up bolts and railway spikes.
But I don't think they are the go.

If you want one I can do you a real good deal

I'm looking for a decent small detector......If I can get onto a wholsale source that will be a happy thing all round.

cheers

[Iain]

Woodworkers warehouse in Braeside had some, it was a while ago, detects small bits of metal and live wiring, smaller than the one you have shown.

[martrix]

Found some more...

Army style

OzSpy Security

Someone selling the Jaycar one for $89.........

[scooter]

Tread carefully with the Little Wizard that WWhouse stock, plenty of good reviews on the net but there were a fair few returns there when I bought mine (yeah, should have passed, but nothing else was around the price) & mine's temperamental & playing up at the moment. Beeps & lights work, but can't get it to detect. Tried calibrating it each time, turning it on for 5-10mins before using but no go.

Hasn't had much use from new, bought a new battery then, but will try another before it goest back.


FWIW...............cheers..................Sean

[Cliff Rogers]

A new blade(or set of) or a freshly sharpened tool is most likely the best, most reliable metal detector.

[la Huerta]

ha ! this is an oldy i started, well there you go...

got the ryobi one when i did this thread, crap tool, kept going mad beeping at nothing all the time, one day i forgot about it and left it in the rain. seems mother nature agreed and put it out of it's misery....

haven't got another one yet...keep hoping to get into some better timber and then won't need one...

[derekcohen]

The serious questions that need to be asked (since I am also interested in a metal detector as I use recycled timber):

1. What works, that is, what are the metal detectors being sold that do the job reliably irrespective of price? Any reviews?

2. What do they cost, and what do you get for your money?

3. Where are they sold?

I could pop off to Bunnies or Carba-tec and pick up a Little Wizard or some such, but will I be wasting my money and replacing blades?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[martrix]

The serious questions that need to be asked (since I am also interested in a metal detector as I use recycled timber):

1. What works, that is, what are the metal detectors being sold that do the job reliably irrespective of price? Any reviews?

2. What do they cost, and what do you get for your money?

3. Where are they sold?

I could pop off to Bunnies or Carba-tec and pick up a Little Wizard or some such, but will I be wasting my money and replacing blades?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Exactly my thoughts Derek, and is the reason why I am investigating..

I think next port of call will be a couple of emails to some Metal Prospecting companies in the quest for more knowledge.

I'm sick of blowing money on POS Chinese trash that wont get much use and not last.

Another thought is to take in a couple of pieces of recycled timber that I know has nails in it and see how the Jaycar one performs.

[alanm]

I have the carbatec merlin ($45 a year or so ago). A nice detector with three levels of sensitivity plus voltage detection as a bonus. Pity they seem to have dropped this model and gone with a $70 one, maybe it's even better. If you can get this older model (MMD-2), I'd recommend it.

As with all sensitive metal detectors, they must be kept at the same orientation for max detection once calibrated. That is, keep them facing the same way and level. Deviations from the angle and direction of calibration will change the magnetic field it "sees" and with either give false signals or miss metal bits. An easy demonstartion of this is to calibrate horizontally and scan vertically and it will beep like mad.

[jaspr]

[quote=martrix;441056]Seems like Jaycar don't have any cheap metal detectors any more.

Anyone got this one?
It seems its aimed at Security guards etc, but would it be good for use on timber?[quote]

yep - I've got this one - it was a bit pricey at $100, but I've been very pleased with it. It does appear to be quite sensitive and accurately locates things. It picked up a small broken off piece of rusted nail deep in a nail hole very easily.

(I have to remember to hold the detector in my left hand and the piece of wood in my right hand to give wood the once over, though, otherwise it's always beeping because of the ring on my left hand.)

[BobL]

Anyone made any progress with research on decent metal detectors?

Before Xmas I forked out $30? on a GMC studfinder which can't detect anything metallic smaller than a 3" nail under a bit of 3 ply.

I figure a decent metal detector should be able to do better than this?

BTW, those GMC stud finders were on special this morning for $19.

Cheers

[Markw]

On a similar note (read hijack) I looking for a very good quality stud detector for use on the ceiling. I already have an old Stanley, a Jaycar and a B&D "Bullseye" thingy and whilst all of them work OK on the walls, when it come to finding a ceiling joist (?) they're not worth a cracker.

It seems that the thicker 5/8" gyprock on the ceiling is too thick for these units and the area I have to get to is part of the newer construction in the house where the roof is made up of trusses and too bloody small for anyone to get through.

Anybody got any recommendations??

[Big Shed]

If this section has trusses, you will find that the gyprock is not attached directly to the underside of the trusses but rather to metal battens attached to the trusses. These are about 10-15mm high and made from sheetmetal, so you can't really attach anything to them.

[Markw]

Maybe I used the wrong words here

The roof is constructed of a number of CCA pine right angle triangles with supports inside the triangle (making smaller triangles). The gyprock was glued (with a blue coloured glue) and screwed to the underside of the pine triangles.

I thought that these pine triangles were called roof trusses as they were already made before the construction of the roof had started.