Best Metal Detector for Gold Nuggets and Flakes (2023) – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

Gold prospecting with a metal detector is a popular hobby – and it’s easy to see why.

Aside from being potentially lucrative, gold hunting is a lot of fun. In fact, many people with the "bug" for prospecting find it consumes most of their free time!

Unlike searching for coins or relics, however, getting the right detector is essential if you want to hunt for gold. Most detectors can’t handle the tough environments where gold is located, so it’s important to carefully consider which model to buy.

What should you look for in a gold detector though? And how can you choose with so many (expensive) models on the market?

I’ve included a full buyer’s guide further down the page, but here are the key factors when choosing a metal detector for hunting gold:

• Know Your Budget – Gold metal detectors can be expensive, especially if you need a pulse induction model (more on that in a moment). That doesn’t mean you need to spend $8000 on a high-end Minelab though – and in some environments a cheaper model may be nearly as effective. To help with this, I’ve categorized my top models by price range.
• Choose High-Frequency VLF or Pulse Induction Technology – Both types of metal detector have their advantages and disadvantages, so the right choice depends on your requirements. Avoid low frequency VLF machines though (<15kHz), as they don’t have the sensitivity required to find small gold nuggets.
• Check the Detector Can Handle High Mineralization – Gold is often found in soil containing high levels of mineralization, which can cause lots of chatter when using regular detectors. A gold detector should either be able to filter this out or ignore it completely.
• Get a Detector With Manual Ground Balance – Having the ability to manually adjust the ground balance of your machine is important when hunting in tough locations.
• Research Your Hunting Location and Goals – The best gold metal detector for YOU depends on where you’re prospecting. The mineralization, amount of trash, depth and size of the average nugget all affect the right choice. Keep this mind when reading the mini reviews below.

With those factors in mind, here’s my list of the best metal detectors for gold.

8 Best Gold Metal Detectors and Mini Reviews

Best Entry-Level Gold Detectors

If this is your first gold metal detector, I recommend choosing an entry-level model that balances price and detection ability. These models may not have the advanced features found on some of the detectors further down this list, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do a great job in the right environments.

How much should you expect to pay for an entry level detector though?

While you can find some excellent “regular” metal detectors for around $250-$300, you’ll need to spend at least $500 for an entry-level gold detector. Anything less is likely to be ineffective in the tough environments where gold is usually found.

Best Mid-Range Gold Detectors

If you want greater sensitivity from a gold metal detector, but can’t afford the high-end models on this list, the following mid-range models could be the ideal solution.

All three detectors cost less than $1000, but are sensitive to small gold flakes and can handle high levels of mineralization.

You might notice a pattern with the mid-level detectors on this list: they are all relatively old machines. There’s a good reason for this!

These models are proven to work in the challenging environments where gold is found, are highly durable and provide all the features you need to hunt for gold. While newer models in the “mid-range” price bracket add some useful extras, they almost never improve on the excellent sensitivity of these classic machines.

Buyer’s Guide

While the models above are all excellent for gold hunting, it’s important to understand the various features and accessories available. This helps you choose the right model for your environment, budget and goals.

But before we go any further, let’s clear something up.

There’s a common misconception that only certain types of metal detector can find gold.

This simply isn’t true. Gold is just another type of metal, so all detectors can find it…in the right conditions.

So, why can’t you use any detector rather than paying extra for one that’s designed for gold?

The reason is that gold is often harder to detect than the average coin or relic.

To start with, gold nuggets are nearly always small, which makes detecting them difficult. You’ll mostly be searching for nuggets that weigh less than one gram, rather than relatively large coins.

Most gold is also found in highly mineralized soil. Low-frequency VLF detectors struggle with these conditions, as the mineralization and high iron content causes heavy interference.

Without equipment that’s designed to handle these difficulties, you won’t be able to consistently find gold nuggets and flakes. The average metal detector just isn’t up to the job.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the features required when buying a gold metal detector.

Type of Detector

There are two types of detector commonly used for gold prospecting: high-frequency VLF and pulse induction.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so there’s not a “best” option for all purposes. Here’s a brief overview of each type.

High-Frequency VLF Detectors

Very Low Frequency (VLF) detectors designed to find gold have a higher operating frequency than those for coins ore relics. While the average VLF detector might have a frequency of 5-15kHz, those designed for gold are usually in the 15-75kHz range.

Why the difference in frequency?

The higher the frequency, the better a VLF detector is at finding small nuggets of gold. This comes at the cost of depth though, as lower frequency detectors “see” deeper into the ground.

An advantage of a VLF machine is electronic discrimination. This allows you to filter common junk items, such as those made form steel and iron. VLF detectors are also cheaper than pulse induction models.

A downside is that VLF detectors are more sensitive to mineralization, which can cause frequent false signals. The best metal detectors for gold are excellent at filtering out interference from mineralization, but they are not perfect.

Pulse Induction Detectors

Pulse induction metal detectors are often more expensive, but they are better at ignoring mineralization. This makes them a great choice for locations with tough ground mineral conditions. Pulse induction machines can also locate larger gold nuggets that are buried deeper.

There are some drawbacks to PI metal detectors though. Aside from the price, pulse induction detectors cannot discriminate junk items. They are also less effective at finding smaller nuggets compared to high-frequency VLF machines.

Which Should You Choose?

I wish I could tell you that either high-frequency VLF or pulse induction detectors were “best” in all scenarios, but this would be doing you a disservice.

The truth is that there is no right option for all environments. Instead, you need to choose the best option for your requirements.

For hunting areas with relatively low mineralization, you’ll be able to find smaller nuggets with greater consistency when using a high-frequency VLF detector. Of course, if you’re looking for larger nuggets that are buried deeply in the ground, a lower frequency might be better.

On the other hand, if you’re hunting in ground with high levels of mineralization, a pulse induction machine is likely to perform better. These models excel at ignoring mineralization and focusing on real targets. While you can still use a VLF detector, you’ll need to deal with many more false signals.

It’s also important to consider how much trash is in your target area. If there’s lots of trash, a VLF detector is probably the better choice as they can discriminate unwanted signals. PI detectors aren’t good at this.

If this all sounds confusing, I don’t blame you! There’s a lot to think about. Here’s a quick summary:

• Choose a high-frequency VLF detector if you can’t afford a PI model, want more versatility from your detector, are going to be hunting in “trashy” areas or are focusing on small nuggets at a relatively shallow depth.
• Choose a pulse induction detector if you’re going to be hunting in highly mineralized areas, won’t need to deal with much trash, have a larger budget, and only plan to use the detector for gold hunting.

And if that still doesn’t make sense, feel free to ask me about anything you don’t understand by using the comments form below.

Price and Budget

There’s no doubt about it: gold metal detectors can be expensive.

The best models (such as the Minelab GPZ 7000) have a list price of over $10,000. This reflects the cutting edge technology and detection performance of these machines, but it’s a huge amount of money. Even if you don’t need the very best detectors, it’s common for pulse induction models to cost thousands of dollars.

That’s why it’s important to know how much you want to spend, as it has a big effect on which detectors you should even consider.

While the best pulse induction models are outside many people’s budgets, high-frequency VLF detectors are often considerably cheaper. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s probably best to stay away from PI detectors unless they are absolutely necessary for your hunting environment (a good example is if the ground is highly mineralized).

If you have a large budget and just want the best performance, there’s no doubt that expensive models like the Minelab GPZ 7000 are amongst the best on the market.

That still doesn’t mean they are the right choice for every situation though – remember to keep in mind the amount of trash, mineralization and nugget type in your hunting locations.

Features

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you start looking at the feature lists of gold metal detectors. As with any tech-based industry, manufacturers love to boast about cutting-edge features or exciting new technology.

While new features may help you hunt for gold more effectively, the most important are always going to be ground balance, discrimination, ability to handle mineralization (which we’ve discussed already) and operating frequency. Here’s an overview of each.

Ground Balance

Nearly all modern gold detectors have automatic ground balance. Some, however, don’t have manual ground balance.

While automatic is fine for coin or relic hunting, a lack of a manual mode is a problem when looking for gold. This is because high levels of mineralization often require you to adjust the balance to filter iron content.

I recommend choosing a detector with both automatic and manual ground balance modes. Detectors with automatic ground tracking don’t require as much adjustment, but it’s useful to have the option of manual adjustment when it’s required.

This might sound intimidating if you’ve never used manual ground balance before. I can assure you that it quickly becomes natural though – and you’ll wonder how you managed without it.

Discrimination

As I mentioned earlier, there’s nothing “special” about gold metal detectors. While they are designed to maximize the chance of detecting gold, they will still find all types of metal along with gold nuggets – including trash.

That’s why discrimination is an important feature. VLF detectors are often able to ignore common junk items, such as those made from iron and steel. In environments with lots of trash, this can save lots of time digging up useless targets.

Pulse induction metal detectors are not designed to discriminate though. While they are excellent at ignoring trace metals in highly mineralized soil, they can’t discriminate trash items. This is why high-frequency VLF detectors are better suited to environments with lots of trash items.

Operating Frequency

Higher frequencies allow a detector to discover smaller gold nuggets, but at the cost of depth. Lower frequency detectors provide more depth for finding larger nuggets - but may miss smaller targets.

So, which should you choose?

The right option depends on where you want to hunt. If most of the finds in your hunting environment have been small nuggets at shallow depths, look for a higher frequency detector. It’s better to dig too many targets than to miss them all.

If you’re searching for larger nuggets that are buried deeper, however, then a lower frequency detector may be more effective.

Local detector clubs are often great sources of information about previous finds. Ask about the size and depth of nuggets found in the past so you can make an informed decision.

Search Coils

Just like operating frequency, the size of the search coil affects the size of targets that are likely to be detected.

A smaller search coil provides better sensitivity for smaller targets. They are also more effective at separating multiple small objects in areas with lots of trash.

Larger coils, on the other hand, are able to search deeper into the ground and can cover areas more quickly. This comes at the cost of reduced sensitivity for small targets though. Larger coils may also struggle more with highly mineralized ground.

Aside from coil size, there are also two types of search coils:

• Concentric – Concentric coils are great for discriminating, so they are often used in environments with lots of trash.
• Widescan – Widescan searchcoils don’t provide the same level of discrimination, but are better for ignoring the effects of ground mineralization.

As with almost every feature in this section, the best type of coil depends on your local environment. Fortunately, the internet provides plenty of information about gold producing regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What About Deep Seeking or Two Box Detectors?

The detectors on this page are designed to find nuggets of gold that occur naturally in certain environments. They do a great job of this, but the depth of detection is limited by the small size of most gold nuggets.

What if you want to locate boxes of hidden treasure though? These caches are usually buried deeper than the average metal detector can penetrate.

In this case, you’ll need a deep seeking and two box metal detector. These models are terrible at detecting small nuggets, but are great for finding large amounts of gold, silver, and other precious items that are buried underground.

What Accessories Do You Need?

Gold prospecting requires extra tools and accessories compared to regular metal detecting.

Aside from standard items such as a pinpointer, gloves, headphones and coil covers, you’ll also need a scoop and a magnet to identify iron trash. It’s also a good idea to bring a pick if you’re going to be hunting in rocky environments.

How Deep Can Gold Be Detected?

This depends on the detector, environment and size of the gold nugget.

As a general rule, a nugget that’s half the size of a grain can be detected at a depth of up to two inches by the best gold detectors. As the size gets larger, the depth also increases.

A gold nugget the size of a match head, for example, could be located at depths of up to 5 inches. Bigger nuggets can potentially be detected at depths of over a foot if you’re using a pulse induction system.

Where Are Gold Detectors for Sale?

The best gold metal detectors are available from a number of online retailers, including Amazon and specialist stores (such as MetalDetector.com). Many manufacturers also sell their detectors via approved resellers, so there may be an offline store in your local area

Avoid buying a gold detector from Walmart or similar stores though – unless it’s a recommended model.

There’s also the option of buying a used or second-hand gold metal detector. While this can be a great way to save money, make sure you’re fully aware of the condition of the machine before you buy.

On a side note, you can also rent gold metal detectors. This is a great way to find out whether a detector meets your requirements.

Summary

This is a long post, so you might want to read it a few times to make sure you understand everything!

While hunting for gold isn’t difficult, it requires specialist tools if you want to be successful. You also need to understand what makes the best gold detector for your requirements.

The key is to know whether your hunting ground is likely to contain small and shallow nuggets, or large and deep nuggets. Then choose the detector that is likely to perform best in this environment that’s also within your budget.

Of course, the ideal setup would allow you to find both shallow and deep gold nuggets.

There are two solutions to this:

• Buy the Minelab GPZ 7000 which provides the best of both worlds – but be prepared to spend close $10,000 or more depending on its current price. If you want the best metal detector for gold hunting, however, this is the #1 option.
• Buy both a high-frequency VLF detector and a pulse induction model. This allows you to hunt for a wider range of nuggets for a lower cost.

Option two might sound like overkill, but it’s cheaper than buying the GPZ 7000 and allows you to hunt for a greater variety of nuggets. You probably won’t need to buy two detectors as a beginner, but as you get more serious it’s an option to consider.

I hope this article has helped you choose the best gold metal detector for your budget and requirements. If you have any questions, please use the form below – I do my best to respond to every comment.