I’ve bought the Go-Find 20 and Go-Find 40 with my own money. And I want to know: can they really be hunted with?
Here are practical first impressions of the Minelab Go-Find 20.
The manufacturer claims that the Minelab Go-Find 20 is one of the most modern entry level detectors. The hunters consider it to be a toy. In sober fact, it’s somewhere in the middle.
Is the Minelab Go-Find 20 compact when folded up? In general, yes. But if we take just the length, the same Garrett ACE 250 is not much larger. And if you disconnect the coil from the lower shaft, the ACE 250 will be even shorter.
I’ve already said that I have two machines: the Go-Find 20 and Go-Find 40. And I’ve noticed a by no means unimportant fact. As stated in the specifications, the Go-Find 20, 40 and 60 models when folded up have equal length – 55.5cm. The Go-Find 20 really corresponds to this length. But the Go-Find 40 folded is shorter!
As an example, the Go-Find 40 easily fits in a usual urban backpack, whereas the Go-Find 20 – just barely.
But this is not the worst in the Minelab Go-Find 20. The biggest drawback of this metal detector is plastic construction. It actually doesn’t have any bolt or metal component. I’ve posted the photo report (Opening the Minelab Go-Find 40). A flat tip screwdriver, 5 minutes of time – and you already have nothing but a pile of plastic. The coil can’t be replaced, one detector – one coil (for the term of its life). There is every indication that the manufacturer didn’t provide the possibility to repair this detector. If it is broken down – buy a new one.
I mostly ignore the armrest fixing strap while metal detecting. It distracts me and encroaches upon my time. The machine gives a positive response every few minutes and the soil is hard to dig. Therefore, while digging up a hole I put the metal detector aside. I can’t be bothered to loosen the fixing strap each time and then to tighten it again. But without doing this, either the fixing strap won’t work (tightening is too loose) or the clothed arm won’t pass through it (tightening is strong). If the metal detector armrest holds the arm without a fixing strap, it’s good.
The Go-Find 20 problem lies in the small armrest with a long handle. It’s impossible to hunt without the fixing strap. The armrest doesn’t hold the arm on its own. The arm slides out with each sweep. You should hunt with the strap only.
I have great doubt about the locking mechanisms, made of plastic, on the Minelab Go-Find 20 shaft. It seems to me that there will come a day when they wear down or break. Or won’t break? Practice will show.
In their advertising the manufacturer says that the real-life detectorists participated in the development of the Go-Find. Can it be true that nobody told the manufacturer about this trough? It’s a perfect place for collecting trash while hunting! And this one will hinder folding of the machine then. Mega construction…
I will point out that the Go-Find 20 is very simple – as befits a cheap metal detector. In terms of settings, it has volume and sensitivity controls. There are only 2 find modes: All-Metal and Iron Mask. When in the second mode, the device responds to non-ferrous metals only… As I’ve already said before, the first segment of the Go-Find discrimination corresponds to the first 4 segments of the Garrett ACE 250 scale. And when going out with the Garrett ACE 250, I am mostly detecting with this mask on only. Thus, in theory, the Go-Find 20 has quite sufficient discrimination.
Regarding depth. While hunting with the Go-Find 20, you really won’t see a coin deeper than 20 centimeters in the soil. On the other hand, what is better? So that a newbie will dig 10 half-a-meter-sized holes at his first hunt, get tired… and the world will see one more unlucky fellow? Or so that he will run 2 extra hours, pick up his first coin and the world will see a new treasure hunter? A half of my finds have been picked up from the depth of up to 20 centimeters. So the Minelab Go-Find 20 depth isn’t the biggest drawback. As for the cheap metal detector – that will do.
I would also say about absence of the pinpoint mode, but… it turns out that a lot of people don’t make use of it (even on expensive devices). It is beyond my reach, but such fact does exist.
The same goes for the cable hidden inside the shaft. I like it and consider it to be a plus. But for most detectorists this plus isn’t evident. Ordinary hunters equally perceive both the cable wrapped around the shaft and the one hidden inside.
Minelab Go-Find 20 Recovery speed test
All about the Minelab Go-Find 20 metal detector is collected here. On Knowledgebase pages there is also additional info on Minelab Go-Find 20.
