Might be some good cheap fun for the kids whilst camping (and the parents lol) Reviews seem ok.
I think it pays for itself in peace and quiet to have a beer whilst the kids keep busy..
Wisdom.
Remember to keep the bottle top of said beer and bury it in the back yard.
What is the min age for kids to use this ?
This is basically a toy, and the RRP of $160 isn't very realistic.
Might I suggest you look at what a real $200 detector can do.
This one is absolutely terrific for the whole family.
https://www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/lighting-elect…
Minelab is an Australian brand, and yes they do sell $4000 detectors… but the Gofind 22 is awesome value for $200.
My 7yo gets just as much enjoyment as my 11yo (and even me!).
Take it with you when you go to the beach and its great to use.
Would this still be a worthwhile entry point to see if it interests them, or is it useless?
$44 is a cheap enough present for my 6 year old to see if it's something he enjoys, potentially upgrading to a $200 one at a future birthday.
I agree entry point of $44 is far more palatable, especially for a 6yo yo use.
But is it just for the 6yo? If so, fair enough… dropping $200 on a present they may never use again is risky.
However for me, this was a 'family' gift.
One of my kids has expressed an interest in rocks and gems (pretty much a straight extension from Minecraft).
He's fascinated with with quartz, gold, and all those coloured 'healing stones' you can get from those hippy vendors :).
And then when we go walking along the beach or bushwalks (or even just walks around the local neighbourhood), everyone takes turns hunting… and we end up walking a few kilometres without even realising.
Sub $50 is an ideal gift. Go for that if you really don't think you'll be using it as a family.
But I've used a $50 detector and they'll miss a 50c piece planted under a leaf directly in front of them. Unless you go right above it perfectly it wont beep.
That type of 'miss' greatly detracts from the fun… whereas more regular hits on coins, keys, lighters etc is much more fun because of the excitement of digging up your treasure.
And that's the fun bit… the treasure hunting (and less so about the actual treasure).
It does come in handy when you drop screws and the like at home as well (I've used it a couple of times in the garage and back yard).
One of my kids has expressed an interest in rocks and gems (pretty much a straight extension from Minecraft).
He's fascinated with with quartz, gold, and all those coloured 'healing stones' you can get from those hippy vendors :).
This is pretty much exactly the situation I'm moving through at the moment, the 6-year-old has been obsessed with Minecraft for over 2 years and always ends up at those rock and gem stalls if we go to a market. He's asked to go looking for rocks and gems, so I joined a group on Facebook for local fossicking tips. He even got a rock tumbler for his birthday last year.
I assume a metal detector would align to that from a fun perspective. If it can miss a 50c coin under a leaf in front of it I think it might do more damage than good, as you said it detracts from the fun.
I might wait until later in the year and see if I can pick up something like the Minelab Go-Find secondhand. Cheers for the input
Does it pay for itself with the gold you discover?