OK, friend bought Whites MXT, with the Sunray pinpointer. He should be set for life.

If the moderator needs to remove this post, go ahead. GaryC/SanBdno.

If your friend has internet access, I suggest he look at the web sites of Fisher, Garrett, Whites, Tesoro and Minelab and look at their models.

$300 would be on the low end for a new machine but he could get a used mid-level machine.

EC

EC, Thanks for the reply. Unfortuneately he's the type that wants someone else to do his legwork for him, like me. Basically I'm going to give him about three machine options and then cut him loose. He's gonna have to make his own decision then. GaryC/SanBdno.

I'd say a Whites Classic IDX Pro would be a great machine for park hunting, and can be found easily for $300 used. Another great machine would be an MXT, but those usually are closer to $400-500 for a used one. Both are super simple to use and offer great performance in most situations.

Jeff, Thanks for the picks. GaryC/SanBdno.

Myself, I use a White's IDX Pro and an MXT.

For my wife, I got her a White's Prizm III which she likes a lot - especially its light weight and turn-on and go ease of use.

Actually, I haul the Prizm around a lot and use it to do a quick scouting of new places to hunt. It does surprisingly well.

I chose the Prizm over the Garrett Ace 250 because I could not stand the "bong" tone that the Ace makes. Also, I'm an old White's fan. I think the Prizm will retain its value should I decide to sell it later on.