Best Dredge out there?
 

needs to be a 1 man operation.

Best Brand?
Best size?
Best Price?

Thanks for any help.
Sarge

Re: Best Dredge out there?
 

I have two Keene 6" twin Honda engine powered with the hooka setup. One in Alaska and one in Honduras.

If Precision was still making them I would own them.

Not a bit of trouble with either one. If I needed another I would do the same thing.

Whatever you buy make sure you get the swivel nozzle.

Good luck with your endeavors!

Re: Best Dredge out there?
 

can you run a 6" solo?


Keene seems to be the best recognized name out there.

Alaska all summer, Honduras the other months?

Re: Best Dredge out there?
 

We use the 6" solo BUT it is an option only if you don't have to take it in and out. Disassembly is a PIA.

Moving it around in the river is no problem with a come a long or winch.

We use a flat bed trailer attached to a big 4WD to get close to where we are going.

No matter what you buy use 3M indoor-outdoor carpet in the bottom of the sluice box to help hold the gold and black sands. Mining supply houses call it miners moss-available at a much bigger price. Same stuff.

Re: Best Dredge out there?
 

any thoughts/experience with a backpack dredge?
the pro's versus cons on using a backpack setup, and getting to more remote areas?

my first concern is how much fuel you could back pack in with you, and how long you could actually run the dredge?

if you are running your backpack dredge at half throttle, how long will one tank of fuel last?

does not seem real practical if you cannot pack in enough fuel to dredge for very long.

Re: Best Dredge out there?
 

"...needs to be a 1 man operation..."

IMO a 4" is the largest dredge that can reasonably serve a one-man operation, and a 4" is to be much prefered over a 3". But dredging or any diving for that matter done alone is dangerous and not recommended. That said I've done it...most of us have at one time or another but safety has to be the most important thing.

Minimually it's important to have a nozzle man and another person to keep the sluice box clear, tend the gas tank, clear plug-ups, and most important keep an eye on the nozzle man (diver) in case s/he has trouble. In fact, a serious weekend miner with a 4" dredge and partner needs to have a hooka air system and two air lines...and the partner needs to have his own set of diving gear so s/he can immediately get and stay down with the diver if needed for whatever reason.

The biggest and most powerful dredge in the world is worthless if (1) you can't get it to the creek or (2) there isn't enough water in the creek to operate the dredge.

A back-pack dredge up to a 2.5" dredge is ok if for whatever reason (1) that's all that can be packed to the creek or (2) that's the largest size hose that the creek will support regarding providing enough water.

Other than that, these dredges are really kinda "toys". Don't get me wrong, they are fun and ok for recreational stuff but they too much limit a persons ability to work a sufficient amount of materials per hour. And working a lot of dirt is important. The more gold-bearing (auriferous) dirt a person works the more colors they will recover, and s/he can't afford to spend all day getting down through streambed materials. And larger colors are virtually ALWAYS going to be deep. They will work as deep as gravity can pull them until they hit something that is solid enough to prevent them from being pulled deeper.

A smaller dredge won't let a guy work enough dirt an hour to realistically punch down through 3' of overburden and dredge at that level. The hole will keep filling in as you move along the bottom and that means that in order to move the dredge has to continually keep moving the 3' deep materials.

A guy always wants to try to find gold bearing creek locations where the overburden (depth of the stream bed materials down to bedrock) is not too thick (in feet).

Re: Best Dredge out there?
 

P.S......

My vote is a Keene 4" with a 3-stage sluice box, 6.5 honda & pump, T80 Hooka low pressure system; 2 air hoses; reserve air tank; garden hose off the pump with a blaster nozzle for blowing out the cracks in bedrock; and as posted above by ALL means....a well built stainless steel swivel nozzle.

Then build yourelf a 2-wheel cart to transport the dredge from the trailer to the creek, or get an old car hood from a junk yard and pull it with ropes to "sled" the dredge to the creek. Don't drag the floats over the ground; it'll tear the bottoms up.

You'll need a Blue Bowl to separate fine and flour colors out of the black sand concentrates. If you don't know how to do this let me know; I'll tell you. When all the gold's out, pour the black sands around your wife's roses'...she'll love you when she see 'em start growing like crazy.