Tired of tot lots...
 

Well the ole metal detector is starting to gather dust. Not that I want it to...

Its just that im tired of hunting wood chip lots... and the ground is just way too dry to get past 2 inches while im digging.... No beaches close to me im in Cincinnati.... anyone have any ideas?

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Under the bleachers at your local highschool/college/sport's team stadium. Although, everyone knows this, so they maybe picked clean already.

Those car washs where people wash their own cars are pretty-good sources at night when no one is around, especially in the winter months. Bought a few SAEs with the coins I picked-up there.

Cheers!

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

I hear ya...

I think its all in the location... You either know a few good ones to search or don't...

I don't...

So I gave my detecter back to my Uncle....

However, I really liked it and could see me getting another at some point in time...

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Sounds like you need to start researching.

Hunt for some local Cincinnati history books.

KEEP SWINGING !!

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

I hear ya... I actually know quite a few historical areas... the problem is the dirt is too hard to get past 2 inches without a backhoe

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

PLaygrounds. Alongside the sidewalks to and from the parking lots. Drive-up windows at hamburger joints, dry cleaners, booze stores, etc.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

All dirt & grass areas where people park cars for events or other things.
Folks not infrequently unwittingly pull & drop coins from their pockets & purses when getting out their car keys to leave.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Soccer fields, baseball outfield areas, and at the edges of basketball courts...get a better digging tool.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Yep if you don't own a Lesche digging tool you don't know what your missing

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Ive got a lesche... ground says "nuh uh!" maybe im just a wuss.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

You need to start water hunting,that's where the gold is

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Yeah I tried my prizm IV on the wet part of the beach in SC, doesnt work very well.

There are no beaches where I live in Cincinnati. BTW you DO NOT want to hunt on the banks of the mighty OHIO. It's a little running joke around here that if you get close to the water, you better be on a boat. No one eats the fish from the Ohio, no one swims in it. Good ole Fernald, GE, P&G, and the list goes on and on.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

The Ohio is still that bad? A crime, if you ask me. I've always thought of the Ohio as the quintessential "American" river, as it had such an impact on the country when it was young.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Yeah its horrible. So bad no one even considers trying to clean it up or beautify it. Just doesnt come up. It will forever be a brown sludge of the darkest hue. Ugly barges dominate it day and night.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

I had no idea! From what I know, the Mississippi isn't anywhere near that bad (the Iowa/Illinois/Wisconsin part), people fish there and eat the fish from the river. The area bordering the Ohio is much more industrialized, but I thought the Clean Water Act would have some improvements on the Ohio, guess not. That's tragic.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Tot lots are about the only place I can find easy clad coinage. Tired of them for that very reason tho. Chump change is all I ever find there.
I did find 1 (ONE) 90% coin, a Merc dime. About 8" down in sand.
Several times I have found almost an entire roll of pennies in a 1' area. Digging all those up will drive you nuts. Last time I tried beach detecting I had to give up - my Tesoro detector kept finding tiny flakes of rusted metal (the kind you see coating old anchors and bulkheads) even tho I had set the discrimination well past iron and pull tab range. I can usually count on finding a few pair of sunglasses washed up on the beach tho.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

I hear farms in england have some good finds...

how about old drive-in properties. probably not public property but it would seem that it could yield pre-65 coinage.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

But I've heard Rush Limbaugh swear that humanity is far too puny to damage the environment.
Only Gaaawd can do that, according to el Rushbo.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Too bad you don't live in Europe where you could search cow pastures or row crop fields. You could find any manner of strange, valuable, and priceless stuff there, if the god of luck smiled on you that is.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

People with metal detectors are hoping that people in the past had holes in their pockets.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

I used to take my detector into the desert. In flat places I found a lot of scraps of heavy wire, the universal repair material for most machinery. Around gulleys I would find brass on one side, lead and copper on the other. The copper jackets would fall off and the lead would continue a little farther. And that is the best I ever did.

BTW, that was around Quartzite, AZ which is famous for outlandish gold nuggets. Some body finds one every few years. One. Every few years. Do ya feel lucky?

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

so I'm guessing one of those bags are full of lead, the other with copper?

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

especially if you get a key to the vacuum cleaner !

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

The water is where its at,"it" being gold...Ive done quite well in tot lots tho,all in all Ive FOUND more gold than I have bought so I cant complain.:applause_

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

How does this work exactly? Do you have a waterproof head on the detector and hip waders? Link or an explanation of how you do it would be most welcome!

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Some detectors can go in upto their control box but if you water hunt at all it's worth getting a waterproof detector and a stainless steel scoop to recover targets. Check out the Treasure Depot and go to the Surf & Sand forum and read. Don't get caught up with some of lesser finds since alot of the best hunters don't post their finds often but you'll get an idea of the equipment needed. I can usually pay for my equipment a few times over every year so it's worth it for me, if people swim they lose things (lots of things)

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

All those unfortunate boating accidents?

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

are those things water proof ?

i've talked to divers who swam around the docks, the kind of docks "where rich people keep their boats", e.g. Marin County Calif.

they said they found some decent treasures, money watches etc.

plus all that water washes off the dust ! :36_1_34:

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

there are waterproof versions

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Seems like a crow bar and a bolt cutter would be more effective and cheaper than a metal detector.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

I guess it's a matter of morals.

Re: Tired of tot lots...
 

Sorry SJS ,I forgot I posted on this topic...yes I have a water proof detector (up to 200') Tesoro TigerShark,they cost about $600 new but you may find one for around $450 used. I use a homemade scoop out of a shovel handle with a galvanized feed scoop attached with "U" bolts...I cant see paying over $100 for a scoop when I Can make one for less than $20. This time of year (and spring) I have chest waders, but in the summer its just regular swim attire.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/ is a good site to learn more about metal detecting and what kind of detectors might be good for you!
Sorry so long for a reply!:wavey:

PS: NEVER EVER go into Lake Michigan (or any rough water) with waders on,I use the waders in inland lakes.