Does anyone use metal detectors to locate valve boxes or manhole lids under concrete? What brands have you used?
schonstedt.
Thanks - looking for one on E-bay now .
I've got a Tesoro silver u-max. It is about $250 if you shop around, super simple, very lightweight and tough. I have a couple friends that have older Tesoro metal detectors, they still work great. After I borrowed both of them I decided on the u-max, because of it's simplicity. It isn't like I use it every day, and it is also nice to have one you can loan out to a friend and actually show them how to use it properly in less than a minute. I seems to have no problem finding pins up to about 18" or so deep, and all sorts of other stuff. License plates, shell casings, nails, wire, and the list goes on. I'd stay away from anything fancier than what you need. The nice thing about a Tesoro is that in 15 years it should work just as well as when you pulled it out of the box. A lot of the newer Whites and other detectors have LCD screens and a bunch of other things to break in the field that you don't need to find pins, lids, boxes, valves, lost tools and other stuff. Anyway, I'd suggest a Tesoro Compadre or Silver U-max. Both work great, the only difference is that you can adjust the sensitivity on the U-max and it has a bit nicer head.
All of the magnetic locators I've had experience with have been old schonstedts, seems like they can take a beating. I'm not so sure how they compare to others price wise though.
Not since Vietnam............
Used one a few year back to locate a Hoist pin that some Super-Star Lost in the slurry. Wedge shaped thingy for finding electric cables and pipe's etc.
http://www.metrotech.com/ They make nice equipment, just make sure you tape your jaw to your head before you look at the prices. I think they are about $4,000.00-8,000.00. They make a valve detector that is about $500.00