Field Test Report: Minelab Go-Find 60 Metal Detector

By Bob Smith

Introduction

Minelab Electronics has introduced a new series of entry-level metal detectors, the Go-Find range, marking their first approach to a more inexpensive segment. These models, priced under £300, offer features typically found in more expensive detectors and introduce a novel Bluetooth connectivity option. This report focuses on the Go-Find 60, the top model in this series.

Description

The Minelab Go-Find models share a similar appearance and feature a collapsible design, folding down to a compact 21.9 inches, and extending to 51.4 inches. Constructed from heavy-duty durable plastic, they feature a grey, white, and red color scheme. A key innovation for the Go-Find 40 and 60 is Bluetooth connectivity, which works in conjunction with mobile phones equipped with a GPS facility. The Go-Find Basic or Pro app, downloadable from Google Play, allows users to set the detector for their specific country, view expected coinage, monitor detection locations via GPS, and customize alert tones (e.g., Ding, Woosh, Truck Horn, Siren). The app can even play music, which is interrupted by target alert tones when a signal is detected.

The Minelab Go-Find 60 LCD screen, showing various icons and settings.

The Minelab Go-Find 60 detector.

Backlight screen shot showing Find Mode settings.

Battery housing compartment.

Operating Functions

All detector functions are managed via a finger-sensitive touchpad and an LCD screen located at the end of the handle. The battery housing, containing 4 AA alkaline batteries, is situated underneath, accessible via a clip door. An On/Off switch is located on the left side of the handle, next to the eighth-inch headphone socket, designed for the included Ear Bud type headphones. A built-in speaker is also present, allowing the detector to be used without headphones.

Assembly

The Go-Find 60 comes fully assembled in its collapsed state, requiring no additional setup. The 10-inch waterproof search coil is hardwired to the machine. To assemble for use, the handle is locked into place using a red circular locking button. The middle stem is extended by releasing a red locking catch, and the bottom stem can be pulled out manually. The upper arm stem, concealed within the middle stem, is then extended. The arm cup features a Velcro fastener for secure fitting, and the upper stem includes a small detector stand.

Close-up of the handle lock button.

Location of the On/Off button and headphone socket.

A coin found in the pea field.

The pea field search location.

Control Panel and Screen Features

The control panel features a small LCD screen with touch-sensitive control buttons. Above the screen, LED lights are positioned above the Go-Find logo. The touch control buttons below the screen include:

Bluetooth (?): For turning the Bluetooth connection on and off.
Sensitivity (?️): Icon with '+' and '-' buttons to adjust sensitivity levels (1-5).
Pinpoint (?): Button for precise target location.
Find Mode (?): Button to select different search modes.
Volume (?): Icon with '+' and '-' buttons to adjust audio volume.
Backlight (?): Button to activate the screen backlight.

On-screen icons provide further information:

Find Icons: Picture-driven icons at the top of the LCD indicate discrimination settings, showing whether a detected object is iron/trash or a non-iron/treasure item.
Battery Level (?): A two-segment icon indicates remaining battery power.
Depth: A three-bar gauge indicates the approximate depth of a target.

The depth of a target is indicated by bars on the screen: one bar for shallow, two for medium, and three for deep. Sensitivity and Volume settings are also displayed as bars.

The LEDs above the LCD screen, known as the Treasure View LEDs, act as additional guides:

Red (?): Indicates an iron object or trash.
Green (?): Indicates a non-iron object, potentially treasure.
Orange (?): Indicates Pinpoint for all metal objects.

When the Pinpoint function is off, the LEDs illuminate from left to right. As the search coil moves closer to a metal target with Pinpoint on, the LEDs illuminate towards the center.

Setting up the detector is straightforward, making it accessible even for younger users.

Find Mode Operation

The On/Off switch is located on the side of the LCD screen, near the headphone socket. Pressing the button turns the detector on, indicated by a temporary beep. The Find Mode button cycles through available modes. For example, one mode rejects nails and horseshoes, effectively filtering out iron. When all Find Mode icons are active, the detector operates in All-Metal mode. However, the integrated Tone Identification (offering four different tones for the Go-Find 60) allows users to differentiate likely targets even in All-Metal mode.

Field & Beach Appraisal

Initial impressions from online videos suggested strong performance, with users reporting success even on previously searched sites. The Go-Find 60 was tested in various conditions:

Silage Fields: Proved to be fairly barren with little historical interest. The Go-Find 60 did locate occasional coins at depths exceeding five inches.
Pea Fields: The detector performed exceptionally well in pea fields. Its lightweight nature and adjustable stem length made searching easy and comfortable. The plastic construction did not pose any issues.
Motion-Based Operation: The Go-Find is a motion-based detector, requiring the search coil to be in constant movement to detect targets.
Target Differentiation: Even with all Find Icons active, tone identification and the LED lights effectively helped differentiate good targets from undesirable ones. Sensitivity was set to the fourth bar, and the Pinpoint function was noted as superb for precise location.
Initial Finds: Searches yielded old coins and three lead flax seals, identified by High Tones and Mid Tones. Some larger iron pieces registered on the edge of Mid Tone, often due to their shape.

Beach Test: A demonstration on a local beach involved showing a friend, Dominique, how to use the detector. The Go-Find 60 performed well on dry and damp sand, locating 15 coins. Some interference was noted on very wet sand at the water's edge, but reducing sensitivity to three bars resolved this.

Various finds from the pea field.

A clod of soil containing a seal found in the pea field.

Notable Finds and User Experience

During the beach test, Dominique quickly found a shallow target. Using the Pinpoint button, she located a ring that was initially thought to be silver (marked 925) but was later identified as platinum (marked 950). The value of this single find exceeded the cost of several Go-Find detectors. The ring was handed to the local police.

Further testing in a stubble field yielded buttons and coins, including a silver sixpence of William III found at a depth of five inches.

Dominique using the Go-Find 60 detector on the beach and the platinum ring she found.

A William III sixpence unearthed in the stubble fields.

Summing Up

While the Go-Find 60 is marketed as an inexpensive entry-level model, its handling and performance are impressive enough for veteran detectorists. It offers ease of use, good discrimination capabilities, excellent depth, and a fantastic pinpoint facility. The detector is expected to be a popular choice.

The author did not test the Go-Find Smart phone app during this review but intends to purchase a Go-Find 60 for future testing and a follow-up report.

Minor Faults Identified:

The included Ear Buds' cable can snag in windy conditions, potentially pulling them from the ears. The author prefers specialist headphones, but noted an adapter issue with the detector's headphone socket.
The lower stem lacks a locking catch, meaning it can slide back in during use.

Battery Life: Battery life was very good. Over six outings, totaling approximately 30 hours of detecting, the detector remained operational on the original set of batteries.

	Minelab GO-FIND Series Metal Detector Instruction Sheet Instruction sheet for the Minelab GO-FIND series metal detectors (GO-FIND 20, 40, 60), covering setup, basic operation, finding modes, detector sounds, and accessories.
	Minelab GO-FIND Series Metal Detector: Setup and Operation Guide Comprehensive guide to setting up and operating the Minelab GO-FIND series metal detectors, including GO-FIND 20, GO-FIND 40, and GO-FIND 60. Learn about basic functions, search modes, detector sounds, and assembly.
	Minelab GO-FIND Series Metal Detector User Guide Comprehensive user guide for the Minelab GO-FIND 20, 40, and 60 series metal detectors, covering setup, operation, features, and troubleshooting.
	Minelab GO-FIND Metal Detector: Guida Rapida e Impostazione Guida introduttiva per i metal detector Minelab GO-FIND (modelli 11, 22, 44, 66). Include istruzioni per l'uso, impostazione, pannello di controllo, modalità di ricerca, suoni e informazioni di conformità.
	Minelab GO-FIND Series Metal Detector: Instruction Sheet and Basic Concepts Comprehensive guide for Minelab GO-FIND 20, 40, and 60 metal detectors, covering setup, operation, search modes, treasure visualization, and troubleshooting. Learn how to use your detector effectively for treasure hunting.
	Minelab GO-FIND Series Metal Detectors: Instruction Sheet Instruction sheet for Minelab GO-FIND 20, GO-FIND 40, and GO-FIND 60 metal detectors, detailing components, power, app connectivity, and manufacturer contact information.
	Minelab GO-FIND Series Metal Detector Getting Started Guide & Basics Comprehensive guide to the Minelab GO-FIND series metal detectors, covering detecting basics, quick start, control panel features, find modes, detector sounds, and setup instructions. Includes model information for GO-FIND 11, 22, 44, and 66.
	Minelab GO-FIND Metal Detectors: Getting Started Guide This guide provides essential information for setting up and operating the Minelab GO-FIND series of metal detectors (GO-FIND 22, 44, and 66). It covers assembly, basic operation, search modes, control panel functions, and important guidelines for responsible treasure hunting.