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Gold sucker hand dredge w/3 nozzles sluice pan nugget
Gold Sucker Hand Dredge w/3 Nozzles
All hand suction tools work basically the same. You pull up on the handle, and the material is sucked up. Where they differ is how they are emptied, and how many gimmicks are added. The one most like the original gold sucker is the PSP.
1. Sucking up material. Both the original gold sucker and the PSP suck up material when you pull up on the handle. With the original gold sucker, you keep your thumb over the vent hole and watch for the indicator line. With the PSP, you do not have to hold your thumb over a vent hole, or watch for the indicator line. So the PSP comes out on top, or so it would seem. Read on.
2. Emptying. To empty the original gold sucker, when you see the indicator line, you swing the nozzle over your container, and take your thumb off of the vent hole. The material falls out. To empty the PSP, you have to take the handle all the way out and then dump the material into your container. The original gold sucker comes out on top here.
3. Nozzles. The original gold sucker uses threaded nozzles that are made out of electrical male fittings mated to an electrical female fitting. Electrical fitting have little or no taper, so they are easy to put on and take off. The PSP uses a friction fit nozzle. This type of nozzle is used to keep cost down, as using threaded fittings more than double the cost of the nozzles. Nozzles that rely on friction alone to hold them on can and do come off at the most inconvenient time. Plus if sand or grit gets trapped between the mating surfaces, then friction fit type of nozzles can be a bear to take off. The original gold sucker clearly comes out on top in this area.
4. Handles. The original gold sucker uses a 90 degree handle, that enables you to grasp the handle with your wrist held straight. The PSP uses a 45 degree handle, which forces you to bend your wrist at an angle to use it. The original gold sucker comes out on top again.
5. Gimmicks. The original gold sucker uses no gimmicks like check valves or filters. The PSP uses 2 check valves and a filter. Here is the theory of operation for the PSP. You pull up on the handle, the bottom check valve opens and the top check valve closes. Material is sucked up. Then you push down on the handle. The bottom check valve closes, water goes through the filter, up the handle, and out of the top check valve. Now in a perfect world, or in an aquarium, this would work great. But in the real world, when you are sucking up material from a creek bottom, this filter will quickly become clogged and inoperable. And when you try to pump solids through check valves, you are going to get rocks, sticks and other things stuck in the check valves. In fact, the maker of the PSP states that having check valves is a drawback when he talks about one of his top of the line products. The simple fact is when you move solids through check valves, you are going to get jams. So as far as gimmicks, the original gold sucker comes out way ahead.
6. Seals. The original gold sucker uses a common size o-ring for a seal, they are $.59 for 2. The o-rings last a long time, usually several seasons. The PSP uses pipe insulation for a seal, and I do not know how long it will last.
7.Lubrication. The original gold suckers works better when you give it an occasional shot of teflon silicon spray. Teh PSP does not require any lubrication. This is the only area that the PSP really comes out on top.
The gold sucker is one of the easiest and most effective hand suction tools on the market. If the gold is there, the gold sucker will help you recover it. I have received many emails from gold prospectors. Here is one that that I received recently from another gold prospector, and is used with his permission, and some pictures.
Unreal! This thing paid for itself within the first hour! 25 Hrs for an OZ!
The gold sucker is very easy to use. You select a nozzle that fits the crevice that you are cleaning out. Each gold sucker comes with 3 nozzles; a 1, 3/4 and 1/2 inch. You screw a nozzle onto the gold sucker, hand tight only. You will notice that there is a small hole in the barrel about 6 inches down form the top. This is the vent hole. You keep your thumb over this hole while pulling up on the piston handle. When you see the black indicator line come out the top of the barrel, the o-ring is past the vent hole. You then swing your gold sucker over your container and take your thumb off of the vent hole. This breaks the vacuum and the material falls out. It's as simple as that. Most prospectors have told me it takes them about 5 minutes to learn how to use their gold sucker. And you lose very little material with the gold sucker.
Thank you so much,Sincerely-"Ryan
Paid for itself in 2 hrs on the kalamath river!! Everyone needs one of these A++
Great Product. Found Gold First Time Using It. Thank You!!!!!!!!
Here is an email from this prospector: Dear deserdog, Greetings, Thank you for the Help. Your "Sniping" tool works Great! We went out and found more gold with this tool and a pan than with two sluce boxes with crew . I highly reccomend this item to anyone who would like to have some fun finding gold. I would also like to add that in many gold locations a sluce box may dirty up a stream while this snipe tool leaves no trail. Thanks Again, Prospecting Oregon
If you are just starting out in gold prospecting, or an old-timer, a gold sucker would make a valuable addition to your equipment.
My name is Ray Kobler. I started gold prospecting in 1968, and have been doing it ever since. I am lifetime member of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, GPAA, an active member in the local chapter, the AU Mojave Prosepctors, and an active meber in another prospecting club, the Hi Desert Gold Diggers. I have been the vice president and the treasurer for the Hi Desert Gold Diggers. There is nothing I enjoy more than gold prospecting, and introducing others to thifascinating vocation. Especially kid! When they find their first piece of gold, their face just lights up. I only make and sale gold prospecting equipment that works well. I will not make gimmicky products that look good, but do not perform the same in the field.
If you have any questions, you can email me at ****@aol.com or call me at (***) 948-1633. I also go out gold prosepcting 2 or 3 times a week, weather permitting. If you are local, you can come out and see in person how the hand dredges work.
