For beginners (and experts alike for that matter), a simple plastic gold pan is going to be your best option. Plastic pans are inexpensive and lightweight, while still being durable enough to withstand hard use while out prospecting.
I have some plastic pans that I have probably owned for decades that still function properly after all these years. This really isn’t rocket science!
You don’t need to evaluate a dozen different brands, nitpicking over every detail. In all honesty, the functionality of using a gold pan to find gold hasn’t changed much over the centuries.
Yes they’ve changed from being made out of wood and metal to now commonly made from plastic, but the way you use them is exactly the same as it has always been.
A few thoughts to consider when picking out a gold pan:
Size
The most common pans are range from 10-14 inches in diameter. Many beginners assume that bigger is better because you can pan more material. While this is true, it also weighs more, and that extra weight can really wear you out after a long day of panning. I recommend a nice medium sized pan.
Riffle Design
The modern plastic gold pans come with a wide variety of riffle designs. Riffles are very helpful, but in all honesty, I haven’t found any to stand out from the others.
Gold pans all function in the same way. The density and high specific gravity of gold drops down as you are panning the lighter sands and gravels. The riffles help to retain the gold when you tip the pan. There is no “magic” design that will capture everything. Your panning technique is much more important.
Material
Plastic gold pans are are not all created equal. They will all work, but there are some that are way too lightweight. These will not stand up to the rigors of hard use while out prospecting.
Make sure you get a quality pan that has thicker, harder plastic. There should not be much flex in the plastic at all. Garrett makes a very good pan.
Color
This comes strictly down to personal preference. Black and dark green are very common and popular colors, but they come in a wide variety. The only difference is being able to help your eye see the contrast of gold at the bottom of your pan. Dark green is my personal favorite.
Choosing the Best Gold Pan for a Beginner
Don’t overthink it. Just about any plastic gold pan will work. The main things I would be concerned with is the size of the pan (not too big) and the durability (thicker plastic).
There are cheap Chinese pans on the market that I would avoid, but just about any pan that is manufactured and sold by a reputable mining supplier is going to be up for the task.
The gold pan will have very little to do with your success as a gold prospector. The most important think is finding the gold!
Should you Buy a Panning Kit?
If you are serious about prospecting, then in might be a good idea to buy a gold panning kit so that you’ll have everything that you need. Most kits will come with a few simple tools that will improve your experience such as:
These are all handy tools that will improve your prospecting experience and will likely increase your chances of finding gold. Most importantly, they will improve efficiency, which is very important.
However, before upgrading to a gold prospecting kit, you might want to look around your house and garage. Many of you will already have some of these items, and there’s no reason to buy the kit when you can put one together yourself with items that you already have.
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