There are tons of gold panning equipment on the market, and most of the gold pans available will do the job. The important factors to consider when buying a gold pan is size, material, color and last but not least, the user.
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Size
In gold panning size matters.. at least when it comes to gold pans. Large and small gold pans both have their good and bad sides. The size of gold pans range from 10 inches to 17 inches, of which 14 inches in diameter is the most common. As a beginner, I recommend that you buy a 14″ gold pan. A 10 inch pan is good as a backup pan or perfect if you’re looking to buy a gold pan for your kids, but you will be happy to have bought a larger one as your main pan. On the other end of the scale are the 17″ gold pans. They aren’t bad, but they are just so damn heavy when they’re loaded with wet material.
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Material
Gold pans are made up of either steel or plastic today. Even though a steel pan may feel more genuine(there were no plastic gold pans during the gold rushes!), plastic pans has a lot going for it. Compared to steel pans, plastic pans are lighter and still durable enough for years of hard use. It is also way easier to remove black sand using a magnet from a plastic pan compared to a steel pan. Also, on plastic pans you will more often see those gold trapping riffles that gold prospectors come to love. To sum it up, buying a plastic pan as your first gold pan is a smart move.
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Color
The most common colors for plastic pans are blue, green and black. You might think that the color doesn’t matter when buying a gold pan, but it all comes down to being able to see the gold in the bottom of your pan. A black gold pan might make it difficult for you to see the black sand. I recommend that you go with either blue or green with your first gold pan.
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The User
When it comes down to it, you have to think about why you want to buy a gold pan. If you want to relive history, then go ahead and buy a metal pan even though it may have some drawbacks compared to today’s high tech pans. If you love black, by all means buy a black gold pan. You’re the one who will use the pan, only you can decide what feels best for you.
4 Great Gold Pans For Sale
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Proline Professional Gold Pan – 14 inch
$12.95 – This is a great 14 inch pan for beginner and experienced prospectors alike and is one of the most best selling pans ever. It’s available in blue, green and black. The Proline Professional Pan is light-weight, durable, has 6 effective gold catching riffles and the colors will make even the smallest piece of gold stand out in the bottom of your pan. You can’t go wrong with this one.
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Garrett Gravity Trap Gold Pan – 14 inch
$8.95 – This pan has been a popular choice among prospectors for a long time and it’s the only pan with a patented riffled design. It’s a good, solid pan with a deep bottom and three riffled traps to catch your gold.
Garret’s pans has been tested and proven worldwide to find gold.
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Metal Gold Pan – 14 inch
$8.99 – During the gold rush days miners on the way to the gold field could spend a small fortune on a gold pan and shovel. Times have changed though, now you can get a classic steel gold pan just like the ’49ers would’ve used for less than ten bucks. This pan also doubles as cookware around the campfire. Back in the days miners actually threw their pans into the fire until they ended up with an almost bluish black colored pan, which made the gold stand out better. As some people say, it was metal pans just like this that built the US economy, and a lot of prospectors still prefer metal pans.
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Archer Gold Pan – 10 inch
$5.95 – Proudly made in the USA, this gold pan from Jobe is seen as one of the best 10 inch pans out there. Available in terracotta red or steel gray (picture at left), the Archer pan is made of rigid and light-weight plastic, features two raised, nearly undercut riffles and a drop bottom.
This pan is great as a backup pan and is the perfect size for kids.
Fastest route to panning gold
The easiest way to get started with gold panning is to buy a gold panning kit. Most kits include all the basic tools that you need, for example a snuffer bottle for sucking up the gold, and a vial for storing the gold. Here’s some gold panning kits that I’ll walk you through, item by item.
Related Links
Gold Panning Guide – How To Pan Gold The Effective Way
Gold Panning Videos
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you have 17 in gold panning pans?
Wilbur,
Here’s two 17 inch gold pans you can check out, although I don’t have any experience with these two shops:
Keene Engineering
Gold Camp Supply
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