Millions to be made

DiggerWolf

New Member
Judging by the amount of metal detecting topics in this forum (mine included!) I think you could all make more than just a few quid by letting a bunch of anorak-wearing geeks onto your land for a day. This time next year Rodney...
 

ARW

Member
Location
Yorkshire
I have a question! Yes it's good to have a hobby but don't you get sick of finding old plough metal and nuts and bolts! There can't be that much crap still left to find? Haven't most places had a detector over it anyway?
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
That's a bit like asking if fishermen get fed up of catching fish.
I like metal detecting, it's relaxing in some ways and exciting in other ways. Always interesting to find stuff and easy to set your machine not to find iron.
I have been over the same land many times over the years and still find stuff. I don't think you can ever say there's nothing left in a field.

I don't think you are likely to get rich by asking folks for payment. You might make a few quid now and then but that's all. Going back to the fishing analogy, you would probably make more by digging a pond and charging the fishermen.
Odd how you don't see any "can I come fishing" threads.
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
That insurance they have costs about £6/year and to my knowledge nobody has ever been paid out.
"Can I come detecting, I am fully insured" means nowt.

We had a bunch of cows and calves spooked by metal detectors who we had given permission.

The cows and calves ended up half a mile away,across someone's lawn in other fields we rent luckily.

I wasted a whole Sunday afternoon chasing calves which had gone in different directions.

We had to repair fences and mend holes in the lawn and have never seen a penny from the insurance as they refused to honour the claim.

IIRC it was Sun Alliance.

Think very carefully about 'insured' detectorists.

Imagine if the cows had taken a detour from the lawn and gone through our landlords conservatory..............and no insurance from them with us having to claim on our public liability.
 

mx110

Member
Location
cumbria
Guy up road from me been detecting for a few years now had a silver sovereign out of a guys field they ended up with 500 quid each off it, he found a hoard of Roman coins but they turned out to be worth f all. It amuses me watching him paddle round and round for hours, watched him digging up electric cable 1 day in half a dozen different places across the field,
 

DiggerWolf

New Member
Guy up road from me been detecting for a few years now had a silver sovereign out of a guys field they ended up with 500 quid each off it, he found a hoard of Roman coins but they turned out to be worth f all. It amuses me watching him paddle round and round for hours, watched him digging up electric cable 1 day in half a dozen different places across the field,

You see, it's worth it just for the comedy value alone!
 

DiggerWolf

New Member
That insurance they have costs about £6/year and to my knowledge nobody has ever been paid out.
"Can I come detecting, I am fully insured" means nowt.

Not sure about this. Never had to use my insurance thankfully. Think some of you have just been hugely unlucky with people you've allowed on your land. Got a couple of permissions now and never had a cross word with the farmer - both seem genuinely interested in what could be under their land, even if I have not yet discovered that gold hoard...
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
Not sure about this. Never had to use my insurance thankfully.
How much was your insurance and as a member of the metal detecting community can you give any examples of anybody within the UK ever having a claim/payout on this insurance?

I'm not knocking you or your insurance but every detectorist says "I am fully insured". It doesn't really mean much though.
 

mx110

Member
Location
cumbria
I keep saying I'm gonna plant some stuff for him to find, every where he goes detecting is on people's land who he drinks with on the pub so all know him well, he's actually a school maths teacher but he's a top bloke that everyone gets along with. After the house of Roman coins was found it appeared in local press, that caused problems with fields full for miles around of people who didn't have permission,
 

JCMaloney

Member
Location
LE9 2JG
There is only one MD thread worth reading..... http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/not-looking-for-metal-detecting.15526/ !!
@Kidds .... as I am on the committee of one of the hobby bodies that administer the Public Liability insurance I can confirm that at least 2 claims were made last year, however once we pass on the information to the insurers (Hiscox) it becomes confidential between insured & claimant. The policy is charged per capita and, like any other insurance, the rate is linked to claims & settlement and hasn`t gone up for a while !
In terms of money to be made ....as a club we "pay to play", its not reasonable to expect any farmer to allow a number of folk access to their land without some recompense. What happens to the fee is the landowners choice, some donate to our nominated charity ( we have a letter of authority) others do not, some split it 50/50, everyones circumstances are different!
As for finds we provide the landowner with as much, or as little, information as they desire. Some are as passionate about history as we are....others much less so.
Its a tailored approach.....one size doesn`t fit all !!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top