I enjoy doing both and have done so for about 20 years. I got to a point where i was getting frustrated detecting because i was on a bit of a drought finding ground and gold. The longer it went the less effort i was putting in so therefore the results were never going to improve. I purchased a new 4500 and after a few weeks with it sitting in the spare room i really started to regret buying it.
Finally when i took it for a run and found a piece on the first outing all my doubts dissapeared and my enthusiasm has returned to what it was years ago when i first started detecting . While panning is fun and can provide good results it never quite gives you that buzz of cleaning a piece of dirt in your hand and revealing that colour of gold . Both will have you hooked but when u succed finding a nugget big or small there is nothing else like it.
Gaz
Finally when i took it for a run and found a piece on the first outing all my doubts dissapeared and my enthusiasm has returned to what it was years ago when i first started detecting . While panning is fun and can provide good results it never quite gives you that buzz of cleaning a piece of dirt in your hand and revealing that colour of gold . Both will have you hooked but when u succed finding a nugget big or small there is nothing else like it.
Gaz