What sluice should I upgrade to?

[Gavvvvvin]

Thinking about upgrading from the EZ Sluice.

As much as I enjoy the EZ Sluice, it doesn't seem worthwhile to drive 3+ hours out of my way if I'm only able to process 6 or 7 buckets worth of material.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

I was looking at the Jobe Yellow Jacket. I like the way that I can easily buy the attachment to upgrade it to a power sluice or high banker if I one day choose to do so.

 

[Mudguts]

Make one to suit your needs
I have never bought one
But I have 6 lol

 

[Guest]

Just go straight to a highbanker, I went from an ezy to a power sluice then shortly after a highbanker. 3 hr drive you want to be slapping thru as much material as you can plus no classifying speeds it right up.

 

[G0lddigg@]

go a highbanker mate, sluices are designed for easy use and portability not volume.

 

[Danielkrupski]

If u don't have to carry gear long distances go a highbanker. The added plus of a highbanker is if the creek isn't flowing. If its long distances to carry and you have good flow try an angus mackirk. Have heard great things about them bought 1 myself but yet to try it out in ideal conditions

 

[trenchfighter]

go the walbanker mate, walbanker all the way

 

[user 1769]

Has anyone asked yet whether highbanking is even legal where this guy is?

I personally have a McKirk AU Boss and I love it. Good value too, however it requires a lot of water flow to work properly.

 

[G0lddigg@]

good point mfdes pretty sure most places that yiu can use a sluice you can use a highbanker

 

[Brumble-Gum]

For a river sluice I can't go past my Bazooka gold trap it processes as fast as I can shovel. It works well with no classifying required.
Like all river sluices it requires a running water source.

 

[user 1769]

good point mfdes pretty sure most places that yiu can use a sluice you can use a highbanker

Tassie seems to be off limits to highbankers. It's not exactly crystal clear, and if you were caught using one you COULD probably argue your way out of it, due to how the regulations are written up, but the spirit of the prospecting licence is pretty clear, unfortunately.
That said, sluices are supposedly not allowed either, but I asked about mine, and they told me that as long as I was hand-excavating it was fine, they'd treat it like a big pan. Who knows. I love the portability of my McKirk, though, it weighs nothing and I can strap it to my backpack.

 

[Beagleboy]

For a river sluice I can't go past my Bazooka gold trap it processes as fast as I can shovel. It works well with no classifying required.
Like all river sluices it requires a running water source.

I have couple of questions BG. How heavy is this thing? How hard is it to cleanup? What does it have inside - drop riffles or carpet? Did you get it imported from US or bought locally?
It looks like it could definitely process some dirt fast.

 

[Brumble-Gum]

Hi Beagle Boy

I researched a lot on what brands of pyramids, river sluices, cubes etc would be good for gravel processing.
I come up with the bazooka gold trap. I had it shipped over from the US, it weighs around 3 kgs it's made of hardened plastic with a built in strap/handle. It has no riffles and no carpet but a chamber at the end that the heavies drop into. The grizzly bars slope up slightly so any oversize material washes up and out. (No good if you want sapphires or gemstones).
It has two levels the under side fills with water and has a solid end with 3 pipes flowing into the gold chamber, this causes the material that drops into the chamber to stay fluid not solid so anything heavy stays trapped in the chamber. The chamber has a water exit at the very top of the box.
The top section is above the first level is washes the material down the sluice into the chamber.

 

[Beagleboy]

Thanks for your reply. Interesting design and very light. How do you clean it up? Do you have to take it apart?

 

[user 1769]

Just a note that the bazooka requires a fair amount of water flow to work properly, if that's a consideration for you. Otherwise I like the design and I'm thinking of cobbling one together myself.

 

[Gavvvvvin]

I would prefer something that can work with minimal water flow. Has anyone tried the AM Alaskan?

 

[G0lddigg@]

from what ive heard on here everyone swears by the AM range of sluices especially when waster is at a minimum. pretty sure elbowgrease uses one mate

 

[Beagleboy]

AM Alaskan is second biggest sluice they make. That will need lots of water. I have the Boss which is lot smaller and you do need reasonable amount of water for it to work.

 

[Brumble-Gum]

BB You turn the sluice up and put the heavies in the chamber into a bucket and shake out the contents. Then pan this off.
As others have said, being a two tiered river sluice it does require a bit more water depth than a normal river sluice but a wing dam sorts this out.
There are a lot of quality light weight river sluices out there you just need to research and choose what suits your budget and waterway flows. I use mine when I can't use my detector or after rains.
Good luck with your choice.

 

[hereskip]

I run a AM grub steak and an Alaskan . Last trip goldrocs and myself ran them side by side with the same creek flow and both worked a treat with the only difference being that the Alaskan being able to handle a lot more volume of material through it and because of the large flare it pushed the water through pretty quick but if the creek was to flow a lot more you can unbolt the Alaskan flair off as well.
Cheers
Skip

 

[Gavvvvvin]

I run a AM grub steak and an Alaskan . Last trip goldrocs and myself ran them side by side with the same creek flow and both worked a treat with the only difference being that the Alaskan being able to handle a lot more volume of material through it and because of the large flare it pushed the water through pretty quick but if the creek was to flow a lot more you can unbolt the Alaskan flair off as well.
Cheers
Skip

Does the Alaskan need a lot of water to work?