This is a pretty slick setup! I like how the material gets a good wash in the hopper and then as it goes through the trommel. Then the sluice is set up with gold hog matting in this order , UR ,SCRUBBER, RAZOR , DOWN DRAFT AND BEDROCK



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz-fYEd1TlE

They're not cheap at $900+shipping. Any thoughts on how well this might work in CO? Interested to hear what y'all think.

http://awiscom.fatcow.com/goldfox/lilmonster.html

It looks good - may be what Chris needs at his claim..... does one heck of a job washing the pay.

Better photo

Whatcha think Chris? Think this might be something that would work well in your neck of the woods? Would the trommel really add that much benefit over a banker like yours or Scratches?

It looks cool but way too small methinks. It's only 26 inches long.... I catch trout longer than that. The barrel is only 5 inches dia I believe (short too). I'd get mad at that thing. Their vid is filmed oddly with a fisheye type lens and you never get a true size perspective. I don't think that's on accident.
This is a far better value and a beasty portable machine at $1650... I've always wanted one. Similar to Scott's trommel... big barrel, big hopper, big spray bars, and well suited for that nasty clay: Green Giant
Would also work well at CC or anywhere. Just thinking if yer gonna get a trommel... get a TROMMEL.
If I had kids... I might get one of those lil foxes and let them set it up next to Dad's trommel.

I think you are right, Chris, I didn't think about the size - I need to add some "beaters" to mine. Easy enough to do with 1/4" angle iron. It will be a real monster then.

Oh man, that would bee killer!
(see what I did there)
I don't think it would be too difficult to do and would be a great improvement. Do it!

He does build an 8" model with a 65" sluice; not sure how long the barrel is. That one runs $1900. Also has a 12" model... quite a fancy rig; lots going on there! Also $3800!!

Green Giant indeed! That is quite a unit! Would definitely be tough to haul around!

Just for sake of discussion, on the 5" unit, while the trommel is short, it is still adding an extra step to wash the material. Still has a highbanker hopper, so it would get washed there, run through the trommel, and then hit the sluice. So wouldn't the extra step still let you catch a bit more gold over the quick wash in a normal highbanker?

I know more isn't always better, so this might just be overcomplicating things. Thanks for humoring the rookie! :)

Sometimes more is not better - if the trommel section was 10" longer and had beaters, plus was 8" or 10" instead of 5", it would be ideal. This is a rec/small time use machine, not one designed for commercial use, or the use that Swizz needs. I do think that a high banker/trommel hybrid would work best, as the high banker would catch the larger nuggets, and the trommel with beaters would break up the clay and enable catching of the smaller gold, but the Green Giant can be set up to do both (yeah, I know, there are efficiency issues here). More experimentation is in order!

Was drooling on pics of the big green monster this morning! Think there is any way to modify it to pair it up with a dredge, if Chris decides to go that route? Been Googling to see if I could find any examples of that in the field, but no luck yet.

Holy Toledo! Look at this AM monster!

http://angusmackirk.com/shop/golden-retriever-trommel/#

Given their little bitty one is $2k, I'm sure I don't even need to ask how much this one is! lol

I don't think that's a factory option but the highbankers are easy enough to convert. Scott's trommel will dredge so I know it could be modified. I think we're a way out from dredging and it's not a priority. I very much need to widen the footprint of that hole next for safety purposes. As glorious as it is, we don't have much bedrock exposed yet and steep/unstable walls. The Gold will come.

Taking my further line of r00kie questions inside the wire.

Need a mini-ex and small loader to keep that one running.

You know you want it! I just wanna see you run it....

Nice M5 in the background....