A sluice box is one of the best equipment used for gold mining. It can efficiently concentrate gold from relatively large amounts of sediments. This gold mining tool is a must for placer mining and is used both by professional and amateur gold prospectors. Find out everything you need to know about gold sluices and discover the best sluice box and highbankers for sale! Don’t forget to also have a look at the best sluice mat for fine gold recovery!
Table of Contents
What is a gold sluice?
A sluice box is a small channel allowing the passage of a stream of water. The sluice box also contains riffles at the bottom of the channel which will separate dense material such as gold from dirt and other sediments flowing through the sluice. This process is often used in placer mining to extract gold from alluvial deposits.
How does a gold sluice work?
The gold sluice needs water to operate. The sluice can be placed directly in a river bed allowing a regular flow of water. Alternatively, a water pump can also be used to provide water to the gold sluice.
The first step of gold extraction is to load a shovel full of alluvial sediments at the top of the gold sluice. Generally, the sluice will have some kind of loading tray allowing the removal of large rocks and pebbles that would otherwise clog the sluice. This filtration step ensures that the sediments flowing through the sluice have a proper size to maximize the yield.
The flow of water has a huge impact on the efficiency of a sluice used for gold mining. The flow has to be sufficient to remove most of the debris and contaminating sediments. On the other hand, the current should not too strong to avoid washing away and losing precious gold. This is why it might be a good idea to invest a little more and use a water pump along with your gold sluice. Indeed, the adjustable water flow will increase the yield and enable maximum gold recovery.
Another important factor to consider is of course the length. Longer gold sluices are able to extract fine gold particles and will reduce the amount of gold that can be lost during the extraction process.
What angle should a gold sluice be at?
There is not a magical answer to this one, as it depends on many factors. Typically, it can be anything between 5 and 20 degrees approximately. The idea is to keep a small slope favoring the elimination of larger rocks and pebbles while retaining the maximum gold. The flow of water, the length of the sluice box, and the type of riffles can all affect the optimal slope required. Therefore, it is important to try different installations and experiment to find out what works best for you.
Different types of sluice box riffles and matting surfaces
The basic design of a gold sluice is minimally composed of riffles that can catch small gold nuggets. Some models also include a section with a rugged mat that can separate even smaller gold particles. In addition, some gold sluices have a section with a miner’s moss fixed in place by a removable grid. This feature is perfect to separate the fine gold powder from alluvial sediments.
As you can expect, the type of matting surface and its length can greatly influence the efficiency of the gold separation process. Nevertheless, the final product of any gold sluice is a highly enriched gold fraction with some remaining sediments. You can then use a gold pan to remove the last contaminants and collect your precious gold!
What is the best gold sluice?
There are different types of gold sluices for sale and it can be quite confusing to find the right one for you. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as “the” best gold sluice. Indeed, there is a variety of models that will perfectly suit different types of gold prospectors. Therefore, it is important to first think about the kind of usage that you intend on doing with your gold sluice. Is it for amateur gold prospection or for more professional gold mining? Do you have to carry your sluice over long distances or move it frequently around your claim, etc?
In general, there are 3 important factors to consider when buying a gold sluice: the overall efficiency, the size, and the portability. The key here is to find the perfect balance between these aspects in order to find the best gold sluice for you.
Let’s now have a look at reviews of some of the best gold sluices for sales!
Stansport aluminum sluice box for gold mining
The Stansport sluice is Amazon’s best choice for sluice boxes. It is rated 4.4 out of 5 with over 225 reviews. This sluice box is made in the USA from lightweight aluminum. It is also available in 3 different sizes: 24, 30, and 50 inches.
This Stansport sluice has a carry handle and is easy to transport. For your information, the 30 inches sluice weighs approximately 5 pounds (2.25 kg). The longer 50 inches sluice also folds in half and is only 24 inches long during transport.
Check this Stansport Aluminum Sluice Box – Gold Mining Equipment on Amazon
This gold sluice is composed of a funnel section followed by a black mat, removable riffles, and expanded metal mesh to capture even the smallest gold flakes. Although the design of this sluice is not revolutionary, it can definitely get the job done! This sluice is sold for less than $100 USD, which makes it a good value item. This gold sluice would be perfect for any beginner gold prospector!
Sluice fox gold panning supplies kit with sluice box
The 31” sluice fox is a complete gold panning kit! It is rated 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon with over 130 reviews. The sluice is made of plastic and is available in two different colors: black and green. The main advantage of this sluice is that it weighs only 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg). This gold sluice is thus perfect to carry on the field when you go gold mining!
Check the Sluice Box by Sluice Fox on Amazon – Kit Includes All Gold Panning Equipment
Sluice fox: a modular sluice box
The sluice box is composed of 2 modular sections: the flare and the sluice itself. These sections are easily assembled with a unique and patented interlocking design. This gold sluice is small enough to carry in a bag (not provided). When assembled, the size of the sluice is approximately 31″ x 7.5″ x 2.5″ (80 x 20 x 6.5 cm). The sluice section is composed of 4 different surfaces: 2 rugged surfaces and 2 miner’s moss surfaces held in place by larger riffles. The miner’s mosses are included in the kit and can be easily removed to retrieve fine gold flakes.
Gold panning kit included with the sluice box
This 16-piece sluice kit is assembled in the USA and contains everything you need to start prospecting gold. This kit contains 2 gold pans 12” (30.5 cm) and a 10” gold pan (25.5 cm). The sluice fox kit also comes with 2 stack-able mesh shifting pans that conveniently fit on standard 5-gallon buckets. In addition, you get magnifying tweezers, 2 pipets, and 3 small bottles to easily collect and store fine gold particles. Finally, you get a small shovel/scoop and a pick perfect to dig into hard-to-reach and tight places.
For bout $100, the 31” sluice fox and gold panning kit is one of the best options if you want to get started with gold prospecting. It is really a reasonable price considering everything this kit contains. The modular aspect of this sluice box is also convenient for beginner gold prospectors because you always have the option to buy additional sections. This is perfect if you find the right mining spots and later on want to improve the efficiency of your sluice to catch more gold!
ASR Outdoor Deluxe Aluminum Folding Sluice Box Backpack Kit Gold Prospecting
This sluice box kit is simply amazing! It is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Amazon with several positive reviews. In addition, this 24-pieces gold prospecting kit contains everything you need to start gold mining: 10” and 8” gold sifting pans, black trowel, magnifying tweezer, dropper pipettes, glass vials, and more!
The ASR sluice box provided with this kit is made of durable aluminum and its folded dimensions are 15″ x 9.25″ x 2/5″ (38.1 x 23.5 x 1 cm). Furthermore, it comes fully equipped with high-quality miner’s moss and carpet to ensure efficient gold recovery. This sluice box can also be easily assembled on the field and measures 50”. It has the perfect length allowing you to retrieve the most gold out of every load!
The main advantage of the ASR sluice box is its portability. Indeed, the sluice box can be easily carried with the supplied backpack. This bag is made of high-quality cotton and its large central pouch can hold up to 30L (1830 cubic inches).
Although this gold mining kit is slightly more expensive than the above options, it is still a very good deal if you are looking for an all-in-one kit. The overall quality and portability of this sluice box kit also make it the perfect gift for any gold mining enthusiast!
53” Sluice Fox Modular Sluice Box System
As mentioned above, the sluice fox is an amazing modular sluice box system. I won’t go again over all the advantages of this model, but I still want to point out what it looks like in the “full” configuration. With an overall length of 53” containing 6 alternating V-trap riffle surfaces and 4 miner’s moss sections, this beast will not let much gold flow through.
Check this Gold Sluice by Sluice Fox on Amazon
Another amazing feature of this sluice box is that it weighs only 4 pounds (1.8 kg)! This sluice box is definitely the most lightweight compared to other models in the same category. In addition, the 2 main sections of the sluice fold together to form their own transport box. When folded, it measures only 24” x 7.5” x 5” (61 x 19 x 13 cm). Therefore, it should fit in a standard hiking backpack and can be easily transported and assembled in no time.
For about $100, this sluice box is a really nice option for beginners that already have a gold pan or don’t necessarily want all the extra items often offered in kits. This 53” gold sluice would also be perfect for more advanced gold prospectors because of its high efficiency and portability.
Mini Power Sluice & Set Up Kit 6″ Gold Mining Equipment
If a standard sluice box is still not enough, then you want to have a look at this mini power sluice! This highbanker sluice is one of the most efficient gold mining tools you can get. No wonder why it is rated 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon with over 50 reviews. Furthermore, this sluice is made in the USA from high-quality aircraft aluminum and a 10” width model is also available.
Check this Mini Power Sluice Kit 6″ – Gold Mining Equipment on Amazon
This mini power sluice perfectly combines high-efficiency gold mining equipment with portability and neat design! This mini power sluice weighs approximately 15 pounds (6.8 kg). The sluice section measures 32” by 6” (81.3 x 15.2 cm) and is composed of unique 45 degrees Z-riffles, ribbed matting and an aluminum cage covering expanded metal mesh. You may also choose to replace the expanded metal mesh with miner’s moss to increase the recovery yield of fine gold particles. You can also assemble your mini power sluice with either a flare or a header box provided in the kit. The header box measures 8″ x 6″ x 6″ (20.3 x 15.2 x 15.2 cm).
In addition, the mini power sluice comes with a stand and 800 gph water pump (12V) that you can plug on a car battery or else. The power sluice also comes with a stand. It is therefore easy to adjust the slope and water flow to obtain perfect results and retrieve the most gold. As a rule of thumb, raising the header box 4 inches above the front legs will give a slope of approximately 15 degrees.
The mini power sluice is a professional gold mining tool available at a really affordable price! For about $250, this power sluice is one of the best values you can get! This mini power sluice is also able to handle a good amount of sediments in no time to make the most out of your gold mining trips!
Conclusion
As you can see, gold sluices have evolved a lot since their invention. There are now many options combining low price, portability, and highly efficient gold recovery. No matter which model you prefer, you will definitely enjoy all the benefits of using a sluice for gold prospecting and mining.
I hope that you found this review of the best gold sluices useful. Feel free to share your experience with us or ask questions in the comment section down below. Finally, you can check my previous posts to find the best rock hammers, learn how to polish rocks using a tumbler or to find the best rock tumbler grit and supplies.
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Additional informations :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placer_mining#Sluice_box