The power sluice, also known as highbankers, are motorized pieces of equipment that pump water to stimulate the natural flow of water through a sluice box. The power source is either gasoline or larger battery packs.
The advantage of using highbankers instead of a smaller, handheld sluice box is that it a less labor-intensive and allows you to process dirt and gravel away from the water source. Ultimately, you will be able to process more material in less time, increasing your chance of recovering gold and other valuable minerals.
Like a standard sluice box, a power sluice needs to be angled; however, the slope of a power sluice (highbanker) is three to four inches per foot. Using powered pumps and hoses connected to the sluice allows prospectors to bring the water to them rather than needing to be directly located in the water source. Keep in mind, pumping water uphill will eventually slow the flow of water, thus reducing the efficiency of the sluice.
Also, we recommend testing areas you are considering using a highbanker to indicate the need to haul a heavier piece of equipment like a power sluice to the intended location.
With this in mind, below are our top picks for the best Highbanker’s (power sluice) options:
Top 3 Amazon Highbankers & Power Sluice Options With Reviews
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1. Royal 30″ Highbanker with Hopper Sluice Box Kit
This power sluice option from Royal comes with a 30″ compact sluice box, hopper, hoses, sluice stand, and pump and batteries. This is an adaptable, quality power sluice. The stand is equipped with adjustable legs that can shift between 16″ and 20″ heights.
Key Features Of The Royal 30″ Highbanker with Hopper Sluice Box Kit
- 30” long X 7″ wide Compact Sluice Box
- Removable Flare
- 4” Black Anodized Handle
- Folding Sluice Stand with adjustable legs
- Our new Deep “V” Rubber Matting for easy Gold ID.
- Adjustable Hopper: top of Hopper 14-1/8” X 7-1/8”
- Two 3/4” adjustable spray bars
- Ball Valve.
- 7’ of 1-1/8” hose
- 12 volt electric US Made Johnson 2200 Pump
- Batteries are 6’ leads with battery clips and filer bags
- Removable 3/8” perforated punch plate.
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The sturdy, compact highbanker sluice by Royal Manufacturing is a well-made kit, including all the necessary parts to make it a true power sluice.
2. Gold Hog Raptor Flare Highbanker
This high-efficiency power sluice can keep around five people busy and process up to 100 buckets of dirt an hour without prior classification. The Gold Hog Raptor Flare can be broken into two parts, making it easy to transport and store.
Key Features Of The Gold Hog Raptor Flare Highbanker
- Run 100+ buckets of dirt an hour with NO classification
- It comes with pre-made GoldHog matting
- Stop And Flare section spreads and slows water to ensure even distribution over the bottom sluice
- Dual-zone technology allows this unit to capture above 98% of the gold down to fine flour gold
- Will run off most 2″ semi-trash pumps, which can be reduced to 1.5″ hose
- Easily breaks apart into two sections for easy transport
- Weight: 49 lbs.
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The efficient power sluice kit will keep a small team busy, increasing your chances of mining more gold. The unit does not include the Clay Claw, which is an option shown in videos. Keep in mind; the plumbing connection is 1.5″, so make sure you have a way to reduce it. The unit needs approximately 5000 – 7000 gph delivered to the header box. And, the ideal pump needed for this kit can generate at least 40 psi.
3. Gold Cube 4 Stack Deluxe with Trommel Top
Gold Cube offers a three-stack or deluxe four-stack option. Both offer easy setup and high-efficiency processing to help you recover more gold faster. The unique technology creates three degrees of separation, which forces the gold to the bottom of the trough.
Key Features Of The Gold Cube 4 Stack Deluxe with Trommel Top
- Slick Plate: precisely controlled water flow designed to process large amounts of 8 mesh and smaller material quickly. The slick plate turns aggregate material into a slurry, and the water flow forces the lighter particles ahead of, the heavier material.
- G-Force Separator: centrifugal force will force the gold to the outer edge of the rounded trough. Lighter, faster-moving particles race past the heavier particles & exit the column first
- Vortex Matting: water flow interacts with a combination of tiny pillar walls & cavities-about 7,056 of them per mat. The spinning creates a low-pressure zone in the center of each cavity. Passing gold will be trapped & forced to the bottom of the vortexes & held in place by the lighter material
- The 5-inch diameter trommel that goes on top of the Gold Cube spins and washes your material. It is a 16-inch long barrel x 5-inch diameter
- The classifying screen is 3/16 inch
- The trommel’s hopper and barrel include a sprayer for automatic cleaning
- Shipping Weight: 55 lbs.
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The Gold Cube 4 Stack Deluxe includes 1 Slick Plate, 3 Separator Trays, Stand, Pump, Hose, Hose Adapters, and 5-inch Trommel for the top. The trommel makes classifying easy, and the cube sluice is great for mining and recovering very fine gold. The combination of gravity and hydraulic pressure makes it impossible for the gold to float or sail. (Gold Cube).
Top 3 Amazon Power Sluice Options QUICK REVIEW
| Power Sluice Brand | Power Sluice Image | Power Sluice Key Features | More Info Or Purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal 30″ Highbanker with Hopper Sluice Box Kit | | 30” long X 7″ wide Compact Sluice Box, Removable Flare, Folding Sluice Stand with adjustable legs, Deep “V” Rubber Matting, Adjustable Hopper, Two 3/4” adjustable spray bars, 7’ of 1-1/8” hose, 12 volt electric US Made Johnson 2200 Pump, Shipping Weight: 26 lbs | BUY NOW |
| Gold Hog Raptor Flare Highbanker | | Run 100+ buckets of dirt an hour with no classification, Comes with pre-made GoldHog matting, Stop And Flare section spreads and slows water to ensure even distribution over the bottom sluice, Dual-zone technology allows unit to capture above 98% of the very fine gold, runs with most 2″ semi-trash pumps, easily breaks down into two sections for easy transport, Weight: 49 lbs. | BUY NOW |
| Gold Cube 4 Stack Deluxe with Trommel Top | | Slick Plate: precisely controlled water flow, process large amounts of smaller material quickly, G-Force Separator: centrifugal force will force the gold to the outer edge of the rounded trough, Vortex Matting: water flow interacts with a combination of very small pillar walls & cavities-about 7,056 of them per mat, 5-inch diameter trommel, 3/16 inch classifying screen, trommel’s hopper and barrel include sprayer for automatic cleaning, Shipping Weight: 55 lbs. | BUY NOW |
Not quite ready for a highbanker? Check out our post on the best portable sluice box options: 5 Portable Sluice Box Kits For Ultimate Gold Hunting Success