Mike,
I have one and love it. When using the fast water mat you do not have to classify. Just pick out anything really big the rest will roll out. You can really move some dirt and are going to get a work out !
With the slow water mat I like to classify the large rocks out so the sluice will clear out faster. This sluice is really good at catching very small flour gold.
If you have not already watched the Gold Hog video give it a look.

Scott L.

Thanks Scott for your quick reply, yes I went out this Friday and Saturday to a claim here in the northern Ca gold country and that’s what I mostly found was fines but the classifying just seems to take too much time and was wondering if I could get away from it using a gold hog.Thanks again
Mike Drew

Scott,

What size do you classify to when you do ?
I classify to 1/2"
I dont use a goldhog box

Bill

William,

I classify down to 1/4 inch. Everything around here is flour gold and some small flakes.

Scott

Hey Mr. Mike Drew:
Don't hesitate. Get the machine. And figure out how you are going to pack it later.
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Personally, I do not own the machine. Yet it is on my list for "next". Right now, I use the Hog Pan. The waters I now work are deep & fast & the Hog Pan easily out performs any river sluice in my case. Besides, I work alone & turning my back on a river sluice so to fill buckets is unsettling.
I've studied Doc's river sluice & mats. Cadillac equipment. As for classifying, of course you don't shovel 5 or 10 pound cobbles into your bucket / sluice. Rinse em off in the bucket then drop em. A mat like the Talon (Doc's favorite, I heard) allows for the larger cobbles to roll over without touching where the pretties are stored. Yet the mats are rubber (way strong & stiff rubber @ that -I've the multi-sluice) & will bend / distort if the weight is too great. So really, anything baseball size & over, rinse then toss. And the more of the larger then the slower I'd feed the sluice. Let it breath, so to speak.
.
Again, personally, I do not own the machine. Yet it is to be my next investment. I've grown weary of (Garrett) pan'n my buckets of Hog Pan cons. Seeing how summer is tomorrow, I now envision myself slamming out buckets via my Hog Pan into way way way fewer buckets of cons. Then @ the near end of the day, with as many buckets of cons as is possible, opening some river-cooled cold ones while sitting beside & spoon-feeding (for maximum catching of all gold & gems & enjoying the end of the day -no lifting) my newly purchased Gold Hog River Sluice that Doc (thank you) has changed the industry with. How brilliant this man is.