Since I’ve gotten into magnet fishing, I’ve been seeing a lot of talk of Neodymium magnets. The consensus seems to be that these are the best type of magnet to use while magnet fishing. Heavy duty magnets haven’t always been as readily available as they are now. So, I got to wondering. I was wondering, what is a neodymium magnet? So I did some research.
Neodymium magnets are permanent rare earth magnets. Often the same type found in hard drives and electric tools. They are the strongest commercial magnets available, capable of lifting thousands of times there own weight. Which is why you may see 1 lb magnets able to pull around 350 lbs available for under $50. Some of the stronger ones are much more expensive, but can be dangerous.
They have only been around since the 1980s, so Neodymium magnets are just now becoming widely available for low prices.
Where can I buy a neodymium magnet?
There’s a hundreds of affordable neodymium magnets on Amazon, but you could also find them at hardware stores like Loews or Home Depot. Sometimes craft stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael will have them in stock. Many of these will be flat discs with no way to tie a rope though. It’s best to find one with a threaded eyelet. This will have you magnet fishing in no time! I personally buy mine from Amazon, as they have a much larger selection at great prices. You could also opt for a more advanced setup, in which you tie a rope to a frame which has multiple magnets on it.
Grades of Neodymium Magnets:
While there is a wide spectrum of magnet grades. Those commercially available are within the N30 to N52 range. What do those numbers mean?
The first part of the grade is the letter. N stands for Neodymium. Which is the main ingredient in the magnet. All Neodymium magnet grades start with N.
The numbers refer to the Max Energy Product, also known as Mega Gauss Oersteds (MGOe).
The MGOe is composed by multiplying together two properties: Gauss and Oersteds.
- Gauss is the strength of the magnetism emitted from the magnet itself.
- Oersteds is the measurement of permanence in the magnet.
Gauss * Oersteds = MGOe.
Magnets have a different amount of both of these traits depending on the temperature.
Standard N52 neodymium magnets have a maximum operating temperature of 80° C. This is indicated by the absence of a letter.
Safety
Due to the intensity of the magnetic force. These rare earth neodymium magnets may cause problems that you wouldn’t have to worry about with regular magnets. For one, if they get too close to one another, they will clap together. The force could easily be enough to crack or shatter the magnets. Remember they are more brittle than their counterparts. Make sure to keep away from children as well. There have been records of children swallowing multiple magnets, only to have them pinch parts of their digestive track together. See the CPSC Safety Alert.
I don’t want to even think about getting one of these magnets around a tooth filling or worse a pacemaker.
It’s a pretty good idea to have a thick plastic, insulated case to carry them in. If you get one latched to the side of a vehicle (and they will stick), you’re going to have to contend with pulling 250-500lbs of magnetic force from your vehicle. This will surely result in some form of damage. If you do get it stuck however, don’t try to slide it around, unless you want scratched in your paint. Try to pull it directly off. If this doesn’t work, then you will want to try and pry it off from the side. If you can get leverage and get the surface to break away, it will release itself immediately.