Need help deciding on a PI machine

[lostlugnut]

I am in the market for a detector that I can use here in the Emerald coast. It will be used in all kinds of environments from sand both dry and wet, knee deep salt water to snorkeling depth, brackish water etc. I would love a excal but that is more then this old boy makes. I am in the $500-600 range, maybe a little more. Which one would fit the bill best. I understand that I will be digging iron I will be paid in exercise with those targets. If you have nay other suggestions from the ones listed please let me know. I am not against buying used if someone knows any leads.
I think I have narrowed it down to...

Sand Shark
Seahunter Mk II

Thank you.

 

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[leprechaun]

Casper Iv'e been looking for a whites surf pro Pi all over Tnet with no luck.Please PM me and let me know where I can find one for 300 or so. Leprechaun

 

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[U.K. Brian]

The Pro might not be the best choice depending on the mineralisation/black sand in your area. Remember Whites removed the pulse delay and fitted a gain control. Better in say, Florida but if you have any bad sand then the previous model is more stable in various hunting conditions. For best all round use you need both controls which is why they reintroduced them with the Dual Field.

 

[search and recovery]

Good point by U.K. Brian.

 

[dbsmokey]

Doesn't really matter, as none of us sell our Sand Sharks. If we did, Tesoro still honors the warranty if it is a manufacturing defect. Anyone else ever have a different experience with Tesoro?

I didn't sell my Sandshark, Tesoro took the piece of CRAP back, refunding my $ (well most of it; I am still out the $16 after they kept the new battery holder I purchased but returned, and out an additional ~$80 for shipping back to Tesoro twice and the cost of a repair on a faulty "new" machine.) I will NEVER again buy a Tesoro. I have owned 3 (El Dorado, LST and SandShark) models and 3 out of 3 models failed/underperformed/broke. Maybe I was just unfortunate with this brand, but that's, to me, no longer relevant. If you want a PI detector that will false with EVERY swing (at least mine did during my once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii), by all means buy a SandShark.

I have NEVER been so underwhelmed by a metal detector new out-of-the box, nor have I ever been so insulted by a business that claims to have such wonderful customer support. "Lifetime Warranty?" I BEG to differ!! Instead try: "Warranty as long as Tesoro is in the "mood" to fix a machine broken from the get-go that leaked in the ocean ruining the innards; but if not in the mood, pay to repair and get the machine returned with salt still in the inside of the housing." I spoke to the customer rep and Vince himself, both of whom were unsympathetic, accused me of causing the problem and had their minds made up before I even had a chance to explain my side of the story. I am in the process of filing a BBB claim against them. If you want more details, PM me. I would be GLAD to provide them.

 

[lost items recovery]

Not trying to get caught up in a "which Detector is better then the other" argument, but I can say this..... I just left the Dual field for a sand shark and my finds have tripled since then.
The reason being that my buddy hunted with and still does with his shark when I had the Dual field and he smoked me on finds.
The problem I had was when he pulled up a 14k hoop earing and I asked to bury it to hear the tone my df would make with it and it didn't pic it up at all. I then tried burying it at 2",1",layed it on the surface and even rubbed it to the bottom of my coil and still "with a sick feeling in my stomach" it did not pick it up. I tried again over and over with multiple combinations of settings and nothing. My day on the beach was ruined. All I could think about was how many times I put my coil over other smaller gold targets and it was not picking it up. It a disappointed and confused mood I called whites to ask them why and they told me it was because it was an earring and was not a complete unbroken circle like a ring and informed me that they have trouble with small necklaces also because the machine pics up the individual links and not the necklace as a whole jewelry item. They mentioned that dual field means that it has 2 Coils in one, a 6" and a 12" and that the 6" should have picked up smaller jewelry. So I asked why did it pick up a junk hoop earring but not a gold one and they told me they don't know. Also asked why didn't it pick up a white gold and diamond earring and they to me white gold is hard to detect. I'd recommend calling them and ask them if this is not true before you purchase a df.
I love my sand shark and it's my 5th machine and I'm home. Here is a pic of the items I was speaking of.
Here is a pic of my finds with my Sand Shark.

 

[Detector Wars]

Don't buy the SH2, SS is a good option, you may be able to pick up a second hand DF if someone's selling one. It will be in that price range, less.

 

[Detector Wars]

I have owned 3 (El Dorado, LST and SandShark) models and 3 out of 3 models failed/underperformed/broke. Maybe I was just unfortunate with this brand, but that's, to me, no longer relevant.

You suck at detector purchases but it's cool, so did I.

Why the hell on earth did you buy the LST and the El Dorado? They have no niche, you're supposed to get the Gold Bug 2 or the GMT. If you try one of Tesoros park detector, you will change your mind.

I hope you win your case against Tesoro though, All detector companies have scumbag in them it seems, they need to be set straight.

 

[Terry Soloman]

So, did you get your new Tesoro Sand Shark yet?

 

[davest]

I think my seahunter only paid for itself 5 times in 4 years. it's a beeper for sure, but if it was easy the girls in the office would be out doing this stuff.