Dang You Stealth Scoop, Ya Ruined Me

LawrencetheMDer

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
978
2,386
Ohio and Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
For five years I worked w a 6" aluminum water scoop on sand and in sea and I was just fine. I recovered 1,000s of targets good and bad. A few months ago I broke down and paid big bucks for a massive 9"x11" water scoop with a 4ft hickory (I think) wood handle, called the Stealth 920iX. Well, I believe in extreme metal detecting and the wood handle broke yesterday while I was in about 4ft of water and 1/2 mile from the car. I had been watching a crack develop over the past few weeks (started when working in rocks and cement) and knew the handle was weak and could go at any time. Luckily, I had my spare but battered aluminum scoop in the car as a back-up and quickly retrieved it as the beach was growing more packed, like sardines in a can. Any ways, the surf was growing and I decided to stick to the dry sand, making retrieving targets a snap compared to the less-than-clear water. HOLY TOLEDO, what was wrong with me? I couldn't retrieve a target if your life depended on it! It was horrible. It was one thing that some of the targets were in the 10 - 12" range, but often the target was just hard to retrieve on the first or second or third or...attempt. The Stealth had ruined me. Just the other day on TreasureNet I commented on how easy it was to retrieve a target with the CTX3030 17" coil. I should have prefaced that statement with the following: IF YOU'RE USING A STEALTH 920iX scoop. It has totally spoiled me and there is no going back. As for the broken handle, I bought a replacement at Home Depot for 9 bucks. Ready to hit the water tomorrow, surf willing.

Oh, almost forgot. Found 2 sterling rings in the surf, yesterday, with the Excal before I broke my water scoop handle. One is a 925 ABE ring of an interesting shape (registers 8-43 and variable on 3030, air test).

20170403_181428.jpg

The second ring, one of my favorite of the year, has a center heart shape with 3 set small clear stones and the band containing 6 set small clear stones on each side. This ring is also marked 925, followed by an unrecognizable hallmark. Interestingly, this second ring gave a scratchy signal on the Excal as if it were a bottle cap (registers 13-44 on 3030). FYI

20170403_181211.jpg
 

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DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
Detector(s) used
CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
Other
Love that heart ring, a forever keeper! Congrats!

Well..... If it fits your wife, that'll get plenty brownie points for further detecting!

Edit: I picked up an ash post hole digger handle, made to take the stress for my 920iX, good to go. No Breakee.... But then I don't pry out big rocks with it. Love that Stealth!
 

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dsdigger

Bronze Member
Jan 5, 2017
1,389
1,191
Shenandoah Valley, VA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 600, Whites MX Sport, Whites Coinmaster, Minelab Explorer XS, Kellyco Vulcan 360, Lesche Digger, Rattler headphone, Park Ranger Bag by "Freeloader"
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I think for 9 bucks, I'd buy and extra and toss it and a screwdriver with extra mounting screw in the back just in case so you have the replacement handle and don't have to use the back up unless in dire straights.
 

ChampFerguson/TN

Bronze Member
Nov 22, 2013
1,181
1,620
TN
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari .......... Minelab Excalibur II ....... ........Minelab CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
CTX + 17" + Stealth = Killer.
 

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LawrencetheMDer

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
978
2,386
Ohio and Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Love that heart ring, a forever keeper! Congrats!

Well..... If it fits your wife, that'll get plenty brownie points for further detecting!

Edit: I picked up an ash post hole digger handle, made to take the stress for my 920iX, good to go. No Breakee.... But then I don't pry out big rocks with it. Love that Stealth!

Wife doesn't like hearts, she said. The ALE one, however, is a keeper for her. Just have to clean it up.
 

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LawrencetheMDer

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
978
2,386
Ohio and Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
I think for 9 bucks, I'd buy and extra and toss it and a screwdriver with extra mounting screw in the back just in case so you have the replacement handle and don't have to use the back up unless in dire straights.

Unfortunately, after a month and a 1/2 in the water ya could not pull, pry, cut etc the handle out of the scoop. Had to cut off end and drill out the core.
 

DJWEHAGE

Hero Member
Nov 30, 2012
530
1,132
Aberdeen, MD
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Fisher CZ 21, CZ20, CZ 7a Pro, Equinox 800, Stealth 920xi
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Just broke down and bought the same scoop 5 minutes ago. Ive been using the same SS scoop for over 15 years. Looking forward to experiencing the difference. Nice finds!
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The ring marked ALE is a Pandora ring...nice finds.
 

RustyGold

Gold Member
Aug 16, 2013
9,372
10,901
Southern California
Detector(s) used
XP Deus I & II
Xterra Pro
Primary Interest:
Other
I have the 720i Stealth Scoop with a CF handle and it's as important to me as my detector. I wouldn't be without it.
 

lookindown

Gold Member
Mar 11, 2010
7,089
4,936
Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,AT PRO, CZ21...RTG pro scoop...Stealth 720
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I used a 6 inch RTG scoop for three years and thought I was happy with it....then I got my Stealth 720...it cut my dig time in half.
 

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LawrencetheMDer

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
978
2,386
Ohio and Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
I used a 6 inch RTG scoop for three years and thought I was happy with it....then I got my Stealth 720...it cut my dig time in half.

You got it Brother, You can't go back. Between the 17" coil for the CTX3030 and Stealth scoop, I think I have cut down a tremendous amount of wasted time, so more time to increase hits/hr. Another time saver is the elimination of about 95% of bottle caps from being detected as a good target compared to the Excal. I still get some bottle caps that squeak-by my filters, some new and some old. But, overall, a lot less bottle caps. I do seem to be digging more small foil pieces at around 12:02-04, but also found a nice gold and diamond band at 12:02, soooo you never know. I closely track my finds and, although too early to tell for sure, my gross estimate is that I am gaining about 20-30% more coins/hr with the 17" CTX3030 compared to the 10" Excal.
 

Mudflap

Bronze Member
Mar 31, 2012
1,312
1,655
Wallingford, Connecticut 1667
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Dual Field, CZ-21, Vaquero, Home Brewed (3).
Detecting since 1972.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have the 720i Stealth Scoop with a CF handle and it's as important to me as my detector. I wouldn't be without it.

I'm in agreement there. Same setup. Love it. Almost got the 920 but was worried about the required lift to hoist that monster. The 720i is perfect for old goat like me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

RustyGold

Gold Member
Aug 16, 2013
9,372
10,901
Southern California
Detector(s) used
XP Deus I & II
Xterra Pro
Primary Interest:
Other
I'm in agreement there. Same setup. Love it. Almost got the 920 but was worried about the required lift to hoist that monster. The 720i is perfect for old goat like me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Perfect for me too!
 

slider66

Supporting Vendor
Supporting Vendor
Nov 14, 2013
1,481
1,987
Treasure Coast Of Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800
Minelab CTX 3030
Garrett AT Pro
Minelab Excalibur 1000 with SEF 10x12 coil
3 Minelab Excalibur II 10 inch
Deus II
EQuinox 900
Manticore
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
You have some great finds there! The stealth extreme is the only way to go. I have one and I would not trade it for anything. Great job!!
 

Geobound

Hero Member
Feb 21, 2017
614
867
Ontario
Detector(s) used
XP Deus (2019)
Fisher CZ-21 (2019)
CTX 3030 (April 2017)
AT Pro
Garrett Carrot
Pro Pointer
Stavr Scoop Moonstrik 6
Stealth 720i (BNIB)
Home made beach scoop
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That heart ring is fantastic!

If your wife doesn't want it, then how about your girlfriend? HAHAHAHA.........

I just picked up a 3030 and am running the stock coil, but it seems that a lot of people are moving up to that 17" beast.

Interesting what you said about the foil coming in at 12:02 - 12:04, I noticed that too and stopped digging that after a while.

In fairness I've only got about 10 hours of play time on the machine, so I could certainly go back to the 12:02 - 12:04 and see what's there.
 

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