Whats quality and whats generic ?

Foxtrot197

Jr. Member
Jul 21, 2016
59
93
Maryland
Detector(s) used
Garrett AM2s with groundhog duel coils both cranked up , Garrett ace 250 , Discovery 1100
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I was wondering if you guys could give me a list of what you think is top quality brands down to the lesser fair brands and surpass the junk please. Like the best of the best brand as #1 and a so on down the list. the reason I inquire is I am a greenhorn so to speak and I am purchasing used equipt (when I can afford to upgrade) and also the supporting equipt (like pointers etc ) and I would like to compile a list of quality brands so if I run into a fair deal and have extra folding money I do not buy something that looks like a hot rod but runs like a yugo . As my income is a little bit fixed and I am retired I can not really afford to blow and waste money . I UNDERSTAND MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS so please no debates on this thread. Maybe however I can compile a list of good fair equipt by what I see those with experiece have trial tested. as of now I have 2 supped up Garrett AM2 with co planer coils (my old work donated to me and fixed up for me) and I just aquired a Garret Ace 250 and we also have a discovery 1100 (this one seems useless compaired to the older garrets and I feel I wasted my money in comparison and cant afford to do that again). Its me and the wife and we are very serious about this and this was a long time coming while I was healing for many years. So a list compiled together by many serious MDs that have proven and not proven themselves would be great.
 

kcm

Gold Member
Feb 29, 2016
5,790
7,085
NW Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
Other
Just read the posts on Tnet. Go on Amazon.com or eBay.com and see which detectors have the best reviews and/or sell the most.

I don't think there's a single detector brand I've seen mentioned on Tnet that "somebody" doesn't swear by....or swear AT!!

1) Decide what kind of detecting you wish to do primarily.

2) Figure out your comfortable price range

3) Out of what you come up with at this point, check around and find out which brands/models work best in YOUR SPECIFIC AREA, and which don't.

Many detectorists have multiple machines. Maybe one for fresh water, one for salt water, one for dry, rocky areas, one of trashy areas, etc, etc, etc.
 

kcm

Gold Member
Feb 29, 2016
5,790
7,085
NW Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
Other
...One more thing - if you go out tomorrow and buy the VERY BEST, most HIGH-TECH and PRICEY detector on the market today, there will most likely be other folks that could out-hunt you even a year from now while using cheaper, lower-tech detectors. ...Kinda like shooting a gun - put a sniper rifle in the hands of a normal hunter and they won't do much better than normal. Put a popular Remington rifle in the hands of a sniper and he'll shoot far better than you ever did with the gun.

It's not so much the machine as it is the operator -- -- -- that, and the faith of the operator in the machine that they use. If you go out believing you have a 2nd-rate detector, you're not likely to do well.

Believe in yourself. But also, practice makes perfect - or as perfect as one can be, since not everyone is equal.
 

OP
OP
F

Foxtrot197

Jr. Member
Jul 21, 2016
59
93
Maryland
Detector(s) used
Garrett AM2s with groundhog duel coils both cranked up , Garrett ace 250 , Discovery 1100
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Agreed and understood and thats with anything for that matter . I had a long time to prep and get alot of intel for different sites and I also have some caches I am tracking down. The wife and I will be doing a lot of detecting and in different terrains plus I will also be taking a few guys out from wounded warriors here and there so I thought as so many had different detectors they were using them for different ops. Oh One thing I was wondering as I am on a tight budget and Ive worked on this for years and years while bedridden. That also brings me to the question if having multiple coils is the best route to go as I also must account do to my disability that a unit be comfortable and light but no way on earth I could ever put out thousands for a unit.
 

marjam

Sr. Member
Nov 17, 2012
491
440
I would get an all in one unit, and what I mean by that is one that will be good for land, water, hunting coins, and relics, because you don't really know what your preference is going to be until you get out there and do some hunting. Garrett has waterproof detectors around 500-600, less is you buy used off of ebay. White has the mx sport for a little more, and minelab is getting ready to release the equinox 600 and 800. The 600 I think is going to retail for 699, and the 800 for 899.

If you want a quality detector in the 200-400 dollar range, it won't have waterproof features, but can find good stuff on the land for sure. Garretts ace detectors are great, as well as teknetics, bounty hunter, and fisher. So many detectors will find the good stuff, you just have to put the time in to learn the machine. And for the most part, the bigger the coil, the deeper a machine will go, but in trashy areas it is much easier to use a smaller coil to get in between the junk.

Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
 

Adrian SS

Sr. Member
Dec 7, 2008
363
73
Canberra
Detector(s) used
LST, BDHI,Infinium,Sov XS,6000DI Pro SL,Scorpion,V-SAT,Spectrum XLT,Gold Spear,Scorpion,Sand Shark, Compadre,Sierra Madre,Safari, SDC2300, Sea Hunter,CS4PI,TDI OZ Pro, Vallon VMH3CS. Gardiner 202A
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
All of the top make metal detectors ie fisher Whites, Minelab, Garrett, Tesoro, produce detectors for near on every kind of metal detecting possible.
As a do it all very well machine the Fisher Gold Bug DP with both 5 inch and 11 inch coils is a nice unit. Take it to the gold fields or to the salt water beaches and into the wet sand and into the shallow water it performs very well indeed. The control box cannot be submerged. The coils are WP to wading depth.....If you want to go into deep water then WP to at least 30 foot would be needed and you would be looking at Excal or a Garrett PI unit. I don't know if Garrett are still making the Sea Hunter that was good for 200 foot.

Just an opinion, not Gospel.
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,423
30,109
White Plains, New York
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Minelab
Garrett
Whites
Fisher - First Texas
Tesoro
 

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