Is this a good deal on an F2?

bilder

Jr. Member
May 16, 2017
52
159
Southwest Oregon
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202, Teknetics Gamma 6000, Teknetics Patriot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Getting back into the hobby after 15 years or so away. I used to own a Tesoro Cutlass II and found a lot of stuff with that little machine.

Well, I am looking at an F2 that comes with 8 and 4 inch coils and a pin pointer for $150.

Is this a good deal? And is this a good machine for a guy who is used to analog detectors and is looking to see what the digital world has to offer?

Thanks.
 

Loco-Digger

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2014
11,827
17,744
Northern O-H-I-O
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
F75 LTD, 1280X Aquanaut, & a Patriot (back-up/loaner)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Yes it's a good deal, you may want to get a better pin pointer though. I imagine you are getting the fisher or bounty hunter pin pointer. It only has a range of about 3/4" max where I like to have 1 & 3/4" to 2" range like the Garrett or Garrett Carrot.

The F2 is a turn on and go detector. I swung the F4 for a few months after I began detecting back in 2014. I do own the same set-up F2 that you are buying. I keep it around as a loaner/back-up. I can get anyone up and detecting with that machine with about 5 minutes of training. I do recommend that if you like the detector and want a little more depth that you keep your eyes open for a used DD coil or a used sharpshooter coil.

The only down fall of the F2 is that it takes two 9v batteries. To save money I bout a 10 pack of cheap ones from Lowes and never had an issue. Always keep an extra set of batteries with you. I use an 88 cent nail apron as my finds pouch. Trash on one side and treasure on the other. If you plan on doing manicured lawns I recommend a good hand digger, but if you are hunting fields and wood a small 2 ft shovel can be picked up at Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, etc for under $10.

Good Luck
 

digger27

Bronze Member
May 18, 2011
1,506
3,225
I was happy using my Vaquero and one day I got the same package deal to be used on vacations and as a guest detector only.
I got this one because it was supposed to be fast like a Tesoro and the screen I figured would be easier to use for a newbie guest.
While learning it I had so much fun and found so much starting on the first day I rarely took out anything else.
For 3 years I used it, first with the 8" coil and found a ton, I tried the sniper just as a lark about 18 months in and I found way, way more so that coil was rarely ever replaced.
I learned the tones, and there are differences and inflections in those tones, and I learned the language of the screen and eventually I got even deeper into the behavior and learned even more.
Only a few settings but the language is deceptively rich if you get to know it well.
My package cost $200 new, in the three years I used it I won the most coins found three years running at my club plus enough silver and gold to pay for the thing more than 10 times over.
A whole lot of silver and gold as a matter of fact.
At least 3 guys in my club bought one because the couldn't believe all the different contests I won with mine and all that I brought in to show off at most meetings.
I started a thread on another forum that was only an innocent review but it kept on going for years and became a depository of everything I learned and found and many other happy owners added to it too and we all shared what we learned.
Over a quarter million views and close to 1400 posts in that thing and it is responsible for selling dozens more F2's if not a whole lot more than that after people stumbled on it and read it.

This is a sly little unit, at an entry level price but it thinks it is a big boy detector the way it finds things.
When I decided to upgrade to get more power and settings I got an F70 and stayed in the Fisher family because of the remarkable things I saw it could do and never regretted it.

Learn it well and you will be shocked at what it can do.
I was.

If you get it let me know, I can point you to a whole ton of information that can get you through the initial learning curve fast and into finding the good stuff.
 

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bilder

Jr. Member
May 16, 2017
52
159
Southwest Oregon
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202, Teknetics Gamma 6000, Teknetics Patriot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks for the advice.

I have been bouncing between the F2, saving up for the F22, or sticking with Tesoro and getting either the Mojave or an original Silver Sabre that is up for sale a couple hours away.

Guess it just depends on if I am willing to wait three or four weeks or have it now. :)
 

HighVDI

Silver Member
Feb 16, 2017
2,765
4,594
Pa
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Imo, the price on the used f2 is average. I sold mine a couple weeks ago for 100 bucks minus the small coil and PP.

I found a bunch of coins with my f2 in a very short period of time. Like digger said.....once you learn it, it is consistent! Deepest coins I recall finding with it were around 6 inches I believe. I'm a fan of fisher machines, but if I had a choice of the two I'd take a mojave ever since I've seen the nail board test video. Most sites I hunt have iron to some degree.....and I think the tesoro will sniff out the coins better than the f2 in that environment. I also think the mojave will go deeper too. I have no experience with the dd coil on the f2.....that might change the game some. Hard to go wrong with the f2 for $150. Can always throw it up for sale and get your money back.
 

Slowtaknow

Sr. Member
Oct 27, 2015
375
435
Kannapolis nc
Detector(s) used
Fisher f2, Tesoro vaquero, Nokta Simplex, Garrett Csi 250, whites gold master 2.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Going to upgrade mine with a cors coil. That will increase depth and separation.
 

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