AT Pro - Your opinion?

[Dubya]

Please give me some honest opinions on the AT Pro.

 

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[Eagledigs]

I love it..This is only my second detector, but I have had great success w/ it..The stock DD coil is incredible in trashy areas..Went yesterday and was hunting some old house sites where the Union seige lines were located in Vicksburg..A lot of trash but when I came across minie balls I got a distinctive sound and reading even though there was a lot of trash w/in 2-4 inches all around the ball..Depth is great also..I have the 9x12 coil also, but hardly ever use it b/c most the areas have I hunt have a fair amount of trash and you can't beat the DD in those areas..The machine is easy to use and learn, durable, and waterproof..I highly recommend it!

 

[Sandman]

I on the other hand don't like mine. I am not used to the ID numbers dancing all over the screen. I bought it so I could learn it since I mainlyy use others in the water. As a beginner MD it is quit good for the money, but mine hangs on the wall.

 

[Diggit]

It's a few steps above the Ace 250/350, but was nothing near my MXT or DFX. i borrowed one for a day to see what it was like. I was with two other guys,one had a MXT and the other had a F75.
I got frustrated and went back to using my MXT.
I went back over the same area I was using the AT Pro on and found a Buffalo, two mercs and a handful of clad, so there was my experience with it.
It would be a good beginner machine,but the problem is for a beginner machine it is complicated, so that negates THAT plus.
It IS light, but so is a Bounty Hunter.

 

[CoNtAcT2000]

complicated? not really, i think a machine cant be easier as the at pro - really!
Its a real good detector of the upper class - for a good price!

ok, it could be wireless and could have a better shaft but all other is really good.

 

[Diggit]

complicated? not really, i think a machine cant be easier as the at pro - really!

Compared to other machines? No,it isn't complicated. For a BEGINNER machine, yes it's complicated.
You can get a Tesoro, a Fisher or a White's that performs WAY better,yet is much simpler to operate.

 

[CoNtAcT2000]

i can compare the at pro with a few machines. Minelab, xp deus (1400€ detector), compass, garrett gta1000...
The at pro is as easy to handle as every garrett machine. And the detector is as good as the 1400€ XP Deus. (i would say its a litte bit better - audio signals are easier to identify)

 

[Dave44]

Wow! I love mine, not near as complicated as my XLT(which I love), Has fantastic depth,, and I would say it has a little more depth than My XLT, I never learned to appreciate my Etrac, or maybe how to use it, But the Pro out worked the etrac in the areas I have been.

Incredibly fast separation,, great depth(as deep as I care to dig sometimes) and really easy. Although I feel my excals woop it on the beach.
I keep the XLT as a backup now.

I listen to the sounds more than the #s nowadays.

Good luck all.

 

[markincypress]

I got an AT Pro a few weeks ago and took it to a seeded club hunt today. Around 50 folks using just about every major brand and model of detector out there. 500 silver dimes had been planted in the field. After the timed seeded hunt was over I re-hunted the field with my AT Pro and picked up 6 more silver dimes that were missed by the 50 detectors. I think it is a pretty good detector. My nickel count has increased with the AT Pro and last week I found a mans gold wedding ring.

 

[smartmoney]

I have a friend who has the AP Pro and several times I called him over to see if he can pick up one of my signals. He never can if they are >6" unless he's in pinpoint mode he can pick it up faintly. I use the Etrac and would never go back to any other detector out there.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Compared to other machines? No,it isn't complicated. For a BEGINNER machine, yes it's complicated.
You can get a Tesoro, a Fisher or a White's that performs WAY better,yet is much simpler to operate.

My first detector was an ATP, got it last year and I don't think it could have been any easier to use and with the videos available on the Garrett site no one should have any issues learning to use this machine.
ZDD

 

[Digs68]

I have a friend who has the AP Pro and several times I called him over to see if he can pick up one of my signals. He never can if they are >6" unless he's in pinpoint mode he can pick it up faintly. I use the Etrac and would never go back to any other detector out there.

I would disagree with this statement. Maybe soil composition plays a role, but after learning to listen to the faint distinction in tones, I've been pulling some deep coins, etc. Today I went to a park that I covered a year ago with my Bounty Hunter 505. I was very pleased with the sensitivity of the coil. How, if you are patient, you can pick tiny "good" signals right out of the trash. Ten minutes in the hunt, I got a faint (but clear) tone, which indicates a deep coin. Out popped a 1941 quarter. It was at least 10" deep, if not more. I also pulled a 53 silver dime out of the trash and it was way deep as well. Plus a wheat penny. And plenty more finds for the day in a very trash area. I am extremely impressed with the At Pro after learning the faint distinctions in tones. I love it!

 

[gleaner1]

I have had mine for a year. The more I use it, the more I appreciate it. It is very good in trashy grounds. It is fast and separates very well. I have found 3 gold rings and a few silver coins and an indian cent and a v nickel, a pile of wheats and a big old silver bracelet with it in trashy sites. It has the ability to find small goods like ear rings and shoe eyelets. I have not been using it much, I am trying to ween myself off the cz, which is deeper, but can't take the iron like the pro. I say it is a good mid range machine at a decent price. Some people hate it. I say its pretty good. It is not an Etrac caliber. The balance and feel with the big dd seems a bit heavy, but not bad. I am going to get the elliptical concentric, which should get the deepies a bit better and is a bit lighter. The headphones are crap, get an adapter for a good set of phones. Battery life is good. Do not spend more than 520 for this machine, shop around.

 

[Diggit]

well you AT fans, swing away!
You can use anything you want to justify your purchase,and nullify your bad choice. I will be happy to go after you with my DFX,MXT and F5 and get the stuff you missed.
Just like I have in the past.

 

[gleaner1]

well you AT fans, swing away!
You can use anything you want to justify your purchase,and nullify your bad choice. I will be happy to go after you with my DFX,MXT and F5 and get the stuff you missed.
Just like I have in the past.

The pro is not in the dfx league. Can you offer any anecdotal info of target comparisons between the f5 and the pro in the field? Have you ever owned an atpro, and if not, how can you say it is a bad choice?

 

[U.K. Brian]

Now you have to decide who is fibbing. One point though is the XP Deus, Explorers, XLT, DFX are not going to be as good if they are not used correctly. If you have a more complicated detector and don't venture into the menu's then you may as well get the Garrett. Anyone who uses the options provided by the more, in some cases much more, expensive detectors should be able to outperform the Pro.

 

[Digs68]

I say buy what you want. As a hobby detectorist, I don't get to go that often and my budget took a reasonable set-back just buying the AT Pro. When you have folks start comparing it to detectors that cost twice as much, it's not really a reasonable comparison. I started out with a Pioneer Bounty Hunter 505, which I purchased as a special deal from Kellyco for $200 a couple years ago. It worked very well for finding coins, and was very easy to use. I upgraded to the Pro and, after a couple hunts, I had settled in to it's various sounds and readings. In pro mode, it gets quieter if the object is deep. After a little practice, I know right away if I need to scoop deep or scrape the surface. Finally, I'm very impressed with the sensitivity. If you go slow in those trash areas, you can hear the sweet sounds pop-in between the crackle of garbage. It really works well! It really does pick-up a lot of targets the 505 was missing.
Everyone is going to have their favorites. In everything we do we have our favorites. I prefer my John Deere mower, Tikka rifle, Ruger pistols, wrangler jeans, etc, etc. I'll bet we can sit here all day and argue just over those four choices alone.
I'm just going to say, if you want a decent detector that works well, is easy to use, and you won't have to mortgage your house for, then the AT Pro is a good choice.

 

[smartmoney]

I suppose you cant compare an Etrac to an AP Pro so do swing away. I wish everyone buys AP Pros cause I have seen first hand that they cant get the depth that a Whites high end model or an Etrac can get. The BH 505 is basically an upgraded Radio Shack detector. Even my V3i was no match for the Etrac. Excellent and accurate depth, and super sensitive on silver. My 10" Barber dime sounds the same as my 2" 1999 Rosy. More important however is the more you learn your detector, your finds will become better. I have a friend who has a DFX and he is still learning it. I have used Whites my whole life so when I tried his DFX to make sure it was working ok, I picked up deep coins right away. Most of the time its the user and not the machine.

 

[crankyolman22]

I'm with Digs68. How can you compare the AT Pro to a detector costing 2, 3 or 4 times as much? People are comparing an Etrac? Really? An Etrac is more than $1500! Well, I guess you can but it isn't a fair or reasonable comparison. As far as Diggit going back over ground with his MXT after detecting with an AT, first he sounds bias against the AT to begin with. Did He take the time to learn the machine? It doesn't sound like it. After all it's only human nature to not like change and favor what we already know and of course you will do better with one you have worked with and gotten comfortable with than one you just started with. Second, How many times have we gone over an area we already hit and find other stuff? All the time. After all it is a common saying that no place is ever hunted out.

Now, I don't have an AT Pro yet but it likely will be my next one because it is waterproof and submersible up to 10 feet. The MXT, DFX, F5 and just about everything else in the AT price range all have waterproof search coils but the control units are not. This is a biggie for me since I want to wade out in swimming areas without fear that I might drop it in the water and ruin my unit. Last is the service I got from Garrett when my Pro Pointer broke was the best I've ever seen, I've heard other people talk about that too. If their service is like that every time, they will probably have a loyal customer with me from now on.

A lot of people here on T-net seem to have forgotten what budget detecting is like. Prior to the changeover few people ever spoke badly about the AT and actually I think that's still the case. Most people who have them love them. There are a few people who seem to have appeared lately that don't seem to like them and like to get loud about it. Strangely they all seem to have appeared just about the same time as that TV show American Diggers and are using the same machines as they do on the show I'm sure that's just a coincidence

 

[Dave44]

Now you have to decide who is fibbing. One point though is the XP Deus, Explorers, XLT, DFX are not going to be as good if they are not used correctly. If you have a more complicated detector and don't venture into the menu's then you may as well get the Garrett. Anyone who uses the options provided by the more, in some cases much more, expensive detectors should be able to outperform the Pro.

I guess you are right, I only used my XLT for 7 years so I am sure I never learned anything. And after some great signals that disappeared for about 6 months I got rid of the Etrac before it depreciated too much!

OOOPPPPS did I say that? What I meant to say is that quit crappin on a detector that is half the cost and performs extremely well. I found an 1866 Indian head at 11 inches with the ATP that I walked all over with the other 2 detectors.

If you have not used it leave it alone. Geesh.