AT Gold= THUMBS DOWN!!!

fishstick

Silver Member
Oct 28, 2012
2,639
6,702
Indiana
Detector(s) used
Fisher F5, T2SE, F2 for the boys, XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Just ventin a lil'. I had high hopes for the gold even though I'm not a big Garrett fan. I was really hopin it was gonna kill in the iron sites I have but it hasn't found anything in them worth a crap. I can go rite back over them with the T2 and still pull stuff and that's with the 11"dd on. I'm not sayin deep things either. I know a lot of you scream how great these AT's are but I'm not impressed at all. I've hunted along side several guy's with pro's and the T2 EATS THEM ALIVE!!! Was really hopin the gold was gonna be different, well it's NOT. I've ran it long enuff to know. Like I said I'm just VENTIN... Good Luck and HH......
 

fella

Bronze Member
Oct 24, 2012
1,805
853
Wisc
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Funny, Bill Ladd didn't seem to have much problem!
 

F-75Pilot

Greenie
Jan 4, 2014
13
3
Illinois
Detector(s) used
Fisher cz-6,F-75,cz-20. Garrett AT Gold. Minelab Explorer II. Whites MXT. Nothing beats the F-75.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've got an AT Gold also. It's a good machine, but it's nothing special. I would rate it just below a Fisher CZ -6 in performance. It does not compare to Fishers F- 75, which is the best detector on the market,IMO. The best thing about the AT Gold is it's versatility. Land, water, rain, or shine. With digital read out and good battery life. 4 AA's= 40 Hrs. It's not what I would choose for a primary detector, but it makes a pretty good back-up. My buddy Tom used it heavily in Oct.-Nov. hunting an old military fort and found some deep coins. I used the F-75 and it was incredible. After working the place hard for more than 15 years with CZ's , the F-75 proved and paid for itself in 2013 alone!
 

OP
OP
fishstick

fishstick

Silver Member
Oct 28, 2012
2,639
6,702
Indiana
Detector(s) used
Fisher F5, T2SE, F2 for the boys, XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Funny, Bill Ladd didn't seem to have much problem!

Funny you mention that because he was the biggest reason I bought it. He is a detectin GOD in my eyes!! That's what makes it even SADDER!!! HH...
 

F-75Pilot

Greenie
Jan 4, 2014
13
3
Illinois
Detector(s) used
Fisher cz-6,F-75,cz-20. Garrett AT Gold. Minelab Explorer II. Whites MXT. Nothing beats the F-75.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Agree. There's no substitute for years of experience. It's that hard earned experience combined with the latest generation detectors that really produces the finds. That , and the ability to find and gain permission to new sites.
 

Kodiak43351

Bronze Member
May 6, 2013
2,279
1,091
NW Ohio
Detector(s) used
At Max,Xp deus,At pro, At gold, pro pointer, ace 350 bounty hunter. Lesche hand and t handle digging tools, Sask kustom digger, Garrett edge digger and Garrett retriever, Garrett classifier made into
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My 5x8 coil in trash is awesome on the pro. I haven't had the small coil long but I have found silver where my stock coil was going crazy with all the targets. I still have a lot to detect with the small coil but loving this little coil and it's the same one that's on the gold. A lot of guys detect the fairgrounds close to me and every time I go there I find good stuff with my pro so basically what I am saying is it does exactly what I bought it for. I've been told the fairgrounds was hunted out by more than one guy too. I may buy the gold to go with my pro because I like the at series and would love to run the big coil on the gold with threshold in some of the fields I hunt. Snow storm coming in now so got to wait to get out and do some more detecting. If I set my pro up wrong it doesn't work worth a damn so maybe your settings need adjusting. I've heard way to many good things to think that the at series don't work in trash. Good luck and don't give up on it. I can remember not long ago fella didn't like his pro very well and now he swears by it.
 

fella

Bronze Member
Oct 24, 2012
1,805
853
Wisc
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
My 5x8 coil in trash is awesome on the pro. I haven't had the small coil long but I have found silver where my stock coil was going crazy with all the targets. I still have a lot to detect with the small coil but loving this little coil and it's the same one that's on the gold. A lot of guys detect the fairgrounds close to me and every time I go there I find good stuff with my pro so basically what I am saying is it does exactly what I bought it for. I've been told the fairgrounds was hunted out by more than one guy too. I may buy the gold to go with my pro because I like the at series and would love to run the big coil on the gold with threshold in some of the fields I hunt. Snow storm coming in now so got to wait to get out and do some more detecting. If I set my pro up wrong it doesn't work worth a damn so maybe your settings need adjusting. I've heard way to many good things to think that the at series don't work in trash. Good luck and don't give up on it. I can remember not long ago fella didn't like his pro very well and now he swears by it.
Fact!
 

Sapper724

Sr. Member
May 28, 2013
425
184
Northwestern WI
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT PRO (Current)
Minelab Etrac (Current)
Garrett Pro Pointer
Sampson 31" Digger

Fisher F2 (RIP)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
You fail to mention settings, coil size, targets you are searching, hours of experience. You post is anecdotal at best. Because all you found was "crap"....(whatever crap is?) - perhaps you need to tighten up your hunting skills. There have been way too many positive posts about great target separation using the AT Series detectors, especially using the 5" x 8" coils to give your post very much credibility. Anecdotal at best! Technical information provided would at least remove some bias and allow for some healthy discussion.

I guess with 20+ years detecting I expect a little more from some posts I see, but then again, that's only me.:BangHead:

If you just took it out of the box, and went straight to a heavy iron infested area, you might have a problem there. Give it some time before you go bashing on it. My AT Pro still gets good deep signals in trash, but it wasn't always easy to figure out what was down there, like everything, it takes time. Did you ground balance it in a clean area? How was your sensitivity set in such a trashy area? You get what you put in to your machine. The more time and experience, the more you'll enjoy it.
 

dirtscratcher

Bronze Member
Mar 18, 2009
1,877
1,350
Columbia falls Montana
Detector(s) used
Minelab Sov GT Explorer XS Tesoro Vaq t2se x705
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The funny thing about this is I've seen guys on this thread say the atp or atg may not be the best at everything but very versatile, and then get mad if someone says another detector is better at something. The last two years I've hunted with guys with two atp and one with a atg. Its been mine and their experience that the t2se is better in the iron.
 

christo000

Silver Member
Mar 17, 2013
3,765
811
mass North Attleboro
Detector(s) used
Xp Deus,m-6 pinpointer, technetics t2ltd (had, whites v3i,minelab xterra 705,atpro,prism 4,sunray probe minlabe profind,garret propointer, f75ltd and many more)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In my opinion the Atpro along with the atgold are very capable machines I've had a deus xp a v3i & they can keep up with these high end ones the garrets are mayb even a little better then the v3i in iron places, its all about like was said time & energy into learning the detector if right off the bat u already have in ur head that its junk & can't compete with ur high dollar machine then it might not have a chance to prove itself to you, ill guarantee u put more time in it take it slower, in those spots it might just surprise you
 

bikermike

Full Member
Jul 14, 2012
151
82
Stillwater, OK
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250, 6.5x9 coil, 4.5 sniper coil, 5x8DD coil, Garrett AT Gold, Centec pinpointer, Garrett pro pointer, Ames digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Fishstick, if you are that unhappy with it you can send it to me. Mike
 

OP
OP
fishstick

fishstick

Silver Member
Oct 28, 2012
2,639
6,702
Indiana
Detector(s) used
Fisher F5, T2SE, F2 for the boys, XP Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey all, sorry I didn't get back on this sooner ( WILDCARD WEEKEND )... To start as I stated I HAD high hopes so I was'nt goin in to it on the negative side. Damn JOHN E. why do you take it so personal when someone cuts on a Garrett? Just because I didn't give a list of my huntin habits YOU go over the edge. But here you go. I hunt old homesteds in fields and woods, no parks or new homes. I run the stock coil, manual GB in neutral soils ( 50s-60s ), run AM most of the time and DIG everything!! It doesn't take an Einstein to learn this machine and my huntin skills ARE just fine thank you!!! I'm goin off my hunts to come up with why I'm not pleased with the gold.. I started with a F5 and it was back and forth with the pro guy's I hunt with. After I got the T2 it was a whole different story. I took it to places that the F5 and Pro's weren't findin anything and they were like NEW sites again.. I've takin the gold to spots that I have not takin the T2 to and then went back over with the T2 and found plenty. Sorry it hurts your feelins!!! HH...... Go COLTS!!!
 

christo000

Silver Member
Mar 17, 2013
3,765
811
mass North Attleboro
Detector(s) used
Xp Deus,m-6 pinpointer, technetics t2ltd (had, whites v3i,minelab xterra 705,atpro,prism 4,sunray probe minlabe profind,garret propointer, f75ltd and many more)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey is what it is right there are detectors that ones just don't click with, like others do, & that's y there are so many differences & options out there there,for you to pick the one you do sounds like ur doin just fine with ur t2 good luck to you hh
 

bumperjack

Tenderfoot
Nov 22, 2013
6
6
Tomball Tx
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
All this argueing about tectors reminded me of my first car. I had a 56 ford with a 312 that had been "worked on". My neighbor had a 55 chevy with a 283 stock. He wanted to race and it was on. I was beaten by about 2 car lengths, he then wanted to swap cars. I was driving his and he was driving mine and he beat me again Moral of this story experience and knowledge will get you every time. just saying
 

DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,666
1,654
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My AT Pro has been very good to me....In the last year i have found more old silver coins and civil war relics including 2 nice plates, than i ever thought i would. Alot of my finds have came from very trashy areas. But i can't say the ATP is better than a T2 or whatever. Since i havent used one. I have used some other machines and i prefer the Pro over them. However, I have a new F75 ltd. coming anyday. I very much hope it out performs the ATP since i payed a lot more for it. We'll see!
 

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