Most popular metal detector brand?

LuckyLarry

Hero Member
Dec 16, 2005
750
390
Sweet Home, Oregon
Detector(s) used
I had to sideline for awhile, too much quarreling, brand defensiveness, and seeing certain people waging war on others. It got to be too silly for me after awhile..
Primary Interest:
Other

kayden

Bronze Member
Apr 24, 2011
1,331
229
Pennsylvania
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Ace250,AT Pro & Garrett Propointer!
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gleaner1 said:
I wonder why the guy left out Garrett, perhaps the world's top selling brand of all time?
:wink:
 

OP
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LuckyLarry

LuckyLarry

Hero Member
Dec 16, 2005
750
390
Sweet Home, Oregon
Detector(s) used
I had to sideline for awhile, too much quarreling, brand defensiveness, and seeing certain people waging war on others. It got to be too silly for me after awhile..
Primary Interest:
Other
Garrett makes most of it's money on security detectors, wands, walk through, and pinpointers. Their personal metal detectors have taken a bit of a dive lately, due primarily to all the newer stuff coming out. I wish they would upgrade like most of the other mfgs., but maybe they don't really care, or maybe it has to do with copyright laws?

LL
 

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LuckyLarry

LuckyLarry

Hero Member
Dec 16, 2005
750
390
Sweet Home, Oregon
Detector(s) used
I had to sideline for awhile, too much quarreling, brand defensiveness, and seeing certain people waging war on others. It got to be too silly for me after awhile..
Primary Interest:
Other
Yes it's an old one. I ran across another one that was put out by the same people who owned the company that claimed theirs was the most popular. Pretty worthless. ;D

I wonder if there are others out there somewhere?

LL
 

relichunters

Bronze Member
May 4, 2008
1,647
36
Virginia
Detector(s) used
Tesoro
Bounty hunter would be up on the list, as most people tend to start with them and so many kids. But I'd have to say White's is the most popular.
 

jeff of pa

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Before Looking in
I Was going to put whites on Top
so I Was in line with them.

I personally think Minelab is more Popular then Fisher
But with the F75 Fisher is Closing in

But

Just my opinion From what I see Here
& the people I detect with.
and have detected with.

Now if you go to a planted Club hunt,
Tesero Beats them all for popularity.
 

Deepdiger60

Silver Member
Jun 18, 2009
2,804
94
Long Island E-end
Detector(s) used
Minelab Sov GT,Sovereign xs2-pro Fisher CZ21 Custom Skullies , Stealth 720-i
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Some of my best finds i used my DFX :icon_thumleft:
 

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LuckyLarry

LuckyLarry

Hero Member
Dec 16, 2005
750
390
Sweet Home, Oregon
Detector(s) used
I had to sideline for awhile, too much quarreling, brand defensiveness, and seeing certain people waging war on others. It got to be too silly for me after awhile..
Primary Interest:
Other
Here in Oregon almost every detector on beaches or parks is a Whites, with Fisher 2nd, Compass 3rd, and I see a Bounty Hunter now and then. Of course this is Whites home base, but Teknetics, Fisher, Compass, and a few other short-lived companies all had their beginnings in Oregon. This soil here is the best for testing bad ground, and it may be why.

I have only seen two Minelabs in parks, only one on salt beaches (mine), a few in pawn shops, and I haven't seen Garretts in at least 30 years, it being mine. Tesoros are fairly rare here too. When people ask me what I'm using, they always say; "Is that one of them (those) Whites"?

Whites is a very good detector but I often wonder if their popularity is because of their aggressive and frequent sales pitch on TV? Minelab has a lot of hard-sell too, but it doesn't seem to reap much reward in Oregon and Washington State.

BTW, I am in the process of inventing something for old and older metal detectors, that's why the question. I want to know where I should market it. Sorry, I can't release any info, that would spoil things for me..

LL
 

relichunters

Bronze Member
May 4, 2008
1,647
36
Virginia
Detector(s) used
Tesoro
jeff of pa said:
Now if you go to a planted Club hunt,
Tesoro Beats them all for popularity.

Because Tesoro is the best in my opinion, I've field tested 9 detectors, and so far Tesoro is #1 and it also got a perfect 5 star rating on metal detecting reviews. :icon_thumright:
 

U.K. Brian

Bronze Member
Oct 11, 2005
1,629
153
Detector(s) used
XLT, Whites D.F., Treasure Baron, Deepstar, Goldquest, Beachscan, T.D.I., Sovereign, 2x Nautilus, various Arado's, Ixcus Diver, Altek Quadtone, T2, Beach Hunter I.D, GS 5 pulse, Searchman 2 ,V3i
Primary Interest:
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Garrett must have been missed out because at the period of the poll and for years each side Garrett had been making to much money from its other activities and really paid little attention to the hobby detectorist.

The other thing is popular doesn't mean good. Heavy advertising and dropping free detectors in the right places in exchange for good field tests and forum posts gives a false impression of how good a product is. Credit should be given for longer than average warranty periods and I don't like the fairly new habit of saying right your detector is ten years old and we are not even going to look at it from the point of view of repairs.

A better type of poll would be based on not the number of a detector (or brand) sold but on the satisfaction with it and whether its still in use a few years down the line or has been speedily sold on. All 160 odd detector manufacturers would also have to be included.
 

jeff of pa

Super Moderator
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Dec 19, 2003
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U.K. Brian said:
A better type of poll would be based on not the number of a detector (or brand) sold but on the satisfaction with it and whether its still in use a few years down the line or has been speedily sold on. All 160 odd detector manufacturers would also have to be included.

the Problem here that I see, you would
need to only talk to people who Know every brand & Model.

Otherwise, you would have Feelings Involved.

Most people Love what they used a long time,
& Hate what they Just picked up. Especially
if it's a Top of the Line & Confusing at first.

Example Sovereign vs Explorer

11 Years with the Sovereign had me thinking
there was Nothing Better.

Got an Explorer SE & almost Retired from Detecting
because My Sovereign Needed Work that couldn't be done,
& the Explorer in my Mind, couldn't Match it in a Hundred Years.

After a year now, I'm Liking the Explorer.

Would still Like a 100% working Sovereign,
But only for special Projects, Like Finding
things for People.
 

F2 Hunter 28146

Full Member
May 22, 2013
132
5
Rockwell, NC
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 "Limited" CAMO - Fisher F5 (with Standard Coil) - Fisher F2 (10" coil) - & a Radio Shack "Treasure Finder" Metal Detector!
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Myself..... I am 100% Fisher!!!

If you want a seriously good detector, even the entry level F2 will find stuff you never thought it would with confidence.
 

H-2 CHARLIE

Bronze Member
Dec 1, 2012
1,204
507
on the rocks - so cal county line
Detector(s) used
Gold bug pro / Minelab GM 1000
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All Treasure Hunting
I would think Minelab spends more on there development of new tech then all others . THE TECH IS SHARED BY ALL WITH JUST A LITTLE TWIST .
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,419
30,081
White Plains, New York
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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
Consumer Retail Sales $ (not including government contracts)

1) Garrett
2) Whites
3) Minelab
4) Fisher
5) Tesoro
 

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