So... Please tell me Why does a metal detector cost $2499 again?

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bigscoop

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Jun 4, 2010
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Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
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Dunno bout upgrading fishing stuff, been using the same rebel pop r lure since the 80's..you can't improve upon perfection.

Mike

Pop-r, Floating Rapalas, still just about the only two top water lures I use because they'll attract and catch most anything. :thumbsup: Seen the price on Rapalas these days.....:laughing7:
 

Juice in the hole

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Mar 22, 2014
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Last I looked no one is forced to buy...Don't like the price manufacturers charge for THEIR products your free to use something else, maybe a forked stick....






American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

LOL...some days when I get tricked into digging a bunch of nails or crushed sardine cans, I wonder if my $1,000 wonder is in the same category as that stick.

Seriously though, I'm not mad. I love this hobby! I wished I would have jumped in a long time ago. As a consumer though, I can't ignore the fact that metal detectors are priced pretty high for what you're getting and really haven't kept pace with technology compared to some other electronic devices. As hobbyists, we're sucked into this world when shopping for a new detector and rational thought seems to fly out the window. Try this experiment; ask a friend or co-worker what a good quality MD should cost. I think they'll be surprised when you show them some online prices. I know mine were when they became interested in my new hobby.

I'll reiterate the complaints I made earlier: lack of color monitors/graphics on most machines, lack of water resistance/waterproof on most land machines, lack of durability on many machines. Again, not stomping mad or anything, but yeah, the manufacturers could step it up a bit.
 

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Frankn

Gold Member
Mar 21, 2010
8,711
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XLT , surfmaster PI , HAYS 2Box , VIBRA-TECTOR
Juice, or sour grapes?
I'll reiterate the complaints I made earlier: lack of color monitors/graphics on most machines, lack of water resistance/waterproof on most land machines, lack of durability on many machines. Again, not stomping mad or anything, but yeah, the manufacturers could step it up a bit.
----------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
Do you really need a color monitor? I use an XLT for my general land usage. I don,t hunt in the rain or in water so why should it be waterproof? I use a Surfmaster on the beach which is waterproof. You talk of lack of durability, perhaps you bought the wrong detector! The two above are 13+ years old, never been back to the manufacturer, and are still paying dividend with great finds. Maybe I just picked the wright detectors. Frank...
hand print-2_edited-6.jpg
 

BC1969

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I'll tell you the difference between minelab and all the others trying to play catch up.
Minelab most likely thinks like I do from a business stand point, they gave the masses a truly modern product, inspiring and innovative, when they could have been like the others and made incremental improvements.
It is the same difference with processor companies, such as intel or amd, sure a long time ago they could have made a 4ghz processor but chose instead to say OK let's start at 1ghz, then every X months we will bump the speed up a Lil bit, so the folks that want the latest and greatest will keep buying so called new tech.
Minelab is just the opposite, instead of going the incremental make more money route, they gave all the technology that's available right now, now.
I say kudos for that, for look at all the others over the years and basically nothing changed except minor improvements, that route equals more moneh!
So everybody owes minelab a huge thanks for doing it this way, for if the others don't follow the leader they will sink, or just keep partnering with TV shows to get the masses to buy their product.

If this is difficult to read or understand, that's because I'm in zombie mode aka haldol or whatever is in the shot.

Mike
 

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Green Mtn'eer

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Apr 5, 2012
13
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Jason, A fisher cost $800 in the 80's because because it was packed with state of the art technology. The best stuff available in its era.... OK?
A CTX 3030 consists of the cheapest technology and materials available today.... The cheapest. The absolute cheapest.... Do you follow me? Its cheap Jason. Its made cheaply.... So that $2500 comes nothing close to the $800 the fisher cost in the 80's even taking time value into consideration.

Jason..... It's cheap......


No, youre not angry...
 

Green Mtn'eer

Greenie
Apr 5, 2012
13
2
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All Treasure Hunting
Totally different market.......... Are people being screwed because Ferrari's sell for $300k, no that is their market price.

the exact same thing can be said for the detectors being bashed ad nauseum! Market price is precisely what people are willing to pay, and more importantly, ONLY sustains if people feel they received that same VALUE. And per the KC sales reports contained herein they obviously must be living up to the value.

and btw, comparing to microwaves and such that have not had any redevelopment since inception is simply ludicrous...
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Jul 27, 2006
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Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
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Jason, A fisher cost $800 in the 80's because because it was packed with state of the art technology. The best stuff available in its era.... OK?
A CTX 3030 consists of the cheapest technology and materials available today.... The cheapest. The absolute cheapest.... Do you follow me? Its cheap Jason. Its made cheaply.... So that $2500 comes nothing close to the $800 the fisher cost in the 80's even taking time value into consideration.

Jason..... It's cheap......

Why don't you just buy a 1980s Fisher then........








American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......
 

dieselram94

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Jun 17, 2011
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Xterra 705, Tesoro Sand Shark, Garrett Pro Pointer (mine). Fisher F2 my son's
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Bottom line is what do you expect this thread to accomplish? A revolt, manufacturers to lower their prices?

sent from a potato...
 

BC1969

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Why don't you just buy a 1980s Fisher then........








American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

Hey!! If any of you guys come across a early fisher 1265x-1270x or the older cz5a...buy that sucker if it works, I'll definitely buy it from you!!

Mike
 

Muddyhandz

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Jul 1, 2012
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Hey!! If any of you guys come across a early fisher 1265x-1270x or the older cz5a...buy that sucker if it works, I'll definitely buy it from you!!

Mike

No No No BC1969 don't tell them that! Those old fisher's are no good. :nono:

Really people, you need to keep on buying those expensive machines!

If you can't afford one then please buy one of those detectors that the incredible, almighty, fantastic superstars on the National Geographic channel use.

Just like the dealer in my home town told me when he was pushing a 30-30 on me and I told him I like my old fisher........"Well, you can keep driving that old pinto but around here we drive new cadillacs!"

"There's just no call for that sort of thing anymore."

And at the park when a cadillac user spends 5 minutes scrolling through the menu to decide whether they dig or not......I've already dug up a few keepers, thanks to my ears.

I still remember that day when the cadillac user had nothing in his pouch after 5 hours..... "What happened?" :icon_scratch:

"I forgot to switch on my HOT PROGRAM!"

:laughing7:
 

BC1969

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Man, I know how capable my old Los banos is, I'd give away my explorer for the comfortable ease of a 1270x I'd love to find the xb that came with the hard case. Some day I'll find one that somebody accidently parted with, since nobody in their right mind that still detects would do so.

Mike

IMG_292469014462366.jpeg
 

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Hendrix

Full Member
Jan 8, 2007
193
142
Southeast Texas
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
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Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Whites V3i
Minelab X-Terra Pro
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Performance, specialization, and the leading edge of things costs money. This is true of everything. For example: cars, computers, and guns.

A $20,000 race car is almost as good as a $100,000 race car. The law of diminishing returns places a heavy price on the margin of difference. A $200 detector will most likely do at least 90% of what a $1,000 detector will. However, that other 10% will cost you!

I was originally not a fan of the higher end of detectors. However, I now believe that the cost of the detector is irrelevant if you are a dedicated detectorist. For example, last week I found a 14K gold ring with 7 diamonds in it. That one find is worth a lot more than the cost of my AT Pro. I've found 6 rings and a good number of other pieces of jewelry with that particular detector. I now believe that the best buying strategy is to buy the best detectors for your own particular needs and wants, irregardless if it is cheap or expensive.
 

Frankn

Gold Member
Mar 21, 2010
8,711
2,989
Maryland
Detector(s) used
XLT , surfmaster PI , HAYS 2Box , VIBRA-TECTOR
I'll tell you the difference between minelab and all the others trying to play catch up.
Minelab most likely thinks like I do from a business stand point, they gave the masses a truly modern product, inspiring and innovative, when they could have been like the others and made incremental improvements.
It is the same difference with processor companies, such as intel or amd, sure a long time ago they could have made a 4ghz processor but chose instead to say OK let's start at 1ghz, then every X months we will bump the speed up a Lil bit, so the folks that want the latest and greatest will keep buying so called new tech.
Minelab is just the opposite, instead of going the incremental make more money route, they gave all the technology that's available right now, now.
I say kudos for that, for look at all the others over the years and basically nothing changed except minor improvements, that route equals more moneh!
So everybody owes minelab a huge thanks for doing it this way, for if the others don't follow the leader they will sink, or just keep partnering with TV shows to get the masses to buy their product.

If this is difficult to read or understand, that's because I'm in zombie mode aka haldol or whatever is in the shot.

Mike

Hay mike, take off the rose color glasses. Minelab, an Australian Co., manufactures offshore! Now Whites is a company that although they don't rush into unproven technology they use the latest proven technology. My 13 year old XLT Has pinpointing capabilities that Minelab would die for. I don't have to wiggle and guess at the location of the target, I can push a probe in the ground where the XLT indicates it is and touch it. The XLT is fully adjustable and can also be used with it's excellent programs plus you can put in your own. It ID's by bar-graph, ID# and target picture. It displays depth as good as any other detector. It is manufactured in the USA. It has never required a trip to the factory for repairs, but Whites, unlike Minelab does not abandon it older equipment repairs. OK you can put the rose colored glasses back on and look at your detector. I guess we all have our own opinions based on usage. Let me know what you think of your's when it's 13 years old, If it makes it.
Frank...
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OP
OP
E

el padron

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Oct 29, 2010
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Why don't you just buy a 1980s Fisher then........









American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

The same reason I don't drive a 79 Ford Bronco...
But you won't catch me in a $46,000 Jeep Wrangler either. Its a cheaply made fifty year old platform with a new state of the art price....

You know, Its admirable you haven't closed this thread at some point down the line, but you do get my point, Don't you? .....
 

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Escape

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Apr 4, 2009
1,643
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You can get all the defectors at a substantial discount by buying second hand. Some hardly used
 

BC1969

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Its already 12 years old frank, and I can pin point with it just as fast as one with a concentric coil on it.
Not sure why folks told me you have to pin point off the toe or heel mine works dead center.
Though like I said earlier, I'd take my old fisher any day over it, the screen is a waste of time.

Mike
 

bigscoop

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2010
13,373
8,689
Wherever there be treasure!
Detector(s) used
Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My old blue 2001 Excal gets beaten to death in the surf, bought it used and eventually had OBN go through it and add a few mods. Quite frankly, I'm surprised I've not had issues given the beating it has taken on a routine basis. Even with the extra coils I still don't have $1000.00 invested in it and it has paid for itself several times over. So there is a lot be said for buying "pre-owned" if you can find a descent machine at descent price. A lot like cars in most cases, as soon as it's bought it instantly depreciates. My only worry is if I ever have to replace it, finding another good used one at a good price ain't going to be easy.
 

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