Newbie looking for some direction

[tpcollins]

I thought I might add metal detecting as a hobby and as usual, I'm confused about the many brands and options available. For the heck of it, I was at Cabelas this morning and brought home the Bounty Hunter Titanium Camo which was originally $400 but half price at the moment for $200. I played with it but thought it was rather confusing and had trouble understanding what I was doing on with the LCD display. I assume if I played with it more it would make more sense, but it most likely will be going back.

I've searched numerous online reviews and the Teknetics Eurotex Pro seems to get good reviews for a detector in its price range - I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on it. Then I stumbled across Tesoro and they just have a plain box with a couple knobs and a grille for the speaker. Obviously they put the money into "detecting" rather than looking fancy. Their Cibola looks nice but I'd rather keep it under $300 if possible. Any help pointing a newbie into the right direction would be appreciated.

 

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[Papalittle]

I love my ETP! great coin finding machine, easy to use and easy to read display.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

First - what kind of detecting are you interested in?

Coins (in trashy areas or not), relics, gold & silver (jewelry or mineral deposits), salt-water beaches, etc. There are better choices for any of these specialties.

Bounty Hunter isn't a bad brand but going to Cabela's is like buying a motorcycle from Wal-Mart. You get something designed to be marketable for impulse buys rather than from a specialized dealer that can put you in the right model.

Teknetics EuroTex is a good one (same company owns them as owns Bounty Hunter & Fisher). Tesoros are solid but lack a display - this may or may not matter to you. But it does help in areas of common trash (i.e. - if tabs always read "45" stop digging 45 displays at that spot). If you are of a mind to dig everything that won't matter - and you will find jewelry others may have passed over.

So throw us a bone and describe where you plan to hunt and for what.

 

[tpcollins]

First - what kind of detecting are you interested in?

Teknetics EuroTex is a good one (same company owns them as owns Bounty Hunter & Fisher). Tesoros are solid but lack a display - this may or may not matter to you.

So throw us a bone and describe where you plan to hunt and for what.

Like all of my hobbies - deer and turkey hunting, fly fishing, I get as much enjoyment out the planning and the chase part as I do the actual harvest or catch. So if I don't find a lot of stuff, I think it would still be fun to just try. As far as a metal detector, I just want something that works and doesn't need a rocket scientist to operate. The metal housings on the Tesoro looks like they would survive a fall, whereas the plastic housings and LCD displays might not. The Tesoro also has a lifetime warranty.

I'd just each something that's sturdy, reliable, and easy to use - somehow the Tesoro Silver Max at about $254 - evidently they don't think a display is necessary. That's my bone . . . :-)

 

[Detector Wars]

Elliptical coils are hard to use, hard to interpret signals, hard to pinpoint with and lack performance compared to round coils, DD/concentric or otherwise. My advice is whatever detector you get, make sure you have a good round coil for it, 10-11" round is the optimum size for any detector. DD target separate better.

My advice, get a good second hand detector with a round coil.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

There is nothing wrong with the detector you purchased! Read the manual and use it over and over and over again. Most people see the name Bounty Hunter and automatically say it's no good. Well, remove the label and put Teknetics Delta 4000 on it and now you have an awesome machine. Their the same. Use it and enjoy the many great finds it will uncover, GL HH Mike

 

[yodi]

The garret ace 250 is a great low price machine.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

"Like all of my hobbies - deer and turkey hunting, fly fishing . . ."

There you go. You are patient, willing to work a bit but do like success. The Tesoro would do right by you. but personally I'd go with a Fisher F2 or an Teknetics Eurotec Pro. Though neither will be appreciably better than your Titanium.

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/255-1-bountyhunterplatinum.html

 

[lookindown]

Garrett Ace 250 or Fisher F2...both are great first detectors.

 

[Tnmountains]

Like all of my hobbies - deer and turkey hunting, fly fishing, I get as much enjoyment out the planning and the chase part as I do the actual harvest or catch. So if I don't find a lot of stuff, I think it would still be fun to just try. As far as a metal detector, I just want something that works and doesn't need a rocket scientist to operate. The metal housings on the Tesoro looks like they would survive a fall, whereas the plastic housings and LCD displays might not. The Tesoro also has a lifetime warranty.

I'd just each something that's sturdy, reliable, and easy to use - somehow the Tesoro Silver Max at about $254 - evidently they don't think a display is necessary. That's my bone . . . :-)

I hunt deer turkeys and fish often. I started with a Tesoro. Good machines to start with easy to use and a life time warranty and durable. You like the hobby you can upgrade. My original detector stays in the truck all the time just in case. I have upgraded but the Tesoro will do the job.
Look at it like buying a scope. They all work but the more you hunt the more you will want better glass just in case that once in a lifetime target comes by.

 

[tpcollins]

Well, like any other hobby, the options on where to start are overwhelming. After numerous searches, the Fisher F2 seems to be at the top of everyone's review list, and there's packages to be had for about $215. A youtube video demonstrating the F2 display made it look easy for a novice to use.

Then I made the mistake of watching a video on the F4 and I really like that display but they run around $400. But it has the 11" DD elliptical coil which is supposedly difficult for newbies to get started with. Either way, the BH Titanium Camo is going back, I just don't like the display. Just wondering now if the 11" coil on the F4 will be a pain to learn on or if I should just stay with the F2. I'll probably flip a coin the weekend to decide. Thanks.

 

[tpcollins]

Well, I just pulled the trigger on a Tesoro Silver Umax from a local guy here in Michigan that does online sales - $234.15 shipped, with a free coil cover and digger tool, and he's picking up the sales tax. I like simplicity and this ought to be a detector my grandkids can use when we go camping this summer.

 

[Garrett424]

Well, I just pulled the trigger on a Tesoro Silver Umax from a local guy here in Michigan that does online sales - $234.15 shipped, with a free coil cover and digger tool, and he's picking up the sales tax. I like simplicity and this ought to be a detector my grandkids can use when we go camping this summer.

Congrats on your purchase but keep in mind the BH Titanium Camo is also a great machine. Don't underestimate it and hang onto it. There's nothing wrong with owning a few different machines for different hunting conditions.

As MrMikeJackie pointed out above, the BH is identical to the TK delta 4000. I own the Delta myself (along with 3 assorted BH machines) and it's an excellent detector, especially for it's price range. When I first got it I went back over all of my "hunted out" spots with it and found MANY nice treasures my other machines had completely missed. These machines hit DEEP (of course, the Tesero is also known for great depth). Oh, you also can't beat the ease of pinpointing. It's truly simple and fool proof.

You BH Titanium Camo at 200 bucks was also a great deal 'cause the Tek Delta 4000 lists for 279.00.

Ultimately, the best advice I ever heard and the best I can give is find out what fits YOU and YOUR style of hunting and learn what your machine is telling you. Hopefully your Tesoro is a good fit and the BH is an excellent alternate or backup unit. Bottom line; you now have two nice machines.

The VERY most important thing is to enjoy the journey and the hobby. If you enjoy it half as much as I do you'll absolutely love it.

GL & HH