Advice needed for upgrade

neodetectorist

Bronze Member
Jan 4, 2016
1,023
4,118
NE Ohio
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Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro W Stock coil, Fisher F2 W 8" Concentric and 9.5" NEL DD, XPointer pin pointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I currently own a Fisher F2 with the standard 8" coil. This has been a wonderful detector that over the past 2 years has brought me so much enjoyment and finds.
Exceeded in CLAD what I paid for it. Gold, silver, tokens, relics, bucket-listers TRASH..... This has never let me down.
This is just by visiting my local parks.
I have often wondered what I am leaving behind due to depth.
I am looking to upgrade but it is so difficult to choose.
I am thinking Garrett AT Pro or even the 400. There are other makes but the sky is not the limit with me.
I have found many coins 6"+ deep with my F2 and I dig practically all targets except iron so I don't discriminate.
Will either Garrett's get me more depth?
Are there any opinions on looking at maybe the Whites line or The Fisher upper line or any other manufacturer?
Could I even get by with just getting a DD coil for the F2? Would that get me more depth?
???:BangHead:???
Thanks in advanced.
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,423
30,109
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
You have a very basic machine now, so you need to upgrade to a machine you can manually ground balance, and accepts larger coils.

Minelab 505

Tesoro Vaquero

Garrett AT Pro

Fisher F5

Whites m6
 

Dr. Witty

Hero Member
Jan 8, 2015
535
809
Upstate NY
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Makro Racer 2 and Makro Kruzer
Garrett Carrot pro-pointer AT
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I have the AT Pro and recently bought the Makro Racer 2. I'm going over all of my old sites and finding more stuff really far down, more IH cents, more silver and more smaller jewelry. Check out some of the Racer VS other detectors video's on YouTube. Check out all the Racer 2 videos really. It has a ton of features, but it's not waterproof to 10 feet like the AT Pro is if that is a concern. Bart's will throw in a free Garrett AT pro
pin-pointer if you get it there. But like anything do your homework and choose the best detector that's right for you. I'm simply astounded by my Racer 2.
 

MrMikeJackie

Bronze Member
Nov 3, 2013
1,751
2,258
Long Island
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2
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Detector(s) used
CTX 3030,
Xp Deus,
That's it, I'm done.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Why not stick with Fisher, seems to be doing good for you. I hear the F75 is a great machine.
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,425
Massachusetts
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Detector(s) used
Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Hello,

The AT Pro is a good all around waterproof (if you water hunt) machine and the learning curve isn't bad. Terry also listed some other nice mid-range machines. Whatever detector you purchase mid-range or high end, take the time to really learn the machine and the goodies will flow into your pouch.

GL & HH
 

Loco-Digger

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2014
11,827
17,744
Northern O-H-I-O
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Detector(s) used
F75 LTD, 1280X Aquanaut, & a Patriot (back-up/loaner)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Since you are used to the fisher sound and VDI scale, I'd get the F75. This would be an easier transition than going to another brand. You can gain some depth with the DD coil, but like Terry said, you should get a higher end detector that can be ground balanced. You will not tire of the F75, it has plenty of options that will keep you interested and digging the good stuff.
 

digger27

Bronze Member
May 18, 2011
1,506
3,225
I used an F2 for about 3 years.
Silver, gold, relics, old coins and tons of clad is what I found.
My $200 invested turned into over $2000 in finds.
I used it in horrible mineralized iron infested sites in the SE and heavenly black low mineralized soil in he Midwest.
In the south I never got real deep but nobody really can here, in the Midwest I got deeper but mostly used the great sniper coil because I hunted many trashy infested sites.
Again not super deep out there because of that small coil but most of my targets everywhere rarely lay deeper than 6" so it was fine.


I always wondered what I could do with an upgraded model if I could do so well with that one and I learned that Fisher language well and then some and didn't want to waste that so an F5, F70 and F75 were all considered.
I would have been happy with any of them, the F5 is a completely different platform than the F2/F4, the F70/F75 is another...both are way more powerful with more features than the entry level.
A great deal on an F70 came my way and to this day I feel I was blessed...it is everything I hoped and wish for and much more.
I immediately lived at a much deeper level than the F2, even using the sniper coil I could get signals on targets up to 10" and more.
The standard concentric could hit that area too easily and a bit more also, the large DD coil got me to that area with no problem and I even dug a few targets even deeper at about 12 and one time a measured 15".
That one shocked me.

Moving back to the SE. I have used this thing to getting deeper than ever before with all my coils, deeper than most that I have heard of or talked to or to be specific deeper to these areas and figured out the strange signals and learned to ID them better than most that I know.
More power and extremely useful and advantageous settings available to me now is the reason.
I am a big Fisher guy because of what I have seen in real life, the F2 amazed me, the F70 shocked me more and more often...still does.

The F5 has tons of abilities, features, settings and knobs.
The F70 is a rat rod version of the F75...a few less features but way more than enough and all the same power as the Flagship and the top of the line F75 has even a few more whistles and a couple more bells.

If I was mulling over this choice probably buying new the anniversary edition F75 for $500 would be the one right now...considered a great deal by those in the know.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7omVeK5Or_Q

Buying used there are usually great deal galore on all of these because so many buy them but never click with them...we who have love that, deals galore out there if you know where to look.

I have a couple of years and a few hundred hours under my belt with the F70 now and I don't think I would enjoy hunting with any other model as much right now.
There is no boredom threshold on the horizon at all, I have still barely touched the surface of what it is capable of and I have so many settings to play with that work well in every site and situation I have taken it to.
Super heavy trash, ridiculous amounts of iron, depths in both good and bad dirt...I have amazed myself, club members and friends I have hunted with on all counts with what I could do and find and figured out settings and techniques to conquer all of them with some jaw dropping results.

Upgrade...go for it.
Know the Fisher language...stay in the Fisher line and still use it.
Want to do more, find more, dig deeper and be constantly amazed over that F2...the upper end Fishers can do all that and much more.
 

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