Propointer vs Pistol Probe - I know its been asked..how about an update ??

bradsguns

Full Member
Jul 5, 2007
115
1
Shell Knob, MO
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon & Vaquero
Ive read all the threads of the past, so I know its been addressed to some extent. But I want to ask it again, now that the units have been on the market a little longer.
Which is holding up better ?...are you still happy with your unit after a year or more ?... how much faster is your recovery time ?... are you doing less damage cutting plugs or digging less ??.......
So...... DPs Pistol Probe or Garretts Propointer ????

Brad
 

JohnnieWalker

Sr. Member
Nov 30, 2009
260
11
Zebulon NC
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari Teknetics T2
I've been using my pro-pointer for a couple months now. I really like it a lot, it is very solid and easy to clean.
That along with my wireless headphones are my favorite accessories.
 

mikewaz

Bronze Member
May 9, 2008
1,606
4
Chicago
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1266 X Fisher F75
I bought my ProPointer around this time last year and it's gotta be the best investment I've made. The old days of sweeping the plug in front of the coil and then getting up to sweep the hole again are over. It makes a safe recovery a breeze, and battery life is amazing. I've changed 1 battery so far and that's only because I thought it might be time, but I still have it as a backup just in case.

I can't give any feedback on the Pistol Probe because I've never used one, but the Pro Pointer is #1 in my book. If it was to puke out I'd definitely buy another one.

Mike
 

RL OH

Jr. Member
Feb 7, 2007
73
9
Brad, I have both of the pinpointers you are asking about. I bought one of the first pistol probes when they came out and it is a very impressive pinpointer. An honest 5 inches of depth and that is off the end of the shaft. I only got rid of it because of the weak speaker. I just could not hear it without removing my headphones. Recently I got another new one and wanted to see if my first one was a dud, but unfortunately, it is exactly like the first one. The Garrett propointer is a really great pinpointer, but lacks the depth of the Pistol Probe, but it is still an honest 2 inches or so. One thing I don't care for about the Garrett is the fact that it is hot down the side of the shaft along with the tip. I have had the Garrett going on my second hunting season and I hunt two hundred or more days a year. The original had a speaker crap out on me and Garrett sent me a new one in no time. I did not keep the Pistol Probe long enough to comment on it's durability. R.L.
 

ron_c

Jr. Member
Mar 13, 2009
60
0
Noth Central Texas
Detector(s) used
White's 6000 Pro XL, G2, Compass Coin Scanner Pro, Garrett BFO Discriminator, Garrett Pro Pointer,White's TRX PP, XP Gold Maxx Power, White's IDX Pro, Omega, Tesoro Vaquero
I had the Pistol Probe before I bought the ProPointer and I also couldn't hear the Pistol Probe even if I wasn't wearing headphones and got rid of it and bought the ProPointer and like it much better. While the Pistol Probe would indeed get better depth you can increase the depth of the ProPointer by at least 100% or more by using the metal trick on the side of it.
 

John (Ma)

Silver Member
Jul 12, 2007
3,637
8
Western Massachusetts
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal 1000, Tesoro Silver Umax, Tiger Shark and Whites MXT.
We have both and I like the Pistol Probe the best. I like the fact that is a hand held PI detector. I would like a little more volume and would prefer a vibrate mode. The propointer is a good unit, but to loud for parks or beach. I find it attracts to much attention. I also like the Pistol Probe because it acts off the tip. Pistol probe is so deep, that while in parks and yards, I can fine tune my pinpoint for a smaller hole. I have put the Pistol probe through it's paces and have had no problems. Pistol Probe is my first choice! :icon_thumright:
 

McKinney_5900

Bronze Member
Jul 30, 2010
1,140
930
John (Ma) said:
We have both and I like the Pistol Probe the best. I like the fact that is a hand held PI detector. I would like a little more volume and would prefer a vibrate mode. The propointer is a good unit, but to loud for parks or beach. I find it attracts to much attention. I also like the Pistol Probe because it acts off the tip. Pistol probe is so deep, that while in parks and yards, I can fine tune my pinpoint for a smaller hole. I have put the Pistol probe through it's paces and have had no problems. Pistol Probe is my first choice! :icon_thumright:

Well I'll tell you my initial experience with the Pistol Probe is very disappointing. Mine came today, appeared to work except that the button was a bear to depress for actuation, and then the button just quit working all together. The body of the probe is really cheap, the door above the controls is a flimsy piece of design if there ever was one. The tone volume is almost "not there" and the light for that mode is way off for ergonomics to see it. All in all, this is...and this is the best term I can describe it,,,a true POS. Had the button worked, I might have fallen in love with it and ignored some of these other things, but then it would ONLY be a matter of time before the flimsy button design would have cratered.

I don't know about the other detector in this thread, but it's got to be better than this thing. Mine is going back ASAP, no hesitation. Mck
 

John (Ma)

Silver Member
Jul 12, 2007
3,637
8
Western Massachusetts
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal 1000, Tesoro Silver Umax, Tiger Shark and Whites MXT.
Sounds like you have a lemon, as I have had mine for some time and used it coin and relic hunting with no issues at all. The volume could be louder or a vibrate option, but otherwise very solid.
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,467
54,918
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I use the DP uniprobe and love it....connect your detector to it and you get both your detector and probe tones through your headset with a switch of a button, comes with a fantastic headset....Another great advantage, you will never lose probe since it is attached to you detector... :icon_thumright:
 

McKinney_5900

Bronze Member
Jul 30, 2010
1,140
930
Treasure_Hunter said:
I use the DP uniprobe and love it....connect your detector to it and you get both your detector and probe tones through your headset with a switch of a button, comes with a fantastic headset....Another great advantage, you will never lose probe since it is attached to you detector... :icon_thumright:

How many months and years of use have you tested this button for it's reliability?
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,467
54,918
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
McKinney_5900 said:
Treasure_Hunter said:
I use the DP uniprobe and love it....connect your detector to it and you get both your detector and probe tones through your headset with a switch of a button, comes with a fantastic headset....Another great advantage, you will never lose probe since it is attached to you detector... :icon_thumright:

How many months and years of use have you tested this button for it's reliability?

Been using it for over 2 years with no problem. There is a switch , one position is detector tones, other position is probe tones, you switch it to the tones you want in your headset.....
 

Dr.Jones

Full Member
Aug 19, 2005
130
90
Kennett square , PA
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac
I can only comment on the Garrett Pro Pointer. I have used the AutoMax before and it was ok. The ProPointer is the best investment I made since starting this hobby. Its highly accurate and sensitive. Its design is very tough and well built. The Scrape bar is nice to allow you to scrape dirt away while still in pinpoint mode. The propointer emits tones. the farther away from the target you are the more intermittent the tones. the closer you are the closer the beeps. when you are on top of the target, its one single tone. good range too. 2-3 inches away. Well worth the money in my opinion
 

Smudge

Bronze Member
Jul 9, 2010
1,532
44
Central Florida
Detector(s) used
A Propointer tied to a stick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I have the Propinter. Cannot recommend strongly enough you stay away from the Pistol Probe. I hated that thing.

The Propointer is one button, and gets about 4-5" on a larger target and about 3-4" on coins.

The Pistol Probe has three, count them, three knobs that require adjusting before you can use it. I also did a side by side test on them both and the Propointer beat the Pistol Probe by an average of 1" on every single target.

The Propointer is money well spent. The Pistol Probe, IMHO, is not. It is a major pain in the backside.
 

Steve Herschbach

Hero Member
Apr 1, 2005
659
1,016
Nevada
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I prefer the Propointer. I epoxied the speaker holes shut and go by the vibration exclusively. And now I can use it underwater!

Steve Herschbach
 

digging41

Jr. Member
Sep 7, 2008
39
2
Had a propointer for 2 years now.Can honestly say it is and excellent piece of equipment.Garrett hit a home run IMO.It works very well at speeding up retrieval times. Very well built ,batteries last and last.It nice to get what you pay for,for a change :icon_thumright:

digging41
 

DKinPA

Hero Member
Aug 21, 2005
895
48
Central Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 LTD, Minelab ETrac & Tesoro Silver UMax
I can't comment on the pistol probe, looked at it before I got the Garrett but the size and the buttons made me go the other way. I can say the Pro-pointer has been a very welcome addition to my arsenal, sturdy enough and in my opinion gives enough depth. My F75 LTD pinpointing is very accurate and if I miss a pinpoint off to the side I know I got iron in the hole. The video on youtube showing how to get extra depth from the Pro-pointer really works and adds that little extra depth when I need it.

Put me down as a happy Pro-pointer user!!

Dave
 

Keppy

Gold Member
Nov 19, 2006
8,318
2,870
N.E. Ohio on lake Erie
Detector(s) used
** WHAT ONE I FEEL LIKE ON HUNTING DAY *****
Primary Interest:
Other
I never owned the pistol probe .... used the Garrett Pro Pointer and bought the Pro Pointer it is built like a tank and it is loud that is what i like and it vibrates so i always know when it finds my target................. I like the pro pointer.....
 

DirtyMike

Hero Member
Feb 10, 2009
898
105
West Virginia
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2, MXT, TDI, Tejon, AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I own both of these probes also. I can say that the pistol probe reads deeper but is quite large and is not very loud. I do like its depth when I am hunting in yards though. Now the pro pointer is nice and loud, goes deep enough most of the time, has a light, and is much smaller. They both have there good sides but for the price the pro pointer is the way to go for sure.
 

mrwilburino

Hero Member
May 7, 2010
680
617
Northern Ohio
Detector(s) used
Fisher, Teknetics, Minelab, XP
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I chose the pistol probe for it's depth and have been very happy with it. I do a lot of park hunting and pull some deep coins out of the places I hit. I don't want to cut a big wide plug and do a lot of digging. With the pistol probe I can go with a medium sized plug and it will pick up the target just about every time, then I can go right to it with a minimum amount of digging and mess. Never had a problem with the volume, it's loud enough but not so loud that it attracts attention. As far as the knobs go, it has three: on/off switch, frequency, and threshold - nothing too complicated for anyone who knows how to use a metal detector and once they're set you rarely need to readjust them.
 

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