Can anyone tell me a good detector for a rookie?

[robert roy]

Hate to beat a dead horse and repeat what everyone else has already said, but yeas, the Ace @50 will probably meet your needs. HOWEVER, if you can find a used MXT for $400 then by all means snap it up.
Check the local Pawn shops in your area. SOmetimes you can find MXT's there.
Regards
RObert R

 

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[Larsmed]

Hello


There are plenty of great detectors out there. Many of them with tons of bells and whistles, selling for hundreds of dollars down to under a hundred dollars.

1. How much do you want to spend?
2. Where do you think you will use this machine most of the time?(beach, woods, parks)

Once you can answer these questions, then you will be able to find the right detector.

Larry

 

[SC_hunter]

Just remember, the "Lifetime" warranty is only with the original owner and is not transferable..So if you buy a used one then it is not any good for your. Just a thought if you are thinking of buying a used one.

 

[Rifleman]

If your just starting out, by all means get the Ace 250. At just over $200 bucks it can't be beat for the price. It's the machine I started out with and it found a lot of coins for me. I got to really enjoy metal detecting and wanted a better machine and bought an Minelab X-Terra 70 with several coils. I love the X-Terra to death. The good thing about having the Ace 250 is that when the kids come over or if I go out with a friend who wants to try metal detecting, it is an easy machine for them to start and learn with. I almost sold the 250 when I bought the Minelab but I'm glad I didn't. It's fun introducing others to the hobby and it makes a great back up detector should something happen to you more expensive one.

Good hunting, John K

 

[rockhound]

There are a lot of good detectors for a rookie. Almot all manufactures have entry level machines. If you want to really learn what your detector is saying, don't start out with an ID machine. Once you use a simple two knob machine for a while you can understand what is under the coil. Fisher 1225, and Tesoro Compadre are excellent entry level machines. The Fisher can be used on the beach also, and if you want
even more depth, use the larger coil.

 

[minter400]

Stick with the major brands, Garrett,Fisher, Minelab,Tesoro, Whites. As far as the features it depends on what suits you best, what is great for one person may not be for you. Do you like to tinker with adjustments and different programs, or do you like to keep things simple? Also where you are going to search makes a big difference, beach, schoolyards, ghost towns etc. The standard answer for a beginner seems to be Garrett Ace 250, but this is not for everybody, everyplace. Best bet is talk to a multi line dealer and discuss your needs, or at least give us a little more info. Take your time, this is a great hobby and a lot of fun, but it can be frustrating if you get a detector that doesn't suit you.

I beg you!! Stay away from Radio Shack detectors !!

 

[Keppy]

Tell them you work for the FBI and are hunting for underground Taliban fighters with shrapnel bombs filled with loose change. See... I just found another quarter!

Thanks for all the info. How much is the Tesoro? and have you used others?

No one told me yet what other equipment I would need.

Khouse told you what you need right after you asked the next one down under your question

 

[Keppy]

MINELAB SOVEREIGN GT....................

 

[SkiWhiz]

The Tesoro Silver uMax is the best under $250.00 detector made. The F2 is good, the Ace 250 is the most over rated detector on the face of the Earth. I owned two of the Ace 250's the first one to see what all the hype was about - didn't like it at all. I wanted to give it a second chance so I got another one later on - still didn't like it at all. Very slow respose time and that horrid bell tone sound, bing bang bong. Do yourself a favor and get a Tesoro Silver uMax. Steve.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

MINELAB SOVEREIGN GT....................

 

[Cr4zyH0rs3]

The best machine for you to use as a Rookie is the Whites Xlt with out a doubt.




Ace250??!
LoL!

 

[Mr.Jody]

I figured I would put my $.07 in...
I have a bounty hunter quick silver.For what it is, I dint think you can beat it.It pics up coins, gold,silver,junk,bottle caps, beer taps, and everything else.It has 4 sections----coins / aluminum and zinc /aluminum and $.05 / and iron.There is no adjustments except the depth. It doesn't like wet ocean sand one bit.It is water proof up to the box.It fact I found my "first" ring in sophir swimming hole. I am upgrading soon, so I am actually on the look again myself...HH

 

[George (MN)]

For about $200 new, Garrett Ace 250 or Fisher F2. For $349, Teknetics Delta 4000. For about $150 used Ace 250. For about $100-$125 used Bounty Hunter Sharpshooter II or Landstar. Fisher F5 is $499 new & Fisher F70 $649, but great value if you can find them used. Whites M6 or MXT $400-500 used, liked by many.

Too many to choose from new or used if you can spend more: $600 for Whites Prizm 6T new (maybe $450 used); Teknetics T2 $800 new but look for used ($450-600); Fisher F75 $999 new but available cheaper used ($650-750). Minelab Explorer II if you can stand weight & complexity about $600 used. HH, George (MN)

 

[fbjr]

I highly reccomend the Garrett Ace 250 for any beginner. I have had mine for about 3-4 years now and have found alot of good stuff with it(coins-old/new, buttons, relics Etc.). It's very simple to use, turn it on and there's not really much else to mess around with. Here are my complaints about it, the worst thing is that you get alot of interference from powerlines/other detectors and such. The Depth is usually not very accurrate and there is no volume control. I bought a big butterfly coil for it about a year ago and have found many, many things. I plan on upgrading but only because of the interference problem. Hope this helps.

 

[dogcaught]

Its really a loaded question. You really need to research all detectors you are considering individually, rather than take ones word and buy on a hunch. Go to a dealer if possible and gets some hands-on time. You will know which one(s) look, feel, and sound right. If that's not an option jump on Youtube and see the machine in action. I couldn't imagine blindly buying a machine on others advice, then receive it only to find out it performs/sounds nothing like I had imagined. To me, a machine has to be easy on the ears, MY ears. The Ace 250 is a very capable machine but I would never buy one for one reason. I have a buddy that uses one without headphones. Whenever he is near I find my self yelling "Answer that phone!" Maybe this just means I need better headphones. MXT was the same way for me. I planned on getting one, bought and read Jeff Foster's MXT Edge cover to cover numerous times and got my hopes up. It was everything I wanted in a machine. Then I heard the machine hunt. The sound alone killed my MXT dreams. Honestly, if you had the perfect machine that went 5 feet deep and could tell you the dates of the 300 year old coins before you dug, except for one draw back: it sounds like my raspy sister-in-law, I wouldn't buy it. I don't think anyone should buy any machine that is hard on their ears/sanity and just hope they get used to it. Morale to my story: Make sure you know exactly what you are getting and why before you buy. Good Luck JJ

 

[LuckyLarry]

I read a few of the above notes and in my humble personal and professional findings the Silver uMax is cheap, works ANYWHERE (which NONE of the Aces do), and cherry-picks almost as well as nearly anything ever invented. Only the original Silver and Golden Sabres and various Compasses do a better job of squeezing in between targets of various types. In fact those old detectors are better cherry-pickers than the fabulous F-75's.

In all my 36 years of metal detecting technology, repairs, and engineering I have never seen a better (all-around) cheap detector as the Silver uMax. It can be fitted with more than one coil choice and outdoes the Compadre hands down for all-around depth, high mineralization or not. There is a lot to be said about lightning-fast tank circuitry and the Tesoros use it.

The Aces really suck in high iron soil and pinpoint about as well as one could expect for something with early 1980's technology, which the Aces all use.

LL (AKA "EasyMoney")

 

[wyobuck]

Titan 2000XD (Extra Deep) Pro comes with an extra coil for trashy areas and gold nuggets. Packed with features you see on more expensive machines. I.E. Large Target ID/ Depth Reading LCD screen, 4 tone Audio Target ID, 9 Zone Programmable Visual Target ID, Automatic Tuning, Automatic Ground balance, Visual Depth Reading 0 to 8 plus inches, super light weighs around 2.5 lbs and has a 5-year warranty. Here's good review.

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/172-1-titan2000xd.html



Beats the Ace 250 with its glaring bell tone. Can pick them up for around $300.

Good Luck!

 

[Boilermaker27]

wow, this topic will be three years old in January, I am sure he bought one by now and he is no longer a rookie.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

True, but newbies stumble on threads and the info is there for them to read. Many times the same questions has been asked over and over..............

 

[vaquero44]

with out a shout of a doubt Tesoro silver umax all the way #1 coil interchangeability #2 life time warranty #3 the frequency of 10 khz in my opinion in my experience is about the best in coin hunting and if you do get a used tesoro they will honor the warranty they just don't advertise it and this from personal experience resale value is very good as well!