Anyone have any feedback on how well the Automax V4 pinpointer performs? This is the one that Kellyco offers for $25.00 when you purchase an MD from them.
I have Automax, Centec, Whites Bullseye II, and of late, a Garrett Propointer. With no detecting to be done during this long Minnesota winter, and a bad case of detecting fever, I thought I'd do a little comparison between the four propointers. In an airtest with a quarter, the Propointer could detect twice as far away than the other three. Then I tried each pinpointer against my plaster walls to see how they did at detecting studs. Plaster is at least an inch thick so I thought it would be a better test - and it sure was. None of the the pinpointers, except the Garret could detect a stud. The Garrett would start to sound off a few inches away from the stud and let you know when you were right on top of it. The other three would even sound when they were right over the nail. (I marked its location after I found it with the Garrett.
That backs up my opinion that the first three are next to useless unless the target it sitting right on top of the dirt. Save your money and buy a Garrett. Plus the Garrett is the best size of the bunch. The automax is huge and I never could find something to carry it in without it dropping out every time I bent over.
Wow! People are actually saying nice things about the Cen-Tec? I've been through 3 of them in less than a year . . . well, still on the 3rd. All three had switch problems. I did a few mods but in the end they wore out my patience. I ordered (not yet received) a Propointer based on the hundreds and hundreds of glowing testimonials. I'm actually more afraid of losing it than of being dissatisfied.
I had one that the barrel broke off after about two outings. I epoxied it back on and used it for a couple of years and gave it to Mental Granny at a club hunt. She has been using it ever since. The only gripe I had is that it is big and bulky and a pain to carry around. Monty
Honestly speaking..............they are junk Why? because they break easy. I have had 4 in 3 years. Like monty said. The barrel breaks at the bottom and sometimes in the middle. I fixed mine using a fiberglass repair kit for a car. I used a bunch of resin and cloth to re-enforce the prone areas. It hasn't broke since. They work fine when they work. But breakage is the main issue.