Time for change...what do you think?

[stringfrenzy]

I currently run a Garrett GTAx 1000 that i purchased used from original owner and have ran it for a few years now. It has served me quite well for a starting unit and has provided many interesting finds but now it's time for a change i think. I would like to pick up a underwater unit and after much thought have decided the tiger shark would be my best bet, although the minelab Excalibur 1000 seems great too. I still have to make a final decision there, what do you think of these 2 units? Also i would like to update my land detector and am thinking of either the whites DFX or the minelab explorer II. What do you think of these models?

The underwater hunting would be primarily freshwater, not sure if i would get the opportunity for salt water hunting or not. The land detector I'm thinking i would like newer technology than the GTAx 1000 to continue my coin/jewelry/beach and relic hunting with. Something with newer technology that still carries target ID and more sensitivity.

I primarily hunt in Ohio and Michigan mainly and hoped that i could get some guidance from the experiences of others here. Being on a somewhat "fixed" income i wanted to insure that i got a good quality unit and certainly not drop from the quality that i am already accustomed to from my GTAx, needles and analog are somewhat difficult for me that's why i prefer the digital target ID machines.

Any help or input would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.


Stringfrenzy

 

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[stringfrenzy]

Thought i should also add that my hopefully soon replacement of my land unit wouldn't necessarily have to be those models. I'm just looking for the best quality and performance that i can get. Probably somewhere in the 900 to 1300 price range for new and obviously if i went used it would be less than that. If you can think of a good one that i didn't mention by all means throw the name out there.

Thanks again,

Stringfrenzy

 

[midas777gold]

Here's my observations on underwater detectors. There are currently NO models by any manufacturer that offer target ID and depth reading. Some models attempt to identify targets by colored lights and multi tone sounds. NONE have depth reading, or target ID meters. But, being used to the info you get from a land unit, you probably will be disappointed.
For water I use a self modified White's DFX. That way I have BOTH depth reading, target ID and ALL the other great features of a land unit in a unit that can be used in the water. I looked for an underwater unit that could meet my demanding specs, but NO manufacturer offered any. Units made for the water have a lot less features than land units.
With my DFX, I can program in the different modes I need for different beach situations. I.E. Salt Water, Fresh water, Extreme depth, Sensitivity to small gold chains, Trashy beach, soft sand beach, etc., etc., etc.

I have no idea why detector manufacturers make the water units DE-VOID of features.

 

[stringfrenzy]

Midas

I understand that the underwater units won't offer target ID or depth indication which I'm sure i could adapt to for the underwater hunting.

I thought the DFX would make a nice land unit for me but am certainly interested in hearing how you modified it for water hunting. Maybe you could PM me about it?

Basically I'm in the market for 2 detectors. 1 for underwater hunting that is good quality which is why i thought the tiger shark might be a good choice due to the lifetime warranty but then again the minelab Excalibur 1000 looks very tempting. The other would be for land hunting which i may wind up going with the DFX due to the features and rechargeable ability. I'm not real sure which way to go yet. Just know that i would like the new units to last as long and longer as my GTAx has which I'm sure it will and then some.

Stringfrenzy

 

[Sandman]

The Tiger Shark is a fine machine, however it puts out one frequency and one tone. It is very sensitive to small gold and is the only water machine that I know of that you can change coils yourself. It has a lifetime warranty and is less expensive than the others.

Minelabs Excalibur 1000, my preferred water machine is very deep, 17 frequencies, iron mask which means no ground balance or iron targets recovered. Also sounds off on a gold ring under a railroad spike. Doesn't need a salt mode and has pinpointing too. Since water hunters don't need VDI numbers because they scoop everything, noises are all we need. Using a DFX at a beach is OK, but to take a chance on getting a wave get the machine wet is just throwing good money away. In my opinion, since I have a DFX too, it's a little on the heavy side for long hours of hunting since it can't be hip mounted to take weight off the arm. Using rechargeable batteries has it's down side too in that when they run down, they just stop without any warning, unlike regular batteries which run down slowly.

The Minelab Explorer II is a fantastic machine and a little ahead of the Whites with electronics. LOL. It puts out 27 freq. to the DFX's 2. I think this makes a real difference to the identification of the target. It too can not be hip mounted. The Tesoro's are the lightest weight detectors with target ID right now.

Sandman

 

[stringfrenzy]

Sandman



Thanks for the opinions. All the information seems like sound advice. Maybe I'll have to do some more checking into the minelab line and see if there are any others there that look like a good deal. So far it seems that as far as minelabs land detectors go the explorer II might be the best option for me from them.

Stringfrenzy

 

[bazinga]

Someone has also created a waterproof explorer mod as well. You can check out www.detectorgear.com for more info. I use an explorer and LOVE it and I'm very tempted to purchase the mod. To combine discrimination and target ID with a water proof machine would be awesome!

I have used the DFX in the past, and I don't understand why sandman thinks it is heavy. Of course I am used to my explorer which is like carrying a brick on your arm, haha, so compared to that it is quite light.

 

[midas777gold]

bscofield6 ,
I don't know why the detector manufacturers do NOT LISTEN to us users and produce a water machine with target ID and depth reading and all the other features as on a land detector!!!! I have used several "water machines" - excalibur, tiger shark, beach hunter ID, Garrett Seahunter. Beach Hunter was almost unusable with the singy tones, Seahunter could not pinpoint and the disc feature didn't seem to work, Excalibur with it's silent then low/high tone iron elimination was difficult to use as it was hard to distinguish between rejected junk and good targets and the pinpoint control didn't pinpoint too well, the Tigershark was OK, but the depth needed (beyond 12 inches) could not be achieved.

That's why I mod ed my DFX.

 

[Rusted_Iron]

I have a Tiger Shark and love it. I use it on both land and in water. The one tone / no target ID thing isn't an issue for me. I can usually tell by the quality of the signal whether a target is worth digging. The discrimination works very well on the TS. My opinion is that target ID's in general aren't trustworthy enough. Even my Minelab lets me down in that respect often enough that I think I could do without target ID. I'd rather hunt by the sound anyway.
Another nice thing about the TS is that the signal does get fainter on deep targets, instead of being either just a constant bell tone or non-existent. It helps estimate the depth of coin-sized targets. Great machine. In the end, you have to try a couple different machines and pick which one you like best. I wouldn't part with my Tiger Shark ever.

 

[stringfrenzy]

Rusted,

The target ID is not an issue for me on the underwater unit. I think i would adapt quick enough with it. I thought the target ID might be handy to keep on the land unit that i would purchase to replace my Garrett GTAx, not sure if I'll stick with that line of thought for my replacement land unit or not though.

As far as the underwater unit goes, after doing my research and hearing what others have to say about them i believe that the tesoro tiger shark may be my best bet due to the fact of it's depth, the light weight of the unit, the ability to swap coils, the lifetime warranty and service, and the option to use on land if i would so choose. Seems like when you weigh all the options it's quite frankly the best deal in my opinion.

Now i just need to get the $$$ around for it. I think i may pick it up first and then concentrate on a replacement land detector after that if i still want an upgrade on it.

Thanks for all the help guys and may luck be with you on your future hunts.

 

[ferrouser]

Sandman

Does the Excalibur have a metering circuit? If so
it should be possible to mount a meter in a Lexan box.
If no circuit wonder what it would cost to add?

 

[ferrouser]

In the water-

Eric Foster's Gold Scan-5 is the most powerful Pulse out,[maybe most
powerful anything] and it identifies iron by tone, and has several good features,
and will use Minelab coils. It is going through areas in OZ where
the GP-3500 is unusable.
I have seen in set-up in a waterproof Lexan Box for diving,
and wading. The price is stiff for the detector though, around
$2400.

 

[Jerxs]

I would recomend the Explorer for land.
Ive swung quite a few detectors and have settled on the explorer because of its great performance. Although it is lacking in other areas (balance and its poorly constructed compaired to say an XLT).

Although I have never swung a DFX I can imagine that its a great machine, the XLT did me well for years, Not only that the DFX uses Minelab technology pattened technology.

DX

 

[Rusted_Iron]

I think you'll like the Tiger Shark. I have 2 other land machines but still like the TS for land use-- great target separation and respectable depth. I use it in places where the Minelab Explorer would drive me crazy from too many close-together targets. Sometimes I just use the Tiger Shark in preference anyway.

In water environments the TS gets great depth. I often find coin sized targets at 2 full scoop depths (I have a big scoop), which has to be a good 9 or 10 inches at least. In salt water you will get some falsing, but it becomes much more manageable if you turn down the sensitivity. Also make sure you tape the coil wire to the shaft so it doesn't move around. When waves wash over it, the movement of the coil wires can give you mystery signals. I'd advise against hip-mounting the unit, because you are more likely to snag the case closures on something and accidentally pop the case open while you're in the water (bad!!!).

On land it's obviously not as deep as the Explorer or Tejon (those two are hard to beat by any model!), but it's probably the best all-around unit for the money if you're going to detect in the water. I found my first Liberty head nickel (V nickel) with my Tiger Shark, out in the pouring rain one day. I love that about it- you don't have to stop detecting just because of a silly little distraction like a torrential downpour.

The other machines I looked at were some of the same ones you and others have considered... in the end, the TS had the overall qualities that appealed most to me.

Just so you know, I'm not any kind of Tesoro employee or salesman... I can't help it that I just love this machine.

Here's one of my Tiger Shark hauls, posted on another forum:
http://www.metaldetecting101.com/beta/viewtopic.php?t=101

 

[stringfrenzy]

Rusted

Those look like some really good finds. Congrats on the ring, been awhile since I've dug my last ring.

Yes, i believe that the tiger shark is the best way for me to go for my water machine.

 

[WheatbackDigger]

Well, I have been swinging a DFX for about 14 months. No complaints, very nice detector. Found many older coins (this is what I primary search for). Light enough to swing all day. Easy enough to learn. I just ordered an EXPII this morning. Hopefully it will be here by the weekend. I plan on keeping both for awhile and put a good 12 months of use on the ExpII and put to an end the debate between them. One thing to note, I've read many,many reviews on both machines and I seldom run across a bad word on the White's. On the other hand, I would say about 25% of the reviews on the EXPII were negative. So who knows.

 

[Rusted_Iron]

Well, I have been swinging a DFX for about 14 months. No complaints, very nice detector. Found many older coins (this is what I primary search for). Light enough to swing all day. Easy enough to learn. I just ordered an EXPII this morning. Hopefully it will be here by the weekend. I plan on keeping both for awhile and put a good 12 months of use on the ExpII and put to an end the debate between them. One thing to note, I've read many,many reviews on both machines and I seldom run across a bad word on the White's. On the other hand, I would say about 25% of the reviews on the EXPII were negative. So who knows.

Illinoisdoug, you're going to have lots of fun with that Exp II but it will probably drive you batty the first few times out with it. I love the Minelab, but I still prefer my Tejon or my Tiger Shark as a primary machine. The Exp. is not easy to pinpoint with; you'll probably find yourself digging huge craters at first to find a target. You may end up ruining a lot of coins with the digging tool at first. Nails can also cause the most mild-mannered detectorist to utter a string of cuss words after the nth hole dug chasing after what sounded like a good signal.

Having put quite a few hours on my Exp., I can say it's a great machine but definitely not a magic cure-all for the usual problems (iron nails, mineralization, that sort of thing). It is of course a deep seeker (though magnetite-rich soil can eliminate the depth advantage it would otherwise have had), and I love the tone ID, however. Once you get used to hunting in Iron Mask -16 you may want to keep it set that way.

I would still love to have a DFX or MXT, maybe next year

I like the construction of the White's machines, very solid. The Minelab is a surprisingly heavy machine considering it seems to use more plastic than metal.