To upgrade or not to upgrade

RelicPrime113

Full Member
Aug 20, 2013
211
122
Massachusetts
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Quick Silver, Teknetics Delta 4000
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey guys,

I've been thinking lately about upgrading my metal detector but not sure what to get. As you already know, I've been using a bounty hunter quick silver for 4 years which has served me well and I think I'm ready for the next level up. Garrets are nice and saw a lot of positive reviews about them. There are also a lot more detectors out there too but I'm thinking budget wise. I'm mainly looking for one to detect coins, relics and jewelry. Any suggestions and tips?
 

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Normsel

Bronze Member
Sep 10, 2012
1,191
813
D'Iberville MS
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
E-Trac
Equinox 800
Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Go with your gut. My advice is call Bart at BigBoysHobbies.net he is a square shooter and won't push anything on you. His pricing is as good as anyone's and give the best package deals without any junk thrown in to make you think you got a lot. His service is 2nd to none and really fast shipping.
 

Pointman

Silver Member
Feb 18, 2013
2,575
1,549
Arkansas
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
I’ve used about all modern ones but right now: CTX 3030, White’s MXT Pro, XP Deus, Vaquero, White’s TRX
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Everyone has their opinions as I do. There are many things to look at when it comes to detectors. Some things that you would want to consider is proportional audio, how well the detector works around trash (masking) and recovery speed. There are other things which are both important and less important. Some aesthetic but important things you should consider is how well the detector feels and the sounds that it makes. I would recommend that you get advice from a reputable dealer such as Bart, and if possible swing and use a detector before you commit to buying one. I have bought quite a few new and used ones and took some gambles that I was glad I did, and spent money on stuff that I wish I hadn't.
 

Sapper724

Sr. Member
May 28, 2013
425
184
Northwestern WI
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT PRO (Current)
Minelab Etrac (Current)
Garrett Pro Pointer
Sampson 31" Digger

Fisher F2 (RIP)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Go with your gut. My advice is call Bart at BigBoysHobbies.net he is a square shooter and won't push anything on you. His pricing is as good as anyone's and give the best package deals without any junk thrown in to make you think you got a lot. His service is 2nd to none and really fast shipping.

That's no joke. I called him a few days ago, and he talked me out of buying some new headphones, telling me that it wasn't much of an upgrade from stock. He could have treated me like a used car salesman and I would have blown 150 bucks, but he was honest and set me straight. If that's not top of the line honesty, I don't know what is.

I would also like to note though, I don't think any of the vendors on here are dishonest. I've only read good things on them, and they've all been very helpful to me on the forums. That's a great thing to have in such an expensive hobby. Costly mistakes suck.

Whatever you do, call first. A lot of the times they can hook you up with a good package deal and most of the time they are cheaper than advertised prices.

Good Luck!
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,221
14,544
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey guys,

I've been thinking lately about upgrading my metal detector but not sure what to get. As you already know, I've been using a bounty hunter quick silver for 4 years which has served me well and I think I'm ready for the next level up. Garrets are nice and saw a lot of positive reviews about them. There are also a lot more detectors out there too but I'm thinking budget wise. I'm mainly looking for one to detect coins, relics and jewelry. Any suggestions and tips?
Going a level at a time might be more expensive than saving up and getting a higher end model.....even if it's a used one. Is this for land only? What is your budget?
 

crazy4coins

Sr. Member
Jul 9, 2013
467
58
Detector(s) used
Fisher F2, Garrett Pro Pointer, Lesche Digger
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
That's no joke. I called him a few days ago, and he talked me out of buying some new headphones, telling me that it wasn't much of an upgrade from stock. He could have treated me like a used car salesman and I would have blown 150 bucks, but he was honest and set me straight. If that's not top of the line honesty, I don't know what is.

I would also like to note though, I don't think any of the vendors on here are dishonest. I've only read good things on them, and they've all been very helpful to me on the forums. That's a great thing to have in such an expensive hobby. Costly mistakes suck.

Whatever you do, call first. A lot of the times they can hook you up with a good package deal and most of the time they are cheaper than advertised prices.

Good Luck!

Same here, he could have got me set on buying an 11in DD coil from him, but he was honest with me and told me otherwise. I hope he knows how much we appreciate it!
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
The amount of machines to choose from is mindboggling! Just want to add one more suggestion.... BUY LOCAL. The guys and gals listed here are ONE OF US. They know the machines they sell ( or at least better!) and must pass the muster with us, not just making a sale. TTC
 

Rawhide

Silver Member
Nov 17, 2010
3,590
2,185
SouthWestern USA
Detector(s) used
Nox 800, Etrac, F75, AT Pro. Last two for sale.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Your second detector should be what you want. Price shouldn't be a factor, just save till you get what you want. I enjoy the F75, but the T2 will do all you need also. I hope this helps.
 

Produce Guy

Bronze Member
Dec 17, 2008
2,131
519
austin,texas
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace250,garrett pro-pointer,AT/Pro,
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I like my Garrett Ace 250 and the pro-pointer,no need for me to upgrade as of now.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,221
14,544
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I like my Garrett Ace 250 and the pro-pointer,no need for me to upgrade as of now.
I think if you tried a new, high end detector, your opinion about upgrading would change in a hurry.
 

Ronzie

Hero Member
May 27, 2009
755
473
Southern Ontario
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Outlaw w/Garrett pinpointer

past machines - Minelab Explorer SE Pro/ Garrett GTI 2500 /Garrett GTAx1000
I'm mainly looking for one to detect coins, relics and jewelry. Any suggestions and tips?

Tesoro Tejon, Golden UMax, Outlaw
Garrett AT Gold, AT Pro
Fisher F5

Happy with my Outlaw that comes with 3 coils. Found some nice gold jewelry (2-14k rings/1-10k ring/2-10k necklaces), several old coins and over $300 in clad in just over 2 months with it.
Tejon is deeper and would pick up gold even better, Golden UMax has 4 tones.
AT Gold is great on relics, gold and fresh water, the AT Pro is good in shallow salt water.


With my Outlaw I'm getting the AT Gold, Tejon and a Tiger Shark to fill in all my needs.

Talk to dealers and watch videos on YouTube to get a better idea.
 

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RelicPrime113

RelicPrime113

Full Member
Aug 20, 2013
211
122
Massachusetts
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Quick Silver, Teknetics Delta 4000
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks for the input guys, i really appreciate it. I think I'm ready for the next level up because the bounty hunter quick silver isn't that accurate with the target ID. I'm also looking for one that finds meteorites and I'm willing to save my money to get a good one. Havn't found a metal detector yet but im still looking.
 

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