Whats the best brand?

[Okie Treasure]

What's the best brand?

I know...opinions are like (insert body part) ...everyone has one...and everyone else's stinks! But here goes.

We are now retired and I'm looking at metal detecting as a hobby that we can do while traveling around the country in our motorhome. Probably gulf beaches and all over the US. Hunting for all kinds of stuff...but would like to fine more coins, jewelry and artifacts than cans and pull tops!

Looking at $200 - $400 (or so) for detector. I don't want cheep junk, but want learn on one that is good enough to keep a couple of years before thinking I have to have a bigger/better (more expensive) one.

I've been doing some research and reading on line in different places...and want to hear what you all have to say.

1. Pin pointers...Garrett Pro Pointer or Minelab Pro Find 25 ?

2. BEST 3 - 4 brands IN ORDER for quality, bang for the buck, and durability.

3. If you had never used a metal detector...which 2 specific units (in that price range) would you choose between?

Thanks for the info!
Gary

 

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[Msbeepbeep]

Looks like your all set! I would only add sunscreen and a hat, tool belt or nail apron to keep your digger & probe and finds in! Happy Hunting and may you find all you seek, it is a fun hobby!
I think gunsil was just saying to find good stuff you will dig a lot of trash stuff, less so when you know your detector well. I haven't quit my day job yet! Lol! Have fun!

 

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[Okie Treasure]

Looks like your all set! I would only add sunscreen and a hat, tool belt or nail apron to keep your digger & probe and finds in! Happy Hunting and may you find all you seek, it is a fun hobby!
I think gunsil was just saying to find good stuff you will dig a lot of trash stuff, less so when you know your detector well. I haven't quit my day job yet! Lol! Have fun!

Sunscreen....that's what I keep forgetting to put on when I'm out in the bass boat!! I come back lookin like burnt toast. lol

I think it will be a fun hobby. We love to travel and see new places. Talk about a pricey upgrade...we moved from a gas rig to a new diesel pusher end of June, and already have over 8,100 miles on it. And we'll be off to the gulf coast for 2-3 weeks right after Turkey Day.



I figure we can put a detector (or two) in the basement of the motorhome and always have it with us. When we stop someplace for a night or two...or a week or two, we can scout the area with it. We love to look around and explore the places we stop...this will cause us to slow down and really take in all the wonders of this great country. There are so many really cool things to see and do away from the amusement parks and tourist traps.

Back in the 80s I engineered large cooling equipment for a couple of manufactures. The general manager of one of these and I became good friends and he had a small business at his house selling Whites metal detectors. I bought that Coinmaster TR pictured earlier from him and first got interested in the hobby. Ed passed away a number of years ago and I got busy with other things (touring motorcycles is an expensive hobby too!) but I'll never forgot the excitement in his eyes when he told about his latest find...be it big or small. He and a couple of his buddies got onto some story about an old west bank robbery in the area. As the story went, most of the money was never found...and were coins! They would hunt down any scrap of information, or old map then go out with their detectors and work the area. They found a lot of stuff...goodies and trash...but never found "the loot", at least while Ed was alive. But I don't think that mattered to Ed. It was the thrill of the hunt that he loved, and the stuff he found along the way was just fuel for the fire.

That 30 some year old memory is what got me fired up again, that and finely having time to pursue it. Can you see where I'm coming from? Some people out there may have lost their passion and only big finds are fun now. So it's "make fun of the excited newbie...he doesn't know any better". But I hope all of you never lose that excitement. It's what keeps you going and searching for the next "treasure" be it gold...or a pop top.

OK...I'm rambling on so I'll shut up. But I believe there's enough trash...and goodies...out there to keep all of us busy hunting forever! People drop and loose stuff every day...and we get to find it!!

 

[christo000]

If ur ever traveling up my way shoot me a message ill show you a couple nice places to hunt & get some nice coins And or some nice relics till then have a safe & fun trip

 

[roaddust66]

Find a detector dealershp nearby. See if they have a demonstrator you can try. Also see if they have a test garden to try the machine out. If you can't find a dealer with all of that , then buy a Tesoro Cibola. You will be thanking me for many years to come that I recommended the Cibola to you. Buy one of these other machines after you get the hang of metal detecting and give the Cibola to a grandchild.

My parents were from Oklahoma. They bother graduated Oklahoma A&M at Stillwater in 1939. Go Cowboys !

tesoro cibola - YouTube

 

[Okie Treasure]

Find a detector dealershp nearby. See if they have a demonstrator you can try. Also see if they have a test garden to try the machine out. If you can't find a dealer with all of that , then buy a Tesoro Cibola. You will be thanking me for many years to come that I recommended the Cibola to you. Buy one of these other machines after you get the hang of metal detecting and give the Cibola to a grandchild.

My parents were from Oklahoma. They bother graduated Oklahoma A&M at Stillwater in 1939. Go Cowboys !


tesoro cibola - YouTube

Thanks...I'll see if I can fine one of those to look at.

Did you see the OSU - Baylor game? Woo Hoo ...GO POKES!! I went to OSU also...almost 35 years ago.

 

[Okie Treasure]

If ur ever traveling up my way shoot me a message ill show you a couple nice places to hunt & get some nice coins And or some nice relics till then have a safe & fun trip

Thanks for the invite. I'm sure it will not be before summer. I'm looking south this time of year!

 

[christo000]

I hear ya Warner the better but when time comes the offer will stand hh

 

[Okie Treasure]

I found a White's dealer today and did some hands on looking. Kind of liked the Coinmaster GT, it even has a beach mode to use in the surf! I had planed on only hunting dry sand...but if it had a beach mode I might use it.

So...how would the White's Coinmaster GT compare with a Minelab X-Terra 305? I know White's has been around forever, but how does it compare quality wise etc. to the rest of the group in that price/feature range?

 

[cudamark]

I rank White's a bit higher in both product quality and service. As for detecting ability....they'll both do the job.

 

[scaupus]

Cant go wrong with whites

 

[fella]

I rank White's a bit higher in both product quality and service. As for detecting ability....they'll both do the job.

Most of the time I'd agree. However NOT when it comes to the Coinmaster series.

 

[carcusrex]

I think your setup is perfect for now. If you discover that you really really like detecting and want to get more involved then look for a better machine at that time. One thing I would like to point out since you will be taveling the USA and detecting. Make sure you check city regulations for detecting. There are some cities (unfortunately) that do not allow metal detecting at all in there parks.

 

[Detector Wars]

Probably gulf beaches and all over the US. Hunting for all kinds of stuff...but would like to fine more coins, jewelry and artifacts than cans and pull tops!

Looking at $200 - $400 (or so) for detector. I don't want cheep junk, but want learn on one that is good enough to keep a couple of years before thinking I have to have a bigger/better (more expensive) one.

Avoid Garrett like the plague. I talk from experience, you can find out yourself. Here's just one (set of) example: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/h...161604-who-has-detector-they-do-not-like.html

1. Pin pointers...Garrett Pro Pointer or Minelab Pro Find 25 ?

My Pro pointer started failing after about 7 months. After 12 months it was/is almost completely useless. The same circumstances happened on another pro pointer from someone else I knew. I have read reports from other users describing how it is after a year. Again, you can try to find out more. I don't know about any other PPer.

2. BEST 3 - 4 brands IN ORDER for quality, bang for the buck, and durability.

1] Tesoro, (cheep, effective, quick, will last forever. You can mod them to make them better.) Avoid the Outlaw.

2] Whites, Fisher,

3] Minelab. (Expensive, but effective and has the iggest coil range out of any Brand.)

4] All the others, I'm not sure about, just stick to the trusted ones above.

3. If you had never used a metal detector...which 2 specific units (in that price range) would you choose between?

Tesoro Golden with a cleansweep coil, second hand Sovereign with Wot coil. In your price range, you are looking at an early model Sovereign.

 

[christo000]

Avoid Garrett like the plague. I talk from experience, you can find out yourself. Here's just one (set of) example: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/head-head-comparisons/161604-who-has-detector-they-do-not-like.html

My Pro pointer started failing after about 7 months. After 12 months it was/is almost completely useless. The same circumstances happened on another pro pointer from someone else I knew. I have read reports from other users describing how it is after a year. Again, you can try to find out more. I don't know about any other PPer.

1] Tesoro, (cheep, effective, quick, will last forever. You can mod them to make them better.) Avoid the Outlaw.

2] Whites, Fisher,

3] Minelab. (Expensive, but effective and has the iggest coil range out of any Brand.)

4] All the others, I'm not sure about, just stick to the trusted ones above.

Tesoro Golden with a cleansweep coil, second hand Sovereign with Wot coil. In your price range, you are looking at an early model Sovereign.

On first comment 90% of those machines said are from 70's-80's

Second comment about the propointer do a real survey & see what the #'s are how many did fail & how many havent, like everything electronic when things are pushed to there limits stuff breaks, I also know all the ones that had problems from said posts were fixed by garret they have awesome customer service & will go above & beyond

Last comment is what sounds of more of just whats liked everyone has an opinión of whats good & whats not.just cuz a brand didnt work for one doesnt mean.it wont for another. On the said Forum there were quite a few people who absolutly hated garret machines from earlier experiences with early models & now use them more then any other