Which one to buy?

[darktower007]

Hey guys forgive my complete ignorance but I've never picked up a metal detector before! I'm a nerd by training (scientist) and I tend to analyze everything in depth. But trying to figure out which one to buy is paralyzingly hard. I live in Chattanooga but visit the beach yearly so that would be fun to search. My budget is $500-$800 max.
I've been looking at the f75 ATP and T2. But what else am I missing? And what about gold hunting? Geeze I'm lost! Lol


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[Geobound]

I have been using the Garrett AT Pro for about 5 years on land and in water, and love it!

I can't comment on the others, but I would consider looking at that.

I've found plenty of silver rings, coins and the occasional gold........not to mention the dreaded ring pulls, bottle caps and tinfoil.

Word of advice.......get a Pro Pointer as well.

The Garrett one is awesome, commonly referred to as The Garrett Carrot.

 

[darktower007]

I have been using the Garrett AT Pro for about 5 years on land and in water, and love it!

I can't comment on the others, but I would consider looking at that.

I've found plenty of silver rings, coins and the occasional gold........not to mention the dreaded ring pulls, bottle caps and tinfoil.

Word of advice.......get a Pro Pointer as well.

The Garrett one is awesome, commonly referred to as The Garrett Carrot.

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to a local shop that sells them but was also curious is there a better site online?


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[CTwoods]

But trying to figure out which one to buy is paralyzingly hard.

It's never been easy for a new person. I wish I just got something/anything back in the 60s, but I was torn by ads that all claimed they were better...so I never took the chance until 20 years ago.


My only suggestion may not affect your choice, but some detectors really have sounds I can't bear to listen to.

You should be able to find youtube tests of different ones, if it matters to you.


Sorry, I can't steer you to a brand.

 

[DannyB.]

Hey guys forgive my complete ignorance but I've never picked up a metal detector before! I'm a nerd by training (scientist) and I tend to analyze everything in depth. But trying to figure out which one to buy is paralyzingly hard. I live in Chattanooga but visit the beach yearly so that would be fun to search. My budget is $500-$800 max.
I've been looking at the f75 ATP and T2. But what else am I missing? And what about gold hunting? Geeze I'm lost! Lol


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Welcome to Tnet..

I can tell you that all three machines you listed are great machines; sounds like you are on the right path. If you have an opportunity to use all three at your local store, i would highly recommend it.

All three will hunt very well.. AT pro is waterproof and its only advantage in my opinion. The F75 for 599.00 with DST (digital shield technology) is a steal.

you will get many replies.. trust your gut. everything in your price range from all the big names will hunt well.

 

[darktower007]

Welcome to Tnet..

I can tell you that all three machines you listed are great machines; sounds like you are on the right path. If you have an opportunity to use all three at your local store, i would highly recommend it.

All three will hunt very well.. AT pro is waterproof and its only advantage in my opinion. The F75 for 599.00 with DST (digital shield technology) is a steal.

you will get many replies.. trust your gut. everything in your price range from all the big names will hunt well.

Thanks! I'm also looking for a hand detector? Don't know the name but hand held device to pinpoint items? I like bundles but not sure if shops sell bundles that aren't junk.


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[Geobound]

There are a couple of sponsors here I'm sure you could look at, but at the very least try these two.

Metal Detector For Sale Specialized in Minelab, Garrett, XP, Fisher, Teknetics. | BigBoysHobbies

https://www.kellycodetectors.com

It also depends on where you are located.

There is a guy in Canada near the border called Middlesex Detectors.

Metal Detectors, Metal Detectors Canada, Middlesex Detector Sales

However I tend to go with site sponsors first. They pay to be here, usually offer discounts, and always provide great service.

Good luck

 

[Terry Soloman]

Detectors are like golf clubs, most people have a Driver, Chipper, Sand Wedge, and Putter. We have Single-Frequency VLF; Multi-Frequency VLF; and Pulse Induction machines to choose from.

Single-Frequency detectors are great in dirt; dry beach sand; and freshwater. They suck on wet saltwater sand, and in saltwater - too conductive for a single, very low frequency machine.

Multi-Frequency detectors do very well in saltwater, and on wet saltwater sand, as well as dirt; dry beach sand; and freshwater. They suck for hunting gold nuggets however.

Pulse Induction detectors are the deepest, work great anywhere including the beach, but have a huge drawback in that they do not "discriminate." That means they can't block out iron, or ANY other metal - they beep on any and all metal targets from gold to iron.

 

[darktower007]

Detectors are like golf clubs, most people have a Driver, Chipper, Sand Wedge, and Putter. We have Single-Frequency VLF; Multi-Frequency VLF; and Pulse Induction machines to choose from.

Single-Frequency detectors are great in dirt; dry beach sand; and freshwater. They suck on wet saltwater sand, and in saltwater - too conductive for a single, very low frequency machine.

Multi-Frequency detectors do very well in saltwater, and on wet saltwater sand, as well as dirt; dry beach sand; and freshwater. They suck for hunting gold nuggets however.

Pulse Induction detectors are the deepest, work great anywhere including the beach, but have a huge drawback in that they do not "discriminate." That means they can't block out iron, or ANY other metal - they beep on any and all metal targets from gold to iron.

Thanks Terry! Great videos! So if I get an ATP or a F75 they basically won't work at the beach or for gold hunting? There is a place near coaker creek TN where gold has been found and is well known. (Well I was there 10 years ago panning for gold) but would like to see if they work for gold. I'm assuming I would need an AT gold for that.


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[Cosmo3]

Hey guys forgive my complete ignorance but I've never picked up a metal detector before! I'm a nerd by training (scientist) and I tend to analyze everything in depth. But trying to figure out which one to buy is paralyzingly hard. I live in Chattanooga but visit the beach yearly so that would be fun to search. My budget is $500-$800 max.
I've been looking at the f75 ATP and T2. But what else am I missing? And what about gold hunting? Geeze I'm lost! Lol



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I guess it is time for my first post. I also am from Chattanooga and welcome. I started with a Bounty Hunter SharpShooter II. I upgraded to a Garrett AT Pro and gave my SharpShooter to mt daughter in law a short while back. I made a monster of her and she goes with me all the time. I can tell the AT Pro is more sensitive and have found 3 cheap rings with it (never found one with the sharpshooter) but coin shooting she regularly gets more than me. I do pick up lots of nickles I didn't use to get with the Sharpshooter. The Garrett Pinpointer carrot IMO is a must have although I am sure there are several others that are just as good, maybe better.

Watch the TVA land and the Government Owned Park areas they frown on you and your metal detector. A few City Parks are off limits but most are fine. Still the Chattanooga area if full of great places to hunt and the hobby is something I wish I had picked up many years earlier and have only been doing it for around 6 mos.1 (I am 67). Good luck mate and God Bless.

 

[darktower007]

I guess it is time for my first post. I also am from Chattanooga and welcome. I started with a Bounty Hunter SharpShooter II. I upgraded to a Garrett AT Pro and gave my SharpShooter to mt daughter in law a short while back. I made a monster of her and she goes with me all the time. I can tell the AT Pro is more sensitive and have found 3 cheap rings with it (never found one with the sharpshooter) but coin shooting she regularly gets more than me. I do pick up lots of nickles I didn't use to get with the Sharpshooter. The Garrett Pinpointer carrot IMO is a must have although I am sure there are several others that are just as good, maybe better.

Watch the TVA land and the Government Owned Park areas they frown on you and your metal detector. A few City Parks are off limits but most are fine. Still the Chattanooga area if full of great places to hunt and the hobby is something I wish I had picked up many years earlier and have only been doing it for around 6 mos.1 (I am 67). Good luck mate and God Bless.

Well howdy! Maybe one day we can arrange a meet up with some other folks who are experienced and can show me especially the ropes.


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[WesP]

Make sure you take a good look at the Minelab x-tera 705. A great milti purpose machine that's in your price range. Capable of multiple frequencies and is known to find gold with the right coil. Easy to use and not difficult to learn.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Thanks Terry! Great videos! So if I get an ATP or a F75 they basically won't work at the beach or for gold hunting? There is a place near coaker creek TN where gold has been found and is well known. (Well I was there 10 years ago panning for gold) but would like to see if they work for gold. I'm assuming I would need an AT gold for that.
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They will work GREAT on the DRY sand at the beach, but you will have to drop the sensitivity so much in the wet sand that you'll lose a lot of depth and the machine will false a lot as well. To hunt small gold pickers and nuggets, you need a high-frequency (17kHz +) machine, not a lower freq coin and jewelry hunter (6-12kHz).

 

[Loco-Digger]

Buy a detector that fits the majority of your detecting. If you got to the beach one or 2 times a year I would not even take it into consideration. All 3 of your choices have big followings. I have swung the F75 for 2.5 years and it is my go to detector. I almost bought a T2, but ran into a great deal for the F75LTD2. Watch videos, what sounds/tones do you want to hear. I am not a fan of the garrett tones. As stated above VLF detectors will work fine in the dry sand on coastal beaches.

FOBO is real and you just need to make a decision and begin the adventure. You will be happy with any of your 3 choices.

I look for deals on used detectors locally and have never had an issue with any of the detectors I bought. I let the other guy take the loss of buying new. I have found many great deals. I bought a $700 detector for $75, a $1200 detector for $400 and I traded my john boat, trailer and accessories for another $1200 detector. It was sitting for years since I only dirt fish now and I rather have another detector that to have the boat and trailer just take up driveway space.

 

[DannyB.]

"Thanks Terry! Great videos! So if I get an ATP or a F75 they basically won't work at the beach or for gold hunting? There is a place near coaker creek TN where gold has been found and is well known. (Well I was there 10 years ago panning for gold) but would like to see if they work for gold. I'm assuming I would need an AT gold for that."

Saltwater beaches would be the problem.. not freshwater. Freshwater is fine for most all detectors.

VLF works is saltwater; just not as good.

It's all about the Salt; not the water.

Package deals are great and can save you money.. detector, pinpointer,( handheld detector ) digging tool and a pouch if you so choose.

My finds pouch.. there are many like here , but this one is mine. Haha.

Anyways... there are many to choose from at different prices. This one holds my pinpointer, digger and what I dig up.

Made in the USA by a member on this forum " freeloader" It's just another option.

 

[cudamark]

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to a local shop that sells them but was also curious is there a better site online?


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Take what you learn here to your local detector store. Try a few of the choices and see which one "feels" good to you. Getting a higher end used machine might be the way to go. There is no "one" machine that will do it all. There are trade-offs in performance based on their design and technology. Suffering from "paralysis by analysis" is a common problem entering our hobby. Once you get a detector, you'll be able to decide easier on what you want for your next one........and if you stay in the hobby, there will be a next one! In your situation, I'd get an all around machine and work toward a more specialized on later. If wet sand or shallow water at a salt water beach is important to you, I'd get a used Explorer or Sovereign GT. If you lean more toward gold nuggets, the AT Gold might be a better choice. The AT Pro is also a very good machine for the money, for general park/turf/fresh water hunting. As Loco mentioned, get one that suits the majority of the type of detecting you plan on doing. Test drive a few of those options at your local dealer and buy one. If you change your mind later, you can always resell the machine and get another. If you buy a popular model, you won't lose much doing that, assuming you keep it in good condition. If you buy a used machine, many times you won't lose anything.

 

[snorks]

Without wanting to confuse you further.... If you get hooked on detecting the next step is always a step up. With the deal on the Fisher F75 there is not really better in the fisher line so it is a detector that you are unlikely to outgrow quickly.
As stated earlier, try and think about what type of detecting you plan on doing. Will you really do alot of water hunting? Will you hunt in the rain? If yes then the ATP may be the way to go.
Something else to consider is that if you like detecting with the detector you choose then you may want to purchase after market coil (s).
It can be alot to take in.
I started with a new Fisher F5. I like it, but if I had known that I would enjoy detecting so much I would not have bought a mid range machine and gone straight for the F75.
I still use the F5 for hiking as it pack up small and is very light. I also loan it out to people.

Things to remember when seeking opinion.

Some people love a detector and will recommend it based on what they have found (remember luck plays a big role and most detectors would have found the same target)
Some people are brand loyal and recommend a machine just because they own one...
Some people recommend a machine because they have had plenty....

The F75 didnt gain its reputation overnight but ofcourse is not waterproof.

cheers

 

[darktower007]

Without wanting to confuse you further.... If you get hooked on detecting the next step is always a step up. With the deal on the Fisher F75 there is not really better in the fisher line so it is a detector that you are unlikely to outgrow quickly.
As stated earlier, try and think about what type of detecting you plan on doing. Will you really do alot of water hunting? Will you hunt in the rain? If yes then the ATP may be the way to go.
Something else to consider is that if you like detecting with the detector you choose then you may want to purchase after market coil (s).
It can be alot to take in.
I started with a new Fisher F5. I like it, but if I had known that I would enjoy detecting so much I would not have bought a mid range machine and gone straight for the F75.
I still use the F5 for hiking as it pack up small and is very light. I also loan it out to people.

Things to remember when seeking opinion.

Some people love a detector and will recommend it based on what they have found (remember luck plays a big role and most detectors would have found the same target)
Some people are brand loyal and recommend a machine just because they own one...
Some people recommend a machine because they have had plenty....

The F75 didnt gain its reputation overnight but ofcourse is not waterproof.

cheers

All excellent points! Well today was great.. I went to North Georgia Relics and they were closed. Apparently only open a few days a week. After 30 min drive too! There they were a few feet from me and I couldn't swing one. [emoji24] I'll prob get an F75.

My big thing though is like buyers remorse.. didn't want to say I wish I wild have saved a little more etc.. but they seem to be pretty good units for the money.


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[fish1on]

"buyers remorse"

I would bet you will have no issues with that! The F75 is a great tool, lots of videos and threads on that machine to help you!

I too am concerned with "buyers remorse" since my recent purchase of the Minelab Excal, but after much feedback and tons of research/videos I know it is going to be the perfect fit.

 

[darktower007]

"buyers remorse"

I would bet you will have no issues with that! The F75 is a great tool, lots of videos and threads on that machine to help you!

I too am concerned with "buyers remorse" since my recent purchase of the Minelab Excal, but after much feedback and tons of research/videos I know it is going to be the perfect fit.

I'm feeling more confident especially since finding this wonderful forum! I was about to buy a bounty hunter a few months ago on a whim... but I was like.. you know what I better research this a bit! Lol glad I didn't!
Thank you for the input [emoji106]


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