Looking for advice...

[fuzzy535]

I came across a FB forsale ad last night with a guy selling a whites DFX spectrum for 350.00. Im kinda thinking this is an older machine but the price is nice. But im also reading alot about the fisher F75 which ive found several for not much more. Im thinking the F75 is a little more currant but both were/are top models for their brands. Looking to upgrade my F4 but keep as a spare. Any thoughts or concerns with those two machines? Thanks in advance. ~Fuzzy

 

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[HighVDI]

I came across a FB forsale ad last night with a guy selling a whites DFX spectrum for 350.00. Im kinda thinking this is an older machine but the price is nice. But im also reading alot about the fisher F75 which ive found several for not much more. Im thinking the F75 is a little more currant but both were/are top models for their brands. Looking to upgrade my F4 but keep as a spare. Any thoughts or concerns with those two machines? Thanks in advance. ~Fuzzy

Ive never swung a dfx. My dad has one and did ok with it.

I do have an F75. IMO the current hot deal is the f75 plus as you get the new pinpointer and digger along with almost all the bells and whistles the f75 has to offer. I don't have a bad thing to say about my fisher. The battery life is awesome. It has plenty of depth. Amazing recovery even next to today's current machines. Super comfy to swing. Super easy to set up and navigate. It would be easy to learn coming from the f4 too. The DST will keep chatter to a minimum in any location also. All depends on what you want to spend I guess. I do know the F75 is a VERY versatile machine. Can hunt for deep objects in a field or pull keepers in thick iron....especially with a small coil!

Good luck on your choice. Whites makes great machines too.

 

[fuzzy535]

kinda leaning toward the F75. Theres a guy not far from me whos pretty good with his. I think it would be better to save up some more and go with that and be set for a while vs buy and older machine at a good price thats now an average machine. besides its not like ill be out digging anytime soon for a few months! so ill save up some more. and get what i want and not settle because of price. theres lots of deals out there anyway..

 

[HighVDI]

You could even wait for the Equinox to come out and watch some reviews. Pretty attainable price too.

I'm not too far from you also. An hour drive for both and we could hunt. Could swing the f75 and see if you like the feel and performance. That's if we could find a spot somewhere on the Pa/Ohio line to hunt.

 

[fuzzy535]

You could even wait for the Equinox to come out and watch some reviews. Pretty attainable price too.

I'm not too far from you also. An hour drive for both and we could hunt. Could swing the f75 and see if you like the feel and performance. That's if we could find a spot somewhere on the Pa/Ohio line to hunt.

not sure what the state laws are buy i did some camping up in presque isle last summer...thats got my gears turning....

 

[HighVDI]

not sure what the state laws are buy i did some camping up in presque isle last summer...thats got my gears turning....

I'm in SW pa. Could travel up past Beaver PA to the line. Gotta be some parks nearby.

 

[digging440yrs]

DFX is still a very capable machine, I have a 10x12 sef coil on mine and it gets some very nice deeper finds

 

[Loco-Digger]

With Fisher reducing their top of the line detector prices with the advertised F75+ deal $699, I expect the price of used F75LTDs to drop big time. The F75+ is an LTD and you also get one of their new pin pointers ($140 value) and a digging tool. I think you can get an additional $50 off with a promo code. When I got mine (back in 2014), they cost $1100 for the 2 coil package. With the additional goodies in the 75 plus deal your getting the detector for about $500, the cost of a new standard F75. The new plus has a transferable warranty.

 

[HighVDI]

Loco digger I saw it online for $649.00 I think....maybe that was after the 50 dollar promo. Hard to beat that deal.

 

[fuzzy535]

also doing some looking at the AT Pro , it seems to be sorta comparable. im liking the water proof option too. i have a couple of water holes i like to hit. multiple machines are hard to convince the wife as to why i need more than one. you know cause they are all the same. Getting multiple handguns was challenging enough with her, a process i wish not to repeat! also the AT is a bit cheaper too. so many options makes it hard to decide...thank goodness the ground is froze and time is on my side for now...

 

[Loco-Digger]

All the main manufacturers have capable machines. It comes down to personal preference as to it's weight, features, it's feel, the tones, and the coil options. Here are my thoughts on the major companies.

Nokta/Macro: first time I heard of them was when the Racer came out. Had big hoopla, but i do not know anyone who still swings one. I hear great things about the Impact though.

Whites: The only brand detectors I have used that required the arm strap. Huge following and have some good machines. The MX Sport is waterproof and I know a dedicated MDers' who swing's it. The MXT Pro is also a good machine, If you like a complex machine, maybe the V3i series is your cup of tea.

Garrett: The AT Pro has a huge following. I do not care for the bell tone that Garrett uses. The Max came out for $200 more with a lot of hype. To me it's an AT Pro running a better freq (IMHO) and has wireless capabilities. Is it worth the additional $200? They are waterproof so if you want to get wet, up to 10ft deep than you might want one of these.

First Texas:

Bounty Hunter: Low end machines for the beginner or those who have a smaller budget. Very capable machines, most without the bells and whistles. I must admit that I still think the Land Ranger Pro is the best bang for the buck.

Teknetics: To me a good brand, but very similar to Fisher Labs almost like a stepchild, similar machines as Fisher or vise versa.

Fisher Labs: I must be honest, I am biased. My 2nd machine is the F4 you own. It was an easy jump to the F75LTD from the F4. To me the best single freq VLF detector on the market for land hunting. I am content with pulling quarters at 10" and dimes at 8-8.5". The F4 would have hit on a majority of my good find since they were only between 4-7" deep. With over 3 years experience on this machine I have fun hunting with those that swing the Deus and CTX, we all find something. I also have a Fisher F70 which is just as capable as an F75SE. Since it runs the same freq as the F75. I have them set up with different coils just in case I need to change during a hunt. It's way easier to simply turn on another machine than to take time to swap coils. I must be getting lazy. Heck all of my coils have their own shafts already mounted.

Minelab: The CTX 3030 is the best coin shooter around, many of my friends use one with great results, also killer on the beach, just a little pricey and weighs 4 lbs. The E-Trac is also a good coin shooter, I hear it likes a slower sweep and is also heavy. The 705 is a great buy for the buck. I am used to a target range of 1-99 and I like Fisher tones in lieu of the bwoop bwoop that minelabs make. I am interested in seeing what the Equinox series brings to the table.

Deus: The XP Deus is all that and a bag of chips, ultra light, 4 separate freqs, wireless, allows you to tweak the settings more than most machines. I had one but sold it. It never hit an anything my current machine would not hit on. I have a hard time accepting change in certain technologies, I do not need those additional tweaks nor to have to remember to plug it in to charge. I prefer that if my detector dies during a hunt, that I have the ability to swap out batteries and continue swinging in lieu of having to quick charge it using a USB port in the lighter of a vehicle. Many users love their Deus and pull some great finds, In the few months I swung it, I found a gold class ring, a silver ring and my only capped bust coin. Many of my friends swing one. Again it's all about preference. The cost of additional coils run at a premium though. Eventually batteries will fail and need replaced which means a trip to the factory or authorized repair facility.

Tesoro: They have a great following, durable with lifetime warranty, but one tone, The one tone is a killer for me. I like to hear multiple tones. Great machine for those who like to Beep and dig hunt.

Final Thought: I see many other MDers continue to switch machines year over year, chasing extra depth and better performance switching out machines before they really understood them. I was caught up in that for a little and have owned a few detectors, many I bought because of their low price, wanting to experience other makes and models, knowing I would not lose any money and could play with it and then sell. I am very happy with my machine and it's capabilities and the selection of coils I have for different site conditions. Some folks are very proficient and can master many machines and have the money to invest in a multi machine arsenal. I am mainly a coin shooter who likes cool relics and some bling, but my passion is finding old coins and sometimes an occasional cladfest.

 

[fuzzy535]

always good stuff with you loco! you've never steered me in the wrong direction and i value your opinion. i leaning heavily towards the fisher units. i figure more than likely ill be on dry land and not in the water. if a water hunt is desired im sure i could find a water unit. hint hint...or maybe down the road ill find a cheap one. but with your knowledge of the F75 i feel i would get a better grasp on it by learning from you vs on my own. then im not wasting my time or missing targets. trying to put myself in a situation where i get what i want and not settle for what i can afford. then have a machine that will last quite a few years.

 

[mrwilburino]

Fuzzy, I'm right across the bridge from you over in Westpark. Give me a holler if you ever want to get together for a hunt and try out any of my machines. Temp's gotta be at least in the mid 40's though before I'll even poke my head out the front door. Take your time making a decision though. Our ground will probably be mostly frozen over for the next couple of months, and that Equinox might be worth waiting around for.

Mark

 

[smokeythecat]

Loco, I like your post. I have owned one of most of the manufacturers listed. I started out with a white's 4000 a long time ago. It found stuff. Then moved to a Tesoro Lobo, it found stuff. Then didn't detect for a long time and then got some different White's, Garretts, Bounty Hunters, Tesoros, one Fisher and now a Deus. I tried a couple Minelabs but they were too heavy for me. Haven't tried a Nokta or Teknetics, no dealers around me to test drive one. I'm not buying any machine based on hype, youtube or manufacturers' videos. Videos can be and sometimes are manipulated. Most times you can't tell which ones though.

It's not the machine, it's the operator. I've walked right behind people on the beach, literally looking at their footsteps and found gold and other stuff right where they were.

The rules are as such: 1) get a machine, get off the couch and detect 2) make sure the machine is on and you have new batteries or it's recently charged. I'm not being sarcastic. Here's the scoop. From personal experience, I have turned the machine off for a rest break or lunch, picked it back up and walked 50' and wondered why no signals and discovered I hadn't turned it back on. More than once. On a long beach hunt, far from the car, I take a spare battery (for the Tesoro) with me. 3) If there are no good targets where you are digging to begin with, you are not going to find them. The stuff has to be there first. This year I have been shocked to find some of my items. For instance. A friend of mine bought a farm last year. I asked to detect. They didn't mind. We accidentally found a Civil War picket post on the farm! Go figure! And around some of the landscaping found a wedding ring, probably lost when the shrubbery was put in. You just don't know.

As far as parks go, I think it's time to think out of the box and find permissions. I have read a lot of bad publicity recently about people digging in parks, they left holes, and unfortunately, I think the days of digging parks is almost over. It's a shame some detectorists ruin it for everyone.

And your "final thought" is dead on.

 

[☠ Cipher]

For the last several years I've really tried to support only American manufacturers. We still have some good stuff. The V3i, the MX Sport, the F75 LTD etc. But even I am extremely tempted by the Equinox in a way that I haven't been by the Deus and CTX-3030. I know from my V3i how much of an advantage it is to be able to switch frequencies or to run them simultaneously. That ability is why I chose the V3i over the other top machines. The Equinox and that new pinpointer with iron tone has my mind pretty busy lately.

 

[marjam]

I owned a dfx after wanting something a little better than my f70 on silver coins as the f70 is a great machine, but the lower frequency machines do a little better on finding silver. The dfx runs, if memory serves me, at 3.5 khz, and 13 khz or around that simultaneously, or individually if you choose. It is a deep detector, and has the capability to be tweaked numerous ways to suit the hunting you like. 350 is a good price for one. I love mine when i had it? Why did I get rid of it? I got the etrac which is an even better coinshooter.

If you decide to get the dfx, you won't regret it, but if you can swing a little more money, you might want to wait until minelabs new machine the equinox comes out. The newer technologies try to improve from input of users, and this machine had alot of input from users like you and me. Plus the equinox is waterproof to 10 ft.

 

[against the wind]

also doing some looking at the AT Pro , it seems to be sorta comparable. im liking the water proof option too. i have a couple of water holes i like to hit. multiple machines are hard to convince the wife as to why i need more than one. you know cause they are all the same. Getting multiple handguns was challenging enough with her, a process i wish not to repeat! also the AT is a bit cheaper too. so many options makes it hard to decide...thank goodness the ground is froze and time is on my side for now...

I used The AT PRO for 2 years. They call it AT for a reason. AT = all terrain. I managed to recover and return numerous gold rings from a few lakes. The machine doesn't miss a beat in a drizzle or rain. It has an easy learning curve and a couple of options you can add, like headphones and coils.
The machine is great in fresh water but don't try Salt Water hunting with it. I don't think you will encounter too many salt water beaches on Ohio. We have a few more months of winter for you make your decision.
No rush.
Good luck buddy.

 

[Normsel]

Great post. I have a V3i, Etrac and a ATpro. I like all three but prefer the Etrac. I will admit it's heavy but one hell of a coin shooter. The V3i will do the same but it can be very complicated to get the most out of it. I found just tweaking the standard settings work best unless you're an audio and electrical engineer. The ATpro is one heck of a value detector. Mine paid for it's self in 90 days. I will admit I learned it and learned it well. I dug countless signals others walked by but that was because I knew it's whispers.

I moved on to the V3i and Etrac thinking if I did that well with the ATpro then these detectors have to be better. Yes they are better but the argument lies in how better for the price difference. The V3i has paid for it's self and the Etrac has a few hundred to go to pay for it's self. On the other hand I think about the $3000 in clad I would have if I hadn't bought the V3i or Etrac...lol

It's all about preference and what detectors you find easy to learn or suit your detecting style. Or if your a guy that chases the latest and greatest technology and has to have the new toy on the market.

Kind of like the old Chevy vs Ford argument. I drove Chevy's for 30 years until I found a Ford I liked and been driving Fords for 20 years...lol

 

[fuzzy535]

Lots of great input here and many things to consider. Honestly i keep hear alot about the new minlab coming out and it has peeked my interest. So im trying to research that one too. Once the new machines come out im sure prices will drop some. Im finding good deals on mxt and dfx's. Both good machines but their discontinued. Last machine i bought new was my prizm 3, which was in early 2000's. Im looking into new currant models now, and for the most part they are all comparable with some minor advantages. So i guess ill keep researching and the right one will come along. Im thinking if i get the same thing as the other guys i hunt with then what could we be missing. A different make and model may change that up, but like always if it aint there you wont find it. So it dint matter what you swing. Ugh...to many options..

 

[marjam]

My first machine was a Garrett Treasure Ace 300, not the new Ace models but the one produced in the 90s I believe. I couldn't pinpoint with that thing so i got a couple of used metered bounty hunters and really started enjoying the hobby with those machines. I too had a whites prism 3. It was a good machine but lacked the needed bells and whistles. I quickly moved to the f70 after that, then the dfx as I found a sweet deal on one. Then the etrac, and I have found more silver with it than any other.

I found silver with the dfx, the most with any machine until I got the etrac. The lower frequency was the key as higher conductive targets like silver respond better to lower frequencies. If silver is your thing, keep this in mind when you go shopping again and look for a detector than can operate at lower frequencies. If it is multi, all the better as it will be more versatile. Not saying the high frequency machines won't find silver, the f70 I think operates at 15 khz and I found silver with it. The lower frequencies though tend to find it a little easier.