disillusion

[MrDude]

In all fairness I have logged in under another username.

I have been active on this forum for some time but I feel to get an honest answer out of some of the more experienced among us I would remain unknown. Please I just want honest answers not advertisements for the machine your using.

I took the day off and lined up 5 sites to go hunt, 2 where new and the other 3 have always proved to be productive. I spent 5 solid hours hunting with good results except for the 2 new ones which someone beat me too by evidence of filled in holes.

So here is my disillusion, I have a name brand high dollar machine that I have used for 1 1/2 years and though was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I just received a name brand cheep machine in the mail as a backup just because I thought "hey I need a backup just like everyone else."

Well this backup blew away my high dollar machine, and man I feel sick about it. Grant you the high dollar machine goes deeper by a an inch or two but the new one turned out to be a coin hog that could sniff out coins in a pile of trash. It was like the coins jumped out of the ground with little effort.

The new machine has changed my whole mind set about metal detectors.

All day I was just sick and disillusion about the high dollar machine; but man I had fun with the new machine.

Should I face up to reality and pawn off my high dollar machine on eBay and take the proceeds and purchase the big brother to my cheep backup or should I spend more time learning my High dollar machine that is a icon in the industry?

I won't tell you who makes the machines so don't ask, I just want your honest opinion.

 

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[Montana Jim]

Cripes... use the one that makes you smile the most and make the other a backup...

Then, on occassion, break the backup machine out and see how you feel about it.

 

[ClonedSIM]

I have been active on this forum for some time but I feel to get an honest answer out of some of the more experienced among us I would remain unknown. Please I just want honest answers not advertisements for the machine your using.

Well, this sentence right here is going to stop you from getting any good information.

First off, you won't get advertisements from anyone since no one here, with the exception of a dealer or two, stand to profit off any posts they write.

Second, most hunters only have experience with one or two machines, so what kind of advice would you like? You want people to make up stuff about detectors they've never used??

And why did you have to make up a new username again? Something about your old one would cause people to lie about their detectors?

 

[Montana Jim]

I have been active on this forum for some time but I feel to get an honest answer out of some of the more experienced among us I would remain unknown. Please I just want honest answers not advertisements for the machine your using.

Well, this sentence right here is going to stop you from getting any good information.

First off, you won't get advertisements from anyone since no one here, with the exception of a dealer or two, stand to profit off any posts they write.

Second, most hunters only have experience with one or two machines, so what kind of advice would you like? You want people to make up stuff about detectors they've never used??

And why did you have to make up a new username again? Something about your old one would cause people to lie about their detectors?

It is possible that there might be many who just respond with "I told you so" or politic their machineknowing what he already uses... I can understand the urge to remain anonymous.

 

[ClonedSIM]

I have been active on this forum for some time but I feel to get an honest answer out of some of the more experienced among us I would remain unknown. Please I just want honest answers not advertisements for the machine your using.

Well, this sentence right here is going to stop you from getting any good information.

First off, you won't get advertisements from anyone since no one here, with the exception of a dealer or two, stand to profit off any posts they write.

Second, most hunters only have experience with one or two machines, so what kind of advice would you like? You want people to make up stuff about detectors they've never used??

And why did you have to make up a new username again? Something about your old one would cause people to lie about their detectors?

It is possible that there might be many who just respond with "I told you so" or politic their machineknowing what he already uses... I can understand the urge to remain anonymous.

Ahh, I guess I can understand that.

 

[bootybay]

by all means, use the one you liked best and the one that was a coin hog.. so do pm me if ya feel inclined so as I wanna be a coin hogger too.


ps. I know who ya are, but rest assured, I won't tell.

 

[MrDude]

af1733

OUCH

So what would you do if you found yourself in that situation?

 

[aa battery]

Cripes... use the one that makes you smile the most and make the other a backup...

Then, on occassion, break the backup machine out and see how you feel about it.

good advice look what Jim uses oopps i mean good advice

 

[mastereagle22]

Don't know why you even have to ask the question.

What this hobby is about for me is FINDING stuff. I use an Explorer only because I like it and it works. I also have a Deleon and it works too. Then I have a Bounty Hunter 1100 for my daughter and I use it occasionally and guess what, it works too.

What you should do is use the machine you are comfortable with and to heck with anyone who has anything to say about it.

I have found good stuff with all three of the above mentioned machines.

If you found a machine that works for you and you like GO FOR IT!!!!

If you're going to seel your other machine and buy the "Big brother" of the other one who cares what other people think? I bought my Explorer from someone who thought they would like it but they didn't. Heck there is one guy on here that goes through detectors like water. Something new comes out he tries it.

What I am trying to say is, MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY FIRST!!!!

 

[bootybay]

wait wait..the big brother one, you may want to investigate on that one, as the big brother one may not stand up to its standards, like ya know how one machine works great for you..you get the next one up and then its like shoot, this one stinks.. so make sure the big brother one is what ya want.. oh heck, you know what I mean..

psst send me the lil brother one ok..lol

 

[MrDude]

Most of the replies so far is reaffirming my gut feelings.

So before I get rid of my $$$$$ machine I'm going to send it in for a check up and then decide what to do, if it comes back A.O.K. So long glad to know ya: and at that time I'll start bragging about my cheep detector.

And that means I'm going to get to make a trip to a dealer to try out its big brother.

If theres anything I learned from honest input (THANK YOU) is go where your happiest.

Signing off.

 

[Michigan Badger]

MrDude, what you described is a common scenario for sites with a lot of trash but shallower coin finds (down to about 6 inches deep).

Cheaper machines tend to be lightening fast and excellent at picking off coins down to about 6 inches deep. I don't like to get people ticked at me but this evening I went out with a $60 Chinese made unit (I call it the toy). Several of us here use it. The thing is a killer on coins and rings down to about 6 inches deep and I use it first at high trash sites. That little beeper can slam a coin in between nails as fast as I can move that coil. Just about zero hang time and the signal tones are dead on! It's something like the Nautilus in that it signals iron (low tone) and silver (high tone) at almost the same time. I learned about this machine from a member here who regularly posts dug LC's and other awesome finds in Today's Finds. He now uses it exclusively. I still use it as a pre-search machine to pick off the easier finds fast.

So, after using the "toy," I may hit that site again with the Explorer or some other big gun. But often there's nothing left for the big guns to find.

But if I had to decide between the "toy" and my XS the "toy" would go. In my opinion nothing is better (for me) than the Explorer. It's not 1/10 as fast as the "toy" but it will find the goods where nothing else will.

Interesting posts

 

[Montana Jim]

I've personnaly always prefered "less expensive" over "cheap" when describing mine...

 

[Michigan Badger]

I've personnaly always prefered "less expensive" over "cheap" when describing mine...

Good point

 

[MrDude]

Michigan Badger

I was hoping to hear from you. I didn't plan on replying anymore to this post but what do you do?

6" is pretty respectabile when it comes to detectors.

Is it like everything else: the high tech is cheap to produce for the masses and the old guard is left behind and priced out of the market?

If I had a bigfoot or clean sweep coil I would clean up everything in the tri state area with this low end detector. (It's hard on coins not sure about anything else)

It just kills me I have so much invested in my $$$$$ detector.

 

[Montana Jim]

MrDude... If I may offer another opinion...

I have always clung to the idea that "my" detector company was able to sell "less expensive" products because of fantastic marketing.

I can walk into any radio shack, and walmart, and outdoor store, camping equipment store, military PX or BX, and a plethera of electronic and store catalog sales counters to buy or order almost anyplace on-line for LESS because of sheer volumne!

Sheer volumne!

With SO few "metal detector" dealers in my state, there is no way I'm driving 4 or 5 hours to spend a ton on a high end product when I'm not sure I'll even like the hobby when walmart is right here. Sheer volumne! For everyone newbie, how many end up spending huge money on an expensive machine? In addition... holy crap... it's a lot of money!

I just think that because SO MANY are sold it's easy to keep prices down - NOT that it's a "cheap" machine.

I will put my finds up against anyone's for where I hunt and what I hunt for. I dare say I have always known my machine's are not the best, but kick some freakin' serious azz.

IMO.

 

[MrDude]

Montana Jim

I'm not putting down any machine because I've had cold water splashed in my face today.

I'm just perplexed and at a cross roads in what I consider a coin machine.

In all fairness I'm a public parks hunter. I don't know how this machine would be relic or beech hunting.

 

[Michigan Badger]

Michigan Badger

I was hoping to hear from you. I didn't plan on replying anymore to this post but what do you do?

6" is pretty respectable when it comes to detectors.

Is it like everything else: the high tech is cheap to produce for the masses and the old guard is left behind and priced out of the market?

If I had a bigfoot or clean sweep coil I would clean up everything in the tri state area with this low end detector. (It's hard on coins not sure about anything else)

It just kills me I have so much invested in my $$$$$ detector.

Well, I don't know what expensive machine you're referring to but I wouldn't be too quick to sell it off.

You have many things to consider such as ground balance and signal processing. Most low cost detectors have factory set ground balance. There are times when this isn't good. If you're hunting mild soils then the set GB's can be okay.

The more advanced (more costly) detectors tend to have vastly superior computers for filtering and processing target signals. This can be very important at trashy sites the lower cost machines can't handle.

We could put it this way, higher cost (talking name brands) generally means greater and older potential finds.

My little "toy" I mentioned is more like an over sized pocket pinpointer. But, since it's lacking signal processing abilities it will fail me on some finds. The very best finds today at heavily hunted sites are very well masked by trash and it takes everything we have today by way of technology to separate these finds from the trash.

And too, the low cost detectors aren't nearly as deep as most high end machines. An Ace 250 or Silver uMax might average 6 inches on coins but the MXT with that big bad 12 inch coil might average 11 inches. There are sites where that extra 5 inches in raw depth power means the difference between a find or a miss.

I like the low cost machines to do a fast check of a new site. My "toy" is as light as a feather and mega quick. Changing coils on an Explorer while in field is an absolute pain. So, the low cost detector works great for hitting fast and shallow. When I locate a potentail hot spot, out comes the big gun.

High priced machines aren't a rip off if one really learns them. There are exceptions but we do get what we pay for.

Badger

 

[mastereagle22]

Hey Badger, if you get a Sunray changing the coils becomes a cinch!

 

[Tin Nugget]

Hmmmmmm, Look, it's never been a secret that the less expensive basic detectors (quality ones) will find probably 80 to 90 percent of what the highest priced Whites, Minelab, Garrett or any of them will find. Past that your paying for an inch or two more dirt and for more information from a target to make a decision with. So, the only thing that matters is if you enjoy using the detector.