Minelabe xterra or vaquero

[Cladder]

Took my minelab xterra 70 to my first old home site with this machine and was not impressed
Signals where erract and the machine seemed unstable and seemed like it
Had a slow recovery rate.the site had alot of old and modern trash, but at
Oter old home sites my fisher f 2 seemed to do alot better.i bought
This xterra thinking it would be a step up.now woundering if I would be happier with a tesoro

[sandtrout]

I have heard MANY say, "I REGRET selling my Vaquero!"

[Terry Soloman]

Took my minelab xterra 70 to my first old home site with this machine and was not impressed
Signals where erract and the machine seemed unstable and seemed like it
Had a slow recovery rate.the site had alot of old and modern trash, but at
Oter old home sites my fisher f 2 seemed to do alot better.i bought
This xterra thinking it would be a step up.now woundering if I would be happier with a tesoro

Hi Cladder! I own both Minelab and Tesoro machines. I love both, but I use them much differenty. The Minelab Xterra 70 is a fantastic machine with a very complicated learning curve - you can't just turn it on and go and expect to get the most out of the machine. It takes about 50-hours to become comfortable with the basic control options. I suggest you watch this video: Fast Forward to the 5:30 mark, and start paying attention. Had you bought the Tesoro Vaquero, the learning curve would have been much less severe, and you could have become "comfortable" with the machine in less than two-hours. No one, let me say that again, NO COMPANY makes a BETTER VLF metal detector than Tesoro. Minelab is comparable - not better. Pulse Induction however, Minelab absolutely OWNS. - Terry

[Cladder]

after reading the replys here and on the minelab forum where they said they had the same problem and acutally reffered me to the vaquero, im going to have to replace the minelab.i think I will be alot happier and less fustraited.from what I have read and seen its a simple machine with good depth, constructed well, and after wacthing the videos mads by 53 silver it discrinates very well. Thanks for the replys.hopefully next post will be filled with silver and gold

[Keppy]

after reading the replys here and on the minelab forum where they said they had the same problem and acutally reffered me to the vaquero, im going to have to replace the minelab.i think I will be alot happier and less fustraited.from what I have read and seen its a simple machine with good depth, constructed well, and after wacthing the videos mads by 53 silver it discrinates very well. Thanks for the replys.hopefully next post will be filled with silver and gold

Yes sir that ... 53 silver ... has some really good videos on youtube with the vaquero.... I think his instruction videos are better than any detector co. has put out on there detectors............... Makes me want to buy a Vaquero...........

[Cass]

I know you are interested more in which of the two would suit your needs "better," but I would also think the matter of service and reliability of the mfg. would someday come into play. I can certainly understand why folks in Australia would buy a home product, but not so for folks in the US buying an Australian product. Tesoro reliability and service is well known by many long time users to be far more superior to any of their long time competetors,and has been from their begining. None of the others can claim any type of decent service or warranty until recently, putting them far behind Tesoro. That speaks volumes about a company, but is not always common knowledge. Most folks stick with what they start with for years without knowing just what some better choices could have been. Tesoro Lifetime Warranty and service is what decides for me when I buy a new/old/( many owner) detector. That keeps our money here at home too, where we need it now. Thats' my thoughts on it. HH Cass

[rws51]

I got a new X-terra 305 on wednesday of this week and I just finished packing it back up and am shipping it back to my dealer today. I had the same problems, erratic meter jumping around
and unstable operation. Everything was set up correctly on my detector and I read the manual several times to be sure it wasn't operator error, but nothing solved the poor performance
of the 305. Maybe I was expecting too much out of a 400.00 detector, but I have used Tesoro's Silver µmax and it will smoke the 305 x-terra in performance and do it about 140.00 cheaper than the Minelab. I'm getting the Vaquero this time and I know it will be an awesome detector. I suggest you get the Vaquero. From my experiences with the E-terra you will be much happier with
the Tesoro..... plus you can't beat the lifetime warranty ! Good luck with whatever you decide on..........

Roger

[Smudge]

I would get the Vaquero.

I don't like those TID screens. They lie constantly about what is really in the ground.

To me, its simple: you set your discrimination and after that you dig every signal that sounds good to you. That number you see on your screen might be junk, or a nice ring or artifact that you are not going to dig up because you think you know what the number means.

Humbug!

[Brian C.]

I bought the xterra 705 a year ago, I do not like it a bit. The dealer said before I bought it, there where 28 frequency's at the coil, as I find out there is only one? I kept the detector thinking I would like it with practice, no not at all. I would never by another mine lab thanks or atleast the xterra.

[sandtrout]

I bought the ACE 250 and found things BUT read about what others were finding with more expensive machines. Then I read about those that also had the ACE 250 and were making great finds and after some correspondence with them and calls to Garrett, I learned A LOT more about the ACE and started to make good finds. For me it was just a learning curve (yup, even the ACE has a learning curve). Saved up the change and bought a Garrett ProPointer, then a sniper coil, then a Vaquero...all paid for with the ACE. I'm thinking the only real problems you're having is you probably need more time to learn the ins and outs of your machine. But...if you get the Vaquero you'll probably love it. I use my ACE at parks and the Vaquero for everything else.

[Smudge]

I bought the xterra 705 a year ago, I do not like it a bit. The dealer said before I bought it, there where 28 frequency's at the coil, as I find out there is only one? I kept the detector thinking I would like it with practice, no not at all. I would never by another mine lab thanks or atleast the xterra.

That dealer was a tad confused. It will transmit at 3 different frequencies, but you have to change the coils to change the frequency. And man, those coils aren't cheap!

[Terry Soloman]

It really makes me think that if "Manny Moron" can run a successful metal detector dealership - not having a clue, I could probably do very well as a dealer with the small amount of knowledge I have! What really upsets me are dealers pushing their high-profit machines to complete newbs that don't have a clue - and the dealer KNOWS they don't have a clue - but just makes all the cash he/she can on that one-time deal (because their "clients" never come baclk!) I wish all distributors were required to educate their retailers, but alas, money talks, common sense walks... Dealers like Mike, at Woodland, take time to educate the hobbyist before - and After - the sale. They put their time in giving back to the community. I think WE must support the dedicated dealers and help to root out the fly-by-night types that don't know the difference between VLF and PI... My two-cents

I bought the xterra 705 a year ago, I do not like it a bit. The dealer said before I bought it, there where 28 frequency's at the coil, as I find out there is only one? I kept the detector thinking I would like it with practice, no not at all. I would never by another mine lab thanks or atleast the xterra.

That dealer was a tad confused. It will transmit at 3 different frequencies, but you have to change the coils to change the frequency. And man, those coils aren't cheap!

[artzstuff1]

It really makes me think that if "Manny Moron" can run a successful metal detector dealership - not having a clue, I could probably do very well as a dealer with the small amount of knowledge I have! What really upsets me are dealers pushing their high-profit machines to complete newbs that don't have a clue - and the dealer KNOWS they don't have a clue - but just makes all the cash he/she can on that one-time deal (because their "clients" never come baclk!) I wish all distributors were required to educate their retailers, but alas, money talks, common sense walks... Dealers like Mike, at Woodland, take time to educate the hobbyist before - and After - the sale. They put their time in giving back to the community. I think WE must support the dedicated dealers and help to root out the fly-by-night types that don't know the difference between VLF and PI... My two-cents

I bought the xterra 705 a year ago, I do not like it a bit. The dealer said before I bought it, there where 28 frequency's at the coil, as I find out there is only one? I kept the detector thinking I would like it with practice, no not at all. I would never by another mine lab thanks or atleast the xterra.

That dealer was a tad confused. It will transmit at 3 different frequencies, but you have to change the coils to change the frequency. And man, those coils aren't cheap!

You hit the nail on the head there sir,,!!!!!,,,very well put!!

[Cladder]

Thanks for all of he replays. I finaly got my vaquero,have only had it out twice but I alrwady love it.went to a local park and left with a pocket full of coins.only one silver but that park isnt very old.the discrimination on this machine is great, if I want to just dig coins I super tune it and leave the discrimination high.anyone have advice for gold jewerly with this machine, or relics, plan on going to an area that dates to the 1800s