Tesoro warranty

Relichunter1

Sr. Member
Feb 2, 2010
271
282
California
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon,Tesoro Lobo, Minelab GPX 4500.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Re: Tesoro warranty

Always do some research before you buy, that goes for any detector brand. If your looking to buy a detector, first go on the web sites and find out how long the particular model has been in production. If its not in production anymore contact manufacturer and ask if they still warrranty or have parts to make repairs. I am a Whites user and have a few Tesoros including the Silver U max, the Lobo supertrak, and Tejon. Each model has its particular strength and weakness, but depending on the hunting I will be doing that day will dictate which detector I will use. Most modern detectors have iron discrimination so their is a lot to choose from. Good Luck...and Happy Hunting. :icon_thumleft:
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,423
30,109
White Plains, New York
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Re: Tesoro warranty

Pulltab Paul said:
Except that I had already bought the detector before I contacted Tesoro about the problem, why does everyone misunderstand this?

And I think Terry could use some therapy for that anger issue, jeez dude did I crap in your cornflakes or what?

I KNEW those cornflakes tasted better! :laughing7:
 

MetalDetector27

Jr. Member
Jan 29, 2012
46
1
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Silver Umax
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Re: Tesoro warranty

Glad I am buying a Tesoro :laughing9:
 

Pulltab Paul

Tenderfoot
Jan 2, 2012
6
0
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Well I sent my detector to them and they fixed it for FREE! It works much better now but for what I do I still prefer my inexpensive
Tracker IV much better.
I dig way too much crap with the
Tesoro.
 

Ty

Jr. Member
Oct 12, 2004
38
2
Alabama
Detector(s) used
White's MXT Pro, White's IDX, Custom Water Detector, White's Coinmaster, Vaquero
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Interesting thread to say the least. I have a question for anyone who wants to reply. Some months back, I sent a Cortes to Tesoro for repair. It will snap, crackle and pop if on. It can be in use or "parked" with no movement. I told the repair department all this. I got the detector back with a note that more or less said I was an idiot for sending it to Tesoro for repair. I didn't tell them that I parked the detector in several locations with two (2) other Cortes detectors. Mine would make all kinds of noises when on. Turn it off and turn one of the other Cortes detectors on and it would not make any noises. Ditto for the second Cortes. Note also stated that the Cortes seems to be a noise magnet and that in some places it can't be used or you have to endure all this noise to use it at that particular location. I decided that the other two Cortes detectors are defective if mine is "normal". Contacting Tesoro about this, I was told to "send it back". If they didn't see a problem the first trip my thought is that they likely won't see one the second time either. What good is a "lifetime" warranty if the company can't/wont repair the detector? My solution was to obtain a different brand and permanantly park the Cortes.
 

goldhungry

Full Member
Jan 2, 2009
228
139
Kimball. Mi
Detector(s) used
ACE 250, Tesoro Tiger Shark. Tesoro Outlaw
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have wiegh in on this. I bought a Tiger Shark (used) and was having some issues. Talked to Tesoro (Robert M) and all I can say is problems solved. Thank You Tesoro :hello2:.
 

Allcav

Jr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
99
21
Prescott, AZ
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have wiegh in on this. I bought a Tiger Shark (used) and was having some issues. Talked to Tesoro (Robert M) and all I can say is problems solved. Thank You Tesoro :hello2:.

You are more than welcome. It is unfortunate that we cannot please everybody. I do apologize if we cannot create the interference or disturbance that you have in the field with your detector. We have a lot of machines here that will interfere with our tests but what we do not have is everybody's environment.
Ty I am sorry you have a bad experience with Tesoro and I wish I could make it better.
 

G.A.P.metal

Gold Member
Jul 5, 2010
6,468
7,387
"Kan-a-we-o-la" Head on a Pole N.Y. Seneca Territo
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Deus, 11" Low Freq. , 9" X35 Coils, MI 6 Pointer...
Land or Sea Pointer
King Of Spades 40" KS-D SA and 40" KS-S-SA
L
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Hi Allcav
Do you still repair the Toltec II... it just won`t power up , been using it weekly sense 92 0r 93...2012 no power i use to sell them in the 90s under G.A.P. Metal Detectors here in N.Y.
I was very proud of having Tesoro Brand in my shop, and still ware a Tesoro Tshirt from the 90s both are built like iron .This detector is my hunting partner`s he bought it new.
Thanks Gary
 

Last edited:

Allcav

Jr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
99
21
Prescott, AZ
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi Allcav
Do you still repair the Toltec II... it just won`t power up , been using it weekly sense 92 0r 93...2012 no power i use to sell them in the 90s under G.A.P. Metal Detectors here in N.Y.
I was very proud of having Tesoro Brand in my shop, and still ware a Tesoro Tshirt from the 90s both are built like iron .This detector is my hunting partner`s he bought it new.
Thanks Gary

We repair everything that is possible for us to repair.
 

kinigit

Jr. Member
Jul 19, 2012
44
9
Gainesville, FL
Detector(s) used
Dual Field PI, Stingray 2, Golden Sabre Plus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Glad to see there was already a thread giving Tesoro the credit they deserve. My first detector as a kid was a Tesoro Golden Sabre. I treated it the way most kids will and it took some abuse (nothing too reckless, but I used it a fair amount and some around the beach although not in the water). Just recently decided to pick up the hobby again. I sent it back to them and they fixed it up for me. Furthermore I got a call from Rusty, on a Saturday none the less, and he was an absolute pleasure to deal with. It is an old detector and had they not fixed it or charged me I would have understood, but instead they went above and beyond. That is customer service and it means that anytime someone asks me what brand I recommend it will be a Tesoro.

I was sure the days of companies doing the right thing were gone, Tesoro proved me wrong. Thank you Tesoro you set a high bar for other companies!
 

Reg

Full Member
Aug 10, 2007
125
111
Pueblo, CO
Detector(s) used
White's TDI, TDI SL, GMT, GM 4, MXT, Tesoro LST, Lobo, Bandido, Vaquero, Sidewinder, Fisher GB 2, GB SE, F75 LTD Camo, Minelab SD 2200, XT18000, Discovery Goldtrax, Cointrax, and too many others
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Paul,

The Cutlass II isn't that old. Glad you got it fixed. I have several Tesoro detectors and all work fine. BTW, all of mine are much older than your detector including my LST.

As for their warranty, it is one of the best. I will admit that.

Since almost all Tesoro's use the same fundamental design, I am surprised you are not that happy with the detector. It is a basic model but should work fine and have respectable depth. It just takes time to better understand the adjustments to keep the detector quiet and discriminate well. With a few tricks, I found the Tesoro to be one of the best at telling me when it is a ferrous object giving me a signal.

Actually, the technique works well on most two filter detectors. When in doubt on any target, simply sweep the target again but using a different sweep speed. Usually, when slowing down ferrous junk will stutter while a good object will still give a nice signal that is a little wider. I use a faster sweep speed also and at times it can help in determining the target better also.

Reg
 

Reg

Full Member
Aug 10, 2007
125
111
Pueblo, CO
Detector(s) used
White's TDI, TDI SL, GMT, GM 4, MXT, Tesoro LST, Lobo, Bandido, Vaquero, Sidewinder, Fisher GB 2, GB SE, F75 LTD Camo, Minelab SD 2200, XT18000, Discovery Goldtrax, Cointrax, and too many others
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ty,

I have not doubt the detector can be repaired easily. Now, I have a couple of questions like if you turned the sensitivity down, did the snap crackle and pop quit? If so, at what setting was the detector stable?

Next, since you had a couple of other similar detectors, did you swap coils? If so, did anything change?

I mention these two issues because they can vary between detectors. Take one detector and if the parts make the detector a little more sensitive at the same time that the coil on the detector isn't shielded quite as well as a different coil, then the combination can cause the symptoms you mentioned and everything still be within spec.

The key to any repair is when a detector is sent in, the owner should try to provide as much information as possible, if for no other reason than as a courtesy to the tech who will try to repair it.

If the tech runs through basic tests and the detector passes, all he knows is the detector works within spec. What he doesn't know is just what might be causing the problem you are experiencing, because the problem doesn't exist under the conditions he tried it. However, if you would have told him that two other units were quiet at the same location, it might have helped the tech figure out what might be wrong, or at least helped the tech ask a few more questions.

So, for anyone sending a detector in, please provide as much information as possible. This is the best way to get your detector fixed correctly.

Let me mention this, I have three Bandido's I keep around to let other people use. All three are a little different from each other and one of them is noisier than the other two. I can tweak the sensitivity control just a little and the noise stops. Do I worry about this condition? Of course not because I know there are factors that could cause the problem. Also, if I turn down the sensitivity enough to make the detector quiet, I know that detector still goes as deep as my other two. It was just a little more sensitive to begin with, which is what I found when I ran full tests on them.

So, please don't expect the tech find something thinking that he should know, because all too often people will send a detector in not because it is defective, but because the operator simply didn't know how to adjust it or know that some detectors may be just a little more sensitive than others.

Now, to add a little humor to this post, I will relate something told to me by George Payne many years ago. George and Roy Van Epps had gone to a treasure hunt in Oklahoma and while there they had a woman approach them with a complaint about her new detector. She claimed the detector didn't work as it should.

So, George asked her to please show him what it was doing wrong and tossed a coin on the ground. The woman passed the coil over the coin and the detector sounded off just fine. Then the woman raised the coil and stuck it in George's face and said "see". Well, needless to say, George was stumped and again asked the woman why she thought the detector wasn't working. So, the woman passed the coil over the coin again and then shoved the coil in George's face a second time and said "see". Again, George was puzzled and asked the woman just specifically what she thought the detector was doing wrong.

The woman snapped back, "see, the coil didn't pick up the coin". It seems that the add said the detector would pick up coins at great depths and it wouldn't even pick up one on the surface. Sad but true, the woman actually expected the coil to physically pick up the coin.

Reg
 

Ty

Jr. Member
Oct 12, 2004
38
2
Alabama
Detector(s) used
White's MXT Pro, White's IDX, Custom Water Detector, White's Coinmaster, Vaquero
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The snap, crackle, pop is there with sensitivity minimum, maximum or anywhere between.
Tried with at least a half dozen coils. It starts and stops when bumped. I tried the Cortes
in several areas. Using two (2) other Cortes machines in same area, same time; moving or
still, mine is the only one that exhibited the snap, crackle and pop. If it is normal then the
other two have problems.

I managed to eat at least once a day from 1958 to 1997 repairing most any electronic device
you can name with the last 27 of those years repairing 2-way radio and related devices. The
license required to do that when I started was obtained by taking an FCC test, not the CET
certificate issued today.

My background in detectors started in 1966 and is still going although a heart attack has me
slowed to a crawl. I've constructed my own detectors, co-owned a detector company for a few
years in the 70's. Still get an occasional call for a part(s) for one of those detectors. I've done
a detector review or two for Tesoro since the original Silver Sabre review in 1983.

I think I'm qualified to know if a detector is working correctly or not. This Cortes isn't working
correctly but that doesn't matter now. I have obtained a detector from another manufacturer
that works quite well for me. I was told to send the Cortes back, but at $25 shipping I don't
think so. I'll take a stab at finding the problem myself when I feel more like working on an
electronic device.

Never ran into someone who expected the coil to "pick up" the target, but have experienced s
funny story or two over the years.

Thanks for the advice, Reg and good hunting.
 

Reg

Full Member
Aug 10, 2007
125
111
Pueblo, CO
Detector(s) used
White's TDI, TDI SL, GMT, GM 4, MXT, Tesoro LST, Lobo, Bandido, Vaquero, Sidewinder, Fisher GB 2, GB SE, F75 LTD Camo, Minelab SD 2200, XT18000, Discovery Goldtrax, Cointrax, and too many others
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ty,

Thanks for the additional info. It helps, and yes, I suspect you are more than capable of fixing the detector. Unfortunately, right now, I can't find a schematic for that unit. If I had one, I would send it your way.

I liked Tesoro better when Jack ran the company. He was a lot more flexible with technical info than his kids. When I was writing for a treasure hunting magazine, Jack was always willing to provide technical info I needed.

Getting back to your detector and its probems, if bumping the detector makes the problem come back and go away, that helps and might make it easier to fix. I had a Bandido do something similar a few years back. It turned out to be a grounding problem where the coil connector was soldered to the pc board. It took a little gentle pressing on the pc board with a plastic tuning tool to localize the problem on my detector. Hopefully, your detector will be as easy to fix.

I am familiar with the FCC license. I got my first class back in 66 or 67. Don't remember which. It is or was a stiff test.

On a different note, sorry to hear about your health problems. I hope that works out for you also and that you are back to new soon. Well, new isn't the right word, but at least back to much better health. I am not quite as old as you, but close. Whoever said these were the golden years needed glasses and couldn't tell rust from gold. At least, that is my experience.

Changing the subject again, I think I know you from previous communications several years ago. Ty is not that common of a name.

Reg
 

kinigit

Jr. Member
Jul 19, 2012
44
9
Gainesville, FL
Detector(s) used
Dual Field PI, Stingray 2, Golden Sabre Plus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well I got my detector back today and I got to say Tesoro is fantastic. This is the best I have ever been treated by a company! Period!

Rusty is fantastic and was a pleasure to deal with. If you need a detector buy a Tesoro you will not be disappointed. Seems to be working great and will have me back out detecting.

THANK YOU TESORO!
 

Ty

Jr. Member
Oct 12, 2004
38
2
Alabama
Detector(s) used
White's MXT Pro, White's IDX, Custom Water Detector, White's Coinmaster, Vaquero
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Reg,

We met several years back at a hunt in Indiana. (Does a bumper cover ring a bell?) Yes,
we have had some emails back and forth at least a couple of times. Still have your email
in my address list.

When I feel better, I'll obtain a can of freeze and find some non-conductive tuning sticks
and run the culprit that is making the noise down. I have no doubt that I can find the
problem, just that I paid for a lifetime warranty and find that it's useless. It couldn't be
too hard to find.

Good hunting,
 

Reg

Full Member
Aug 10, 2007
125
111
Pueblo, CO
Detector(s) used
White's TDI, TDI SL, GMT, GM 4, MXT, Tesoro LST, Lobo, Bandido, Vaquero, Sidewinder, Fisher GB 2, GB SE, F75 LTD Camo, Minelab SD 2200, XT18000, Discovery Goldtrax, Cointrax, and too many others
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi Ty,

Yep, I remember that bumper and our meeting. My nice shiny new Ford Probe sure looked bad with half the bumper gone. The woman who managed to hit me would have been fine if she hadn't panicked and slammed on her brakes. There wasn't room for the three vehicles on the two vehicle road when the woman decided to pass that truck while I was coming from the other way but that was only part of the problem

We would have missed each other because I ditched and left the road at the last minute. I would have left the road sooner but there was a ditch on my side. I had to wait until there was some place to go. Would have made it too if the woman hadn't decided to do a 180 in the road. Get this, she managed to clip my door and bumper with her right front bumper as she was coming back around. Threw me into a broadslide on some gravel and my car was heading for a guy wire holding up a telephone poll. I managed to spin the tires and turn the vehicle enough that the back end of the vehicle hit the guy wires and up I went into the air and slid back down the wires.

The state patrol man told me about what part of her car hit me. I was too busy trying to avoid the wreck to notice.

Don't know how many people noticed the yellow stripes on my back trunk lid, but that is how they got there. They were obvious but not as obvious as the fact half the bumper was missing on a nice new car.

The poor woman who hit me was crying after the wreck. I felt bad after screaming at her for what she done to my new car. I calmed down and told her the vehicle can be replaced and I was glad she and her kids were ok. Turned out her brother lived in the same town as I did in CO.

I will never forget that near miss. Oh yeah, had some good times at those week long treasure hunts. Do you realize that was 1989 when all this happened? Time flies when you are having fun.

Reg
 

gold4us

Jr. Member
Aug 6, 2012
54
37
Kingsland, TX
Detector(s) used
Excalibur II
Excalibur 800
Minelab SD2200
Minelab E-Trac
Garrett AT Gold
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Wow, Great post.
I was a Minelab and Fisher dealer a few years ago and I shut my business down a couple of years ago because of the slowing economy. I have dealt with unhappy customers. I can tell you without a doubt that Minelabs service is not the best it could be. Fisher/ First Texas Products was better, but still had issues that needed to be addressed. I have never owned a Tesoro product but I have friends that do. The few that have had issues all tell me that Tesoro took good care of them. I was thinking of buying a Tesoro Sand Shark real soon, and after reading this post I am now sure I will be getting one. The fact that you have a Tesoro rep. coming on a public forum and explaining their reasoning for doing or not doing something is a big plus in my book. That’s more than you will get from other companies and a Lifetime warranty is way more than you will get from most. Tesoro sounds like a great company and sounds like they want to keep people's business.
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,466
54,918
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Remember tesoro took over a year to fix the issue with their waterproof connectors on the tiger and sand shark detectors. Hundreds of hunters were down then.
 

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