Best detector for jewelry on a budget

jimmyzr1

Full Member
Jun 12, 2010
204
86
Sacramento, Ca
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Ctx-3030, Excalibur sword, XP Deus, 3 Garrett propointers, White's Tdi SL, VX3, 6000 Di Pro SL, Mx sport, Tesoro Tiger shark and more
I'm looking for a great detector for finding gold jewelry mainly on soccer fields, baseball diamonds and parks. I'm not interested in coins with this detector only jewelry. I have other detectors (Minelab, Whites) for the coins. A detector that's good on chains as well as rings that's no higher than $400 preferably less.
 

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
Tesoro Compade; Tesoro Vaquero - Big Gold to you!
 

gleaner1

Silver Member
Feb 1, 2009
4,495
1,038
Gateway to the 1000 Islands
Detector(s) used
Sometime(s)
Primary Interest:
Other
Everyone is on a budget, well, almost everyone. The thing to remember is that there is no best tecter for finding any type of crap, just like there is no better sand wedge to make just any sand trap shot. Word on that.
 

LinkHylian

Sr. Member
Dec 21, 2012
393
107
WA State
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro + ProPointer
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Garrett ACE 350 or I highly recommend saving your money for a Garrett AT Pro. Bart at bigboyshobbies.NET can hook you up real good. Good luck and may gold find its way to you.
 

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jimmyzr1

Full Member
Jun 12, 2010
204
86
Sacramento, Ca
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Ctx-3030, Excalibur sword, XP Deus, 3 Garrett propointers, White's Tdi SL, VX3, 6000 Di Pro SL, Mx sport, Tesoro Tiger shark and more
I had a ace 250 and didn't care for it. I think this time I'm looking for Tesoro. I will only be using this at sports fields for the most part. I'm leaning toward the compadre unless there is something out there that is much better on gold jewelry in this kind of hunting.
 

SpiritRelic

Hero Member
Sep 16, 2012
899
117
I had read a lot about the compadre being excellent for jewelry.The Golden can be adjusted to give a quack sound when it hits over gold.Utube,53Silver shows this in his Utube video.You are right in your thinking about a Tesoro for jewelry.World know for being very good for jewelry. :-D
 

chinchilla

Full Member
Dec 18, 2009
182
24
Detector(s) used
Tesoro, White's
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
the señor compadre is a good choice
 

olfacere

Full Member
Feb 22, 2013
154
61
Georgia, US
Detector(s) used
Tesoro MicroMax Silver
Garrett Pro Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
The Compadre was designed to be a cheap and simple, but durable and high-performing, machine to be used for hunting coins and jewelry in easy soil (sounds like exactly what you want to do). There is no other detector in the same price range ($160 new) that will beat it. It also comes with Tesoro's famed lifetime warranty. I hear they'll soon offer the Compadre with an 8" coil, which is nice. Pick the 5.75" coil to better read between trash items or the 8" for covering more ground. I don't know if the coils are changable, though.

P.S. I've heard that the Compadre tends to like small, gold chains more than most detectors.
 

atomicscott

Bronze Member
Aug 18, 2011
1,564
1,055
Riverside CA
Detector(s) used
Current: Nokta Makro Simplex+, Teknetics Patriot, Fisher Gold Bug (original), GP Pinpointer (Garrett Clone) Lesche. Owned: Omega 8000, Minelab X-Terra 505, Fisher F2, Tesoro Vaquero, & Compadre, Whit
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Oh Ya! Compadre for sure!
 

rainyday101

Hero Member
Dec 1, 2012
779
346
Peshtigo, Wisconsin
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon, Tesoro Silver uMax, Tesoro Tiger Shark
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Compadre, but don't overlook the Silver Umax. Both are great machines for little jing. I got my Silver uMax off ebay for $160. Best little detector I ever had.
 

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jimmyzr1

Full Member
Jun 12, 2010
204
86
Sacramento, Ca
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Ctx-3030, Excalibur sword, XP Deus, 3 Garrett propointers, White's Tdi SL, VX3, 6000 Di Pro SL, Mx sport, Tesoro Tiger shark and more
Which coil would be best for soccer fields, the 5.75 or the new 8" coil? I know the 5.75" coil is the one that everyone has used but would the 8" be as sensitive to the small and large gold jewelry. It would over the ground quicker.
 

olfacere

Full Member
Feb 22, 2013
154
61
Georgia, US
Detector(s) used
Tesoro MicroMax Silver
Garrett Pro Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
rainyday101: If you got a MicroMax Silver for the price of a Compadre, then you got a deal! The Silver is my first and only detector for now.

jimmyzr1: The 5.75" coil would be better for jewelry. It's a trade-off. My Silver has an 8" coil and I've found it to be quite sufficient.
 

rainyday101

Hero Member
Dec 1, 2012
779
346
Peshtigo, Wisconsin
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon, Tesoro Silver uMax, Tesoro Tiger Shark
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Olfacere, it was on a buy it now or make an offer auction on ebay. I offered $160 and thought there was no way they would take it. Next thing I know the offer is accepted and payment is required. So I bought it. It was like brand new and I don't think it was ever used. Not one scuff on the coil or a nick anywhere. It also still had the factory battery in it and it was still good. I only got to use it for about 8 hours until the snow came and the ground froze, but I learned a lot in that time and loved it. It doesn't take long to learn this thing. I am highly impressed with the 8" concentric for it's depth and target separation.

Buy one from a sponsor of the forum and you can really get some good deals. Miller DMZ is a sponsor that handles Tesoro.
 

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jimmyzr1

Full Member
Jun 12, 2010
204
86
Sacramento, Ca
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Ctx-3030, Excalibur sword, XP Deus, 3 Garrett propointers, White's Tdi SL, VX3, 6000 Di Pro SL, Mx sport, Tesoro Tiger shark and more
I ended up buying the Compadre with the 5.75" coil yesterday.
 

olfacere

Full Member
Feb 22, 2013
154
61
Georgia, US
Detector(s) used
Tesoro MicroMax Silver
Garrett Pro Pinpointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
You won't be disappointed with the Compadre. For high-value, near-surface goodies, it's the best deal ever.
 

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jimmyzr1

Full Member
Jun 12, 2010
204
86
Sacramento, Ca
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Ctx-3030, Excalibur sword, XP Deus, 3 Garrett propointers, White's Tdi SL, VX3, 6000 Di Pro SL, Mx sport, Tesoro Tiger shark and more
DSC03688.JPG Here is a gold and garnet ring I found today DSC03690.JPG with my new Compadre detector in a tot lot. I found it after about 20 minutes detecting. It is 14k yellow gold an weighs 11.4 grams.
 

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Mzjavert

Silver Member
Oct 7, 2011
2,780
2,747
Indiana
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Mark IV
Garrett Ace 350
Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Here is a gold and garnet ring I found today with my new Compadre detector in a tot lot. I found it after about 20 minutes detecting. It is 14k yellow gold an weighs 11.4 grams.
Oops, I cannot post the picture for some reason.

Not a bad way to pay for your machine.
 

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