Iam i addicted to tesoros

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
All of the major players make some decent detectors, BUT if simple and effective for less money is what you want, Tesoro can't be beat. Tesoro strong points: simple, effective, value for dollar, depth, durability, weight, lifetime warranty. Not everybody can afford to drop $1500 plus on a detector for finding coins.

There are probably some decent advantages to a multi tone like a minelab, but in a trashy area it would probably sound like R2D2 having an orgasm! Not something I really want to hear!
 

Tnmountains

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jan 27, 2009
18,716
11,709
South East Tennessee on Ga, Ala line
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Conquistador freq shift
Fisher F75
Garrett AT-Pro
Garet carrot
Neodymium magnets
5' Probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I am extremely loyal to the brand. My local detector shop was Hickory Valley Electric in Chattanooga. The owner , Amos Taylor has passed on , upward. The building is empty now. I still have memories of the early Gillford detectors. Amos loved to air test them for everyone. I remember him air testing the tiny C&G Wildcat and smiling so big ! Amos had such faith in Gillfords detectors that he and Hickory Valley became south eastern regional distributors for the new Tesoro brand . My first Tesoro was an Inca for relic hunting. I know where an almost brand new Sovereign GT with 2 loops is for $300 . I'm I going to buy it ? Naw... Owning a Tesoro is not a hobby. Its a passion.

I used to deal with Hickory Valley as well.They only opened one or two days a week. It was like a double secret relic outlet . I still have a machine I bought from them. I carry a Tesoro in my truck so I have one to test areas for future hunts. Great machines that give you a lot of confidence and depth.
 

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
Yes hanging out, me AND the OTHERS that posted here. Actually TheRingFinder made the ML comments first, yet you singled me out?
And yet you are still hanging out in the Tesoro forum and even posting. It sounds to me that you are not completely cured! :BangHead:
 

Dan B

Sr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
341
143
Windsor Ontario
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Vaquero. Whites MX Sport
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You're the only one that claimed to be completely cured! :laughing7:

All in good fun, don't get upset.
 

junk

Jr. Member
Dec 31, 2013
22
7
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I also just bought a silver U max, for the money I didn't see anything that compare's to it. IMHO
 

OP
OP
justdon

justdon

Bronze Member
Aug 6, 2013
1,819
347
Florida
Detector(s) used
Teknetics delta4000/Tesoro compadre/Garrett ace 250/Garrett propointer/Garrett at pro/Tesoro silver umax
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
My silver umax is slowly becoming my main md.I have a garrett ace 250 and a teknetics delta 4000 also.But with my tesoros i feel comfortable with them and they work good for me.
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,421
30,104
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
I tried the E-Trac and the CTX 3030. I am right back to using my Vaquero. I am addicted, I admit it! I bet Atomic and Fletch don't know the secret Tesoro cult handshake.. :tongue3:
 

Fletch88

Silver Member
Mar 7, 2013
4,841
2,367
Valdosta, GA
Detector(s) used
Garrett ATPro- 8.5x11, 5x8, CORS Fotune 5.5x9.5
Tesoro Silver microMax- 8 donut, 8x11 RSD, 3x18 Cleansweep
Minelab Excalibur ll- 10" Tornado
Minelab CTX 3030
Minelab Xterra 305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I do miss the featherweight and ease of use of the Vaquero. Wish I had just kept the Vaquero for days I want to click on a knob and go! You guys are giving me the itch again.
 

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Dan B

Sr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
341
143
Windsor Ontario
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Vaquero. Whites MX Sport
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I do miss the featherweight and ease of use of the Vaquero. Wish I had just kept the Vaquero for days I want to click on a knob and go! You guys are giving me the itch again.

This might make it worse:



 

Fletch88

Silver Member
Mar 7, 2013
4,841
2,367
Valdosta, GA
Detector(s) used
Garrett ATPro- 8.5x11, 5x8, CORS Fotune 5.5x9.5
Tesoro Silver microMax- 8 donut, 8x11 RSD, 3x18 Cleansweep
Minelab Excalibur ll- 10" Tornado
Minelab CTX 3030
Minelab Xterra 305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

Dan B

Sr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
341
143
Windsor Ontario
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Vaquero. Whites MX Sport
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well that's one of the things I definitely don't miss same tone over and over and over. And digging a lot of iron. Other than that it's a great machine.

That's what's great about this hobby. We each have our preferences, and sometimes they are 180° opposed, yet we all have fun and at the end of the day, we all do pretty well. I love the Tesoro audio, and to me, I hear more than the same tone over and over. It speaks to me. On the other hand, I see some videos of machines with so many tones and flute-like noises that I'm sure I would end up in an insane asylum if I had to listen to that noise on a regular basis. Yet people love that, and do very well with that audio.

Dan
 

Tnmountains

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jan 27, 2009
18,716
11,709
South East Tennessee on Ga, Ala line
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Conquistador freq shift
Fisher F75
Garrett AT-Pro
Garet carrot
Neodymium magnets
5' Probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well that's one of the things I definitely don't miss same tone over and over and over. And digging a lot of iron. Other than that it's a great machine.

Once you learn you can blank out iron or tell its sound. Around here I dig all iron first and it will tell a story. I may want to dig that big iron on a battle field site. I like my tesoro and my f-75 and my at pro. Each has its place that is for sure.
 

roaddust66

Hero Member
Sep 22, 2013
608
342
Chattanooga Tennessee
Detector(s) used
Impact , Tejon . Fisher F75, Vaquero, uMaxSilver, Cibola , Delta 4000, F2, Ace350 , original Bandido
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
TnMtns ... When Hickory Valley was only open one day per week , The owner had passed. They were doing their best to serve their customers. But it was " quite the place " back in the day. They probably had 30 detectors at any time and all of the accessories. Fisher and Tesoro were the dominate brands sold but had Garrett and Whites as well. It is good memories.
 

gsxraddict

Hero Member
Sep 21, 2005
629
413
Resaca, GA
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Minelab Equinox 800, Whites V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I really wish Tesoro would make a detector as good as the Tejon, but with a meter. I used to have the Tejon.

I use tones first, but I really like using a meter in high trash areas to help pick and chose targets.

If they would make a meter comparable to the ETrac or CTX, I'd buy one in a heart beat.
 

Fletch88

Silver Member
Mar 7, 2013
4,841
2,367
Valdosta, GA
Detector(s) used
Garrett ATPro- 8.5x11, 5x8, CORS Fotune 5.5x9.5
Tesoro Silver microMax- 8 donut, 8x11 RSD, 3x18 Cleansweep
Minelab Excalibur ll- 10" Tornado
Minelab CTX 3030
Minelab Xterra 305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I really wish Tesoro would make a detector as good as the Tejon, but with a meter. I used to have the Tejon. I use tones first, but I really like using a meter in high trash areas to help pick and chose targets. If they would make a meter comparable to the ETrac or CTX, I'd buy one in a heart beat.
If they just made one with 4 tones I would buy another in a heart beat, without the screen.
 

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
This might make it worse:



Only problem with that vid is getting a 'hot' Vaquero that actually hits that deep. Some owners claim they get 10" on a quarter, some get 13". Mine would hit 8" on a dime in the air but only 5" in the ground, and I usually hunt on ground, not in the air! Lol. Also it doesn't matter if it hits deep, if you can't distinguish the good deep targets among all the trash targets.
ALL of the Vaq's should air test the SAME, so people don't wonder why theirs doesn't hit as deep as others do and send them back to Tesoro for repair like I did. My air test was about 1/2" better after the 'repair'.
 

Fletch88

Silver Member
Mar 7, 2013
4,841
2,367
Valdosta, GA
Detector(s) used
Garrett ATPro- 8.5x11, 5x8, CORS Fotune 5.5x9.5
Tesoro Silver microMax- 8 donut, 8x11 RSD, 3x18 Cleansweep
Minelab Excalibur ll- 10" Tornado
Minelab CTX 3030
Minelab Xterra 305
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Only problem with that vid is getting a 'hot' Vaquero that actually hits that deep. Some owners claim they get 10" on a quarter, some get 13". Mine would hit 8" on a dime in the air but only 5" in the ground, and I usually hunt on ground, not in the air! Lol. Also it doesn't matter if it hits deep, if you can't distinguish the good deep targets among all the trash targets. ALL of the Vaq's should air test the SAME, so people don't wonder why theirs doesn't hit as deep as others do and send them back to Tesoro for repair like I did. My air test was about 1/2" better after the 'repair'.
There's one on another forum for $300. I wouldn't mind having one to throw behind the seat for sampling potential spots or doing drive by's. Air test don't mean squat as many people know. Put the target in mineralized dirt, salty sand or among a bunch of iron and see which does better.
 

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Dan B

Sr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
341
143
Windsor Ontario
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Vaquero. Whites MX Sport
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Check out my Deleon air testing away from the house:



Pretty decent depth.

Dan
 

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