Is the Mojave the start of a new series for Tesoro?

Peter67

Sr. Member
Oct 9, 2016
277
367
Belgium
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2
Xp Deus
Minelab Equinox 600
Nokta Makro Legend
Nokta Makro Multikruzer
Tesoro Lobo Super Traq,
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The comments about the Lobo are very interesting. So, let me get this straight, you can disc out pulltabs and still hit on small gold rings and larger gold items as well?

Larger gold items no problem, smaller gold i have to put my discrimination a bit lower but i still can hear if it is a bottle cap or pulltab most of the time. And yes Terry is right about loosing depth in discrimination mode but most of the places i go depth is not an issue. I had my best year with the Lobo in 2017 with 8 golden rings and 1 golden earing.
 

Kitz

Jr. Member
Nov 12, 2017
84
82
Calgary, Alberta
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave, Golden Umax, Bandido II Umax, Sand Shark. DeepTech Vista X. Minelab Vanquish 540.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Location is a factor when discussing Tesoro versus Equinox. Here in Canada the Tesoros work great on our clad. Not so much with the Equinox. Great for finding copper pennies, but sounds off like junk with everything else. I’m just passing along what I’ve heard, but heard from an Equinox owner, so I trust what he’s saying. I know of two that were bought and already sold off in my town. So that’s good enough for me. I won’t be getting one anytime soon.

Thanks for the info, Dan. I originally got into Tesoros partly because they were good at finding our awful steel coins. I was intrigued by the Equinox, but wondered if it was like the other Minelabs I'd owned... the X-Terra 705 is useless on steel coins, and even the CTX-3030 is just so-so on them. Sounds like the Equinox isn't any different in that department (though otherwise it sounds like a great machine).

I've since sold my CTX. What I got for it basically covered the cost of my new Mojave and used Tejon and Vaquero. No regrets :-)

-Ken
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
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White Plains, New York
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Primary Interest:
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[FONT=&quot]
quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by Dan B
Location is a factor when discussing Tesoro versus Equinox. Here in Canada the Tesoros work great on our clad. Not so much with the Equinox. Great for finding copper pennies, but sounds off like junk with everything else. I’m just passing along what I’ve heard, but heard from an Equinox owner, so I trust what he’s saying. I know of two that were bought and already sold off in my town. So that’s good enough for me. I won’t be getting one anytime soon.

[/FONT]

Thanks for the info, Dan. I originally got into Tesoros partly because they were good at finding our awful steel coins. I was intrigued by the Equinox, but wondered if it was like the other Minelabs I'd owned... the X-Terra 705 is useless on steel coins, and even the CTX-3030 is just so-so on them. Sounds like the Equinox isn't any different in that department (though otherwise it sounds like a great machine).

I've since sold my CTX. What I got for it basically covered the cost of my new Mojave and used Tejon and Vaquero. No regrets :-)

-Ken<<<<<<

Wherever you got your information, they have no idea what they are talking about. Remember the morons that swore Tesoro machines couldn't find gold? You can set the Equinox 600 up to find - or reject - anything you want. Don't take the word of someone that has used the machine a week, that is not smart. I have about 100-hours on the headphones of the NOX 600, and I'm just now at the point I feel confident writing about it. I've tested it on Canadian and European coins, and it hits them like the heavyweight it is.
:skullflag:
 

Dan B

Sr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
341
143
Windsor Ontario
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Vaquero. Whites MX Sport
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Kitz, how do you like the Mojave compared to the T and V?

Terry, like I said, I’m passing along what I was told first hand. Can you explain the settings so that our loonies don’t read -1 and sound like iron? I’d love to see a video of the Equinox working effectively on Canadian coins. By the way, the two guys I mentioned are very experienced detectorist. I believe they are both CTX users too.

I apologize to everyone for contributing to the chronic Equinox hijacks that happen on every forum, and almost every post, but Terry was the poster child of Tesoro fans, so there is relevance here, IMHO.

Thanks,

Dan
 

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steve1357

Hero Member
May 17, 2013
981
439
Arkansas
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Fisher Teknetics Garrett
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All Treasure Hunting
[FONT="][I][IMG]http://tnet.forumfoundry.com/forums/images/styles/Sandstorm/misc/quote_icon.png[/IMG] Originally Posted by [B]Dan B[/B] [URL="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/tesoro/577221-mojave-start-new-series-tesoro-3.html#post5809556"]
viewpost-right.png
[/URL]
Location is a factor when discussing Tesoro versus Equinox. Here in Canada the Tesoros work great on our clad. Not so much with the Equinox. Great for finding copper pennies, but sounds off like junk with everything else. I’m just passing along what I’ve heard, but heard from an Equinox owner, so I trust what he’s saying. I know of two that were bought and already sold off in my town. So that’s good enough for me. I won’t be getting one anytime soon.

[/I][/FONT]

Thanks for the info, Dan. I originally got into Tesoros partly because they were good at finding our awful steel coins. I was intrigued by the Equinox, but wondered if it was like the other Minelabs I'd owned... the X-Terra 705 is useless on steel coins, and even the CTX-3030 is just so-so on them. Sounds like the Equinox isn't any different in that department (though otherwise it sounds like a great machine).

I've since sold my CTX. What I got for it basically covered the cost of my new Mojave and used Tejon and Vaquero. No regrets :-)

-Ken<<<<<<

Wherever you got your information, they have no idea what they are talking about. Remember the morons that swore Tesoro machines couldn't find gold? You can set the Equinox 600 up to find - or reject - anything you want. Don't take the word of someone that has used the machine a week, that is not smart. I have about 100-hours on the headphones of the NOX 600, and I'm just now at the point I feel confident writing about it. I've tested it on Canadian and European coins, and it hits them like the heavyweight it is.
:skullflag:

So Terry, how much for a replacement battery in a couple of years and can you replace it?
 

jld66

Sr. Member
Oct 28, 2014
250
234
Maine
Detector(s) used
Vaquero with 8x11, 8x9, 5.75 concentric coils.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
So Terry, how much for a replacement battery in a couple of years and can you replace it?
I did some research about them. Don't know how much minelab will charge for the battery and install. But, can get the battery for it online for $18. It's the same battery they use in the larger vapor "vape" smoking things and looks pretty simple to change, 5 screws and that all important o-rings, 2 of them. https://www.findmall.com/read.php?107,2426365
 

Hihosilver

Full Member
Jan 2, 2013
235
189
Eastern Ohio
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave, Tesoro Outlaw, Tesoro Golden micromax (present machines), Past: once upon a time, long, long ago... a Bounty Hunter 840.
Coils: 5.75 concentric, 7” black concentric, 7" widescan,
Primary Interest:
Other
It’s a shame that we must endure hearing how much better the Nox is to everything else, and ESPECIALLY Tesoros... on a Tesoro forum!

It’s also a shame that Tesoro as a company does not do more to either communicate to its Fan base or do more in the R &D arena. But even in that area... I for one would hope that they stick to the analog processor. I think it’s their niche, and there will always be a market for them. All I really want is to see a deep silver seeker with an adjustable tone break and manual GB, or auto track option.

There will always be guys, like me, who would rather hunt with the analog and not a computer interpreting the signal for you... even if it means digging more trash. Because there still is not a machine out there that will discriminate or tell you when you are over gold vs. aluminum... with great accuracy. Some do better than others in this area, but even then, any discrimination at all in the aluminum range risks missing a gold item. Until we get a machine that can do this, with great accuracy, we don’t really have a “ground breaking” advance in MD technology...IMHO.

And so, I think we can all recognize here that the new multi-frequency (but nevertheless DIGITAL) machines offer more features, even great features, and may even go deeper than most Tesoros and also out perform them in certain circumstances. But I don’t want to hear about that here, on this TESORO forum... I don’t.

So... this particular thread is about the Mojave... and what is particularly different about it... is it the start of a new line?

Some of you guys who have jumped ship, into the Noxious frenzy, have also indicated that the Mojave is one of those Tesoros you will always keep in your arsenal... I want to hear about THAT. Why? What is special about the Mojave, what make the little mighty MO so mighty that you want to hold onto it?

If we could stick to discussion about what the Mojave can do, instead of what it (and other Tesoros) can’t do (in light of the new fizz-bangers)... I think that would be greatly appreciated by those of us who read the Tesoro forum, to hear and learn about how to best use a Tesoro...

... and I don’t think it is too much to ask.
 

Last edited:

walnut

Jr. Member
Jan 29, 2016
56
32
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yeah that's a big part of why I'm sticking with Tesoro for now, that aluminum - gold range. I wish that Tesoro might somehow come up with a new 'Golden' that actually did help solve the problem. I have a Fisher which I like but don't trust like I do my Tesoros with a good set of headphones.

It’s a shame that we must endure hearing how much better the Nox is to everything else, and ESPECIALLY Tesoros... on a Tesoro forum!

It’s also a shame that Tesoro as a company does not do more to either communicate to its Fan base or do more in the R &D arena. But even in that area... I for one would hope that they stick to the analog processor. I think it’s their niche, and there will always be a market for them. All I really want is to see a deep silver seeker with an adjustable tone break and manual GB, or auto track option.

There will always be guys, like me, who would rather hunt with the analog and not a computer interpreting the signal for you... even if it means digging more trash. Because there still is not a machine out there that will discriminate or tell you when you are over gold vs. aluminum... with great accuracy. Some do better than others in this area, but even then, any discrimination at all in the aluminum range risks missing a gold item. Until we get a machine that can do this, with great accuracy, we don’t really have a “ground breaking” advance in MD technology...IMHO.

And so, I think we can all recognize here that the new multi-frequency (but nevertheless DIGITAL) machines offer more features, even great features, and may even go deeper than most Tesoros and also out perform them in certain circumstances. But I don’t want to hear about that here, on this TESORO forum... I don’t.

So... this particular thread is about the Mojave... and what is particularly different about it... is it the start of a new line?

Some of you guys who have jumped ship, into the Noxious frenzy, have also indicated that the Mojave is one of those Tesoros you will always keep in your arsenal... I want to hear about THAT. Why? What is special about the Mojave, what make the little mighty MO so mighty that you want to hold onto it?

If we could stick to discussion about what the Mojave can do, instead of what it (and other Tesoros) can’t do (in light of the new fizz-bangers)... I think that would be greatly appreciated by those of us who read the Tesoro forum, to hear and learn about how to best use a Tesoro...

... and I don’t think it is too much to ask.
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
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30,105
White Plains, New York
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The Tesoro Mojave, completely replaces the Compadre; Silver uMax; and Cibola. It is an incredible machine that packs a punch. I'll always have mine as a travel and trunk machine.
 

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Kitz

Jr. Member
Nov 12, 2017
84
82
Calgary, Alberta
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave, Golden Umax, Bandido II Umax, Sand Shark. DeepTech Vista X. Minelab Vanquish 540.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Kitz, how do you like the Mojave compared to the T and V?

The Mojave has some limitations compared to the Tejon and Vaquero, but also some advantages.

The biggest limitation is probably depth. I think the M maxes out at around 6 or 7" on coins, while the T or V can go significantly deeper. That said, 6" depth is just fine for a lot of hunting scenarios.

The 2-position ground balance of the M obviously does not allow the same degree of control as the manual balance of the T or V but... I'm pleasantly surprised at how well the M does on wet salt sand. I couldn't get my Tejon to balance at all on that stuff; haven't had the opportunity to test the Vaq there yet, but I've read that it has similar problems. The M, on the High ground balance setting, is really stable and finds stuff. I found a 1917 quarter and 1918 large cent at a beach on the coast last summer, in the same area I'd previously hunted with my CTX. Of course, I may just have missed those targets the first time :-)

The M has great target separation and recovery, and works really well in nail-infested areas. I'd say it's at least on par with the T and V in this department.

The "language" of the M's audio is similar to the T, maybe because they're both ED-180 discrimination. But the M tends to be more stable than the T, kind of like the V is. I've only had it get chatty near power lines.

The M is obviously cheaper than the other two, and a bit smaller and lighter as well. The only thing I don't really like about it is the battery check sound. it's an ear-splitting blare instead of the beep-beep-beep of the T and V.

In sum, the M holds its own with the other two if you're looking for targets that aren't really deep, and is a better choice for beach hunting. I'm considering getting a 3x18" clean sweep coil for it for beach use.

Hope this helps!

-Ken
 

tabman

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Jul 5, 2011
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If you love your Compadre, you're really going to love the Mojave even more. I swore up and down for years that I'd never get rid of my Compadre no matter what. I bought a Mojave and I ended up selling my Compadre. The Mojave will do everything that the Compadre will do, but a lot better.

tabman
 

Dan B

Sr. Member
Sep 16, 2007
341
143
Windsor Ontario
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Excellent comparison Kitz. Very informative.

Thanks,

Dan
 

jld66

Sr. Member
Oct 28, 2014
250
234
Maine
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Vaquero with 8x11, 8x9, 5.75 concentric coils.
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OK, lets keep it about the Mojave then. It's been out now over a year. If it is going to be Tesoro's new line, when will we see an upgraded version of it? Or will it be years down the road when they finally will offer it with a different coil. How many Mojave's have been sold over the past year compared to how many of the Equinox have been sold in the past few months? The Mojave it's not in the same league. Well the Cortes is more expensive than the nox and is suppose to be Tesoro's top of their line. How many of those have been sold in the past five years compared to the nox. A Facebook group last year asked what we used out of a choice of 6 brands. Just under 700 responded and only 6 people, including myself, use a Tesoro, dead last, that's less than 1% nation wide. What was up with that when the Mojave is so outstanding? So yeah, lets talk about the Mojave then and how "ground breaking" their new line actually is. These little echo chambers just can't dispute the numbers or the reality of what's really going on in the real world out there... I like the Vaquero and will always keep it. As I said earlier, not going to buy another new Tesoro with the same or even less features than what I have now just because it's a Tesoro. Or it's a different color and comes with a coil that I already have.
 

Terry Soloman

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May 28, 2010
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Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
There was a lot of internal arguing at Tesoro, about the release of the Mojave. At least two of the people that were steering Vince Gifford's design ideas, no longer work at the company. I am hoping against hope, that Tesoro will move forward with a rain-resistant / waterproof, Vaquero-like machine with three-tone and notching capability. I don't see it happening any time soon though. The Mojave was a "stop gap" release, designed to cool the negative feelings about the "hold up" on the release of the "Cazador."

The dummy that caused the entire miscommunication about Tesoro starting to design a new machine, and asking the public to name it, is way gone. The guy was an idiot, and I am still sorry Vince ever hired or listened to him. So, basically, the Mojave is an old design brought out of the file cabinet to stop the bleeding. :skullflag:
 

doggoneitdignit

Hero Member
Oct 2, 2016
747
374
Canada
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Current: Vaquero,Compadre,T2,300i, ML 440V, and Simplex+
Past:Whites 4000 D Series 3, Radio Shack 3001 Micronta
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
For those abandoning the Church of the Compadre because of the Mojave I guess you have your reasons as is your still a Tesoro user..and likely due to your soil conditions I get it..regardless of a depth on the M 7" what others may think to the C 5.75" or for me my C 8" coil vs if I just have bought or at least tryed a Mojave..all I have to say is I know it wouldn't "Compare to the Compadre" because I believe I have in my hands on a "HOT" unit unless the Compadre is just so damn "HOT!" to begin with then Im obvilious to what others have been saying thus far about their trustworthy Mojave.

Who else makes a unit between 10 to 14.7 KHz anyway? 12 KHz is a sweet spot fur sure. Reason why these light units won't go anywhere anytime soon and why Tesoro will always be in business and in my mind these units have been out longer then many others like Fisher for example and in my mind from this price point as an analog detector you just can't go wrong.

But going back to what Terry said yeah just cant compare price wise to the multi frequency detectors out there, I get that but there is a difference between single frequency digital machines, mulit frequency machines, and analog machines. There will always be a need for no display beep and dig machines. Period. There I said it.

If I see a 'used' Tejon, Bandido II, Deleon, Golden, LST, possibly a Cibola or even a Silver for modding purposes, but indeed not a Mojave, it is in my arsenal.

Peace out.
 

Kitz

Jr. Member
Nov 12, 2017
84
82
Calgary, Alberta
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Mojave, Golden Umax, Bandido II Umax, Sand Shark. DeepTech Vista X. Minelab Vanquish 540.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Excellent comparison Kitz. Very informative.

Thanks, Dan. One other limitation of the Mojave I forgot to mention is the lack of a pinpoint button. It's not really that serious, because pinpointing by X-ing the coil over the target seems very accurate. But the VCO mode offered by the Vaquero and Tejon can be pretty useful sometimes.
 

jld66

Sr. Member
Oct 28, 2014
250
234
Maine
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Vaquero with 8x11, 8x9, 5.75 concentric coils.
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There was a lot of internal arguing at Tesoro, about the release of the Mojave. At least two of the people that were steering Vince Gifford's design ideas, no longer work at the company. I am hoping against hope, that Tesoro will move forward with a rain-resistant / waterproof, Vaquero-like machine with three-tone and notching capability. I don't see it happening any time soon though. The Mojave was a "stop gap" release, designed to cool the negative feelings about the "hold up" on the release of the "Cazador."

The dummy that caused the entire miscommunication about Tesoro starting to design a new machine, and asking the public to name it, is way gone. The guy was an idiot, and I am still sorry Vince ever hired or listened to him. So, basically, the Mojave is an old design brought out of the file cabinet to stop the bleeding. :skullflag:

Fine, if that's what actually happened. Why is it that junior himself has not said anything about it on any of these public platforms then? Most are understanding of the woes of small companies. But shutting down all social media communications is juniors decision. Stand up, admit the mistake that was made, learn from it, and move on. The worse thing you can do when you are going to be late, not show up, unable to make a payment, etc. is blowing it off and not letting them know. That just shows you have no respect for those people and in this case it's customers. We are the only reason why he has a company. We all like Tesoro's machines, we are loyal to the brand, suggest and promote it for them. Like I said before, it's getting harder and harder to do when they say nothing about anything. Their facebook page alone has proven that these past 4 years. Seems junior has run off to some kinda safe space free of any kind of negativity and that's about the worse thing anyone can do. A little interest in customer communications would go a long way.
 

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