Help me pick a better detector?!

[cheese]

Hello!

I am looking for advice on a new MD. Probably a used one. I just don't know what to look for exactly. I am new to the hobby, but totally hooked. I am currently using a radio shack discovery2. I have learned it pretty well. I also have learned I am missing targets. I have been ignoring iron signals, but my MD will give an iron signal over gold sometimes. Also, the depth is not good. I want to find old coins but mostly find recent clad because that is what is close enough to the surface to give me a good signal. I usually pass over the broken weak signals. I bet a lot of them are silver coins. I am hunting antebellum period sites, and have lots of historical places I can go. Most of them have never been hunted as far as I know. The main reason I want a new one, and I want to get something respectable, is because I have discovered a ghost town. It is in the woods, and according to the history I have found on it, it was founded in the early 1700s and was destroyed by the British in the American Revolution. I want to hunt it, but I don't want to miss the good stuff. I think it might be a good place to find revolutionary war relics, and nice old coins...maybe pine tree shillings and that sort of thing.

I am thinking that these relics are going to be more than 4 or 5 inches deep, and that is where my current MD seems to drop out. What are you opinions of the Fisher 1266X? I understand it is a no-frills MD that can detect deep.

I don't want a lot of fiddling with knobs, buttons, programs, etc..., and I want tones, not a threshhold to listen to.

I also have been considering a whites MXT and a Garrett ace250.

I'm open to all ideas. I don't have enough knowledge on the subject to know what I need and don't need.

I'm so exited about the ghost town, but it's a bit of a drive from here and I decided I'm not going until I have a machine that will help me make the most of the trip.

Thank you!

 

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[Gold_pinger]

Although I mostly hunt in the water with my PI Pro. I have done quite well with my MXT in the gold fields of Calif and Nevada.

 

[varmint]

Cheese,

I have both a Minelab Explorer II and a Garrett Ace 250. If we are by chance within a few hundred miles or so, you might just have an opportunity to swing the Ace and Explorer so long as I get to accompany them at your site!

Seriously, think about it, but the offer is only good if you have written permission to hunt, I'm not going to lose my detectors!!! As my message to you stated, I'm in Lawrenceville GA, an ENE suburb of Atlanta.

DAS

 

[treasurekidd]

I am in basically the same boat as you are. I am using a Bounty Hunter Pioneer 101, and am happy with it, but looking to upgrade. I think the Garrett ACE250 is the best machine for a newbie for the price, and that is what I am going to upgrade to next week. This is just my opionion, and it is based on research, not actual experience. Good luck, and HH!!

 

[Jason in TN]

I have had several detectors and in my opinion you can not beat the Whites for coins. I have found alot of coins wit my XLT but it has alot of programs. If that is not what you are looking for then you may be better off with the MTX.

 

[upier]

i got a whites mxt and what a great unit
i declined on a ace 250 as it tended to be the equivalent to a bountyhunter 202 - 505
lower end item
if this is a hobby you plan on sticking with i suggest get a better detector

 

[bigrig40]

I own a MXT also and found around 6500 coins with it last year so I recomend it.I am also buying a DD1400 coil for it next week also.

bigrig

 

[czman]

I like fishers units and found a lot with them..I am running the cz5 now and its hot, hot, hot on coins...turn on and go unit or up the settings yourself for the place you are hunting...its a good deal now as a closeout unit at 500 dollars,,used ones for around 300...but thats my two cents worth...HH

 

[varmint]

Re: upier follow this link...

I'm not a brand loyalist, but the Ace series is just not your average low dollar detector. Seriously, with my owning an EXP II why on God's green Earth would I buy a $200 Garrett?

Answer:
The 250 is phenominal. Not phenominal for a $200 detector, but phenominal in it's own right.

Will it outperform my EXP II? No. Will it provide as much usefull information about the targets it "sees". No.

Will it flat out surprize EVERYONE but the most jaded detectorists? Yes. Will it make users like me wish there was ANY detector that was 6 times as good (price ratio between the EXP II or DFX and the 250) as it performs? Oh, very definitely YES. I bought the Ace so my wife and kids could join me in the hunt. I'm pretty near embarassed how well the thing does for only $200. Seriously, read the review below and find out all you can about the 250 before you assume dollars defines the detector.

Have a great day, and happy hunting.

http://www.findmall.com/cgi-bin/forums/garrett_detector/garrett.pl?read=27237

DAS

 

[Bob B.]

I like everyone else has his/her favorite detector, mine is a Whites Classic ID which I bought used off of ebay. I wanted something that was simple to operate (it has two knobs) ,would tell me what I've found and is hot on coins, this unit does all that. I have used almost all brands including one made here in Tenn. the Groundhog, however the one I have no experience with is a Garretts unit. I do think Whites makes a top of the line unit from their new Prizm series all the way up to the most expensive model and they stand behind their units so you might want to give them a look good luck and HH Bob.B

 

[buckeyehunter]

I just recently purchased a Whites prizm III and for the money it is a great detector... bought it from a white's dealer and he threw in a cover, nice shovel and since then I have went back twice for advice and he has spend alot of his time helping me. I just purchased it in Dec. and Live in OHIO so havent gone out but 2 days to use it but have had really good luck and very happy with it and GREAT at pinpointing... it is also a turn on a go machine, I dont think it gets any simpler..... my one word of advice though I would buy your detector from a dealer because you can always go back and they will help you with questions and if you having any problems.
Mike

 

[cheese]

Wow. Thank you for the feedback!

Ok, the price of the Garrett ace250 is tempting, but is it really that good? I mean, radio shack has detectors that cost more than that. After using 3 different radio shack detectors (all used, only one is mine), I want something more. I realize price is not always a reflection of quality, but it usually is a very close relative. If the Garrett 250 is really what they claim, I will probably get one. I noticed the review linked to by Varmint on the ace 250 is on a forum hosted by garrett. I'm reluctant to buy that review "hook, line, and sinker" because it may well be a garrett rep giving the review. If I hear good reviews from people like you, then I feel like I'm getting much less bias.

I like the open search coil. I don't want a solid coil that I can't see through. It makes it more difficult to pinpoint in my opinion, and I just like the open coil. I guess that rules out the whites prizm.

The fisher I am looking at doesn't have a depth meter, but I guess that's not necessary really. I've basically been detecting without one anyway since the meter on mine is so inaccurate that I don't pay attention to it anymore. I understand that the depth of this machine is outstanding though, and the lifetime warranty is unbeatable. It's also not cheap, but not terribly expensive either. The one I'm looking at is almost new and the warranty card was never filled out.

The whites MTX is a bit more than I intend to spend. If I could find one used for a low enough price, I might be interested, but right now I'm shying away from it. I'll keep looking for a deal on a used one though. Does it have tone ID?

Anyone know of a good place to find MDs used? (other than ebay).

Thanks again for the input! I am learning a great deal!

 

[upier]

Re: upier follow this link...

i did my research before spending the bucks on the mxt.
I'm guessing i looked for a good 3 months for what i wanted and at one time the ace 250 was a choice
till i tested it ?and it rates right with the bounty hunter 202 i have
it is lighter and thats about it..
equal machine in my opinion..
before deciding i opted on the minelab sovern and the white's mxt or dfx

upon considering the dfx,i did not care for the push button setup for changing ?settings, not what i wanted, so i went with the mxt..
and the poor readout "display on the factory unit" of the minelab, though there is a aftermarket display that is much improved, so i opted out on the
minelab as that unit was not quite what i wanted either "other wise a very fine unit"
i did test them both out before my decision. the local dealer had a bit of a bog for a back lot and he had no problem letting me test on his pre coin planted patch of land..

Digging deep with my mxt.. I'm content
no I'm not a dealer pitching the white's ?just a happy customer

I'm not a brand loyalist, but the Ace series is just not your average low dollar detector.? Seriously, with my owning an EXP II why on God's green Earth would I buy a $200 Garrett?

Answer:
The 250 is phenominal.? Not phenominal for a $200 detector, but phenominal in it's own right.

Will it outperform my EXP II?? No.? Will it provide as much usefull information about the targets it "sees".? No.

Will it flat out surprize EVERYONE but the most jaded detectorists?? Yes.? Will it make users like me wish there was ANY detector that was 6 times as good (price ratio between the EXP II or DFX and the 250) as it performs?? Oh, very definitely YES.? I bought the Ace so my wife and kids could join me in the hunt.? I'm pretty near embarassed how well the thing does for only $200.? ?Seriously, read the review below and find out all you can about the 250 before you assume dollars defines the detector.

Have a great day, and happy hunting.

http://www.findmall.com/cgi-bin/forums/garrett_detector/garrett.pl?read=27237

DAS

 

[upier]

check with your local metal detecting dealers as
now and again they get used units in
and ask if they have a setup where you can test them all ( why not it's your $$)
or if they have a return policy if that detector you just got blows..
maybe even try pawn shops ( but what you get there is what you get )
or even newspaper classified adds.

 

[varmint]

Re: Cheese...

Slight correction, that's not a Garrett sponsored forum, but a Find forum that focusses on Garrett users, or so I understand it. ?If you go towards the top of the page there is a link bar that will take you to the Fischer user forum, Minelab EXP forum, Tesoro forum and so on.

Suffice it to say that there are plenty of forums out there, and plenty of users touting their favorites. ?Pretty much by definition you will find those that group under Garrett/Minelab/White's/etc will have a hard time straying from the "party line", but it is up to the reader to determine what is spew and what is not.

The author of the review you read is a well known author that has written over 600 articles and reviews for various magazines over the last 42 years. ?I doubt he'd allow Garrett to "own" his opinion. ?On that same Finds Garrett forum, go to page 3 and you'll find a review by Andy Sabisch.

http://www.findmall.com/cgi-bin/forums/garrett_detector/garrett.pl?read=26090

Look, I really couldn't care less if another human being bought another 250, I simply don't work that way. ?In fact my worst fear is to reccommend something to someone then have it turn out poorly for them. ?Buy what you will but I can state unequivocally that there is nothing in common with the performance of the 250 and the BH 202. ?My suggestion is to try one, and by one, I mean any of the detectors you might be considering.

One last link for my perspective:
http://www.thetreasuredepot.com/cgi-bin/garrett/garrett_config.pl?read=8690

DAS

 

[Carl in CO]

Cheese, excellent question. I'm making the same considerations myself. I've had a couple of old Radio Shacks for many years. I just got a BH 202, so I'm not in a hurry to uprgrade, but may in the future. The BH is great for anything up to about 2"-3". Beyond that is very "iffy", meaning a lot of phantom and mixed signals. Realisticly, in my garden, I get a broken signal on silver 50 cent peices at 5". I can hardly pick up anything at 8". I think I'm leaving a lot behind.

I've watched MD forums like this off and on for a few years. I can't recall ever hearing a dissastisfied White's or Minelab owner. I think my mind is pretty much made up on one of the two. I hunt parks, old homesites and construction/demolition areas. There are maybe 4 lake beachsites within a 50 mile radius of me. So, in that respect that coins/jewelry are my most probable targets, I would lean toward the White's. However, the Rocky Mountains are adjacent to me. I would also like to be able to look for nuggets. It looks like Minelab has the versatility on their detectors to do that as well, whereas White's doesn't.

The piece of advice I have for you is don't make your selection based on money. Get the detector you want. What is the difference between $500 and $1,500 if it is a hobby that could last a lifetime with a return.

I've been watching responses. Thanks for everyone's input and Cheese, let us know what you decide.

 

[Darla]

Ok, I have the experience of my sons bounty hunter which is their top machine, the garrett 550, 1250, 1350, and 1500, we also own a whites mxt as well as I have tested and used the new garrett 250.

Lets start off with the garrett 250, we have tested it on several old home sites and have found coins at a max depth of about 6 inches as well as other verious objects even postol balls which are very small. It seems to have good target I.d. which I have found to be VERY accurate. A feww members of my local club says it will detect a coin at 8 inches but thus far I can only confirm 6. It is a good detector for the money and will do a nice job.

Our whites MXT is right on the money when it comes to its coins and and is pretty accuratre on depth going 10 inches +..... CAUTION, WEAK TOGGLE SWITCH, their is a small swich which is used for pinpointing which we have had reparied twice, if something gets layed down on the detector or if it falls it could weaken the swich, the machine is also a heavy one.


If you could get a good used Garrett 550 or 750 you could go easily 8 to 10 inches and itey are excellent machines with no weak areas. I love my Garrett 1500 wich whill accurately give me the size of the target. All the garretts from the 550 up are good machines as well as you can remove the battery pack to lighten the detector and you can wear the battery pack clipped to youir belt.

We have a good new and used detector shop and have tested many of the new models for him, he ships all over the world as well as has detected all of over the world, if you would like I can get you Billy Castlemans phone number.

Just a note on fisher, I have a hunting partner who has one of their best detectors and although does find good targets he still misses things that I am able to find with my Garrett or MXT.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby, Can't wait to see your finds,

Happy detecting,

Darla

 

[petecnc]

i used to have one of those radio shack models. got so fed up with it i chucked it the woods and got a whites dfx . there is a learning curve with it. but its not that hard to figure out

 

[stoney56]

Cheese, the one thing that I can tell you about the 1266x(although I think they've upped the model to a 1270) is that you have dual discrimination with a flip of the toggle. Set the first disc. for positive sound on nickles, set the 2nd for scratchy sound on pulltab and null nickles. Helps find those elusive rings It's a very sensitive to minerized soil. But it does have great depth at least in my area (dime at 8", quarter at 10+"). However I use the 1236x2 for competition reasons and I can null iron and still run 0 disc.

 

[cheese]

Ok, I jumped to conclusions on the forum Varmint linked to. I saw Garrett in bold letters across the top of the page and ASSumed too much. I still am considering the Garrett 250. It has been rated well everywhere I see discussion concerning them.

I've been researching all night, and I think I am going to pass on the fisher 1266x as well. I am now thinking the quicksilver might be better. I understand the 1266x has a good bit of a learning curve and I don't think I want to spend 30 to 50 hours just trying to figure out how to use the thing.

I am still shying from the MXT. It just seems like it's too heavy, large, and expensive for what it does. Maybe I have the wrong impression. I think it's probably an excellent machine, but maybe not the most bang for the buck? I may be totally wrong...that's just the impression I'm getting from my research.

Varmint said "Look, I really couldn't care less if another human being bought another 250, I simply don't work that way. In fact my worst fear is to reccommend something to someone then have it turn out poorly for them. Buy what you will but I can state unequivocally that there is nothing in common with the performance of the 250 and the BH 202. My suggestion is to try one, and by one, I mean any of the detectors you might be considering."

That shows that you truly believe in the product, and I appreciate the fact that your "worst fear is to reccommend something to someone then have it turn out poorly for them". So I take your advice well.

Darla, thank you for the run-down. It is very helpful. The higher end garretts you mentioned...the word "program" doesn't settle well with me, lol. These things are "programmable", right? Maybe I am just reacting to the word and the reality is not so bad. I can figure stuff out pretty well, but the program thing sounds like down time from hunting as well as frustration. Have I got the wrong impression?

I hope I'm not asking too many questions, but I want to learn all I can before I plop down my sweaty money. It's hard to resist the urge to just go buy one I think I like. I have "decided" on one a few times already, but after more research, I changed my mind.

Carl in Co, when the decision is made you folks will be among the first to know!