I need some serious help here!

[jmilewis]

Hello everyone!
I would really appreciate any help I can get from all of you experienced treasure hunters! Here's the deal. I have wanted a metal detector since I was about 7. Now i find myself in a good place financially and plan to travel the country soon and would love a great metal detector to take with me. Unfortunately I know little to nothing about what to get. I find myself scouring internet sites, all claiming to be the best in quality, value, and durability. They can't all be telling the truth... right? So this is where you wonderful folks come in. What do you feel is the best metal detector for newbies? Are there Md's that can detect what metal is below? This is the criteria I feel is important for me.

-Easy to use. I don't want too many knobs and buttons that will intimidate me and confuse me.

-Durability. As I said before, this will need to travel with me and I want to feel confident that a bump or two wont damage my MD.

-Overall usefullness. I am not in this to get rich quick or anything. I am just interested in what lies below. I would be pleased with coins, jewelry, artifacts, etc. I'm not picky. However, I'm not too interested in beer bottle caps, so one that can also weed out junk.

-Good Bargains. I have noticed the less expensive ones seem simpler to use, but does that mean they are of lower quality? Probably. I went to Cabella's recently and saw a Bounty Hunter for about $500 but judging by what I have read here, they just aren't quality detectors.

Obviously i need some real help here. PLEASE impart your wisdom on to me!

 

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[randall61]

go to kellyco.com more detector for the money,as for what mach. thats opening a can of worms. lol
as for me i like fisher brand,but there several other good detectors such as whites ,minelab, ect.
a good starter detector is a ace 250 which is a garrett......hope this helps.

Randall

 

[EasyMoney]

A Fisher F-2 or a Tesoro Silver uMax. Both are the best of the low-priced ones, different, but the absolute best for the money!

Both are exceptionally quick and lightweight and have excellent discriminators. Both have good-to-best-depth too, and the Silver can take a bigger coil which gets it even more depth. The F-2 comes with an 8" and 4' sniper coil. Both are around $200. The F-2 has a tiny bit more depth on most coins but the Silver finds BB-to-earing sized targets better and deeper. You can't go wrong with either one of them.

 

[Tin Nugget]

Here's my 2 cents. For the purposes and reasons you have stated I believe this set up would serve you best. Especially the part about dragging it around the country with you and needing a sturdy detector. All the name brands will find the stuff but I believe none are as sturdy as a Whites. My suggestion is you find a multiple dealer like mine where you can swing all the top brands before you buy, if possible.

I copied this from one of my old posts.
Dang, I was just sitting here figuring this up and would be a fantastic set up for 1000.00
M6 594.95
4X6 or 5.3 coil 127.45
Sunray DX1 170.95
Lesche digger 42.95
Pro Gold phones 98.95

total 1,035.25 And this is before any extra discount for purchasing multiple items.

There is not a detector made today that I would give up my MXT for but for your stated purposes the M6 would serve you well and you could put the money saved towards an accessory.

Anyway, whatever you decide, good luck to you and HH.

 

[Willy]

A lot depends on how much you want to spend and what kind of hunting you plan to do (also the ground matrix). Right now, I think that the best 'deal' in a cheaper detector setup would be the Fisher F4. Yup, the F2 is okay, but the F4 comes with all the coils you'll probably need, and has an adjustable ground balance + more options. For more money, the MXT/M6 are pretty decent, as is the XTerra 70. For even more cash, the GTI 2500 is also a good deal with the extra coil and other goodies. ..Willy.

 

[birdman]

Tesoro silver Umax or the Cibola. Very lite and easy to use.

 

[Michigan Badger]

Yes Tesoro is the way to go. Others may come close in performance but when it comes to simplicity, reliability, productivity, adaptability, transportability, and warranty, Tesoro stands alone.

There are some deeper dogs out there but those require a big learning process and a great deal of concentration. Using some detectors is like hitting yourself on the hand with a hammer. It feels so good when you stop.

Buy Tesoro.

Badger

 

[Jeffro]

For a cheapie, turn on and go, and well built, my vote would have to go to the Garrett Ace 250. Especially for a first timer. At around 200 bucks, if you find out metal detecting isn't for you, you will get close to your money back pretty easy. And they perform like a detector costing three times as much.

White's, Tesoro, etc. recommended above are ALL excellent choices too, made by great companies with long standing reputations.

I just think that overall for an entry level detector, the Garrett Ace has everything covered.

 

[Schrecky]

Check with TonyinCT: WWW.TCMETALDETECTORS.COM

 

[EasyMoney]

Blinky, it appears that you haven't gone out and compared the Ace against the F-2 in various conditions. If you had, you wouldn't have made that statement. I have done it and believe me, the Ace is somewhat MARGINAL against the cabilities of the F-2. The F-2 is almost as capable and powerful as the F-4 and the F-4 is so close to the capabilities of the F-75 that it is almost shocking. There isn't more than 2" depth difference between the three either, not in the ground.

The F-4 has a very tiny bit more depth with the DD coil but also cost around twice as much, however, in it's price class it's the best of that world too. In spite of what some unknowing and biased people were originally saying, the new Fisher line is now one of the two best bunch of detectors made. The other is Tesoro.

Read this article: http://www.detectordirectory.com/11/22/visited-a-new-park-today-1-reply/

The review is found near the bottom of the page and is a long paragraph. A very fair and eye-opening review.

The review was done by someone who also ownes an Ace 250 AND an F-4. It appears that the F-2 matches the F-4 overall too, save for the notch system and a couple of minor other things.

It is very imperative that a person actually USES a detector before making a statement about it's use. I've matched them against each other and so has this other man (among others too). The Ace is a thing of the past. A new kid is on the block.

Here is another short review; http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=619888

Like my old Sogo Kempo master once said when a young student suggested trying something else he read about;

"Let's just stick with what works".

I agree.

 

[Jeffro]

F-2 249.95 SRP
F-4 499.95 SRP
F-75 1099.95 SRP
Just fine. I have nothing against Fishers, I own one. However, since they were recently bought out by First Texas, it has yet to be seen how their customer support stacks up. Also has yet to be seen how these new detectors stack up as far as durability.

You can argue all day about which detector is the best, and what it all boils down to is personal preference. Everyone will have an opinion and there is no such thing as a "best".

You say the Ace 250 is marginal vs the f-2, and the difference between the F2, F4, and F75 isn't much.
"There isn't more than 2" depth difference between the three either, not in the ground."

Thats a pretty good jump, from 250 to 1100 bucks for 2 inches, isn't it?

This person requesting opinions specifically is looking for a decent detector with decent capabilities for a decent price, for a first time buyer who doesn't yet know if he's even gonna be as "into it" as he has thought about all these years, until he tries it.

I'll stick with the Ace 250 for simplicity, price, and manufacturer support that has been proven.

Your opinion may vary, I have no problem with that.

 

[EasyMoney]

Blinky, somehow you missed my point.

I HAVE NO OPINION.

Opinions don't belong in deciding how to spend $99 to $125,000 on metal detectors. People who offer "opinions" only cause some other people to blow their wad on something that is not the best deal, or is junk, and personally I wish people would leave their "opinions" out of these places. Opinions belong in chosing facial preferences, or tastes of food, or fantasies, etc, but not in these types of decisions. A metal detector costs MONEY, not ideology or preferences.

The FACT is, that the F-2 is a better deal than the Ace, ANY Ace. And as regard to 2" difference on detectors? There has been about 2" difference on nearly ALL VLF detectors for the last 30+ years, so why even ask that question?

I'm very glad that you like the Ace, but the F-2 is a better detector. And incidentally, anybody knows that detector ownership changes hands frequently anyway, including Garrett, which is now run by other members of the family, plus stockholders. Even Ferrari is now owned primarily by Fiat, yet people still buy those wonderful beautiful cars, don't they?

Again, it is NOT my opinion that the F-2 is clearly a better deal than the Ace, it is a FACT, and most people know it by now too.

EasyMoney

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The Ace 250 is great for the price that I paid for it and I was able to get some needed extras from Kellyco thrown in such as a coil cover and rain guard. Headphones are not really needed on the Ace but a handheld pinpointer is and Kellyco gave me a deal on this as well. It is lightweight, reliable and easy to learn. The only thing I dislike about it is the 3 different belltones. I want to be able to listen for the suttle signal differences. The 3 belltones are all you get with the Ace, unless you switch to the pinpoint feature. You will also need a detector case for traveling and something to dig with and/or a sand scoop for beaches.
I cannot comment on the Fisher or Tesoro as I do not own one.

 

[Jeffro]

"You can argue all day about which detector is the best, and what it all boils down to is personal preference. Everyone will have an opinion and there is no such thing as a "best"."


If it were a fact, everyone would own minelabs- they are the best, right? There would be no need for any other manufacturers.

Since there are other manufacturers, and different machines with different capabilities for different people, then it is STRICTLY YOUR OPINION that F2 or whatever is best. It definately ain't fact.

I didn't miss your point at all. I simply know you are wrong when you state ANY detector is best. Good luck with that.

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

Take your $500 and buy a used Minelab Explorer on Ebay or from someone who is selling it. I used to shy away from giving that advice, but it really is not that hard to learn and you will have one of the best machines out there. Granted, that is what I would do with my experience. The alternative and safe option for you would be to get a machine in that price range from Minelab or White's. You need something that has Target ID to get you going. The knob, no screen machines are great for the experienced user, but not for people who are just starting out. The Minelab X-terra series comes to mind.

 

[EasyMoney]

Blinky, you still don't understand, do you?

Fact: "A thing that has actually happened or that is really true; reality; actuality; truth.

Opinion: "A belief not based on absolute certainty or positive knowledge but on what seems true, valid, or probable to one's own mind"

Your "opinion" is that the Ace 250 is the best detector for around $200 and that is simply not true. It has nothing to do with facts.

Here is the truth:

"Fact": The F-2 has more to offer than the Ace 250 because it not only

1 discriminates better,
2 costs less,
3 pinpoints MUCH better,
4 and has better depth.

5 Plus it can tell the difference between a nickel and a pulltab due to it's numerical system,
which an Ace 250 or 150 cannot.

6 The coil is lighter than the Ace's and therefore gives the F-2 a better balance.

Fact: You get more for your money with the F-2 than the Ace 250. The facts do the speaking, not opinions..

Some other truths are that an Ace has some real trouble in highly mineralized ground here in Oregon and the F-2 does not.

An Ace also has a lot of trouble on salt beaches just like the Garrett 2500's, 1500's, 1350's, and 1250's, 500's, 400's, 300's, 200's, and 100's, and again, the F-2 does not.

Have you ever tried an Ace 250 on these Oregon ocean beaches? If so, then you would already know that they really suck. Go to Florence, I did, and it had a horrible time with the beaches there. I tried mine several times everywhere around here and even in another State, and instead of opening it and changing the circuitry to repair it I just gave it to my daughter to sell or do otherwise with it. It now sits in her closet being used as a door stop.

These are facts. I'm beginning to think that you just like to voice your "opinion" instead of learning from others and giving way to facts and to the truth. It's plain to see that you are not familiar with the F-2's at all nor the Ace 250 either, because you only say that the Ace is the best deal and you don't say why, you just talk about opinions instead. I also wonder why you don't know the other things about the Aces being used here in the Pac NW? That is very suspicious to me. You should already know these things if you have actually tried one here, but you don't. I now have some serious questions about why you even wrote anything to begin with. Have you ever tried either one of these detectors or are you merely reiterating rhetoric that you read somewhere else?

If so, why?

Now show me why the Ace is better than the F-2. I showed you why the opposite is true, and even gave testamonials from reliable reviewers. Now you do the same. So far you haven't shown me any of that, nor have you shown anybody else either. The ball is in your hand.

And who ever said Minelabs were "best"? They weigh too much, are poor at pinpointing, and miss a lot of targets because they use very slow processors. They get mediocre depth for the most part too.

Show me why the Ace is better than the F-2. If you can do that, I'll be interested and you'll be more believable.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I cannot find the F-2. Does it go by another name? http://www.kellycodetectors.com/fisher/fisher.htm

 

[EasyMoney]

It's a Fisher.

Some people are out of them already. Southern Treasures is out and I think UpState is out too. They are currently the hottest selling detector on the market. They were designed to wipe out the Aces, and they certainly are too.

There is one here in a shop but it won't be there long, not for the price of $199.95, with two coils. It beat an Expl SE and II and a DFX and M-6 and MXT for depth in the soil, and the F-4 and F-75 did even a bit better. .

KellyCo might be out of them too.

 

[Jeffro]

Difference being easymoney, I never once stated the ACE 250 was the best. I stated my OPINION as just that, an OPINION.

Which of your statements are fact and which are opinion? I believe you have a hard time telling the difference.

1 discriminates better, - This would be YOUR opinion
2 costs less, (I'm sure if you shop around you can find a good price on anything. The SRP's are what I was going by, which means the ACE is cheaper.)
3 pinpoints MUCH better, ( Once again, your opinion)
4 and has better depth. (Ah, good luck with that one. Again, your opinion)

I have never said the ace was best as fact. I offered the guy my opinion that the ace would suit his needs just fine.

I'll stick with my original statement- " You can argue all day about which detector is the best, and what it all boils down to is personal preference. Everyone will have an opinion and there is no such thing as a "best"."

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

If I were you, your going to travel and money is not that much of a concern, I would get a good land and a good water machine. You might want to detect the beaches or fresh water lakes sometime.

Just my personal opinion, but I love my Minelabs, having 2 Excals and a Sov GT, but I also have a Whites 6000 XL PRO that I really like, it is a jewelry and coin magnet in the parks and playgrounds.

I am now currently looking for a used Fisher 1235X to add to my arsenal for competition hunting next year. (If anyone has one they want to let go of IM me )


Asking a metal detecting forum what is the best detector is like asking a room full of race fans what is better Ford or Chevy, or who is better Blonds or Brunettes.

Good luck and good hunting.