Whites, Garrett, Tesoro

[Wetgreenie]

With so many good ones out there,

I want One American made detector that does it all.
And ...would do it's best to turn me into a MDing God.

I'm kind of a Wuss so, Weight is important..

 

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[txkickergirl]

you left out mine lab

any way take it from me that the 2500 is one heavy sob. Even with the strap I was wore out, and was getting one monkey arm. For the price I was not overly impressed by the performance. Not knocking it but it just did not do what I needed it to do but over all it had some nice features.

I heard the tesoros are great and they have a lifetime warranty.

 

[Wetgreenie]

I would imagine the 2500 is the heaviest of them all?

I knew someone would have to throw in something about Mine Lab.
I hear they are good but made in Australia I think..

I'm mostly looking at the ones my local dealer has available.
I don't want to order one off the net, It's good to support our local Biz.

Thanks for the info!

 

[txkickergirl]

I don't know about where you are but the local dealers here(Texas) are authorized minelab dealers along with the other brands, thats ususally how it works.
Before you decide on a brand what kind of hunting will you be doing? Coins, beach, relic?
Thats should narrow your choices down a bit.

 

[Wetgreenie]

One American made detector that does it all.

There may not be one that does it all but,
there has to be one that gets close.

Coins,Relics and a little Freshwater / Beach

 

[Gypsy Heart]

With so many good ones out there,

I want One American made detector that does it all.
And ...would do it's best to turn me into a MDing God.

I'm kind of a Wuss so, Weight is important..

I dont know about a detecting god but I could help you turn into a goddess

I cant help you on what to buy....I would get a monelab if I could afford a new one.
Whatever I buy only attracts rust anyway .....

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

I use a home made swingy thingy...even though weight has not been a complaint with the dfx... The thing I like most about the dfx is the pinpointing and tone id....I can pinpoint on the exact point and depth with the depth reading and very rarely is it off with the smaller 5.3 coil. Whites is a superb company to deal with. I think which ever detector you buy shop for the lowest price.... Then if there is a certain company you wish to deal with have them match it...don't always think they give you the lowest price the first time...

 

[Blackjack77]

The Garrett 2500 is heavy. The battery pack can be worn on the belt, which does help.
Still think the imaging is a plus- but Whites and Minelabs are very popular.
i do believe it still comes down to the Detectorist more than the detector.
Knowing and being confident in your MD is still most important.
HH & good luck on Your decision!!

 

[EDDE]

VOTED TOP LINE TESORO 8)

 

[Frodov]

Dude! I don't know how much help I can be on this question as I've not really owned many metal detectors. Well, I have had a few, but only two "good" ones. I've had several cheapies over the years before I got serious about this hobby. Radio Shack $20 variety.. Oh sure, they worked, to some degree, but they weren't very sophisticated or even reliable. More recently I've owned a Bounty Hunter, again a "cheapy" of sorts, a Wal-Mart special.. litterally! This model was specially made FOR Wal-Mart I found out later. It's more of a serious metal detector than others I've had before, but it's not very user friendly.

Today, however, I have and USE a Whites Metal Detector. A Prizm IV model to be precise. This machine is VERY reliable and VERY easy to use. Straight out of the box Anyone can find stuff with one of these. I was detecting coins 15 minutes after my detector arrived at my house, and it only took that long because I went to White's Home Page to view some instructional videos. <grin> I probably could have just gone on outside and started finding coins and stuff as soon as I assembled the machine. I *did* find stuff right in my own back yard. A place that I'd already "detected" with the Bounty Hunter and couldn't determine if the target I was picking up was a coin, a nail or tin foil, or whatever. With the Prizm I could see what the coin "probably" was and how deep it was. COOL! The discrimination modes let you determine what you will "hear" or pay attention to while detecting.. the machine does all the work for you in that department. Oh, and as far as weight is concerned?... The Prizm line is VERY light, right around two pounds or so I think.
One thing I WILL recommend, however, is a pin pointer. White's offer a "Bullseye II" with most of their detectors..they come free with the purchase of a detector, or can be purchased separately for a little over $100. Let me tell you, if you've never used a pinpointer in conjunction with a detector, you really can't appreciate the addition of the Bullseye. Once you *HAVE* used one though, you will swear by them for life! No matter how good you are or get in locating a target with your detector, its only "close" to where the target is.. with the pin pointer like the Bullseye you can zero in on that target. Often, if the target is near the surface (say 2 inches or less in grass and soil) you can get to within an inch or less of where the target lays. Instead of digging a big plug, you can often just pop out the coin or target with a probe or a pen knife (pocket knife). Sand and loose soil can be difficult to locate a small target in even if you are right on top of it with just a detector.. especially if the coin is discolored (black) or clumped up with dirt or whatever. Sifting with your fingers might find it sometimes, but the Bullseye rarely if EVER misses. I tend to use the vibration setting myself.
So there you have it, my detector preferences. A White's Prizm IV combined with a Bullseye II pin pointer (never detect without my Bullseye! <grin>). I hope I was able to help. Happy Hunting!


Frodov

 

[ringfinder]

Hi guy,
I have many detectors. At this time I'm using the Garrett ACE 250, with a SunRay probe attached.

With this little $212 machine last year I found over 4,000 new coins with it. I also found a bunch of silver and tokens with it. One of my finds with it was a 6 pound cannon ball.

Now I know a lot of guys like to think a $1000 machine will out do the cheapies, but this little detector will do just about anything a big machine can do.

I own a Minelab Sovereign, Tesoro Tiger Shark, a Whites XLT, a Depth Pro and 2 ACE 250's. One of the ACE 250 is a back up detector. I use the other detectors from time to time, but I mostly use the ACE 250. It is a light weight detector, easy to use and it will do the trick in most soils. I say that because I haven't hunted say down at Myrtle Beach on the sand. Some of the sand can cause any detector to go nuts.

If your looking for a good land detector and don't want to pay a arm and a leg for a detector, the ACE 250 is a good choice. You can look at my past posts on here, I go by the name of ringfinder. Both my partner and I both use this fantastic detector.

If your looking for a water detector I use the Tesoro Tiger Shark and the Depth Pro headhunter water detector. Both of these detectors are great in the water. Fisher and Minelab also have great water detectors.

Hope some of this will help in you decide which detector to use. Good Luck and can't wait to see some of your finds, with what ever detector you choose.

HH, Ringfinder

P.S. I'm including a picture of my finds with the ACE 250 from 2006

 

[Wetgreenie]

Holy Crap!
My experience with the ACE 250 was not the best as it seemed to be confused on the target ID but, maybe i did not give it enough time.

Someone around here says the key is (something like):
get a detector you can afford, learn it well, do some research and get out there.

Thanks for your input!

 

[EDDE]

also dig lots of garbage then your brain will be on the train to better targets