Are machines that different, really?

[BirdsOnTheBat]

Hey All!

New to the forum. Detecting from Miami, FL. Prefer coinshooting to beach detecting unfortunately, given the city is ~100 years old. Anyway, a little story time -

In 2013 I bought a Teknetics Delta 4000 and used it in 2013 (~65 hunts), 2014 (~20 hunts), 2015 (~5 hunts), 2016 (~5 hunts), and 2019 (~2 hunts). Say about 100 times before it ultimately broke.

In that span I found:

~$280 in modern change
223 Wheat Cents
35 Silver Coins (2 war nickels, 21 dimes, 10 quarters, 1 half, 1 foreign (greek 20 drachmai)

This year I came back to the hobby and grabbed an AT Pro. Got it on July 29th, 2026 in the mail. Since then I've been out 28 times. I've found -

~$127 in modern change
122 Wheat cents
52 Silver Coins (39 dimes, 8 quarters, 4 halfs, 1 foreign (canadian dime)

Here's the kicker - I am hunting the exact same area. Exact same neighborhoods. My sample area is almost identical. My approach too. Hence, my question:
Is the AT Pro that much better at finding silver than the Delta 4000? I know it is a better machine, that's a given. But proportionally speaking (to wheat cents, clad, and the amount of time spent detecting) I am finding far more silver than with the Delta 4000. It's led me to question if the Delta 4000 was just missing silver coins. It's also led me to wonder if another step up (to say a manticore) could even more-so amplify this trend.

What do you all think?

 

[CTwoods]

Just my opinion, but Minelab has a solid business model for the longevity of the company. Every new expensive.model they release, the crowds run out, spend thousands to buy it, them post the same drivel every time.. "it's the best deepest most accurate, bla bla" ...until the next one comes out.

Started with the Explorer that replaced the Sovereign, and the users then admitted the Sovereign was extremely poor at depth in some soils. Then different advanced models of the Explorer kept giving more sales.

Then...remember the Ctx 3030, what a pile of wild claims from users every day, but you don't ever hear a peep about those anymore. The equipment junkies brag that a certain multi thousand dollar unit can give a number to tell if it's an Indian head but some videos show the same braggard then digging a zinc. I got sick of the detecting sites and videos for that reason.

If you spend two grand or whatever, just how precious is a few silver coins... And would your last two machines have missed them? You will never know, because it's impossible to prove either way.

Enjoy a good healthy hobby for what it's really about....some people lose that goal.
Sorry for the rant.

 

[CTwoods]

I've never had a Garret but ... Look up on YouTube for a young guy named Indigo Digger, he was in Rhode Island doing cellar holes with a Garret Ace 250 or 350....he made amazing finds every time out about 8-10 years ago. Look at his finds.

Then look up Mud dog Mandy who is from Vermont who used a At Pro for many years, nobody I know of on YouTube has found as many colonial coins, big coppers, George Washington buttons as he has. He switched a couple years ago to a Deus I believe, but I don't see a change in his finds.

 

[guest]

Hey All!

......

Here's the kicker - I am hunting the exact same area. Exact same neighborhoods. My sample area is almost identical. My approach too. Hence, my question:
Is the AT Pro that much better at finding silver than the Delta 4000? I know it is a better machine, that's a given. But proportionally speaking (to wheat cents, clad, and the amount of time spent detecting) I am finding far more silver than with the Delta 4000. It's led me to question if the Delta 4000 was just missing silver coins. It's also led me to wonder if another step up (to say a manticore) could even more-so amplify this trend.

What do you all think?

You’ll have this experience with any new detector, because initially you’re focused on avoiding mistakes, not missing anything, and getting the best performance out of both the terrain and the machine using your settings.
The only exceptions here are cheap models that lack sensitivity to small amounts of high-quality alloys or metals but react strongly to iron.
That said, depending on the type of device, the signals will vary between better finds and less valuable ones.
Yes, there are differences, and everyone has their own preferences—whether it’s the audio tones, the adjustment options, or simply the weight distribution.
Ultimately, though, the important thing is that you enjoy it and have fun (or so I think).
JMHO