Are the new $200-$400 detectors really running circles around the older detectors?

[vincevg]

Are the new $200-$400 detectors really running circles around the older higher end detectors?

For instance, how do they compare to a Tesoro Tejon or Vaquero, or a Fisher F70 when relic hunting? I understand beach is a different ballgame, but I'm looking at relic hunting). I also understand the newer ones pretty much all have screens now, but what about unmasking, recovery speed, depth, working in difficult or heavy trash laden soil?

 

[Terry Soloman]

I think the new Minelab, Nokta, and even Garrett machines are superior to my Vaquero and Bandito. I can only imagine how Tesoro machines would look and preform today if they had stayed in business. But after Gifford Sr. died, it was just a matter of time.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I think the new Minelab, Nokta, and even Garrett machines are superior to my Vaquero and Bandito. I can only imagine how Tesoro machines would look and preform today if they had stayed in business. But after Gifford Sr. died, it was just a matter of time.

But they are not $200 to $400 I’m sure.

 

[Terry Soloman]

You are wrong.
Minelab Vanquish Line
Nokta Simplex Line
Garret Ace 400

 

[Tesorodeoro]

You are wrong.
Minelab Vanquish Line
Nokta Simplex Line
Garret Ace 400

I don’t like being told I’m wrong. Can you re-phrase that for me please?

 

[pepperj]

But they are not $200 to $400 I’m sure.

I remember paying $365.00 in the mid 70's for a White's. Probably one of the best detectors made, but no match even with today's $250-400 machines.
Buddy told me he bought a low end machine.
'"I've dug alot of iron-that's about it"

 

[Terry Soloman]

I don’t like being told I’m wrong. Can you re-phrase that for me please?

None of those machines are over $400. Most are $300 or less.

 

[vincevg]

I was asking (in part) since it still see Tesoro's going for decent $$. For instance, this one below (auction ended today, I didn't buy it, already have a Tejon) :

(that's excl. shipping & handling cost)

At the same time I've seen almost new condition vanquish 540's go for $199 shipped recently.

 

[guest]

Hi there.
It mostly depends on your preferences and your hunting style.
Back when I was really into metal detecting, it took up a huge amount of time—setting up the detector, getting the camera ready, the actual searching, showcasing the finds, and so on.
Eventually, it stopped being fun.
I seem to be the type of person for whom the journey is the destination—just turn on the detector and start searching.
And that’s exactly where my Tesoros come in. It’s just pure fun.
And the finds speak for themselves. Sure, I dig up a lot of junk, but I also find plenty of coins and pieces of jewelry.
The big advantage I see is the lack of a display. I don't start guessing what the target might be.
I know it’s not iron, so I dig.
That’s what I enjoy.

Everyone has to decide for themselves what matters to them. I think that’s why there are so many different machines out there.
Even for a relic hunter, having a waterproof detector can be important if they want to hunt in the rain.

IMO - Good Luck, Happy Hunting & Have FUN Everyone
🍀🤞😎😄😜

 

[Tesorodeoro]

None of those machines are over $400. Most are $300 or less.

Love to see a head to head test between their flagship models and their lower end <$400 detectors.

 

[bigtim1973]

Tesoros and old fisher units are for nostalgia means to me. I was a dealer for both tesoros and fisher detectors. When the uMax series came out it was so small and lightweight. It has decent discrimination and was simple. I have had a lot of tesoros units.

On Fishers I was a Los Banos fan. The 1260, cz5 and 1225x I really liked. I dug my deepest coin to this day with a fisher 1260 out in a field here in Tennessee. It was a 1942 wheat at about 10 inches....man was I disappointed it was just a wheat Penny!!

I would still have at least one working Tesoros if someone was around who repaired them. It was my favorite brand for many years.

These new units will run circles around those older detectors

Mainly with their DD style coils with fast recovery speed with objects next to iron.

If all you have used are the older VLF units like Tesoros and Fisher you should at least try one out for yourself.


No more tuning and bobbing the coil for a good ground balance anymore. All you do is just push a button and pump a few times and off you go.

They are also more ergonomic than the older units too.

Yes the older units can still find good targets in normal ground with minimal trash but they cannot hold a candle to the new units next to iron.

Even the minelab Vanquish 550 will blow the doors off of those old VLF flagship models.

You can get a pre-owned minelab equinox or nokta legend around the 400 dollar range pre-owned.

Good luck

 

[mtdoramike]

I don’t like being told I’m wrong. Can you re-phrase that for me please?

Well, like it or not sometimes there's no other way to phrase it but YOUR WRONG!

 

[mtdoramike]

I was asking (in part) since it still see Tesoro's going for decent $$. For instance, this one below (auction ended today, I didn't buy it, already have a Tejon) :

(that's excl. shipping & handling cost)

View attachment 2258981
At the same time I've seen almost new condition vanquish 540's go for $199 shipped recently.

Tesoro's have a big following especially the Tejon. So if that is what scratches your itch, I would grab one while you can still find them on the used market. Fisher detectors are another, CZ5, CZ3d, CZ70's are all still hot on the resale market.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Well, like it or not sometimes there's no other way to phrase it but YOUR WRONG!

For starters, please Understand that was a joke. Otherwise, I’d be very surprised if a $200 detector is going to be better than a decade old top of the line detector. Someone please help me understand this.

 

[vincevg]

Tesoro's have a big following especially the Tejon. So if that is what scratches your itch, I would grab one while you can still find them on the used market. Fisher detectors are another, CZ5, CZ3d, CZ70's are all still hot on the resale market.

I don't know, perhaps it's the time of the year ( summer / hot) but I'm currently having a hard time offloading a CZ7 with the 8 inch and 10.5 inch coil. Started to think the CZ's were not popular anymore.

 

[GaRebel1861]

Having a good machine obviously helps but, it’s up to the operator of any level of a metal detector to know that machine well and take it to places well researched out. I actually hunted with a fellow who has since passed who had a cheaper metal detector and gave me a run for the money. We hunted a yard and he dug as many old coins as I did. He knew his detector well.

 

[guest]

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Good luck

Ha ha. 😄 Hello Tim.
You almost had me ready to give you a detailed reply.
But after thinking about your post, I realized it wasn't necessary.
I, too, had considered a reply in your style using almost the same arguments, but I discarded the idea immediately.
By the way, it’s obvious you used to be a dealer and are really hooked on certain brands.
But experience tells me that... I’m digressing.

Everything you mentioned might hold true for certain types of targets.
But we’re talking about relic hunting here.
And you’re right about that: the iron filter should work, and small items shouldn't get masked.
We’re talking about small items—and possibly iron items, too—that shouldn't be filtered out.
To use your terminology: it would require extreme fine-tuning and a very open iron filter setting on the DFX to hunt for artifacts as accurately and successfully as with an MXT. But show me a user who actually drops their iron discrimination down to -40?!
It is hugely important for an object to be identified in a stable and reproducible way.
In one video, someone praised the Simplex, saying it was still very good even with a 15-point ID fluctuation. B.$.!!
For me, that’s absolutely useless in the field.
And if there’s iron nearby, it’s a nightmare.
Besides, I don't like Minelab's audio tones. That has nothing to do with the performance of those machines, though.
Fisher detectors are good, too. And if I didn't have an MXT in my collection, I’d own an F75.

Where I hunt, there are countless pieces of shrapnel and remnants of ammunition, surrounded by corroded iron fragments.
Yet, hidden right in the midst of this, lie pieces of jewelry, coins, and other items that people like me consider worth collecting—and for which we hand over the majority of our finds to the appropriate authorities.
It is therefore crucial that a potentially significant find is properly and reliably reported.
And just think about the kind of equipment used in archaeological excavations! Sorry, no Simplex or Vanquish.

 

[guest]

I don't know, perhaps it's the time of the year ( summer / hot) but I'm currently having a hard time offloading a CZ7 with the 8 inch and 10.5 inch coil. Started to think the CZ's were not popular anymore.

Hi Vince.

The only reason I got rid of my CZ-70 is that it became too heavy for me.
Yes, I could have modified it, but it was still in original condition and fetched a very good price compared to what I had paid for it.

And contrary to claims that the CZ loves deep iron and gives false signals, I never knowingly dug up iron with it.
For me, it remains the best/deepest-seeking detector on the market—one that also handles wet alkaline beaches and pockets of black sand with ease.
And while they are shower proof they handle rain easy.😊
So, if you have one, use it for as long as you are able to swing it.😎
By the way, according to Thomas Dankowski, the CZ-7x models are the only ones that do not require recalibration.😉

Good Luck & Have Fun 🍀🤞😎

 

[k0bgalan]

I fear this is going to turn into a discussion of great depth! (Pun intended!)

Seemingly, no one will admit that most often the fact someone likes (or prefers?) one particular detector over another, has very little to do with the actual capabilities of said detector. In other words, it is a subjective analysis all too often having no true basis of comparison.

 

[guest]

I fear this is going to turn into a discussion of great depth! (Pun intended!)

Seemingly, no one will admit that most often the fact someone likes (or prefers?) one particular detector over another, has very little to do with the actual capabilities of said detector. In other words, it is a subjective analysis all too often having no true basis of comparison.

Hi K0bgalan. 😊

That has always been the case.
In the past, owners of high-end machines were unwilling to admit that a model from the same brand—two or three tiers down the range—was actually better suited to a specific hunting style than the state-of-the-art flagship model.🤓

No hard feelings. I’ll stay out of this now—I promise.😉😄

Good Luck & Have Fun. 🍀🤞😃

Over & Out