best detector fo a new person

[findit]

what do you guys think is the best detector to have for someone or your kids who want to go along once in a while but are not serious about it. the other part is being able to use it youself as a temporary spare and not spending more than $150. the choices seam to be ace 150, bounty hunter, or radio shack brand. any one compare these as far as depth and performance?

 

[sandsifter]

I have heard good things about the Ace. Probably the best one would be the one you find on sale. At that price you can't expect a lot.

 

[Sandman]

As Sandsifter said, maybe you could find one on sale. The low priced detectors are not good economy as the performance has something to be desired. It could turn off a person to the hobby. The Ace is a nice detector to start with.

 

[daaaveman]

Tesoro Compadre is the best detector in that price range. And it's simple enough for the kids to enjoy.

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

http://www.jandhproducts.com/basket.aspx

You can get an Ace 250 for under $200.

Ray S

 

[daaaveman]

I'd take one Compadre over 3 Ace 250's. I own an Ace 250 and a Silver uMax. Love the Tesoro's. Blow the Ace away.

 

[rocker]

I'd have to agree with using the Compadre. Only one knob to use, it's a great kid/beginners machine. And only costs about 152.00

 

[treasurehunter505]

I would look around and try to find a decent name brand unit used.It doesnt have to be a new model for a beginner unit be sides you can always upgrade later.

 

[CWnut]

I sent u a PM on a great deal on a detector. This forum doesn't allow post links to other forums

 

[rmptr]

I would advise Tesoro Compadre.
A quality, liteweight product, that is very simple to use.
Made by a nice family in Arizona, that offers a lifetime warranty.
It would be difficult to select anything else!

R M P T R

 

[EasyMoney]

The Compadre is a better bet, especially for bad ground, beach hunting, and finding tiny items. A Silver uMax is even better than the Ace and the Compadre in that regard. An F-2 is better than ANY Ace ever made for beach hunting and target separation. Right there in Garretts own literature it denies the Ace 150 and 250 to be a good detector for beach hunting. The Compadre gets about the same depth in high iron ground than an Ace too, and it works better by far. I've matched all these detectors against each other. Personally, for low-cost detectors, I'd chose in this order;

#1
Tesoro Silver uMax, $239

#2
Tesoro Compadre, under $150

#3
Fisher F-2, $199.95

#4
Fisher 1225, $239.95

#5
Any good used White's Classic or White's Prism.

All the above will handle bad soil well, and the Silver uMax has a bigger coil variety choice.. The Fisher 1225 will go the deepest of all the above but talks a bit more due to it's inherent high gain (power). In fact, according to the old Fisher Company it has as much depth and power as a 1260, 1265, and 1266. The Compadre and Silver umax are the lightest of all though in a VLF.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

what do you guys think is the best detector to have for someone or your kids who want to go along once in a while but are not serious about it. the other part is being able to use it youself as a temporary spare and not spending more than $150. the choices seam to be ace 150, bounty hunter, or radio shack brand. any one compare these as far as depth and performance?

My advice is to stretch the $150 to $200 and go with either the Ace 250 or the all new Fisher F2 (which comes complete with a second "sniper" coil). Another option is to pick up a used Ace 250 for about $150 on either Craig's list or eBay.

I have heard people having a very difficult time finding targets with the Proformance Ace 150 coil. There is no pinpoint feature on the Ace 150.

 

[TimC (North Alabama)]

The Tesoro would be my number one pick as well. All depending on the age of the kids, an LCD may hold there attention longer though.

 

[MR----B]

I would do the Ace over the bounty hunter

 

[RON (PA)]

I bought a Tesoro Compadre because I did not want to by a cheap detector and wanted something substantial in case I liked the hobby. The Tesoro was the cheapest quality built detector at that time. Two things have happened since. 1). I love the Hobby and 2). The Compadre is my only land machine. I love it because it is a turn on and go detector, lightweight, adjustable pole, and I have found some great finds with it. It is definitley worth the money...And the Tesoro service is super. Never had a problem with the Tesoro. When you call, you can speak with someone who fixes the machines too. Hope it helps.

 

[Michigan Badger]

It's funny but Tesoros just find the good stuff. I've tested machines next to the Compadre, Silver (all models old and new) DeLeon, Bandido 2, and Tejon, and some beat Tesoro's depth but not finds.

It's odd and I don't fully understand it but even though Tesoros aren't really supper deep machines they produce the great finds.

Take a Silver uMax to a site you've hammered with a Minelab SE and don't be surprised if you dig one or more great finds.

I've hunted old sites with the factory preset DeLeon and then returned with the Minelab Sovereign GT or Nautilus IIB and found nothing more. Now figure that one out?

Tesoros just find treasure. That's the bottom line.

Badger

 

[lostlake88]

Hey!

I am in your boat. I have been detecting for about a month and a half and I feel fortunate with all the goodies I have found so far. Granted, I have allot of time on my hands, but I am not hitting the bush every waking hour either. I bought the Tesoro Vaquero and I am extremely happy with it. It cost me 420.00. I was willing to spend much more, but I did my due diligence in research for once in my life. When i recieved it I was immediately dissapointed just from looking at the box, quite frankly. It looked so pathetic to me, no fancy images etc.. Opened it up, again disappointed, it was light as a feather and it looked like something you would buy at Toy R Us. You know the addage, the heavier something it usually the more expensive. But I was soooo wrong. The discrimination is very good as well as the depth.

What i have discovered, after 20 or so hours of learning curve, is this machine is all I need. I can't compare with any other because I have never owned any other, but I think I made a wise choice. If you buy the vaquero you will not be disappointed, I promise you. i have found a ton of cool stuff with mine already.

 

[The-Bone]

stay away from the f2 for awhile...maybe in 6 months they'll have the bugs worked out

 

[red949597]

I PICKED UP MY WHITES PRIZM 111 ( GOOD TURN ON AND GO DETECTOR) FROM A LOCAL PAWN SHOP FOR 100.00 AND IT HAS FOUND MORE THAN MY 505 BY FAR. CHECK THEM PAWN SHOPS

 

[StogieJim]

Hi,

Tesoro Compadre is the one I started with last spring and I'm glad I did. It's a fine yet simple machine with which you can learn the things you'll need when you move up to a more sophisticated detector. Unless you have someone to help you through the learning curves of both detecting and a more complicated machine, start simple.

Jim