Yes the Compadre is well known as one of the best values in the entry level class.... the brain box is made of metal but it is still light as a feather, extremely responsive, new you have a choice of 2 coils a smaller one and an 8" coil which goes deeper.
Lifetime warranty new, many use all kinds but also started with a Compadre and kept it around or bought one later on just to have in the arsenal for fun and special situations.
The Compadre has some superpowers that are special.
It is hypersensitive to tiny objects of any kind, it can find jewelry like it is a religion with this thing including chains, it is great when using it in iron infested sites and there is nothing on the planet that can find targets near, next to or even leaning on big metal like tot lot equipment, bench legs or fence poles as easily and effortlessly as this one can.
Nothing.
We have a church built up around this thing...
Church of the Compadre... - Friendly Metal Detecting Forums
For all it is it still is audio only and has no screen.
As much as I have always recommended every hunter should use a Tesoro or other audio only unit and get good at hunting with audio only sometime in their career, it can only make you a better hunter no matter what kind you end up using, when you are starting out using one with a screen I believe is easier to learn on.
Anything will work well if you are going to dig it all, many start out with a Compadre or anything else and do that at first anyway...it is the best way to learn.
At the 200-$250 range there are many with screens new that are on the market now, Fisher F22, Euro Tek Pro, the newer Ace 300, the Bounty Hunter Land Ranger Pro is a bit more but chock full of features and in a totally different class than that QS.
All have screens and not just icons but extremely helpful and recommend VDI numbers on the screen.
VDI numbers give you way more information than units with just icons can.
All are cheaper if bought used but warranties usually don't transfer.
If you really want to stick to that $200 range there is still one available that I highly recommend.
The Fisher F2 is being replaced by the F22 but several dealers still have them, they still come with a 5 year factory warranty, the one coil unit is $199 but for $215 I bought the 2 coil version that includes an extremely productive small sniper coil in that package...plus that same cheap pinpointer that was included in that QS package.
I got mine for $200 new but even at $215 still one of the best values out there for the money.
Many started with these and still use them with great success.
I bought mine as a backup but it was so much fun and worked so well I used it for 3 seasons as my prime unit and found over 10X's what I paid for it in clad, relics, silver and gold.
F2...final impressions below,...... - Friendly Metal Detecting Forums
Your first detector is important.
You want one that is fun to use and not frustrating, finds stuff so it will keep you interested and not drive you out of the hobby quickly which can and does happen sometimes when people pick wrong.
If you like the hobby most of us upgrade sometime in the future but that first one is the key to it all.
I started with a version of that QS but had a horrible experience because mine was broken and did not work right at all...it was way more than just a frustrating experience learning the basics with a tool like that.
Only because I was stubborn did I wait it out and still used the thing for several months before I finally upgraded and then found out how fun this hobby can really be.
A few years later I had a chance to use another QS that worked correctly and it was 1000 times better than mine but thinking back now I still had way more fun with the Compadre and the F2 because of how different and better they worked.
For all these reasons those are the two I would look at hard if I had a $150-$200 limit...$215 on the 2 coil F2 if you can't find a dealer that will discount that extra $15.
Look in your couch cushions and find that $15...well worth it if you do.
Good luck.
