Cibola, Vaquero, or DeLeon?

[mts]

I'm looking to pull the trigger on a Tesoro detector. I'm coming from a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV which is actually a very good machine for the money. I paid $88 for it and it's still going strong. But the BH lacks the depth that I think I need. One good thing about the BH is that it is a two tone machine. I'm a little worried about going to a single tone machine like the Cibola but I guess it is probably worth the effort. I'm also on the fence about whether or not I would like to have a target ID machine. I certainly don't want to give up depth for the sake of target ID.

I'm interested in opinions on what would be the best machine for me. Here are a few notes:

1) Money isn't really an object. The Cortes is more expensive than I want to go at this time but if someone told me it was the absolute best fit for the rest of my requirements I'd go ahead and buy that one instead. So don't let price impact the decision.

2) I've also considered the Silver uMax which I hear is a great detector but again, price is no object so my understanding is that the Cibola and Vaquero are better detectors.

3) I live in Ohio and have never had any problem with ground balancing. Therefore I don't think I need the Vaquero for the GB capabilities but would go with it if I felt that manual GB would improve the depth considerably.

4) I get to the ocean every now and then but not enough to warrant worrying about buying something especially suited for salt water. I would like to do some local fresh water detecting now and then as well.

5) I hunt mainly for coins, relics, and jewelry. Tot lots, homesteads, and parks are going to be my main hunting grounds. But I'll hit the occasional fresh water beach as well.

6) I can't find much info on the Deleon. Why is that? I hear great things about the Cibola and Vaquero though. Can anyone vouch for the Deleon in terms of depth?

7) I'd also consider the Golden uMax but if I am going to pay the money for a target ID machine I guess I'd prefer to go ahead and just get the screen instead of relying on tones.

That's probably enough for now. I appreciate any advise you can give.

 

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[Sandman]

You are wanting a detector that can handle water at the saltwater beach and land, you are gonna need ground balance. The Deleon is in the same depth range as the Vaquero, Tejon set only has a screen to lie to you sometimes. I much prefer sound tones as they are more accurate to me.

The Cibola won't have the depth at all locations you are planning to go. The Vaquero would work but it isn't a water detector either so you can't get the box wet. If you are going to do the freshwater lakes it will be fine as far as the minerals go. At the saltwater beaches it will also do fine in the DRY sand only. Venture into the wet stuff and you need to GB in the wet sand and stay there. Going back into the dry and you need to GB again. You may also have to turn down the Sens in the wet sand too.

Having visual ID doesn't take away depth.

 

[bradsguns]

With your interest in "coins, relics and jewelry", I would say of these three that the Vaquero is gonna be your best bet. The V is hot on iron, so it does pick up on relics really well and in my rocky soil, usually picks up deeper than I like to dig LOL.
Even though the V has a single tone, it does have different sounds that you can learn...quick beeps, scratchy beeps, hard & solid beeps (you get the idea)...so its a matter of learning the machine.
I really like my Tejon as well. It has the dual disc feature and multiple tones. It is really advertised as a relic machine, as it is super hot on iron, but not really a problem unless you are in super trashy areas. It picks up field coins with a good strong tone as well. You get a hair more depth here, but you have to turn your sens down a little for tot lots for clad & such, otherwise you will be digging 12" to find an old square nail.
Brad

 

[space_weaseal]

The V is your best bet.

I think the DeLeon is a perfect coin detector. The depth is good on it but i would not use it for relics.

 

[mts]

It sounds like the overwhelming response is to go with the Vaquero. Is that mainly for the manual ground balance when going to wet sand or do you guys believe that it will have significantly better depth? Also, I realize that the control box is not waterproof. But can the coil and shaft of the Vaquero be safely submerged (up to say, 3 feet) without causing damage? Or is water a no-no period?

Thanks for the help.

 

[bradsguns]

You can submerge the coil & shaft on the V...the coil is sealed and works great in shallow water. Just keep in mind if you tip your unit upward, the water will follow the cable up to the box.
Also, the V will get the depth you are looking for, its a great, lightweight unit. The GB will also help you get greater depth on dry ground.
Brad

 

[mts]

Thanks Brad. I hadn't thought about tipping the unit up and having the water run down into the box. That's a good point.

I think I'm going to go with the Vaquero. As you said I'll be able to ground balance it for the best depth. And if I don't want to waste time with ground balancing I can always just set it and forget it.

I'm surprised that there isn't much talk about the Deleon, Cortes, or Golden uMax on this forum. It seems like the Silver uMax, Cibola, and Vaquero get the most fan fare. I guess I'll take that as a sign that they are the best all around values. I also tend to believe that most Tesoro owners like analog audio and don't see much need for target ID. That's just a generalization that may or may not apply.

Thanks again for all of the help. Now the last remaining question I have to struggle with is whether or not to buy additional coils. I think I'll just get the detector first and then figure out where to go from there.

 

[bradsguns]

I think the V will be a good choice for you.
I used to have a higher end Minelab with all the bells and ID. What I found is that the ID is OFTEN incorrect. I would rather dig a little more and make sure to find the good stuff.
As for the coil...I would get used to the stock coil...It is a good overall coil and works great except in some special situations.
If you are looking for the best accessory to buy first...if you dont already have them...get a good pair of headphones. I use DetectorPro Gray Ghost originals($90) and my wife uses the one eared Rattlers($80). You pick up a lot of signals that you would otherwise miss.
HH
Brad

 

[mts]

Brad, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. And thanks to everyone else who chimed in as well.

I don't have a good set of headphones so I'll look into getting some. I've made up my mind. I'm going with the Vaquero. I'm also going to buy a Silver uMax at the same time as a backup and for my dad/son/daughter/nephew to use when they decide to come along. I was considering buying the Cibola along with the Vaquero (mostly because they can share coils). But I think the Silver uMax would be a better choice considering the price difference and the fact that it would be used mostly in tot lots. Who knows, maybe I'll end up with a Cibola too in a year or so if I like the Silver uMax and want another turn on and go machine for myself or for guests.

Thanks again.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

They are on the way my friend!

You'll be happy with your choices

Mike

 

[mts]

Thanks 4-H! From the tracking number it looks like they will be here early next week as promised!

 

[John (Ma)]

I think you made excellent chices with the Vaquero and Silver U. Congrats and have fun!

 

[space_weaseal]

You cant go wrong with the two you decided on.

 

[mts]

Thanks all! I'm going to a group hunt this weekend so I can't wait to get them so that I can try them out. It's going to take a while to learn the in's and out's of them which is something I'm really looking forward to. It's like Christmas in April!

 

[mts]

I just got these two detectors and I just have to say that 4-H is an awesome dealer to work with! He's a heck of a nice guy and he gave me a GREAT price to boot! I ordered them Thursday night at about 8PM by calling him directly on the phone. We chatted for a bit and got to know each other. He's very personable and you can tell that he really cares about service. They just arrived about an hour ago and I've already got them put together and have been doing air tests. More to come shortly.

Thanks again Mike (4-H)! I will definitely be ordering more from you in the future.

PS - He also quoted me a great price on an ML Etrac for those of you who are so inclined. I might take him up on that next year.

 

[mts]

Ok. Now for the air test results. I realize that air tests don't tell the whole story. But they do tell "A" story. And so far I like the way this story reads!

My old detector is a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV which I actually like quite a bit and recommend highly for the money (I paid $88 new on Amazon). It's a great little machine. However, I've never really found anything spectacular with it. One issue is lack of depth. It beats the typical "child" detector but not by much (I bought a Bounty Hunter Junior for my son). So I knew that I wanted to get something much deeper. After all of the advice given here I decided to go with a Vaquero with a Silver uMax as a backup. I have to say that I am shocked at the results!

• BH Junior -> US Quarter = 4.5", Man's Gold Ring = 5"
• BH Tracker IV -> US Quarter = 5.5", Man's Gold Ring = 6"
• Silver uMax -> US Quarter = 9", Man's Gold Ring = 10"
• Vaquero -> US Quarter = 13", Man's Gold Ring = 14"

The numbers for the Vaquero were absolutely shocking to me. And this is without "super tuning". I tried super tuning the Vaquero and got an extra 1.5". However, there were more false signals at that point. All of these tests were done in the equivalent "all metal mode". The Vaquero was the only one with manual ground balancing. And it made a HUGE difference on depth. These tests were also done in my basement where EM noise is high from monitors and computers. So these numbers may not be indicative of what I will receive out in the field (they will likely go way down).

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I'm sure that I'm going to be VERY happy with both of these detectors. Now I just need to put in the time to figure out what they are telling me.

 

[bradsguns]

Im glad you like your machines. The Vaquero is an awesome little guy and will find you many deep targets. I had never really compared an air test to anyones Umax, so I am glad to see your results....maybe we will pick one up as a spare for modern soccer fields & the like.
Let us know what you find.
Brad

 

[mts]

Will do... thanks again Brad!

 

[ron_c]

One other thing is to get the 5.75" coil. This is one hot coil for it's size. It gets about 1" or so less depth than the stock 9x8 coil in Discriminate Mode but separates much better. The 9x8 beats the 5.75" in All Metal about 2 to 3".

 

[mts]

Yeah, I could see myself buying multiple coils. I've heard that the 12x10 makes the silver uMax an extra deep machine while the 5.75 is great for trashy sites. I might have to wait for Xmas before dropping more dough on detecting gear though. My wife is already asking me why we need four detectors in the house.