Compadre or Silver uMax? Help a rookie out! :D

[SuburbiaStopPushing]

Heya, TreasureNet! Quick question from a beginner hunter.

I've done a lot of research on this topic and read every thread on every forum comparing these two detectors, and the consensus on the matter seems to be... that there is no consensus From what I've gathered, the Compadre does better on gold under 2 grams, whereas the Silver has the edge in depth and versatility. Both seem to have their fans and pros and cons.

The reason I'm asking directly is because, after picking up the Compadre, I've gotten news that I'm moving to the shores of Lake Michigan. What was originally going to be a tot lot and local park machine may now need to double as the occasional dry beach/freshwater hunter. There are some great videos on YouTube of people using the 8" Compadre very successfully on the beach, but as mine is a 5.75", I get the feeling such a small coil might become a headache when hunting vast sandy expanses. Bearing that in mind, the ability to upgrade coils in the future on the Silver is incredibly appealing! Especially considering I may venture out to old homesteads and large fields at some point.

...that being said, that small gold is certainly tempting, especially given the finds some of you fine hunters have garnered over the years.

I've used the Compadre in the past and I love the simplicity of Tesoro machines. The idea of learning to "hear" signals sounds like the way to go if one is concerned with becoming a better hunter. But as a newbie, I'd really appreciate the input of people more experienced than myself on this matter. Are there any idiosyncrasies that make one more easy to learn than the other? Would the small coil on the Compadre suffice for hunting wide open areas, or would it be too maddening for a beginner? Should I return the Compadre and get the $90 upgrade in the uMax?

Looking forward to your input!

 

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[mwfisherman77]

Which state are you moving to on the lake? If Indiana keep in mind 90 percent of the beaches are completely off limits. National Lake shore property is unfortunately illegal to detect.

I live in Portage myself. Sucks! I live 2 mins from beaches lol

 

[roaddust66]

I have always been a Tesoro guy and saw a Silver UMax in a pawn shop that was used but barely. I didnt need it but bought it anyway. I took it to an old school and church which was used by civil war soldiers and I was shocked by the Silver uMax's performance. One thought...you may not need a larger coil. The 8' concentric donut coil is a real high performer.

 

[TreasurePirate69]

Keep in mind that the bigger the coil the less adept that coil tends to become at finding smaller objects. You could see a difference on small gold just between the 5.75" Compadre and the 8" model. So if small gold is really what you want then you would want to stick with the 5.75" Compadre. When trying to make do with one machine your really have to decide on what your priorities are and what you will most likely be using the machine the most for.

If you are going to hunt tot lots the most then keep the 5.75" Compadre and think about adding another machine later. The great thing about Tesoros is that you can get multiple quality detectors for the same price or less than one medium quality detector of a different brand. Also, there is no reason why you can't use the 5.75" Compadre at the beach so give it a try and see what you think. But if you want to choose only one machine and want it to be reasonably good in more situations then I believe you can't go wrong with the Silver uMax.

With all of that said, I have the Silver uMax and even its coil size can be maddening for me when faced with the vast expanse of a beach. Don't get me wrong, the Silver is a great dry beach machine. But there is something about standing on a beach with nothing but sand for miles and miles that makes your 8" coil feel like something the size of a hockey puck. It is completely psychological. But it can really kill the thrill of the hunt for me. If I thought I could use a 3 foot coil and still find silver dimes on the beach then I'd do it. But that's may be just me. I prefer to use my Vaquero at the beach because it has a slightly larger coil and it makes me feel better psychologically. But the coil is only marginally bigger so it really can't make that much of a difference in actuality.

In general I tend to go by the theory that smaller gold is less valuable and therefore I'm willing to save my sanity and go with a bigger coil. That doesn't mean that it isn't worth it to try and find smaller gold. Finding one good small gold item can potentially be worth more money than 100 silver dimes. But there is a point where your sanity has to take precedence or you won't bother going out at all.

This is all just my opinion. You have a hard decision to make. If it were me I'd keep the 5.75" Compadre for tot lots and buy the Silver uMax for other environments. Heck, I wouldn't stop there.... why not buy a Vaquero as well? I love spending other peoples money!

 

[sandnut]

Get the Silver uMax and just buy a extra 4 inch coil use it for both the tot lots and the beach. I use my Silver during spring break here. I have had it for 6 years now no problems at all and I just bought a 4 inch coil to see what I have been missing with the 8 inch coil...

 

[TallTom]

Another option not mentioned yet is to get the Silver uMax and then buy the 11" DD widescan
coil for it. I got one and really like the extra coverage I get with each sweep. It lists for $100
and sells for about $85. However, it is heavier and puts a little more strain on your arm and
shoulder. But extra exercise is good, right?

 

[SuburbiaStopPushing]

Thanks so much for all of the thoughtful input, guys, it's really helped. From what I can gather, the majority of you feel the most beneficial aspect of the uMax over the Compadre is the ability to swap coils, even if this potentially means the loss of *some* of the micro-gold sniffing capabilities of the 'padre. I think I tend to agree.

...but then I remembered that I'm pretty handy with a soldering iron I think I'm just going to order the Switchcraft parts to make a Compadre that can accept additional coils and potentially add an external sensitivity pot while I'm in there. This might be an unpopular decision here given it voids Tesoro's lauded Lifetime Warranty, but I feel fairly confident in my ability to replace faulty components should my detector accidentally end up getting caught in a torrential downpour or taking an unforeseen swim.

Once the parts get here and I've got a free moment to do the mod, I'll be sure to post a detailed how-to guide as a small consolation for all the help TNet's given me over the years, both as a lurker and a poster. I've seen guides on coil swaps, but never one that walks people through the addition of a coil plug, so hopefully this'll help people in the future considering something similar.

Again, thanks so much, everyone!

 

[rainyday101]

You can make changeable coils but you may need to adjust the ground balance pot to get good performance.

The Silver can find small rings no problems. My last hunt this fall was on a beach and the grass area right next to it. I found three small rings with the Silver no problem. Surprised the heck out of me. The Silver is a great all around detector in milder soil conditions.