Discovery 3300 or Platinum?

[Confederate74]

Time to buy a new detector. I have decided on the Discovery 3300 or the Platinum, but I am torn between the two. I like both models, but not sure which one I should get. Any suggestions?

 

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[woof!]

Most folks familiar with both, would rate the Platinum as the better of the two.

You might also want to look into the Eurotek Pro.

 

[PostalTwo]

i have to agree with woof however the 3300 is absolutely fantastic and i think is cheeper the the platinum. for the money of the platinum i would looksat other machines just my 2 cents cheers and gl

 

[locater]

I have had the Platinum for two years now, very happy with it. It is basically the same as the Tecknetics Gamma 6000 (same parent company) a well regarded mid range detector. To really get the most out of it I would recommend getting the Fisher 11" DD coil for it. It really adds depth and better coverage than the 8" concentric coil it comes with. Does add to the overall cost.
It's performance has been good. The ground balance is easy to use, the notch discrimination is useful. The target ID is very accurate. The depth is very good with the 11"DD coil. I recently purchased a CTX 3030, but, I still use my Platinum, as it is light and easy to use. The CTX obviously gives better performance in some areas, but, at many times the price!

 

[Fixitdave]

Hi I dont know anything about the 3300 I do have the platinum for about a year now has been a good machine I been huntin same place for last 2 years and still finding stuff happy huntin

 

[Confederate74]

Wont the DD coil also fit the Discovery 3300?

 

[locater]

I'm not sure about any DD coils that specifically fit the 3300 and are compatible with it. Check out the prior post by Astromic, the use of a DD coil from a Fisher F2/F4 was mentioned. The F5 DD coil fits the Platinum.

 

[Opie]

I'm in the same boat, time for a new detector and can't decide on the F-4 the Platinum or giving a Euro tech pro a try, I was pondering on the 3300 but I have the 2200 and I find more with my old Tracker IV then I do the 2200. I'm just guessing the response time on the 3300 may be as slow as the 2200. Oh and Newbie here,,so howdy all!!!!

 

[BigMerv]

I can't comment on the Platinum, but I have owned a Discovery 3300 since they first came out. It IS a slower swing machine, but when coupled with the 4" coil is DEADLY in high-trash areas like tot lots, concession stand areas at high schools, under bleachers, etc. I've picked a mountain of clad out of areas like these, but it takes extreme patience to swing the coil slowly and thread in between all of the trash. Haven't found any rings other than when folks would call me find one that they've lost, so the 3300 will find the jewelry, but it's just not in the areas I hunt. It's a good overall machine, but my instincts tell me that the Platinum would be a trade up. I'd take a strong look at the Omega 8000. That's one I'm considering on my upgrade short list. Easy to use knobs, some notch capability, not too much programming to fool with...but to each his own. Given that you can get the Platinum at some online retailers for $299, it's hard to beat.

 

[Opie]

Just curious, is the Platinum a true manual ground balance machine? Here in Northern Utah, its heavy mineral and lots of salt. I think the problem with my 2200 is the preset GB. But it was a gift from my kids, so I gotta keep it,,,lol

 

[BigMerv]

The Platinum uses "Ground Grab" which is sort of an "automated way to manually ground balance the machine". I don't think is is true on-the-fly automatic ground tracking. Not sure if you can see ground mineralization numbers on the screen, so rebalancing the machine may be required. It really isn't all that clear in the manual.

The 3300 has a ground balance knob with a Preset position and a turn-to-the-right potentiometer to manually balance the machine in the Pin Point mode which is a no-motion, all-metal mode that doesn't show any information (classify targets or depth) on the display. In the Pin Point mode, you hunt in audio mode only, single-tone with a threshold. RadioShack says the 3300 has Super-Scan circuitry which accounts for ground minerals. I think that's just hype. What I believe is that the 3300 hunts in a preset ground balance setting in the motion modes (motion all-metal and discriminate) and must be manually ground balanced (and periodically retuned or rebalanced) in the Pin Point mode.

One big advantage I see to the BH Platinum is the relative ease that one can ground balance the machine when compared to the 3300 (the 3300 isn't tough at all, but some have a lot of trouble with this), and the fact that 5" and 11" DD coils are available which would be a BIG benefit (and advantage) in highly mineralized soils like you say that you have.

 

[locater]

The "ground grab" on the platinum is kind of a hybrid, if you will. Very easy to do. You put the machine in all metal mode, hold the coil an inch or so above the ground, and press the pinpoint button. You hold it still while the machine adjusts to the ground condition, a number appears and changes as it adjusts. When the number stays steady for a few seconds, the machine gives you an audible beep letting you know it is completed. Takes less than a minute.

If ground conditions change, you can do a quick ground grab to tune the machine to the new conditions. It is not a ground tracking system that automatically adjusts to ground conditions, works very well.

 

[Astromic]

you may check this post out for more information regarding the DD coil for the 3300:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/bounty-hunter/315775-fisher-11-dd-bh-3300-again.html

 

[crazy4coins]

Most folks familiar with both, would rate the Platinum as the better of the two.

You might also want to look into the Eurotek Pro.

Well said! I myself would definitely take the eurotek pro over the ones mentioned. It's faster, lighter, great separation, etc. only downside is that it doesn't have adjustable ground balance.

 

[crazy4coins]

Buying a used machine is another option. You should be able to get a quality used machine like the tesoro outlaw or garrett AT pro for around $300.

 

[panchoveeya]

at pro

Buying a used machine is another option. You should be able to get a quality used machine like the tesoro outlaw or garrett AT pro for around $300.

im sorry but ive been looking for a detector like at pro but cant afford it right now, where is it that you find it for 300? that sounds too good to be true

 

[crazy4coins]

Generally deals like those aren't found online (well maybe for the tesoro). But Sometimes people get really lucky at garage sales or strike a great deal with another local enthusiast.

 

[BH505Man]

My choice would be the legacy 3500 (which I have). However, if I was to upgrade I wouldn't choose any of the choices mentioned. I would chose the Fisher F4.