Fisher 1280x VS Tesoro Tiger Shark

[jadeblackhawk]

Looking at getting one of the two. For fresh water only. Pros? Cons? I've never used either brand. (I don't want a PI or a $1000+ detector)

Thanks.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Sandman]

I have both of these detectors. The 1280 is still a good detector as old as it is. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The 1280 is best bought with the larger 10" coil. It is waterproof to 200 feet. Deeper than I dive. Very good battery life. Very simple to operate as it has preset ground balance so it is turn on and go with only 3 controls. Volume, Disc and Sensitivity.

The Tiger Shark is a better buy I think because it has manual Ground Balance, Disc & All Metal Mode, fast and slow retune. Both are waterproof to 200 ft. and they mean it. Both have very good battery life too. With the Tiger Shark you have 3 controls inside---Volume, Threshold volume and Sens. Leave this alone as it has more than enough sens to operate without troubles. If you order this one, also get the larger coil though the regular coil is deep enough. The Tiger Shark is sens enough to find those thing gold chains and is the only one with a Lifetime Warranty.

 

[John (Ma)]

I think Sandman nailed it and has the experience to back it up. I am just learning the Tiger and love it! Lifetime warranty with superior feedback, you cannot beat it. I am very happy with Tesoro

 

[SusanMN]

One thing to consider is the lifetime warranty that goes with the Tiger shark. And they mean warranty. First few years I had mine I wrecked the coil by using it for land hunting without a coil cover. Totally my inexperience. When I had to send the detector in because it was acting strange it came back not only repaired but with a new coil too. At no charge. Six years later I had to send it in because of a headphone problem and it was back in three weeks with brand new headphones and a full tuneup. That hundreds of dollars I would have spent with another detector.

You'll love the Tiger Shark.

 

[jadeblackhawk]

Thanks! The Tiger Shark is looking real good with that kind of warranty! I had wondered why there are no used ones for sale on feebay

So is there a reason you prefer the 10" coil, other than the larger search area? I'm used to a smaller coil for water hunting, some of the beaches around here get mighty trashy, even with me cleaning them up all the time!

First few years I had mine I wrecked the coil by using it for land hunting without a coil.

Do they make coil covers for these? Or will I have to find an aftermarket one?

The Tiger Shark is a better buy I think because it has manual Ground Balance, Disc & All Metal Mode, fast and slow retune.

I didn't realize these had a manual ground balance, sweet. Are the headphones hardwired as well?

 

[therover]

Jade....glad you asked about the 10 inch vs 8 inch coil because I am on the same track as you. Thinking seriously about a TS but debating the coil size.

I am leaning more toward the 8 inch coil since I think I will also be using the TS on land sites and in heavier trashed river areas as well as dry sand hunting. I feel I have more control with an 8 inch coil and can pick through trash a little easier with them.

Not sure if the smaller coil on the TS is a tad more sensitive to smaller targets and smaller gold than the larger coil. Maybe someone who has used both can chime in on that one.

 

[SusanMN]

Thanks! The Tiger Shark is looking real good with that kind of warranty! I had wondered why there are no used ones for sale on feebay

So is there a reason you prefer the 10" coil, other than the larger search area? I'm used to a smaller coil for water hunting, some of the beaches around here get mighty trashy, even with me cleaning them up all the time!

First few years I had mine I wrecked the coil by using it for land hunting without a coil.

Do they make coil covers for these? Or will I have to find an aftermarket one?

Yes they do make coil covers . I don't hunt in the water with the cover though because it makes the coil buoyant and you really don't need it. I definitely use it if I am shoreline hunting.

Headphones are hardwired. Older machines have removable coils. New ones are hardwired.

The Tiger Shark is a better buy I think because it has manual Ground Balance, Disc & All Metal Mode, fast and slow retune.

I didn't realize these had a manual ground balance, sweet. Are the headphones hardwired as well?

 

[Sandman]

Ok, My Tiger Shark is one of the lucky ones that has the coil connector and I have used both coils and the Clean Sweep Coil which isn't available for the Tiger anymore. True the larger coil is deeper and covers more ground per sweep, but I prefer the smaller regular one for some reason that has nothing to do with the amount of trash where I search. I think it just might be the amount of white plastic on the coil that turns me off. Silly I know......

I have never had either the Tiger Shark or 1280 leak but if water gets in after you change the batteries and you close it up wrong you will really mess up the guts unlike the 1280 where the batteries are separate. Use Silicone grease which Tesoro sends you to lube your O ring and try to close both clamps at the same time. With the 1280, don't over tighten the 2 screws that hold on the battery cover and they should last longer than we will. Both are simple to operate and do the job very well in fresh water. I would never sell the Tiger!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[therover]

Sandman....need your opinion.

Based on the fact that Tesoro has great service even for second owners, do you think a used one with 8 inch and Clean Sweep coil ( according to the seller, unit has been serviced, with new coil connectors that have the ability to swap out the coils) in addition to the 8 inch coil being new...would be a good bet ?

I hear good things about the Clean Sweep, but not sure how much I would use it.

Just asking. Thanks.

 

[Smudge]

I have used the clean sweep coil and it is effective for shallow finds (6" max, more like 3-4" in most cases). It does make the detector feel somewhat unbalanced, so it takes a little getting used to, but it does allow you to cover a considerable amount of area faster, which is a big plus when you searching fields and large swaths of fresh water shore line.

I've never tried to use it the water though. I not sure the hydrodynamics would be all that great.

Sorry to just jump in there. I know the question was directed at you Sandman. What do you think?

 

[therover]

Thanks Smudge. I figured it was more of a coverage and shallow type coil and since it's pretty big, would tend to make the unit somewhat unbalanced.

Just wondering if I would use that coil much. I may shoot the person an e-mail and see what he/she may want for just the TS and the 8 inch coil. I would imagine someone who is more into field hunting or wanting a coil for coverage would be interested in the Clean Sweep...especially since they don't make them any longer.

 

[Sandman]

If you can get the TS with the coil connector, GET IT!!!! As for the CLean Sweep Coil, you will kick yourself later for not having it. As for it being unbalanced, ever think of flipping the coil around and it wouldn't be unbalanced. The CSC does not plane in the water but does in heavy waves. It is the king of stealing drops from the beach crowd. Make sure the CSC is for the Tiger Shark and not for the Sand Shark or Tesoro Land detectors as the pins are different.

 

[birdman]

I have seen 1280s go used for 200-300 which is a plus. They are built like a tank also. I have used both and both are good machines for fresh water hunting.

 

[dahut]

I like them both. I have a Tiger Shark, one with the coil connector.

There is nothing major to complain about with either, although I consider them both freshwater detectors.

The Tiger Shark has ground balance and fast or slow retune. I like the controls inside, but I always bump them up a bit. It is essentially a Bandido, so you can super tune it. But be careful, the SENS is a bear. Just a little tweaking is enough. I bump up the THRESH and Volume though - this makes signals more pronounced.

Were I to choose it would be the Tesoro, simply because of its many features. In use in fresh water there isnt much between them.

Now, if Tesoro added iron ID tones and multi tone audio to the TS, they have somethi.... wait a minute - - - they'd have a Garrett AT Pro!

 

[jadeblackhawk]

Well, just paid for my Tiger Shark. Hopefully I'll have it before the next heat wave!

 

[SusanMN]

I like them both. I have a Tiger Shark, one with the coil connector.

There is nothing major to complain about with either, although I consider them both freshwater detectors.

The Tiger Shark has ground balance and fast or slow retune. I like the controls inside, but I always bump them up a bit. It is essentially a Bandido, so you can super tune it. But be careful, the SENS is a bear. Just a little tweaking is enough. I bump up the THRESH and Volume though - this makes signals more pronounced.

Were I to choose it would be the Tesoro, simply because of its many features. In use in fresh water there isnt much between them.

Now, if Tesoro added iron ID tones and multi tone audio to the TS, they have somethi.... wait a minute - - - they'd have a Garrett AT Pro!

You're going to love your Tiger Shark, but I've stories of people messing them up by playing with the sensitivity. Use extreme caution when messing with any of the inside controls - they aren't marked very well.

 

[dahut]

I like them both. I have a Tiger Shark, one with the coil connector.

There is nothing major to complain about with either, although I consider them both freshwater detectors.

The Tiger Shark has ground balance and fast or slow retune. I like the controls inside, but I always bump them up a bit. It is essentially a Bandido, so you can super tune it. But be careful, the SENS is a bear. Just a little tweaking is enough. I bump up the THRESH and Volume though - this makes signals more pronounced.

Were I to choose it would be the Tesoro, simply because of its many features. In use in fresh water there isnt much between them.

Now, if Tesoro added iron ID tones and multi tone audio to the TS, they have somethi.... wait a minute - - - they'd have a Garrett AT Pro!

You're going to love your Tiger Shark, but I've stories of people messing them up by playing with the sensitivity. Use extreme caution when messing with any of the inside controls - they aren't marked very well.

Oh Ive had it for years - I know all about the SENS controls! Mine is one of those with interchangeable coils.
But I find it to be something of a one trick pony, anymore. Its heavy, clunky and I would like something that can ID iron.

In fact, Im putting it up for sale soon. Keep an eye on the classifieds.

 

[jadeblackhawk]

I've stories of people messing them up by playing with the sensitivity

I'm not going to fiddle with the inside controls. I'm not an engineer or an electrician.

But I find it to be something of a one trick pony

? Do your other detectors find something besides metal?

In fact, Im putting it up for sale soon. Keep an eye on the classifieds.

That would have been great a week ago...

I would like something that can ID iron.

When you're in deep water, you don't really find much iron. Not small iron, anyway. At least, not any of the lakes I go to.

 

[dahut]

I'm not going to fiddle with the inside controls. I'm not an engineer or an electrician.

It isn't really complicated or difficult. The thing is, you must do it one small increment at a time. The Tiger Shark is essentially a waterproofed Bandido, so it can be hyper-tuned like any Tesoro. This enhances it's response to small and/or deep targets. On the other hand, the T-Shark is intentionally unstable and so this has to be approached with caution.

Do your other detectors find something besides metal?

There is more to a detector than it's ability to find metal - that is, in fact, the easy part. How it tells you what it detects and how versatile it is beyond that, are other measures.

When you're in deep water, you don't really find much iron. Not small iron, anyway. At least, not any of the lakes I go to.

On this I would have to disagree. I find a never ending supply of ferrous crap when detecting. It may be that it is based on location, the places one detects. I'm exclusively a fresh water searcher, which may matter. I don't know enough to know that.
The most common trash I uncover in the water, though, is iron items and various aluminum bits, like tabs and foil.

I also have a nice collection of knives that I found, only because I run the DISC rather low. This is nice for large knives, but is a pain when there is a lot of ferrous clutter.

I once used a Whites beach detector that offered multiple tones, a Beach Hunter ID, I believe it was. THAT was an eye opener. I still retrieved the large iron items in hopes of something like a nice knife, but I could readily discern the small ferrous clutter thanks to the tones. This saved me time and effort, which in the water is important.
Now, I disliked the detector itself; it was a clunky brick that would not stay down in the water where it belonged. But the tones were great.

Some people will tell you that "fancy" stuff like tone discrimination is not important in a water detector. And I believed them for a long time. I did note, though, Excal, Fisher 20/21 and Infinium users were pretty vocal about their benefits. Then, I tried it myself. I became a true believer and am now looking at Garrett's AT-Pro.

As for deep water, well, I hunt the entire section of accessible beach - not just deep water. The best ring I've ever found was a monstrous 14k, diamond encrusted piece, right in the "Mommy Zone"... 8" of water. It was worth big money, back before the surge in gold prices. Lots of trash, yes - - but that ring also opened my eyes.

 

[jadeblackhawk]

How it tells you what it detects and how versatile it is beyond that, are other measures.

I like to do my own thinking.

The most common trash I uncover in the water, though, is iron items and various aluminum bits, like tabs and foil.

I guess we must treat our lakes better here. I find cans every now and again, but not often. Nails and tabs tend to be by the shore.

The best ring I've ever found was a monstrous 14k, diamond encrusted piece, right in the "Mommy Zone"... 8" of water.

That's great. But I don't need a waterproof detector to go 8" deep.

Some people will tell you that "fancy" stuff like tone discrimination is not important in a water detector.

Sorry, I can't tell the difference between the high and mid tones. I have to look at the screen on my 250; it all sounds the same to me, rendering tone detecting useless. My first year water detecting, I was on the beach with someone with a fancy water detector. I seen him scan something about knee deep, then move on. I figured it was trash, but I pick up the trash. So I went over to clean up what he couldn't be bothered to, and got a 10k ring.

I became a true believer and am now looking at Garrett's AT-Pro.

I wanted something that can go deeper than 10'. IF it doesn't leak, which seems to be a problem with the AT-Pro.

It's a moot point anyway. I made my purchase, now I'll learn my detector.