How does the cz21 compare to ...

[can]

other machine on dry in the same price range? I posted this question on the Fisher page but that page must not get as much traffic. I am serious considering this machine as my primary detector. I do want to cover dry land as well as beach. Should a have a dry land machine as too? Thanks for the help.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

They're deep seeking, but have 2 issues, IMHO:

1) They're silent search. No threshold. If you're a person who like a threshold , this will be a bummer for you.

2) They have a fondness for deep bent nails. Oh sure, there's audio tricks that users have to discern them (ie.: waiting for 2-way signals, and passing 1 way signals, or comparing to the pinpoint location, etc...). But on the other hand, you will have nagging doubts that cause you to check out a bunch "just to be sure". Other machines are better at passing iron.

On the upside:

1) very deep seeking !

2) very easy to use !

 

[Terry Soloman]

I use two different machines on my saltwater beach - pulse induction in the water and on wet sand, and VLF on the dry sand. I believe you should have different machines that are the best at finding the type of hunting they are designed for. There is NO, one machine that can do it all, everywhere.

 

[can]

Thanks Tom and Terry for helping with your opinions. Very helpful

 

[Fletch88]

The silent search mode was a deal breaker for me especially for beach detecting. I prefer a background threshold to keep my senses company in between targets. A background threshold that changes pitch with target conductivity is even better!

The weight and balance of the stock shaft will probably make you want a lighter machine that will do just as well if not better on land that weighs 2-3 lbs and balanced well.
For beach detecting I usually hip mounted my cz-21 or used an aftermarket shaft to move control box back. The stock shaft is very nose heavy IMO.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Tom in Ca. pretty much nailed it. I agree completely. I used to have the CZ 20, but sold it only because I did not do as much water hunting as I thought I would. I still currently use 2 different CZ 5's which are the same deep seeking detector also without a threshold. I actually prefer the quiet between hits. When it does sound off you know it. I also use a Minelab which has a threshold. It's just all in what you get used to.

 

[Introfiant]

I have a cz21 and use it for water and dry land. It works great in both. Get the hip mount, it will save your arm and extend your search time. If you are going to be in the water half the time, and on dry land the other half, you want to buy a water machine. Then when you get more money you can buy a land machine. But to start I'd get the 21 or an excal and have fun. I like that I can take it home and hose it off and put it away till tomorrow. Even if I was only on dry sand, salt gets all over the machine from ocean wind.

 

[Captain Caveman]

I have the CZ20 and love it. I mainly use it when I'm on the coast but I used to use it as my rainy day machine too. It performed very well in this role, but between being attached to the machine and having to unscrew the battery compartment to switch out batteries, I replaced it with the F44 for rainy days. As Introfiant stated above, if you are going to use it on land, you really need to get the hip mount as it is very heavy. The main drawback for me is that with it hip mounted, you are always attached to the machine so you can't set it down very far from yourself while you dig. I found a lot of stuff with the CZ20 on land including silver. The dual frequency seems to be a beast any and everywhere!

 

[flgliderpilot]

I am using a CZ21 and I have it chest mounted. I run autotune mode when searching so there is a slight threshold... it's a faint whisper.. and when I find a target it weeets at me. THEN I switch to silent search (disrimination) and determine what the target is.

I won't lie, my first few hunts with the CZ-21 I was not liking it. Once I learned how to use it PROPERLY I fell in love with it. It goes very deep and it's very easy to use. Runs about 40-50 hours on a set of 9v batteries, so no charger needed.. I just keep a spare set of batteries in the car.

My finds went up considerably compared to the AT Pro I was using before in the wet. For the dry sand, I still prefer the AT Pro, only because it's easier to identify trash.

 

[can]

thanks for the help guys