I have it down to two...

[Jack(IN)]

I will either buy a Minelab Excal or a Tesoro Tiget Shark, I will mostly be fresh water, but will do some salt water hunting. If I could get some help from the experts I'd appriciate the help!!

 

[FloridaBill]

I will either buy a Minelab Excal or a Tesoro Tiget Shark, I will mostly be fresh water, but will do some salt water hunting. If I could get some help from the experts I'd appriciate the help!!

With those choices I would say Minelab Excal all the way...

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Having never used the Tiger Shark I can't say yea or nay from experience, but I have heard great reports about it ........

I did own 2 Excals, and still own 1 and they are great water detectors, although my Excal is now a backup to my WP Sov GT. (Lucked out and found a water proofed Sov GT) I want be with out at least 1 Excal....

I don't think you will go wrong with either choice or bettter yet, buy both..........

 

[JOe L]

I agree to the above. Read through the threads in the B&SW forum. Lots of plus & minuses to guide you. And remember, what ever you buy,,,, patience and learn. JOe

 

[JoeinMemphis]

The Tiger is an awesome machine.... in FRESH WATER. In salt, not so much. It is why I will be using a shiny new Excal II on this years trip to Florida, I failed miserably last year with $.33 to show for a whole WEEK in the water. I still have the TS, and don't plan on getting rid of it any time soon, because it seems to find smaller stuff than the Excal, but it is pretty much blind in the salt water. HH Joe

 

[Jack(IN)]

The Tiger is an awesome machine.... in FRESH WATER. In salt, not so much. It is why I will be using a shiny new Excal II on this years trip to Florida, I failed miserably last year with $.33 to show for a whole WEEK in the water. I still have the TS, and don't plan on getting rid of it any time soon, because it seems to find smaller stuff than the Excal, but it is pretty much blind in the salt water. HH Joe

I'll be using it at least 95% of the time in fresh water, maybe more. Just a week a year in salt water!

 

[EZrider]

The one thing i have run into with the Tiger shark users. People who setup and use the machine only on salt water beaches get used to it and learn it, they do very well with them. Then there are people who hunt fresh water 90% of the time with it and when they do go to the salt water they hit a brick wall. It sets up and acts totally diffrent in the salt. It does how ever go deeper than i want to dig. The few times i have went out with mine Ive found a coupe silver rings and a 10k gold chain bracelet. This is on a small beach with 4-5 other hunters there daily. Deepest find was a fake bracelet at 8 inches in the surf. Slow and low is the way to go. You have to get used to the little squawks of falseing it does. Try to set it up to get rid of the falseing and your not going to find much, as well as swing it to fast. Good solid machine with interchangeable coils and a lifetime warranty.

Dont get me wrong. The Excals are some of the best salt water machines made without a doubt. If i can get one at a decent price i would go for it. I personaly think that the comapnys that are produceing these so called high end machines could do much better. And not remake or fix there old machines and call them new.

 

[G.I.B.]

It boils down to (IMO) how much do you want to dig?

Both are very capable machines, each with somewhat different quirks.

Basically, you are going to dig a lot of more junk with the Shark than you will with the Excal. You will subsequently miss more stuff with the Excal than you will with the Shark. The shark will find small gold deeper. The Excal will ignore a lot of junk iron. Good and bad, ying and yang.

So then, how much digging do you want to do?

 

[treasurefiend]

I will either buy a Minelab Excal or a Tesoro Tiget Shark, I will mostly be fresh water, but will do some salt water hunting. If I could get some help from the experts I'd appriciate the help!!

I would say, get the minelab machine!!!

 

[JoeinMemphis]

Minelab.... I ran smack into that brick wall with over a years worth of experience on the Tiger. You probably will too, then you will get frustrated like I did, and order an Excal like I did, for that one week a year you will be in salt... save yourself time and $$$. I would have a completely different answer if it was to be used in 100% fresh. I don't think anything will beat the Tiger in fresh water, it is incredibly sensitive. FYI I dig a lot of caps with the Tiger, after reading CJC's book on the Excal, I haven't gotten one yet, I have passed over them, and knew exactly what I was listening to. You CAN tell what is going on under the coil if you listen and do your homework. Good luck on your decision HH Joe