I think I'm developing a mild Tesoro obsession..

[jacobgosling]

CC: digger27

"Ha!" How dare you!...lol

In all seriousness, thank you for this very helpful advice. I understand that detecting is an art, and something that is learned through experience rather than through a book or instructional video. I have been watching detecting channels on youtube, such as "The Hoover Boys," to get an idea of what detecting is like out in the field.

I live on a property that has been in my family since before the Revolution. Our little town (then a tiny hamlet of scattered homesteads) was invaded twice during the Revolutionary War. They burned the houses and outbuildings. The opportunity for artifact recovery is tremendous here. There is very little public land, and locals are not accommodating to outsiders looking to dig their property. A boon for me!

My property is adjacent to a Mill pond, and two Mills were once on my property, but were destroyed long ago and the former mill seat is now in the middle of a public road. But imagine what might be at the bottom of that Mill pond? There were three mills. A saw and grist mill built before the Revolution, and a grist mill built on the ruins of the first grist mill in about 1827.

The earliest house on the property, built by my 5th great grandfather, was burned during the Rev War. The house I now live in was partly built in the late 18th century and partly in the early 19th. There was a General Merchandise store and also a Public House on the lot.

I want a detector that can be used both on dry land and in the water.

I'm considering this unit. What does everyone think?

Fisher F22 Weatherproof Metal Detector with Submersible Search Coil

Best regards,

JG

 

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[digger27]

CC: digger27

"Ha!" How dare you!...lol

In all seriousness, thank you for this very helpful advice. I understand that detecting is an art, and something that is learned through experience rather than through a book or instructional video. I have been watching detecting channels on youtube, such as "The Hoover Boys," to get an idea of what detecting is like out in the field.

I live on a property that has been in my family since before the Revolution. Our little town (then a tiny hamlet of scattered homesteads) was invaded twice during the Revolutionary War. They burned the houses and outbuildings. The opportunity for artifact recovery is tremendous here. There is very little public land, and locals are not accommodating to outsiders looking to dig their property. A boon for me!

My property is adjacent to a Mill pond, and two Mills were once on my property, but were destroyed long ago and the former mill seat is now in the middle of a public road. But imagine what might be at the bottom of that Mill pond? There were three mills. A saw and grist mill built before the Revolution, and a grist mill built on the ruins of the first grist mill in about 1827.

The earliest house on the property, built by my 5th great grandfather, was burned during the Rev War. The house I now live in was partly built in the late 18th century and partly in the early 19th. There was a General Merchandise store and also a Public House on the lot.

I want a detector that can be used both on dry land and in the water.

I'm considering this unit. What does everyone think?

Fisher F22 Weatherproof Metal Detector with Submersible Search Coil

Best regards,

JG

I have hundreds of hours using the F2, a model that was extremely popular as an entry level and this one replaced it.
I know the value of entry level models and for the price this one seems pretty capable although still entry level.
Found so much treasure, coins, relics and jewelry, with that F2 it would shock you but none of it was very deep.
Sometimes a bit more money can get you more features and more power which means better depth, kinda important for hunting a site like you described.
This one is weatherproof, not waterproof, so great in the rain and honestly this one and the upgraded F44 were tested in the water, both dunked and they came through fine so if you are hunting IN water and there is an accident you should be ok if it doesn't stay underwater or sink deep for a long time.
No warranty on products like this if they do go for a swim and drown, however.
If you are hunting in water and don't want to worry about it the Simplex is slightly more and rated waterproof and they are new but many seem to think they work pretty well.
The Vaquish is also new, not waterproof but it is multi frequency, the hot new tech that is all the rage right now and many are posting their thoughts on it.
Different levels for this one, different models with different features but the lowest end one without getting into the bundled packages is close to the F22 price.

Recently I bought an F5, a discontinued Fisher model that is two or three steps above that F22 with a whole ton of features.
A beloved and very popular detector for many years used by many that still do.
Discontinued now but they are still around online from several dealers, still have a 5 year warranty and still work shockingly well.
Like all non waterproof units only the coils can be dunked but if you aren't going too deep and are careful and plan to hunt mostly in the dirt this one is highly recommended...by me, and I have experience with several detectors from entry level on up.
I just love Fishers, they have found me thousands of dollars worth of treasure over the years.

On Amazon and several other dealers they are still attempting to sell these for about $450-$470 with one coil which is ridiculous because in production they were $600 MSRP but always sold for $500 for years.
There is one dealer out there, search metaldetector and then .com, that has these for $299 with 2 coils, free shipping and a bunch of extras...not great extras like a cheap pinpointer, cheap headphones and a few other things but useable for newbies until they get a chance to upgrade to better accessories.
This is one of the best deals out there right now...bar none.
This is a higher midrange detector that acts like and believes it is a top end flagship unit selling for a heavily discounted entry level price...you could do way worse.
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/fisher-research-labs/640819-f5-review-first-hunt-amazing.html

I got this one on a whim, couldn't resist the crazy low price, just to see if it can handle my very difficult dirt as well as my $700-$900 detectors could and work better and get as deep or deeper.
Spoiler alert...it can.

Check out the rest of that site for prices on the F22 and others, you might be surprised at their offers vs Amazon dealers.

Do your homework and choose well, the right detector with the right features for sites where YOU hunt can enhance your success, and pleasure, immensely.

Good luck!

 

[jacobgosling]

CC: digger27

Wow! I am so grateful to receive such comprehensive and knowledgeable advice from an experience detectorist. I almost made a big mistake.

First question: is it possible to get both a good terrestrial and good 'waterproof' detector in one unit?

The Mill pond adjacent to my property is quite shallow. Whenever we have a major hurricane and a big runoff from the rains, the county opens the dam to let out most of the water in the pond. At such times, the stumps of cedar trees cut down hundreds of years ago are a foot above the waterline. The bottom of the pond is sandy in most places. I am very anxious to detect the bottom of that pond. I own about a quarter of its basin. The rest is owned by neighbours and friends, or reserved as Open Space. I am very tall, and will have no problem walking around with my head above water.

Second Question: Do you know anything about the Minelab Equinox 600? It seems like it would be good on land and in the water. About 3x pricier than the one I had in mind, but I'm willing to make the investment.

Best regards and mucho gratitude for the priceless advice.

JG

 

[Clad2Silver]

I had a Silver Sabre back in the 1980's......nice little detector.

 

[jacobgosling]

CC: digger27

Here are some pictures of the cellar hole of my 5th great grandfather's house burned by the British in 1777. I am 40, and the site has never been dug or detected in my lifetime.

Even without a detector, I have found some iron relics simply by digging in my garden. I wonder what treasures a detector might discover?









JG

 

[digger27]

If you could give me the exact coordinates of that cellar hole I can make a trip up there and give you a better opinion.
It will be just between you and me...promise!
Just kidding, what you have there is what we call a dream site the whole property seems to be.
With that history who knows what you can find there, buttons, very old coins, jewelry, generations of treasure going back to the revolutionary war and even before...even the iron might be very interesting, tools and such.
There are hunters that would kill to search a property like that even for one day.
Since you are willing higher end tools will make more sense.
Deeper, more capable of finding more...once you learn how to use them.
If water is in your future one of the Noxes is a smart move.
You need to invest in some waterproof earphones, probably, and not all of them have proved they like to go in the water.
Many use them as total water machines and they did well and survived but a few have not and drowned.
Not all that many, considering how many were sold so far, and if there is an issue you have a warranty that works and can be useful if you are unlucky.
The other real popular detector out there is the AT Pro for water, pretty darn good on land, too the Hoover Boys and many others proved that.
Many of them didn't survive a swim either when they first entered the market but Garrett took care of their customers and eventually worked out the water bugs.
Look at the latest Hoover boy vids, Kurt is in the water all the time with his.

For saltwater the Nox gets the call, multi frequency handles that better, but in freshwater the Pro is also very popular.

Spending more makes sense for someone that has property like you have to hunt anytime you want.
You can start low, many do just to get a handle on the hobby, then upgrade, but if you aren't able to find as much as you think is possible there you will get frustrated and upgrade anyway.
Or just give up and only dig in your garden.

I say the Nox over the Pro, mostly because I have one and know what it can do and I never got into Garrett products...just don't like the tones for some reason.
Both are good choices, however.
Keep researching, watch more vids...you are doing this search well and evolving in the right way.

 

[kwblack]

I have a Conquistador.

 

[jacobgosling]

CC: digger27


Oh Wow! I just watched all the videos on the Garret website pertaining to the AT Pro. It was love at first sight! This is the perfect unit for me.

This machine provides a wealth of information:

Size of target
depth of target
conductivity of target
Different audio signal for iron, silver etc.
Coin, button mode to exclude trash like pull tabs and bottle caps

Best of all, it can be used in both fresh and salt water. The unit also seems light and well balanced. It's very stylish.

You really sold me when you pointed out that the Hoover Boys use the unit. I am a big fan of theirs. I think Kurt found his near mint condition Continental USA button with this unit on the bottom of a lake or river. As an historian, genealogist and collector, I never imagined there were people who shared my passion for history and artifacts as much as I do, until I started watching those Hoover Boy videos. Some of them weep for joy or go apoplectic when they find a Tombac...lol I'd have a stroke if I found anything Continental.

Maybe I should invite you and the boys to Jersey this Summer to mount an expedition in search of Privateer gold!...lol Did I mention my community was a major Privateering center during the Revolution and War of 1812? My family has been here 300 years and I am also an historian well-versed in local history. I know where all the bodies are buried, so to speak.

I'd love to find some really good stuff that would cause my detractors here on TN to twist and writhe with envy!...lol
I think I know what I'm buying myself for Christmas this year. I'll be dreaming of the Garrett AT Pro after my head hits the pillow tonight.

Thanks so much.

JG

* Maybe I'll get an Admin to move this conversation into its own thread. I hope the author of this thread doesn't feel I've hijacked his topic.

 

[digger27]

When you are ready contact the sponsors on this site, they can give you great deals, better even if you call them.
Bart at Bigboys Hobbies is someone I have been pleased to do business with in the past, for instance.

 

[GeoW]

Oh Wow! I just watched all the videos on the Garret website pertaining to the AT Pro. It was love at first sight! This is the perfect unit for me.

Please check with unbiased experienced users before purchase..

g

 

[Mojave1]

My latest Compadre arrived today.

 

[jacobgosling]

Oh Wow! I just watched all the videos on the Garret website pertaining to the AT Pro. It was love at first sight! This is the perfect unit for me.

Please check with unbiased experienced users before purchase..

g

Do I 'detect' a little brand rivalry here on TN?

JG

 

[steve1357]

Do I 'detect' a little brand rivalry here on TN?

JG

Each manufacturer has their own thread, kind of a gentleman's rule to keep it that way. There are threads to compare and discuss several models, or as in your case, your thought process.

Several threads here where you probably will find more experience of Garretts as compared to other models.

Brands

In summary if you mention a different brand in a manufacturer's forum, you'll end up with a lot of noise usually.....


I run Tesoro's because they are much much lighter and a lot deeper than Garretts, and use a 9v battery instead of four or eight AA batteries. But that's my preference just as you'll discover in time what you prefer. I've owned a lot of different ones from different manufacturers and that is why I settled on Tesoro as my go to, every day machine.

jmho

Steve

 

[jacobgosling]

CC: steve1357

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. I appreciate it. I did somewhat apologize earlier for hijacking the thread. I'm new here. Hopefully people will be patient with me as I learn the ropes, and aren't too irritated by my newbie enthusiasm. There are some who wanted to boot me out the door the moment I arrived...lol

Regards.

JG

 

[777]

I really enjoyed using my Tesoro's in the past...Light weight, excellent discrimination, fast target response and they can detect deep in my soil!

 

[FAT SEXY]

Is that an upgraded grip? Looks different than the one on my compadre.

 

[Mojave1]

Is that an upgraded grip? Looks different than the one on my compadre.

It's a rubber walking cane grip. Similar to the Garrett At Max grips. I also put them on my Cibola and Fisher F19. Guy on Ebay sells them. No more wet, mucky grips for me.

 

[FAT SEXY]

It's a rubber walking cane grip. Similar to the Garrett At Max grips. I also put them on my Cibola and Fisher F19. Guy on Ebay sells them. No more wet, mucky grips for me.

Think I'm going to look into this for all 3 of my machines.

 

[Mojave1]

I will post the link. They are hard to put on but I squirted some Dawn dish soap into handle and a little on pole. They will twist easy for a couple days and then harden up.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Walkin...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

 

[GeoW]

Do I 'detect' a little brand rivalry here on TN?

JG

No man, get the Garrett! Nothing like picking pull tabs from grass roots!

g