Infinium vs. tiger shark vs. sand shark

[underarock]

Looking to get opinions on these detectors.
I'm looking for an all around general purpose metal detector that can be submerged but also works well on land. Also one that has discrimination. Will be using on land, fresh, and salt water. I don't want to spend more than 800.
I'm also considering fisher underwater models but just don't know enough about them.
I need to get in the water… you know what I mean. please help!

 

[Can Slaw]

Of the three you mentioned, the Infinium Land & Sea is the best all around for water and dirt hunting. However it is a tad above the $800, mark unless you find a good used one.

If you are just getting into water hunting, do not cut corners there on a cheap detector. With the price of gold the beaches are getting HAMMERED and everybody seems to be upgrading their detectors to get a jump on the next guy. Pretty soon we will be walking around with butterfly nets waiting for people to drop something, scooping it up before it hits the wet bottom.

 

[therover]

Of the three mentioned, the Tiger Shark is the only one with true discrimination capabilities. The Infinium and Sand Shark are PI units, and will pick up all kinds of iron on land. They will however, trump the Tiger Shark by a wide margin in the salt water. The Tiger is known to be a great fresh water hunter as well as on land and is sensitive to gold but I have read it is not very good in salt water environments. New Tiger Sharks now have the coils hard wired, so you cannot swap out coils.

If you are looking for a discriminating detector that is water proof, under the $800 mark, new, the only 3 I can think of that will work well in fresh/salt water and will be good land hunters would be the Whites Beach Hunter 300, Garrett AT Pro and Detector Pro Wader. The AT Pro and Detector Pro Wader have the ability to change coils, so they would be better suited for land hunting since you can put a smaller coil on them. The Whites BHID 300 has a big 12 inch coil that is hard wired. It is mainly a water unit but it does have tone ID and visual ID.

If you are willing to go higher in spending, than the Minelab Excal and Fisher CZ 21 are the top dogs of the discrimination units that can also hunt salt water beaches.

One thing about the AT Pro...it does have a screen and I believe tone ID, which can give it the upper hand land hunting or clad picking.

 

[underarock]

The at pro looks nice just don't know how i feel about the display. I like using my ears to judge depth/size/discriminate if possible and I don't think the at pro does that? I could be really wrong though. Otherwise I like the tiger shark. I live in pa and will only goto salt beaches a few times a year. Will be mostly fresh and land hunting. Really want a good all around md for mostly land some fresh and rare salt hunting for under 800 and willing to buy used. Just to specify further. All the input so far has been exactly what i've been looking for so thanks!

 

[Aurora64blue]

Just want to put in my 2 cents.

I own a Tiger Shark, and just like they have stated it does sound off and is a bit unstable in the salt water surf. However, I found that if you turn the sensitivity down a bit it is stable enough to hunt the salt surf. I found that on the wet sands there was absolutely no problem at all.

I also use it on land quite abit and it is wicked on picking up small gold rings where other units (Ace 250 & Fisher F70 wouldn't even register the ring. The smallest ring so far was a .6 gram childs 10 kt ring found between 4 - 5 inches.

It is marginally heavier than say a Tesoro Cibola, or an Ace 250, but I don't have to worry about getting it wet and the discrimination is great.

Add in a "Lifetime" warranty and at only $650 bucks I don't really think that you could go wrong. If you intend on mainly using it in freshwater and on land with only the occasion Salt water Trip I'd go with the Tiger Shark.


Good Luck on your decision.

Ralph

 

[birdman]

The tiger shark is not great for salt water areas. Did a 5 hour hunt with one and it was very noisey even in salt mode.

 

[petersra]

I used my Tiger Shark at the salt beach yesterday just to try my modified land version "Clean Sweep coil" (3 1/2" x 16"). On this coil the depth is only about 5" max but you can cover a lot of ground without overlapping. I found just over $1 in clad, a large hoop earring, spoon, etc., nothing special. The sensitivity must be reduced slightly for salt beaches, but once that is done, it does not false on wet sand unless you bump the ground. In the surf it is unstable and falses quite a bit. I have found stuff in the surf, it just takes practice. Unfortunately the sensitivity adjustment is inside the housing that contains all the guts (unless Tesoro has changed the design since I bought mine 5 years ago). If you get the unit wet and then decide to adjust the sensitivity, you need to completely dry the unit and the shaft before you open it to make the adjustment, because if you get one drop of salt water inside the housing it is dead. Although the Tiger Shark does have discrimination, it is a dial that goes from no discrimination to full discrimination. I have never felt comfortable "not digging" something, unless it was an obvious bobby pin iron sound. Maybe that is all the discrimination you are looking for. It is not the same as low-mid-high tone discrimination, although bobby pins do sound different. A solid signal could be a gold ring or a dime. I had a broken iron signal yesterday, that I decided to dig anyway. Turned out to be a large hoop earring. If you turn the discrimination all the way up, clad coins will not be discriminated out. I bought mine for an "all-around" detector that would do everything. I have since bought 2 different units and have still not found the perfect detector that does it all. I am thinking that the Infininum may be the ticket. I believe it can discriminate iron (although I am not positive about that) and I understand it goes deeper than the Tiger Shark. Perhaps the Excalibur with a bigger coil. My wish list has not been finalized yet. My wife definitely doesn't want to hear "I need a new detector" unless I sell my treasures to buy it Good luck on your choice. Ralph

 

[Terry Soloman]

Looking to get opinions on these detectors.
I'm looking for an all around general purpose metal detector that can be submerged but also works well on land. Also one that has discrimination. Will be using on land, fresh, and salt water. I don't want to spend more than 800.
I'm also considering fisher underwater models but just don't know enough about them.
I need to get in the water… you know what I mean. please help!

What you need is TWO detectors: A VLF machine for land/Freshwater, and a PI machine for wet ocean sand and saltwater. There is no way around it - if you want to actually FIND treasure. The Tesoro Tiger Shark, is a VLF machine that - does - discriminate and is designed for FRESH water. The Sand Shark is a PI machine and - does not - discriminate, and is designed for saltwater use.

"General purpose" is just that, it does not - excell - at anything. Most, if not all, successful beach hunters (and gold prospectors) use both the VLF and the PI machines. Decide where you want to spend 75-percent of your time (dry or wet), then get ONE machine. Once you have found enough to pay for the other machine - Go For It! If you just want to muck around at the lake every now and then, get one of those AT Pro's or something similar.

f you are serious about the hobby, start with one machine and one focus. I buy machines at garage sales every weekend that folks buy, use three times and put in the closet. This is another way to save some cash. Good Luck!

 

[Sandman]

I had to add my Two Cents though Terry covered it well. I have used all the water detectors but the JW Fisher's and know there is no good "general purpose" detector out there. They either excel at one type of hunting and are fairly OK at the others.

For fresh water where you need good disc, a VLF like the Tiger Shark, 1280, CZ-20/21, BHID, Excal are very good. For land use like tot lots, parks having good pinpoint is best so as to not destroy the grass, so land detectors fit the bill here. Many saltwater beaches have varying amounts of salt and black sand that causes VLF's to false when they have to much sensitivity dialed in. As Ralph mentioned the Sens controls for the Tiger Shark are inside the box.

What you are wanting to do with one "general purpose" detector is like taking ONE golf club to the golf course or one rifle to hunt all game.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

What you are wanting to do with one "general purpose" detector is like taking ONE golf club to the golf course or one rifle to hunt all game.

Terry and Sandman nailed it......Detectors are like golf clubs, you wouldn't go the golf course with just one club, you don't tee off with a puter, and you don't putt with a sand wedge.... Buy the detector that you want to do the most hunting for right now first, sounds like water, and then pick up one for land......There are a lot of good detectors sold through the for sale forum here from members you can trust....

 

[Smudge]

Here's my two cents, short and to the point:

Infinium: dry land hunting only. To get the waterproof headphones and proper coil for beach hunting just makes the cost of this unit a bad choice for the surf.

Tiger Shark: great on land and fresh water beaches. Salt water beaches, not so great.

Sand Shark: great on salt water wet sand and surf. Good on the beach too but if the beach is trashy, can be a LOT of work digging junk (no discrimination).

 

[lookindown]

I use the AT PRO in freswater, saltwater, and on land. It works great for me everywhere.

 

[Can Slaw]

If you don't want a meter as you mentioned earlier, that really limits you to a one detector for all. I was also going to suggest the AT Pro, but I also would not rule out a used infinium all set up for water which most used ones area. Check out the Infinium instruction video on youtube, you might be surprised. I just bought the Garrett Sea Hunter to go along with my many other detectors, and I have to say, I am impressed with Garrett for a water machine machine with the larger coil.

 

[jyt2017]

AT pro is a single frequency machine. Worthless in salt water environment. Even duel frequency machines will false a lot. Your best bet is the excal II. 1300 bucks. But...will save you lots of aggravating digging. Even in discriminate mode I have had to give up on targets too deep to dig on the beach. I can be used well on the land.

I used the cz a few years back. I sent one back to the vendor because it couldn't find a 4 gram medalion more then 4 inches in front of it. The new one performed the same. Honestly, I believe it was user error at this point. But...it is a duel frequency machine. It will work in salt water and is built like a tank. Its not far above price range either.

Your best bet is to pick one of three...BHID 300, CZ-21, or Excal II. The last being the highest price becuase it has more then 2 frequencies.

Before you but here. I suggest reading up big time on all the models. You could get any of the three used...for under 800 [excal maybe not]...but they may have issues.

HH -Joe

The at pro looks nice just don't know how i feel about the display. I like using my ears to judge depth/size/discriminate if possible and I don't think the at pro does that? I could be really wrong though. Otherwise I like the tiger shark. I live in pa and will only goto salt beaches a few times a year. Will be mostly fresh and land hunting. Really want a good all around md for mostly land some fresh and rare salt hunting for under 800 and willing to buy used. Just to specify further. All the input so far has been exactly what i've been looking for so thanks!

 

[Smudge]

AT pro is a single frequency machine. Worthless in salt water environment. Even duel frequency machines will false a lot. Your best bet is the excal II. 1300 bucks. But...will save you lots of aggravating digging. Even in discriminate mode I have had to give up on targets too deep to dig on the beach. I can be used well on the land.

I used the cz a few years back. I sent one back to the vendor because it couldn't find a 4 gram medalion more then 4 inches in front of it. The new one performed the same. Honestly, I believe it was user error at this point. But...it is a duel frequency machine. It will work in salt water and is built like a tank. Its not far above price range either.

Your best bet is to pick one of three...BHID 300, CZ-21, or Excal II. The last being the highest price becuase it has more then 2 frequencies.

Before you but here. I suggest reading up big time on all the models. You could get any of the three used...for under 800 [excal maybe not]...but they may have issues.

HH -Joe

The at pro looks nice just don't know how i feel about the display. I like using my ears to judge depth/size/discriminate if possible and I don't think the at pro does that? I could be really wrong though. Otherwise I like the tiger shark. I live in pa and will only goto salt beaches a few times a year. Will be mostly fresh and land hunting. Really want a good all around md for mostly land some fresh and rare salt hunting for under 800 and willing to buy used. Just to specify further. All the input so far has been exactly what i've been looking for so thanks!

Or you could go really hardcore and get a PI machine!

 

[Terry Soloman]

 

[lookindown]

AT pro is a single frequency machine. Worthless in salt water environment. Even duel frequency machines will false a lot. Your best bet is the excal II. 1300 bucks. But...will save you lots of aggravating digging. Even in discriminate mode I have had to give up on targets too deep to dig on the beach. I can be used well on the land.

I used the cz a few years back. I sent one back to the vendor because it couldn't find a 4 gram medalion more then 4 inches in front of it. The new one performed the same. Honestly, I believe it was user error at this point. But...it is a duel frequency machine. It will work in salt water and is built like a tank. Its not far above price range either.

Your best bet is to pick one of three...BHID 300, CZ-21, or Excal II. The last being the highest price becuase it has more then 2 frequencies.

Before you but here. I suggest reading up big time on all the models. You could get any of the three used...for under 800 [excal maybe not]...but they may have issues.

joeb your wrong when you say the AT pro is worthless in salt enviroment. I can run 6 out of 8 bars sens and it doesnt false in the wet sand, the wash, or the water. I guess you thought because all other single freq detectors have trouble with salt that the AT PRO would to.....WRONG. I live in florida, other places may be different.



_
uote]

 

[lookindown]

Where did your sarcastic post abut the ATpro go? I had a good reply for you.

 

[Can Slaw]

I'm sure the AT Pro will do well for you. Regarding the headphones...they do make waterproof headphones http://www.kellycodetectors.com/accessories/index.php?model=14-2202100 Your dealer should have them.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Where did your sarcastic post abut the ATpro go? I had a good reply for you.

Hi LD. Yes, I admit it, I blurted out. I had the good sense to remove the comment myself, because in the end, it is the detectorist, NOT the machine. Here is what I mean. You can put a Minelab GPX5000 ($5,500) in the hands of a complete newb, and give me a Garrett Ace 250 ($200), and the odds say I will find more. We all talk a lot of crap about our favorite machines, but the fact remains, they are OUR favorites. It takes a lot of time on the headphones to learn this hobby, and the langauge of a particular machine. Just because you speak fluent Tesoro Compadre, does not mean you can speak Whites MDX. Oh sure, you may pick up bits and pieces of the conversation in your headphones, but you won't understand the subtle, "between the lines" meanings until you have been in the conversation for a few months - years. I'm quite sure the AT Pro is a fantastic metal detector for a multitude of reasons, and I thank goodness I had enough sense - finally - to get that every machine has its pros and cons, and that being successful in this hobby depends much less on the machine, and much more on an individual's willingness to learn and put in the hours. I think my days of blurting out smart-allec comments has finally ended. When somebody starts telling me about all their experience and how good their machine is, the first thing I look at is their hands. The people that are REALLY finding the good stuff on a regular basis have the blisters and calloused hands to go with those finds. If they have "jewelry store" hands, I just nod politely and walk away.