Is a Vaquero a Cebola with adjustable ground balance? And Vaquero vs Tejon

[Lash]

Is a Vaquero a Cebola with adjustable ground balance? Same guts, otherwise? The Cebola seems to be favorably considered on this board, but I want ground balance. Is the Tejon worth the extra $140 over the Vaquero, and if so, why?

Trying to decide on a first machine.

Much obliged!

 

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[stoney56]

The Cibola and Vaquero are pretty similar. One difference is you can run a threshold-based all metal mode on the Vaquero by turning the disc. dial down whereas the Cibola has it by holding down the red pinpoint button. As you noticed, the Vaquero can be manually ground balanced and the Cibola is set at the factory. Both do have a freq. shift in the 14 kHz range. The Vaquero also has an all metal fast autotune pinpoint feature allowing it to see between 2 close targets.
The Tejon is more along the lines of a relic machine machine. It is more sensitive to iron and probably even small gold as it operates on a higher freq., 17.2/17.6 kHz. It has the ability of tonal adjustment as well as dual disc. by leaving the trigger in center position (Disc 1) or pushing it forward (Disc. 2). The pinpoint feature is accessed by pulling the trigger back. The trigger is momentary-thus it'll return to the center position automatically.

Sorry for the long expanation. The main question to ask yourself is what do you want in a detector? What is it you're interested as far as hunting? Parks, yards, CW, ghost towns, etc?

 

[Lash]

Thanks, Stoney, for the response.

I would like to hunt anything I can. I'm in a Southern California beach town and a couple hours from gold country, so I would like to try the beaches and maybe check out some washes for gold, along with old ranch and home sites.

I thought of another question: How do you identify targets on the Vaquero with no VID or TID? Just have to dig everything? I'm too old and behind on my chores to spend a lot of time digging trash. Do I need a different machine? I really like the Tesoros, but a VID Cortez is in the price catagory of a Minelab Xterra 70, which has more features, but it would be a strain on my budget.

Thanks again.

 

[stoney56]

Lash,

Seeing as how you're talking of beach hunting, gold, and homesteads-would expect a variety of soil conditions; I'd go with the Vaquero. As for identifying targets w/o a TID, you'd have to set your disc. to null out stuff like iron or foil. Personally, I'd work an area in all metal, listen to the sound-not just the beep but the tonal quality as I work the disc. knob up till it breaks. Look to see where the knob is set and take a guess, then dig to see if you're right. Keep in mind that a combination of soil conditions (highly mineralized vs. sandy loam type soil) as well as the target's metal content can through you off. I dug a 3/4 oz silver chain that registered below a pulltab with the DeLeon. You might consider that trash if you were to hear the tone-broke up a bit like canfetti but was a worthwhile dig.
As for beach hunting, I don't get to do that here but would imagine the Vaquero might have a bit of a time working the wet salt but would work better in the dry sand.
You're going to find more iron around old ranch and home sites so I'd recommend possibly adding a 5.75 coil. I'd also recommend a good set of headphones. The quality is worth the extra $$.

 

[jharhed]

Lash, I use a Cibola most of the time. I got out a nickel that I dug, I kept running it in front of my coil and I put a small mark with a fine point sharpie on the face of my detector where it disc'd out, so when I go to hunt I back my knob just a hair in front of that mark, and did the same with a pulltab. The indicators on my faceplate were pretty far off from the actual disc out. So when I'm hunting, run over a target, thumb my knob, if it discs out at or close to that mark, it was a nickel. Same procedure with pulltab, but if you get a target that doesnt follow your marks, you may have a ring. I use my pinpoint/all metal to outline the target, if its a quick signal, usually a good target, if long, usually trash like a smushed can.

 

[Planet1mars]

so on the ciobla if its quick signal its a good target? dam i have to go back to a old church i thought it might be a small piece of foil or junk

 

[jharhed]

No not always, what I meant by that is a coin or ring would be that short response( _-_ not _----_) while pinpointing . Just part of the total package of info I use to make a decision to dig or not to dig.

 

[Planet1mars]

I do like the cibola but sometime i wonder if i made a mistake buying it

 

[Lash]

I do like the cibola but sometime i wonder if i made a mistake buying it

Why?

 

[Planet1mars]

just they way i have to use it to find jewlery on all metal. i feel like hootie the owl and picking every dam piece of foil.. i had a spinal fussion L2 to s1 i lost 30% of my mobility so it makes it hard for me to dig everything. i do get coins deep with it though thats a big plus i thought i would get a quater at 6 inch not 18inches

 

[SaginawIan]

If this is your first detector and you want to have an fun and easy intro to this hobby then I would get a Silver Umax for like $200 bucks. I have one and it works fabulously and I have found tons with mine. If you get a complicated hot running machine it could get you frustrated with the hobby and you might give up. However, if you are willing to take the time to learn the detector and really really concentrate on all the tips listed in the forums - you could jump up to the Tejon but it will be tough for a first detector.

Remember, though, most of your good targets are like 6" deep which all detectors will reach - so all this talk about depth depth depth is a little over rated. Get something that is 1. smooth operating 2. built well/light 3. good discrimination. All Tesoros fit - with the Silver Umax being the best fit , in my opinion.

You don't need TID to identify targets - just practice and you will have no problem picking up good stuff. If you get a cheaper end TID machine it's worse than having no TID at all! Some high end machines like the F75 are very accurate - others, not so much and are more of a hinderance. I'd skip TID all together on your first machine.

Check the detectors listed in my profile, they honestly all get comparable depth !



Ian

 

[nuggetshooter323]

The Vaquero is more stable in hotter soil, the Tejon is tough to keep ground balanced in the same soil because the electronics are cranked to instability. If your going to use it on the beach, get the Vaquero. As for the Tejon, if you get in even the same zipcode with wet sand, you won't be able to GB it.

 

[Keppy]

I do like the cibola but sometime i wonder if i made a mistake buying it

I know what you mean i don't have a cebola but they will hype up a detector then you think that is the one i want. Then you go and buy the hyped up detector and then the big let down. My self will not buy a detector that has to be ground balanced. If is off a hair it is worse than the auto balance and you have to keep checking it . Then every one says oh yes the one that you have to ground balance is better get it.. To me that is just rubbish give me the auto ground balance ..............

 

[Lash]

Isn't a MD with fixed ground balance like a camera with a fixed-focus lens? Sure, the operator doesn't need to mess with it, and it will work, but not as well.

I would snap up a Silver uMax today, the choice would be easy, but the ground conditions where I live and want to hunt (Southern CA beaches and mountains) can be mineralized.

 

[Keppy]

Isn't a MD with fixed ground balance like a camera with a fixed-focus lens? Sure, the operator doesn't need to mess with it, and it will work, but not as well.

I would snap up a Silver uMax today, the choice would be easy, but the ground conditions where I live and want to hunt (Southern CA beaches and mountains) can be mineralized.

Well there are a lot of detectors out there that have auto GB and manual GB i use them but never go into manual GB i let the auto GB work for me.

 

[AUDuke]

know what you mean i don't have a cebola but they will hype up a detector then you think that is the one i want. Then you go and buy the hyped up detector and then the big let down. My self will not buy a detector that has to be ground balanced. If is off a hair it is worse than the auto balance and you have to keep checking it . Then every one says oh yes the one that you have to ground balance is better get it.. To me that is just rubbish give me the auto ground balance ..............

The only Tesoro that has auto ground balance is the Lobo ST.

 

[Keppy]

AUduke ....... I have to agree with you 100%....

 

[RPG]

know what you mean i don't have a cebola but they will hype up a detector then you think that is the one i want. Then you go and buy the hyped up detector and then the big let down. My self will not buy a detector that has to be ground balanced. If is off a hair it is worse than the auto balance and you have to keep checking it . Then every one says oh yes the one that you have to ground balance is better get it.. To me that is just rubbish give me the auto ground balance ..............

The only Tesoro that has auto ground balance is the Lobo ST.

I too agree, the lobo is a great machine and is on my list to own one day. I will disagree with the part about ground balance. The vaquero is very easy to GB, only takes seconds to get it right. If it is off a hair it will still find stuff pretty deep. When you super tune it, you don't have to worry about GB. If GB is off a hair when super tuned, you will get tired of digging because it will find everything, big or small, shallow or deep.

 

[extractor]

 

[Willee]

No ... the Vaquero is not just a Cibola with a ground balance control.

It is my understanding that they use a different chip for the discriminator and that actually the Cibola with the GB control added is the better detector because of that.

Willee