Looking for advice

[dannydtk27]

I am new to this web site and metal detecting. I have been researching and looking at the specs on many metal detectors. Could someone clue me in please? I have narrowed my search to a few metal detectors.........Teknetics Gamma 6000, Fisher F5 or the Fisher F4. I like the Gamma because it seems it has less knobs to fool with, the F5 because many articles I have read stated it was a very good detector and the F4 because it is simple to use. I often get a bug up my butt and buy things I don't use. I hope if I buy a metal detector I won't get bored with it because I don't understand it or it is too hard to use and it sits in the closet collecting dust. If that happens I will have to listen to my better half belly ache about me spending money for something I don't use. And guys, you all know where I am coming from with that.

 

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[daemon1971]

Welcome to TNET and the hobby. I can't give any info on the f4 or f5 but I do have the gamma . I've had mine for about 6 weeks . It's not complicated and seems to have good depth and target I.d. It's pretty easy to use. I am very pleased with the gamma, it was an upgrade from the BH 202 which I used for a year . From what I've heard on here about the F4 or F5 I think you'd be happy with either of those units also.
Some things to consider 1. Where your hunting. 2. What your hunting for.

 

[dannydtk27]

Thank for the reply daemon1971. As I said, I am new to this so as far as what am I hunting for? I guess anything buried, mainly coins and odd things people have lost. Where I am hunting? Do you mean geographically or the areas I will be searching? Northeast Wisconsin and old abandoned buildings, playgrounds and public hunting land. Believe it or not, I have stumbled across loose change, knives and even a silver lighter while walking through hunting land up here. Imagine what I can find under the soil with a detector.

 

[happycamper08]

If relics are for you then give the tesoro tejon a look. Super deep and it is in the same price range you are looking at.

 

[dannydtk27]

Thanks for your advice heppycamper08 on the Tesoro Tejon, I was looking at the Vaquero for a long time but decided I would like one with all the visual goodies and sound. Getting old is hell, ears don't work like they did when I was younger.

 

[daemon1971]

Sometimes different machines for different jobs. I wasn't sure if you were going to beaches , fresh or salt water. Looking for gold nuggets and such. High or low mineralization of the soil.

 

[locater]

Hey dannydk27. Another option is the Bounty Hunter Platinum. It is essentially the same as the Gamma 6000 with a couple minor tweeks, but, a better value. Bounty Hunter, Teknetics, and Fisher are all children of the same parent company (First Texas) so they share the same engineering etc. My first detector was the Platinum, added a Fisher F5 11" DD coil and it really maximized it's performance.
Tha Platinum has all the basic features that most people look for in a detector, ground balancing for operating in a variety of mineralized soils. Notch discrimination, for discriminating out unwanted metals such as iron. Four audio ID tones. All metal and pinpointing modes. A very accurate ID screen with both two digit number and visual ID of targets. It's a pretty nice machine for the price. I see them online configured with the 11" DD coil for considerably less than the cost of the Gamma, with much the same performance. Just something to consider. Good luck with your choice.

 

[dannydtk27]

Thanks for the advice locater, I will have to do a little searching on the Bounty Hunter Platinum.

 

[snokid]

I have the f5. If you want it's a turn on and go detector, but then as you progress you can fiddle with the knobs and do better.
all I pretty much do is ground balance, turn the gain and threshold up till it gets too chatty, then knock out the stuff I'm not looking for and get detecting.
one thing about the f5 is it's a bit chatty even tuned right. But you are looking for repeatable signals so for me it's not a problem.

if you are anything like me. I'm a bit A.D.D. and I see a new shinny thing the get quickly bored. With winter coming soon you might be best to research this over the winter then buy in the spring.

 

[dannydtk27]

Thanks snokid for you insight and I think that is a good idea, researching detectors this winter since I really can't get out and use it anyway. I was wondering about ground balancing. I watched a review on the F5 and the guy pushed in the ground balance button. When I checked out about ground balancing the F5, they showed pressing the Phase Lock button and pumping. Are there two ways of doing that? And since you live around the same area as I do but across the Big Pond, is ground balancing really needed or is the soil around these parts neutral?