Looking to upgrade, Any thoughts?

mattyshore · Mar 25, 2015

Hey everyone! I have been swinging an F2 with 8 inch coil for about three years now. I love the machine and work it hard and have been pleased with what I have found. I really want to upgrade but money is a little tight right now so was thinking of getting the 11 inch DD coil for the F2 while I save up for a second machine. I have been very interested in the AT Pro and know a few people who have found some great things with them, but then this weekend I ran into a few other guy detecting who were talking to me about going with White's and they are double the AT Pro price. Is the AT Pro a good upgrade from an F2? The big this is I can't detect wet sand at the ocean beaches with an F2 only the dry sand. Let me know your thoughts and ideas, I am just hooked on this hobby! Thanks everyone.

JOe L · Mar 25, 2015

mattyshore said:
Is the AT Pro a good upgrade from an F2?

Yup, but then again I really like the F5 I had also. But now I'm with the ATPro and love it.

Fletch88 · Mar 25, 2015

You can get the MX-5 used with warranty for around $450. Very good machine imo and I actually like it better than the MXT-Pro for most hunting situations.

Carolina Tom · Mar 25, 2015

I used an AT Pro for a little while, and really liked it. For the money, it is an excellent machine. I switched to Deus, and really enjoy using it... however, it is a bit more expensive. Good luck!

fliermartin · Mar 25, 2015

I really think you should start with the 11" dd coil upgrade get used to it and then look at machine upgrade.

mattyshore · Mar 25, 2015

That is my plan. The new coil is $127 which I can dig that in about 6-8 weeks so I could have it for summer. I am only working part time so I need to save, but hey if work tosses me an Xmas bonus then I'll upgrade to a new machine.

mattyshore · Mar 25, 2015

I love my F2 and how easy it is to use. I plan on keeping it because when I talk to friends they always want to try it and it is a great machine to learn with. I'll upgrade the coil first since that isn't too costly. Feel I will get better older targets with the DD coil.

bigfoot1 · Mar 25, 2015

I got my wife the 11"dd for her f2.wow.It has made a big differance for her.deeper,faster,better in trash.It is a little heavier but not bad.She hasnt taken it off since she tried it.And yes the atpro is an excellent upgrade.It is useable in wet salt sand but a little chatty.You may be better off with a dedicated salt water machine and keep your f2 for dry areas

mattyshore · Mar 26, 2015

Thanks for all your help everyone! I am going to order the DD coil for the F2 and play around with that for a while. Maybe it will increase my clad pile and enough for a new machine before winter. I watched a bunch of videos on Youtube of people using the F2 with 8 inch coil then going back to the same spot with the 11inch DD coil and dig a whole lot more and better finds so for now it seems to be the best upgrade.

Sandman · Mar 26, 2015

As Bigfoot mentioned the AT Pro won't work in the wet saltwater sand, it will be chatty like all single freq. detectors. That 11" DD coil for the F-2 is a wise move.

SusanMN · Mar 26, 2015

One thing to keep in mind when choosing a new detector is weight. The F2 is on the lighter side, the AT Pro too, but all of the Whites are heavy machines. Be sure to try swinging one for a while before you buy it.

Phantasman · Mar 26, 2015

SusanMN said:
One thing to keep in mind when choosing a new detector is weight. The F2 is on the lighter side, the AT Pro too, but all of the Whites are heavy machines. Be sure to try swinging one for a while before you buy it.

You got that right. I had a CoinGT that lasted with me a week. Tiresome and noisy, but some people love 'em.

By the time Christmas bonuses are paid, the F11, F22 and F44 will be out. That could be a great upgrade option as well.

Fletch88 · Mar 26, 2015

SusanMN said:
One thing to keep in mind when choosing a new detector is weight. The F2 is on the lighter side, the AT Pro too, but all of the Whites are heavy machines. Be sure to try swinging one for a while before you buy it.

Susan, I have to respectfully disagree. The MX-5 is not heavy and the best balanced machine and one of the most capable I have used. I have an MXT also that is a little heavier than the MX-5 but very well balanced compared to the S shaft of the ATP

Phantasman · Mar 26, 2015

Fletch88 said:
Susan, I have to respectfully disagree. The MX-5 is not heavy and the best balanced machine and one of the most capable I have used. I have an MXT also that is a little heavier than the MX-5 but very well balanced compared to the S shaft of the ATP

According to the manual, the MX-5 weight is 3 lbs 9 oz. Even Fishers flagship F75 doesn't weigh that much. I see that there is a big difference in a battery pack under the cuff, over a 9V battery. Nothing against you or Whites, but the facts are the facts. Maybe it's made stronger. But that extra 1 lb 4 oz over even a F19 can be felt by some after awhile.

Fletch88 · Mar 26, 2015

I know simply comparing the weight in the manual may lead some to think that. I had the F-19 and it is featherlight but the MX-5 swings better due to the distribution of weight. It is exactly the same as comparing the Etrac to the CTX. The CTX is a pound heavier but much better balanced.

bottlecap · Mar 26, 2015

Sandman said:
As Bigfoot mentioned the AT Pro won't work in the wet saltwater sand, it will be chatty like all single freq. detectors. That 11" DD coil for the F-2 is a wise move.

Thought the AT Pro had multiple frequencies, I have one and haven't messed with it but I thought I had seen somewhere it has four frequencies?

Fletch88 · Mar 27, 2015

That is just a very minute single freq shift to help with emi or crosstalk with other machines. Minelab FBS & BBS, Fisher CZ, and Whites V series use multiple freq simultaneously

Detector Wars · Mar 27, 2015

mattyshore said:
Hey everyone! I have been swinging an F2 with 8 inch coil for about three years now. I love the machine and work it hard and have been pleased with what I have found. I really want to upgrade but money is a little tight right now so was thinking of getting the 11 inch DD coil for the F2 while I save up for a second machine. I have been very interested in the AT Pro and know a few people who have found some great things with them, but then this weekend I ran into a few other guy detecting who were talking to me about going with White's and they are double the AT Pro price. Is the AT Pro a good upgrade from an F2? The big this is I can't detect wet sand at the ocean beaches with an F2 only the dry sand. Let me know your thoughts and ideas, I am just hooked on this hobby! Thanks everyone.

No! Go second hand and get something good, a Minelab Sovereign, Whites MXT, Minelab Explorer, Fisher CZ etc. at least second hand you can get good prices on decent detectors.

Phantasman · Mar 27, 2015

A man in good shape may not notice what women and some older people would. There is a reason Minelab and Whites make these.

Fisher makes one for the CZ. But their F series doesn't need them. Their existence alone says someone had to complain about the weight, even if it were their engineers.

The OP may not have an issue with heavier detectors. That's fine. I am just backing susan's statement that he try swinging one. It was a deal killer for me. It's not about bad or good. It's about opening the mind to the many option that make up a good detecting experience. It's not always about depth....