DiggerinVA
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,673
- Reaction score
- 1,688
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
- Detector(s) used
- GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
- #1
Thread Owner
First off, I do not claim to be a professional detectorist by any means.....I ma only giving my opinion for the best machines available at certain price points. I have used or owned almost all of the machines on this list and feel they are the best bang for the buck and also they will cover the most detecting senerios that someone may encounter. For example, my two favorite detectors did not make the list (Tejon and AT Gold) as I feel these machine are more suited for the relic hunter and are not the best choice for a coin shooter/park hunter. I have no brand preference in picking this list only my experience with the machines in a variety of situations. So here goes my picks......
$0-$250: 1.) Tesoro Compadre ($160) 2.) Teknetics Eurotech Pro ($220)
This is going to be the entry level for most people and I had no problems picking these two great machines from the herd. The Compadre is as simple as they get so even a child can use it but being one of the best jewelry detectors out there you will not out grow this machine. Also has the legendary Tesoro lifetime warranty! The Eurotech Pro has features only found on much higher end machines like adjustable iron audio and savable settings. If you want a little better idea of what you have found before you dig this may be the right choice for you as it has a screen with a numeric target ID.
$250-$500: 1.) Tesoro Vaquero ($446) 2.) Teknetics T2 ($500)
When you are ready to "step up" from an entry level machine this is probably the group of detectors you will be looking at. I highly recommend looking at machines with manual ground balance when you get to this price range. You will have probably developed a "style" of hunting by now and you may be a relic hunter who digs nearly everything or a coin shooter who just targets coins....or anything in between. Either way these two detectors will serve you well with both having great depth, recovery speed, durability and light weight. If you prefer no screen and to only dig by sound and a reliable disc circuit, the Vaquero is your choice. If you like a more adjustable machine with a screen to provide more clues to your targets ID, grab the Teknetics T2!
$500-$750: 1.) Garrett AT pro ($595) 2.) Makro Racer 2 ($750)
There is a bunch of great machines out there in this price range and I really struggled to pick only two.....as I mentioned two of my favorite detectors are in this range. I chose the AT pro for a few reasons. Biggest reason is I consider this machine the true "jack of all trades" as it can hunt in nearly all situations. You can add the 5x8 coil to this machine and still be under the $750 limit. This detector does very well in thick iron trash, can be used in streams or lakes as it is waterproof; and also is a very descent relic machine. I have found two civil war plates with this machine in heavily hunted areas. The Racer 2 is also a great do it all machine that may even do somethings better than the Garrett. It is not waterproof, but does come with an extra smaller coil and if you don't intend to hunt in the water may be the better choice. Both of these machines are simple to set up and operate and could be great machines for someone stepping up from an entry level detector if your budget allows.
$750-$1,000: 1.) Whites MXT All pro ($823) 2.) Teknetics T2SE ($900)
This price range will get you a very nice machine, and here are two of the best you can buy. The MXT has made the find of a lifetime for many hunters and is a super great machine with outstanding build quality and is just IMHO the best machine Whites has ever made. The T2SE has plenty of options, bells and whistles to work great in any spot you want to swing it. Comes with a sniper coil and large coil so you are ready for anything from trashy parks or cellar holes to open farm fields. Check these two great machines out if your budget allows.....
$1,000-$1,600: 1.) XP Deus ($1,500) 2.) Minelab Etrac ($1,550)
If you are looking at these machines, you probably don't need my opinion....but I'm going to give it anyway. These detectors are the machines to take to the "hunted out" spots and still make finds. The Deus is a featherlite, selectable frequency, completely wireless wonder that is a true relic hunters dream. But does very well in a coin hunting setting aswell. The Etrac is the Coin shooters dream machine ....has multi frequency, exceptional ID at depth and works very well at determining trash before you dig. If you are more of a relic hunter or just need a really light detector, go with the Deus. If you are a coin shooter and don't mind a little more weight go with the Etrac. One day I hope to own both of these machines....
Over $1,600: 1.) Minelab CTX3030
This machine is really in a category of its own with exceptional performance as good or better than the Etrac but also has added features like a GPS and true waterproofing. This is the detector that a lot of Vlf machines are judged by.
I hope maybe someone can get something out of this post.....and again, this is just based on my personal opinions. Thanks and Happy Hunting!
DiggerinVa
$0-$250: 1.) Tesoro Compadre ($160) 2.) Teknetics Eurotech Pro ($220)
This is going to be the entry level for most people and I had no problems picking these two great machines from the herd. The Compadre is as simple as they get so even a child can use it but being one of the best jewelry detectors out there you will not out grow this machine. Also has the legendary Tesoro lifetime warranty! The Eurotech Pro has features only found on much higher end machines like adjustable iron audio and savable settings. If you want a little better idea of what you have found before you dig this may be the right choice for you as it has a screen with a numeric target ID.
$250-$500: 1.) Tesoro Vaquero ($446) 2.) Teknetics T2 ($500)
When you are ready to "step up" from an entry level machine this is probably the group of detectors you will be looking at. I highly recommend looking at machines with manual ground balance when you get to this price range. You will have probably developed a "style" of hunting by now and you may be a relic hunter who digs nearly everything or a coin shooter who just targets coins....or anything in between. Either way these two detectors will serve you well with both having great depth, recovery speed, durability and light weight. If you prefer no screen and to only dig by sound and a reliable disc circuit, the Vaquero is your choice. If you like a more adjustable machine with a screen to provide more clues to your targets ID, grab the Teknetics T2!
$500-$750: 1.) Garrett AT pro ($595) 2.) Makro Racer 2 ($750)
There is a bunch of great machines out there in this price range and I really struggled to pick only two.....as I mentioned two of my favorite detectors are in this range. I chose the AT pro for a few reasons. Biggest reason is I consider this machine the true "jack of all trades" as it can hunt in nearly all situations. You can add the 5x8 coil to this machine and still be under the $750 limit. This detector does very well in thick iron trash, can be used in streams or lakes as it is waterproof; and also is a very descent relic machine. I have found two civil war plates with this machine in heavily hunted areas. The Racer 2 is also a great do it all machine that may even do somethings better than the Garrett. It is not waterproof, but does come with an extra smaller coil and if you don't intend to hunt in the water may be the better choice. Both of these machines are simple to set up and operate and could be great machines for someone stepping up from an entry level detector if your budget allows.
$750-$1,000: 1.) Whites MXT All pro ($823) 2.) Teknetics T2SE ($900)
This price range will get you a very nice machine, and here are two of the best you can buy. The MXT has made the find of a lifetime for many hunters and is a super great machine with outstanding build quality and is just IMHO the best machine Whites has ever made. The T2SE has plenty of options, bells and whistles to work great in any spot you want to swing it. Comes with a sniper coil and large coil so you are ready for anything from trashy parks or cellar holes to open farm fields. Check these two great machines out if your budget allows.....
$1,000-$1,600: 1.) XP Deus ($1,500) 2.) Minelab Etrac ($1,550)
If you are looking at these machines, you probably don't need my opinion....but I'm going to give it anyway. These detectors are the machines to take to the "hunted out" spots and still make finds. The Deus is a featherlite, selectable frequency, completely wireless wonder that is a true relic hunters dream. But does very well in a coin hunting setting aswell. The Etrac is the Coin shooters dream machine ....has multi frequency, exceptional ID at depth and works very well at determining trash before you dig. If you are more of a relic hunter or just need a really light detector, go with the Deus. If you are a coin shooter and don't mind a little more weight go with the Etrac. One day I hope to own both of these machines....
Over $1,600: 1.) Minelab CTX3030
This machine is really in a category of its own with exceptional performance as good or better than the Etrac but also has added features like a GPS and true waterproofing. This is the detector that a lot of Vlf machines are judged by.
I hope maybe someone can get something out of this post.....and again, this is just based on my personal opinions. Thanks and Happy Hunting!
DiggerinVa
