Tesoro for a beginner?

[trsynsh]

I've been wanting to get a detector, and after doing quite a bit of research, I'm pretty sure that I'd like my first MD to be a Tesoro.

Now I'm a total amateur, never swung anything before. I live in Southern California, and have been into placer mining for some time, recently I've gotten the detecting bug, however. Ideally, I would prefer something relatively versatile so that perhaps I could use it to shoot nuggets in the right areas, but also take it elsewhere and possibly look for coins, relics, etc. Is there such a machine that can do a little bit of everything? Price isn't a huge deal, but the cheaper the better, as this will be my first detector. Would having various coils provide the versatility I'm after?

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Start with the Vaquero, equipped with the 11" x 8" Widescan coil. It has excellent discrimination if you want to chase silver coins in parks, and you can run it in All Metal if you want to nuggetshoot.

 

[luvsdux]

You'll also have a good selection of other coils to choose from. The 5.75 concentric or widescan add a lot of versatility in trashy areas.
luvsdux

 

[Indian Steve]

You can't beat the Compadre for a first detector. $160, 2.2 pounds, one knob with GREAT discrimination and LIFETIME WARRANTY. I would get the 8 inch coil and go get the goodies. If you don't like detecting, you can resell and get most of your money back. I've seen used Compadres bring $140+.

 

[trsynsh]

Are any of the above specifically better at handling highly mineralized areas? A lot of black sand around me, will that be an issue?

 

[mtsheron]

If it were me and I were new to detecting and let me caveat this that I started out with a Garrett ACE 350. Was a great little machine but a tad busy for a beginner in my opinion. That said, and with the lifetime warranty and features, I would look to the Tesoro Cibola for a few reasons. It has pinpoint feature which aids in a beginners trek of detecting a bit better; has sensitivity and threshold adjustments; discrimination adjustments; and even frequency shift in case you get outside EMI which can come from other fellow detectors.

To me that would be my first unit for sure. If I could do it over again mind you. Just my 2 cents!

 

[happycamper08]

If you are going to detect in black sand, then probably no single frequency VLF is going to get very much depth. Tesoro's are great but not in black sand environments.

 

[jld66]

i never even touched a detector before i got a vaquero. all this starter or beginner stuff is crap. just a thing to get you to buy another machine down the road. a vaquero is easy to do, has everything you need on it and wont need to upgrade anytime soon or ever. spend the extra now and will save you a lot later. the vaquero is my first one and i had no problems at all. manual ground balancing is such an easy thing to do. i cant see how some have problems doing it. like i have said to others, if you can read and follow basic directions, you will be fine. if not, there are youtube videos on how to operate it. if you still have problems. then, you should start wearing a hockey helmet all the time and never go outside again. LOL... the vaquero is that easy to learn. dont get caught up in the beginner detector myth. good luck.

 

[Terry Soloman]

If you are going to detect in black sand, then probably no single frequency VLF is going to get very much depth. Tesoro's are great but not in black sand environments.

Wrong.

The Vaquero does fine in Black Sand areas. Why do I say this? Because I have well over a thousand hours on the Vaquero in desert mineralization. Just get the Vaq - or any other MANUAL GROUND BALANCE unit and go have some fun!

 

[Hobojo]

I see your up in Yucaipa, thats about 40 miles as the crow flys from where Im at. I have searched in areas that are similar to your area near the foothills in Big Bear. I have never had a problem with " black sand " even up off Hwy 138. The only area where black sand has been an issue for me is right at the shore line where the salt water and the sand will drive you nuts. It can be done but, its an aquired taste. I have not used the Vaq for dry wash but if Terry says so then I trust him.

 

[luvsdux]

I agree with Terry - black sand - definitely go with a manual ground balance machine.
luvsdux

 

[atomicscott]

The Vaquero does better in our tiny socal gold with the small 5.75 widescan I believe. It 'sees' less mineralization so concentrations of black sand, etc. don't fool you as easily. GB often & it works very good in gold bearing areas. Vaquero in AM is great. In disc for a beginner, not so great, IMO.

 

[jld66]

The Vaquero does better in our tiny socal gold with the small 5.75 widescan I believe. It 'sees' less mineralization so concentrations of black sand, etc. don't fool you as easily. GB often & it works very good in gold bearing areas. Vaquero in AM is great. In disc for a beginner, not so great, IMO.

it don't take long to though. i set my disc at about 10 o'clock and dug everything at first. then started to realize the differences in tone. though i have yet to find any gold, between tone and turning disc knob, can guess pretty good what things are. those flattened aluminum screw caps like the ones off quart beer bottles get me every time. they sound so good and bury the disc. have not got use to them yet and dont think i ever will. haha

 

[happycamper08]

I see your up in Yucaipa, thats about 40 miles as the crow flys from where Im at. I have searched in areas that are similar to your area near the foothills in Big Bear. I have never had a problem with " black sand " even up off Hwy 138. The only area where black sand has been an issue for me is right at the shore line where the salt water and the sand will drive you nuts.

Terry, this is why.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I'm not really sure what you're trying to say HappyCamper08. I'm not telling anyone to get a Vaquero for a Saltwater beach - where we all know the Tesoro Sand Shark is King!

 

[tabman]

It's super easy to ID aluminum screw caps with the Vaquero. In the discriminate mode they sound big, because their tinny sounding audio tone is loud and long. In the all metal mode screw caps will sound off at the edge of the search coil whereas silver coins will sound off nearer to the center of the search coil. In the discriminate mode, a silver coin will sound soft, smooth and round with a shorter audio tone length than a screw cap gives off. Telling the difference between a silver coin and screw cap is a snap once you learn how to properly use a Tesoro detector. Everyone, even the non-Tesoro users should read 'Mastering the Tesoro Tejon and Vaquero Metal Detectors Kindle Edition'.

tabman

 

[G.A.P.metal]

It's super easy to ID aluminum screw caps with the Vaquero. In the discriminate mode they sound big, because their tinny sounding audio tone is loud and long. In the all metal mode screw caps will sound off at the edge of the search coil whereas silver coins will sound off nearer to the center of the search coil. In the discriminate mode, a silver coin will sound soft, smooth and round with a shorter audio tone length than a screw cap gives off. Telling the difference between a silver coin and screw cap is a snap once you learn how to properly use a Tesoro detector. Everyone, even the non-Tesoro users should read 'Mastering the Tesoro Tejon and Vaquero Metal Detectors Kindle Edition'.

tabman

This is a wonderful description of the "Signal Tone " Tesoro .
So much info within the signal tone, most will never master it,but in the older days you ether learned it, or put the detector in the closet.
I still use the single tone on machines that have mega tones .
Gary

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

If it were me and I were new to detecting and let me caveat this that I started out with a Garrett ACE 350. Was a great little machine but a tad busy for a beginner in my opinion. That said, and with the lifetime warranty and features, I would look to the Tesoro Cibola for a few reasons. It has pinpoint feature which aids in a beginners trek of detecting a bit better; has sensitivity and threshold adjustments; discrimination adjustments; and even frequency shift in case you get outside EMI which can come from other fellow detectors.

To me that would be my first unit for sure. If I could do it over again mind you. Just my 2 cents!

I own a Cibola, it was my first machine, and it has a learning curve, being an analog unit..., but is a very hot, deep-seeking machine!
If you are willing to dig everything that beeps, and learn where things land on your discrim. dial, then you've got it!
Black sand, you'd better get something with a ground balance - but get the Tesoro, no matter.

 

[mycabellfamily]

I purchased a Compadre around this same time last year with a lifetime warranty which is a nice unit. However the Bounty Hunter Quick Draw Pro came out right around the same time and was rumored to be a beast for the price but not much on reviews because it was so new, so I went with the compadre because I knew I couldn't go wrong and was unsure about the QDP.Although I wouldn't give up my Tesoro for anything, I kinda Wish I would've listened Phantasman when he told me, "nothing I have seen in that price can touch it" . Recent Searching for reviews and experiences with the QDP seems to show that the QDP is making allot of noise and getting some amazing reviews. The unit can be found for somewhere around $200 retails $299. Ebay may have some even better prices on used units. Check it out, seems well worth considering. If I don't purchase the AT Pro for its underwater capabilies, I'll def be getting myself a QDP. Great price for a great detector.

 

[atomicscott]

I purchased a Compadre around this same time last year with a lifetime warranty which is a nice unit. However the Bounty Hunter Quick Draw Pro came out right around the same time and was rumored to be a beast for the price but not much on reviews because it was so new, so I went with the compadre because I knew I couldn't go wrong and was unsure about the QDP.Although I wouldn't give up my Tesoro for anything, I kinda Wish I would've listened Phantasman when he told me, "nothing I have seen in that price can touch it" . Recent Searching for reviews and experiences with the QDP seems to show that the QDP is making allot of noise and getting some amazing reviews. The unit can be found for somewhere around $200 retails $299. Ebay may have some even better prices on used units. Check it out, seems well worth considering. If I don't purchase the AT Pro for its underwater capabilies, I'll def be getting myself a QDP. Great price for a great detector.

I agree. Take a single tone machine into a trashy site with 10 or more targets per swing. Turn disc down to zero & see how much fun that is. Then take the QDP into same site, no disc 4 tones. Amazing how much easier it is with tones that help to describe conductivity, size, shape, etc. I like to run low or zero disc. So with the single tone machine, on each of 12 targets (in one swing of coil) I stop and turn the disc knob until the target drops out? Sounds like a lot of work. If I run disc, it really increases chances of masking in the iron filled old home sites. I would rather hear/see the iron tone & use my ears to ignore it than never knowing the iron was there. As usual, JMO!