Thinking about pulling the trigger again but....?

[Bucketfreak317]

First off I'm not here to bash anyone or any certain brand of detector and sorry if this is a long post,but on the other hand I'm trying to navigate what seems like murky waters and at this point I'm sort of swaying in the direction of looking to buy from another manufacturer because something tells me that Garrett may not be the way to go.
2 years ago after not having anything to do with metal detecting for over two decades I came across some video's on googletube and saw that it looked like there had been some developments in metal detectors in my mind the jury is still out on that thought,the first mental detector I owned was an el-cheapo in 1977 the next year I got a whites found some clad and even a solid gold pocket watch on the playground of the grade school I attended don't ask what model of whites detector it was because as a kid I just didn't care I was treasure hunting and that's all that mattered to me.
The detector I got 2 years ago was a bounty hunter not the top of the line for sure I'd like to say the problem was me and I'd like to say the metal detector was a bonafide piece of crap but in hind sight I don't believe it was either me or the detector as much as the limitations of the detectors ability verses the soil conditions in my area.
I ran controlled test in the farm field directly behind my home on coins and rings and even nails and the dreaded pull tabs,but what didn't play in to the test was the extremely high amount of iron in the soil in my area my test however did reveal that the depth range given to this detector was a full out lie I sent it back and got my money back forget VID, and the tone of hits were so shoddy it wasn't funny and forget trashy areas that with natural iron in the soil it was just unusable.
So with all this said I went on with prospecting gold,yet much like now I've watched a lot of detecting video's as well as watching the two fellows on history or natgeo and started looking into the AT-Pro so I start the rounds and it seems to me that every forum on the net is full of post where people have had nothing but trouble out of these things,now I'm not ignorant to the fact that people in some cases have no clue as how to set there search options up to better suit their search locations and coil sizes etc.
I'm speaking in terms of physical build design defects dating back to the release of this model and from my understand the AT-Gold seems plagued with problems as well forgive me for sounding like a jerk here but if I didn't know better I would think Garrett is having these things made in China then boxed in the U.S. and claiming they were manufactured here?
At any rate I requested a catalog from Garrett but reading what I've read I wander if my best bet is to scrap the idea of an AT-Pro because not all of the negative post I've read are from the first batch that came out so I'd like to hear from some people who have the newer models and have been using them for a while I sent Garrett an email Saturday asking them how well these perform in iron rich soil with that said I know its hard to read this and not to think I'm bashing I'm trying to understand whats up because in general this detector sounds like a decent machine across the board.
Thanks for any insight you folks might have to offer.

 

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[Ahab8]

First off I'm not here to bash anyone or any certain brand of detector and sorry if this is a long post,but on the other hand I'm trying to navigate what seems like murky waters and at this point I'm sort of swaying in the direction of looking to buy from another manufacturer because something tells me that Garrett may not be the way to go. 2 years ago after not having anything to do with metal detecting for over two decades I came across some video's on googletube and saw that it looked like there had been some developments in metal detectors in my mind the jury is still out on that thought,the first mental detector I owned was an el-cheapo in 1977 the next year I got a whites found some clad and even a solid gold pocket watch on the playground of the grade school I attended don't ask what model of whites detector it was because as a kid I just didn't care I was treasure hunting and that's all that mattered to me. The detector I got 2 years ago was a bounty hunter not the top of the line for sure I'd like to say the problem was me and I'd like to say the metal detector was a bonafide piece of crap but in hind sight I don't believe it was either me or the detector as much as the limitations of the detectors ability verses the soil conditions in my area. I ran controlled test in the farm field directly behind my home on coins and rings and even nails and the dreaded pull tabs,but what didn't play in to the test was the extremely high amount of iron in the soil in my area my test however did reveal that the depth range given to this detector was a full out lie I sent it back and got my money back forget VID, and the tone of hits were so shoddy it wasn't funny and forget trashy areas that with natural iron in the soil it was just unusable. So with all this said I went on with prospecting gold,yet much like now I've watched a lot of detecting video's as well as watching the two fellows on history or natgeo and started looking into the AT-Pro so I start the rounds and it seems to me that every forum on the net is full of post where people have had nothing but trouble out of these things,now I'm not ignorant to the fact that people in some cases have no clue as how to set there search options up to better suit their search locations and coil sizes etc. I'm speaking in terms of physical build design defects dating back to the release of this model and from my understand the AT-Gold seems plagued with problems as well forgive me for sounding like a jerk here but if I didn't know better I would think Garrett is having these things made in China then boxed in the U.S. and claiming they were manufactured here? At any rate I requested a catalog from Garrett but reading what I've read I wander if my best bet is to scrap the idea of an AT-Pro because not all of the negative post I've read are from the first batch that came out so I'd like to hear from some people who have the newer models and have been using them for a while I sent Garrett an email Saturday asking them how well these perform in iron rich soil with that said I know its hard to read this and not to think I'm bashing I'm trying to understand whats up because in general this detector sounds like a decent machine across the board. Thanks for any insight you folks might have to offer.

Don't feel bad for trying to gather knowledge and make an informed buying decision. First off, I don't own an AT Pro. I own a Teknetics T2 SE. I do own a Garrett Pro pointer and love the thing. I do hunt with a guy that has an AT Pro. He has found some amazing stuff but is the first to say that he's had to send it in for repair. I have also been told by many to be sure you fill out your warranty card if you buy a Garrett item. I've been told that you will have to use it.
I own my T2 SE because I hunt some very old sites with really deep stuff. It's very sensitive and can be a bit chattery at times. That's exactly what I want. It means it's very sensitive and deep and will sniff out very small targets at crazy depth. Some people want more stable machines. It really comes down to what types of sites you're hunting and what your budget is. The F75 and T2 SE are great machines and lots of very successful detectorists use them. But they take a long time to master. My buddy has been very successful with his Pro as well but is the first to say he's not crazy with the build quality. So that being said, I would try to gather info from as many people on here as possible. Go into the other brands forums and ask questions. Talk to some of the the guys on here that sell detectors. They will tell you the pros and cons and can help identify what's best suited to your personal hunting needs.
I wish you all the best . It's not easy at all. Luckily my girlfriend bought me my T2 SE for my bday so that decision was made for me.

 

[chirper97]

...........I'm speaking in terms of physical build design defects dating back to the release of this model and from my understand the AT-Gold seems plagued with problems as well forgive me for sounding like a jerk here but if I didn't know better I would think Garrett is having these things made in China then boxed in the U.S. and claiming they were manufactured here?

The days that we could glibly belittle "Chinese made" junk have been over for several years. It seems that most quality high tech devices (IPhones, computers, televisions) are made to the very highest specs and standards in good ole Red China. That said, I am confident that the Garrett detectors are manufactured in the U.S. and use quality components. Garrett has maintained an excellent reputation for over 40 years! They are not going to make junk. I purchased my first Garrett in 1981 and now own an Infinium LS...quality throughout.

If your challenge is highly mineralized soil, the PI type detector should satisfy your needs and Garrett should be on your short list of choices. Youtube is full of spurious videos and posters know they can garner lots of hits with critical titles.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[deadeye 22250]

I have owned the AT PRO for two years and had no problems at all with it. In the fall I found a 3 cent piece 1852 and a Canadian 10 cent 1920, in a park that has been detected hard from 1970 till now, by most every detector made. One advantage about the AT PRO, besides being mid priced, it is water proof, so you don't have to worry so much about getting caught in the rain.
Now one thing that was mentioned about a gold watch, I have never heard of all the parts being made of gold.

 

[Ahab8]

Like I said, my buddy has found some amazing stuff with his. He found a late 1500s coin in Maine! Yeah crazy I know and totally beyond comprehension. I'm not questioning the a kikuyu of the Pro. I'm simply giving the feedback of one owner of that machine. It makes no difference to me what machine someone buys but I do think as much feedback as possible will help on making a good decision. Btw, the finds speak for themselves on here. Take a look at some of the people on here that consistently find great stuff. Ask them what they think. But I'm still a firm believer that 80% of it is through great research and putting yourself in those areas. All the best, Abe

 

[Kodiak43351]

The at pro is a great machine and does great in trashy areas and even better with the 5x8 coil on it. I found a small civil war cuff button in trashy home site at the length of my lesche digger. The build quality is good and sturdy. It can be unstable at time but that's how you learn to use the machine and set it up correctly for hunting conditions. The at pro is worth every cent I paid for it. Good luck.

 

[Bucketfreak317]

Thanks to everyone who replied to this post as I said I'm not here to dog the AT-Pro or Garrett either one I've taken into account that some people don't take care of their gear as well at any rate I've got plenty of time to look around there's still plenty of snow on the ground so I can't go out even if I had a detector.
I'm like a lot of people I got the idea that the over all across the board uses for this detector sounded real good but I think now I'm going to pass.

 

[Eddie Current]

Your main question was how the AT Pro handled iron rich areas. I have used my ATP for over 2 years and actually seek out the high iron areas. Most of the other MDers shy away from the junk filled areas, but i have found that I can find a lot of good stuff others have missed. Go slow and listen to what the signals are telling you. Dig the mixed high tones and i guarantee you will find some good stuff others have missed.

Once i hit a high iron area, which was a dog dodo stop. Stepping carefully, with gloves on, I found many older coins and tokens in a very hunted out park. The combination of iron and dodo scared a lot of hunters away. (Not suggested for a very hot day.) :}

 

[badpenny]

I own the AT PRO which was purchased for me as a gift two years ago. I live in NE PA where there is an iron rich soil. I have no problems with my machine, it handles the soil well, once you understand how to set it and listen to what it is telling you. Coal ashes will drive any machine crazy but I know the sound and move on. I too use mine with the smaller coil and love it. I hunt with two guys that use two different machines, a white and a fisher. Both are good machines, I honestly can't say I would prefer to own either machine over the Pro, we all find neat artifacts, we pass over many of the finds to view how each machine handles the find and in most cases they are pretty much the same.

As for Garrett repair dept. yes I have used it but with my Pro-Pointer not my detector. Would I purchase another one? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes. Can I say it is the best detector on the planet? No. It works for me, I enjoy hunting with it, and I am very confident when I hear the beep I know what I will be digging. So in NE PA I would say you would be fine with the AT Pro, learn the machine and research the area to hunt.

 

[ThTx]

I think there are two reasons people like to tout the brand of machine they own over one they don't. One is they really believe that their detector is the best thing since sliced bread and no one else knows how to use a knife or, as my dad used to tell me, "Misery loves company." The first reason I can understand completely, the second I would hope not to be a party to. That said, I do like my AT Pro. Never had any problems with it. To be fair, I never had any problems with a White's machine I owned years ago other than my inability or lack of desire to learn how to use it properly. I have just had better luck with Garrett detectors than with White's (again probably me) and Tesoro (only owned one). I also have very good luck with Teknetics. These are just my experiences. Your experience may vary. Before you flame, please read the disclaimer.

 

[norbyx]

I personally had bounty hunters, whites, tesoros, and now Garrett.... I never had a problem with any of the detectors (other than the Garrett pro pointer).
Now with the pro pointer I had issues two times and both times they sent me out a brand new one, not mine repaired... Now I couldn't complain about that....
As for the at-pro, I think its a decent detector, it is quite accurate if you learn it... Only defect I find is that it is not deep.... Oh well can't have it all...

 

[gleaner1]

Never pull the trigger until you are certain of your aim.