Thinking of buying a second water detector. Looking for advice.

[Tador]

I'm loving this hobby so much I'm thinking of getting a second detector for my wife to use, and to have in case one breaks and I need to send it in for repairs. I have an Excal II (8" coil) and I love it, so I'm considering just buying another Excal II with the 10" coil.

On the other hand I hear people like the depth a PI machine brings. I think I've narrowed the list down to the Whites BeachHunter ID 300 or PI Dual Field (I don't understand what makes the ID300 more expensive than the Dual Field), the Infinium LS, and the Fischer CZ-21. Anything else I should consider?

I'll mostly be hunting beaches and water (I dive) but want to occasionally hit a park, etc. Would love some advice from you seasoned veterins on which machines you like and why. Also, should I get another Ecallibur II or go for another machine? Thanks and happy hunting!

 

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[Hot zone]

You eliminated the sand shark already?

 

[Tador]

You eliminated the sand shark already?

Not necessarily Hot zone... Are you a sand shark fan? What makes it better / different than the others?

 

[Hot zone]

I don't own one yet. My first detector was a Tesoro that lasted 20 years. I got it before they implemented the lifetime warranty. I switched to minelabs quattro for a time but am glad to now own the tiger shark their other beach detector and plan to try it soon on Oregon beaches. The problem with the quattro is you tend to over descriminate and also mask good targets while the tiger finds junk in the same hole as coins. Research the Internet for reviews. The sand shark is a real bargain. I believe the control box is the same as the tiger (bulletproof) and they now hardwire the coil to eliminate the possibility of a leak. Tesoro owners or those that have finally landed on them are very brand loyal. Finds forums website has quite a following. The sand shark has no discriminator at all (not needed) and finds the smallest gold (really needed). Good luck in your decision.

 

[Tador]

Thanks for taking the time to write back Hot zone! I did a little reading on Tesoro and the Sharks are on the list for sure.

 

[U.K. Brian]

The Whites BeachHunter ID is a waterproof cut down DFX design rather than a P.I. and Whites have to pay Minelab for the right to use the original Minelab design which adds a percentage to the cost. Unfortunately if you take the P.I. route (and I love them !) your not going to be to happy in your local park even if you go for an Infinium with its degree of discrimination.

Though you like your Excaliber your right to consider P.I. and VLF's as there's always going to be areas that suit one detector design over another. Unfortunately you want something thats going to be good in the water and land and there's not that much choice though the new Minelab CTX aims to tackle this at a price.

 

[Terry Soloman]

The Tesoro Sand Shark with an 8" coil is the Bomb! It performs just as well or better than the Dual Field, Infinium or Seahunter, AND is the only one with a LifeTime Warranty! I have used all of the machines I named, and I can tell you they are all just about the same performance wise. The Sand Shark gives you Two modes to work with, allows you to set the signal tone to the frequency YOUR ear hears best, and ALL of the controls are OUTSIDE the box, well laid out and easy to understand. If you want to pay $300-$400 more for Hype, that is your call. Best of luck!

 

[Tador]

Brian, Thank you very much for the insightful reply. I had no idea about the White's /Minelab issue. Can't wait to see what the price of the CTX will be (and to hear reviews of people who have actually used it).

 

[Tador]

Terry, Thank you for your reply too. I've enjoyed see your posts on Tnet. Nice to get advice from people who've been doing this a lot longer than I have.