What do you use for a Relic detector?

[John (Ma)]

What is your favorite relic detector? What type of areas do you hit (Cellar holes, fields, etc.) and how do you like your detector while hunting these areas?

 

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[brnn53]

I have several detectors but my favorite is the Tejon. It is light in weight, long battery life, and when set up properly, it will find deep targets particularly brass. I love digging buttons and this machine is deadly on brass buttons. I use Killer Bees headphones and they really make a difference for hearing those faint signals.
Mike

 

[drdave]

MXT for me -- I try to hit known CW sites ...

 

[John (Ma)]

I have heard the Tejon is great as a relic detector, especially when you get to know it. I have also read many articles about the MXT finding the goods. I am still contempating a detector for fields and select cellar holes. I have been leaning torward the Tejon since the DFX covers so many different ways to hunt and figure the Tejon would be light, especially for those fields. Any other detectors or opinions on the ones already mentioned?

 

[gregl01]

I use a Tesoro Cibola. It is hot on lead and brass, easy on your arm, and batteries last forever!!!! It also is great for any other hunting you want to do. It isn't as deep as the Tejon or even Nautilus units but still makes some finds. If I was buying a new machine it would be a Tejon.
Greg

 

[bearbqd]

My trusty EXP II has found me all of this

 

[John (Ma)]

Looks like the Minelab treats you very well, nice finds!

 

[{Sentinel}]

I have heard conflicting arguments about whether the Cibola or the Tejon was deeper. I can tell you from having owned a Cibola, that it is very deep, very light, AWESOME eagle sharp pinpointing and is a great detector. I use a Whites MXT now to save time on not having to dig every signal as the Cibola only has one tone and no ID screen. But I can tell you, I found 95% of this with the Cibola, and will probably purchase another one in the future.

 

[birdman]

I have a cibola and a vaquero and both are great detectors . The vaquero finds a little more when it is ground balanced right and both love 22 shells and other small brass or lead objects. I hunted battle sites overseas with my cibola and on those 10 hour long hunts the lite weight of the tesoro's make a huge difference. I also had a CZ5 which had more depth but after a few hours of hunting my arm would be sore . With the cibola I could hunt all day with no problems at all and still find some deep stuff.

 

[John (Ma)]

It appears through various post, that the White's MXT and Tesoro's in general are very good relic hunters. I especially have been hearing more and more pro's of the Tesoro's.

 

[sqzdog]

I use a DFX with super 12" coil.

 

[Boilermaker27]

I have relic hunted for 35 years and have used many machines. Last ten years I have used the Minelab Explorer. When my Minelab Explorer went kaput two years ago I did some research and bought a Tejon. I finished up the season with the Tejon and later that year bought a new Minelab Explorer II. I took the Minelab to the field where I used the Tejon expecting to find the deep stuff and hardly found anything. The Tejon found everything. Spring of 2007 when the ground was really wet I was finding minnies at ten inches or more. I was finding minnies in areas that I thought I had hunted out. The Tejon is a great detector and simple to use. above all it is very deep and it will get you all the relics you want. Found about seven seated half dimes and one seated dime with the Tejon, all dropped by soldiers, so it is also great on coins. If you can get by without a meter you will be fine. I find that the second discriminator acts like a meter in that when I go into that discriminator if the target is still there it is worth diggine.

 

[John (Ma)]

Thanks Jhettel,

I think the Tejon is the winner for me with light weight, simplicity, price and proven track record. I am going to try and get one soon or at the latest have it for Spring time. We have a few months coming up where I won't be able to use it anyway. Thanks again!

 

[Chris Clark MO]

Has anyone mentioned a Nautilus I've found things in areas I and others

have hammered.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Any of the detectors mentioned above will find just about anything you need to find. There's a guy here in KY here that has found the deepest relics I have ever seen recovered. Whites, Minelabs, and Fishers would not respond to the ground where he was diggin out the good relics. It was on a CW site that had been pounded to death, and he had a modified Ace 250, believe it or not. I have no earthly idea what the hell he did to that machine to make it pick up targets that deep.

So I'm not gonna tell you that the brand I love is better or worse than any other, because when it comes down to it there is no right answer. I wouldn't plan on spending $1000 on a machine if you aren't going to do all the hours of research and bookwork, plus the legwork all before actually hunting. You might as well have a $300 machine. It is just as much or more about WHERE you hunt as WHAT you hunt with. If you are finding the virgin CW camps, then you won't need to pull minies from 10 inches in most cases. My CW collection is at least as good as the one in the photos above, including an 1855 style sword belt plate as well and all found with my 15-year-old Fisher 1266-X. Meters are un-necessary when relic hunting. If you're looking for a good machine, specifically for relic hunting, go with one with dual pinpoint like the Fisher 1266 or the Tejon. In trashy areas either one could be a bit of a nightmare at times though.

Regards,

Buckleboy

 

[{Sentinel}]

Like the Confederate flag made out of minies. Cool display.

 

[wormnblack]

Hey Sentinal! I've got an axe head just like the one you have shown. Just thought it was kinda neat.

 

[ColonialDude]

My trusty explorer II of course

 

[civilman1]

I'm stickin' with the MXT...Until I can pry my Brother's EXP II from him I can't give you a true answer....Until then...The MXT!.

 

[Digger82]

I use the Xp Deus and i hunt mostly in farmers fields, the machine works great in iron infested places.