Which Detector to Get?

[DigDugNY]

As a few of you may know, I've been trying to trade my detector for another one, but that really isnt working so I came up with a new idea. Im getting financial aid money back from my college, and after I put some into my savings account and save some for next semester I will have enough to spend around $700 or $800 on a detector. I dont really want to try and save a little more for an E-Trac or a Vision because Im only 19 and I dont want to spend that kind of money. I was thinking about getting a Tesoro Cortes, but is that too old of a detector to buy now? Would buying like a used explorer II, or DFX, or MXT be a better decision? If anybody has some options for me that would be nice.

 

[digluv]

That's a hard one to answer Bobby. A lot depends on the type of hunting, soil conditions, etc.

I'll assume you're into general coinshooting in average soils.

I'd recommend buying used but be careful and ask lots of questions. Pay via Paypal if at all possible for protection.

I'd pass on the new Cortes. It only has ground balance in all-metal mode and almost nobody hunts in all-metal mode anymore. The Cortes is a good machine but outdated and way overpriced. But if you can find one mint for $450 you can get your money back later when you resell.

If Tesoro is your bag and you want a meter, go with the DeLeon (used). It also has factory preset GB but goes as deep as the Cortes and is a lot cheaper. I wouldn't pay much over $300 for one though. I've seen them go for about $250.

My own personal favorite in the Tesoro line is the Tejon. To me it's Tesoro's best and deepest machine. But there's no meter.

The MXT has always been a winner but it's heavier and takes some learning.

For $700 you have a lot of options. I'm sure there will be many who will post on this one.

digluv

 

[Shortstack]

Find a local multi-line dealer so you can try out different makes and models and buy from them when you decide. Local dealers will give you the BEST support for your detector choices. Where ever you buy, watchout for those who charge usury restocking fees.

 

[LuckyLarry]

Bobby look at KellyCo's report where the Fisher F-75 beat the socks off ALL detectors entering the contests. It beat White's, Tesoros, Minelabs, Garretts, etc, even Nautilus. You can get a used one for $800 or less.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/fisher/fisher_f75_ad.htm

This should answer your question.

Good luck.

Larry

 

[RPG]

Bobby look at KellyCo's report where the Fisher F-75 beat the socks off ALL detectors entering the contests. It beat White's, Tesoros, Minelabs, Garretts, etc, even Nautilus. You can get a used one for $800 or less.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/fisher/fisher_f75_ad.htm

This should answer your question.

Good luck.

Larry

I've heard that F-75 is hot. Been thinking about trying one myself.

Nice mug Larry.

 

[LuckyLarry]

Hey RPG.

Well, I got stuck with that easily found pic commonly found on all Post Office walls.

When I was in the war we used RPG's to clean out things now and then. Does that reflect on your proficiency at metal detecting?

I've thought about getting the new 75 LTD. It's even better. Before that I'm waiting to see how the GoldBug 3 works out.

Cheers and a Bud to ya

Larry (EasyMoney)

 

[RPG]

Hey RPG.

Well, I got stuck with that easily found pic commonly found on all Post Office walls.

When I was in the war we used RPG's to clean out things now and then. Does that reflect on your proficiency at metal detecting?

I've thought about getting the new 75 LTD. It's even better. Before that I'm waiting to see how the GoldBug 3 works out.

Cheers and a Bud to ya

Larry (EasyMoney)

I knew I'd seen that mug somewhere.

I been looking for the LTD with no luck. Not alot of info on the web about them. There's a guy here in Bama that has one and is making some awesome finds.

I'd like to hear more about that Goldbug 3.

Good Luck and the next round is on me.

 

[bazinga]

If you hunt parks and yards and silver coins are your game, get a used Explorer (any will do), a Pro Coil, and then a SunRay Probe. Don't waste your time or money on those other machines.

 

[p2c]

Bobby,
I have an F70 equipped with a F75 coil and so it is close to the F75. Don't get me wrong, it is a good machine, but don't buy the hype about it winning contests. The reason it wins the contests is because it has a fast processor allowing for faster swings. It is a good machine for relic hunting, okay on coins. My F70 does not get great depth period. I can dig a BB or shotgun shot at 8", which is phenomenal, but I can only dig a coin at 8 inches, no more, and that is not phenomenal.
I just got an Etrac, and have only been out once with it. I can honestly say i) it hands down kills the fisher on depth. I dug a small bolt head at 13 inches and a wheat at 9 inches. I know guys who have found dimes at 13" deep. It also does much better in separating and reading through trash -- I get signals that I would not otherwise hear. A couple guys I hunt with have etracs or F75s, and the guys with the F75 are always smoked. Contests yes, real world application minelab hands down.
My suggestion is to get the best minelab FBS detector you can if you are interested in coinshooting, whether that be an Explorer, etc. I'd also suggest you ask for the best deal possible and forgo all that cheap junk they throw in for free (if you are buying new) -- I got my Etrac new for 1295, not 1495, I am sure you could find someone selling you a new Minelab Safari for not much over $800 if your willing to not take any 'freebies'. You may be able to find a Used Explorer SE in your price-range as well. If you are interested in relic hunting, the F75 is great, but only okay with coins.
The other question to ask is if this is loan money or straight financial aid. If it is loan money that one day needs to be paid back, then I'd be less inclined, if I were you to buy the detector -- if you do, you better make sure you hunt enough to find $800+ interest, still even then I personally don't like using loans to make investments outside of homeowning or education.
- my 2 cents

 

[LuckyLarry]

P2C

That's interesting. Of course the hunts at KellyCo were not clad kid hunts, they were DEPTH hunts with various different types of targets, a bit of a different thing, one might think. Additionally the participants were WELL-seasoned detectorists who knew their detectors better than the back of their own hands, if you know what I mean.

I've seen but not done side-by-side tests, the E-Trac vs F-75 and couldn't tell much difference between the two for discrimination or depth but the E-Trac certainly is a decent detector. Sometimes the F-75 did best, sometimes the E-Trac did. However, the Explorers are I-N-F-E-R-I-O-R in depth compared to both the E-Trac AND F-75 and most people know that already. Even the lowly iron-loving Tejon beat the Explorers and Sovs for both depth and (especially) target separation - because I had one and it handed those Explorers and Sovereigns both a big, big can of whup-ash.

When it comes to the F-70 I admit that I know little about it except that the gain on the F-75 is substantially greater, and especially the LTD. In light soil the Garrett 2000 and 2500 and various Nautilus and Nexus animals and the Fisher 1270 go deepest of all (in all-metal), but how many people get that low-iron luxury soil anyway. The Fisher F-75's greatest virtue is that it does so extremely well in really high iron (magnetite/hematite) soils. Personally I find both of the F75 and eTrac to be inferior to the earlier single-freq 80's to 90's Tesoros and Compasses, etc as far as target separation, because I've matched them against each other and the various Minelabs really sucked. Sure the Tejon made more noise but it was superior to them.

Check this out:

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/211-1-fisherf70.html

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/209-1-minelabetrack.html

You pose an interesting question though, so I'm going to cruise the net and see if there is a video comparing the two.

Time for a big bowl of these navy beans and steak.

BTW, my main machine is an old Compass R&C and since I re-designed it and put it on steroids it beats everything BUT the Mighty Nexus, which matches it for depth but not in target separation and recovery speed, not in ten light years.

Thanks for the info and have a good 'un.

Larry

 

[Iron Patch]

Used explorer II, probably find a nice one for about $600, or good package perhaps at $800. No better detector for the money!

 

[bazinga]

P2C

That's interesting. Of course the hunts at KellyCo were not clad kid hunts, they were DEPTH hunts with various different types of targets, a bit of a different thing, one might think. Additionally the participants were WELL-seasoned detectorists who knew their detectors better than the back of their own hands, if you know what I mean.

I've seen but not done side-by-side tests, the E-Trac vs F-75 and couldn't tell much difference between the two for discrimination or depth but the E-Trac certainly is a decent detector. Sometimes the F-75 did best, sometimes the E-Trac did. However, the Explorers are I-N-F-E-R-I-O-R in depth compared to both the E-Trac AND F-75 and most people know that already. Even the lowly iron-loving Tejon beat the Explorers and Sovs for both depth and (especially) target separation - because I had one and it handed those Explorers and Sovereigns both a big, big can of whup-ash.

When it comes to the F-70 I admit that I know little about it except that the gain on the F-75 is substantially greater, and especially the LTD. In light soil the Garrett 2000 and 2500 and various Nautilus and Nexus animals and the Fisher 1270 go deepest of all, but how many people get that low-iron luxury soil anyway. The Fisher F-75's greatest virtue is that it does so extremely well in really high iron (magnetite/hematite) soils. Personally I find both of the F75 and eTrac to be inferior to the earlier single-freq 80's to 90's Tesoros and Compasses, etc as far as target separation, because I've matched them against each other and the various Minelabs really sucked. Sure the Tejon made more noise but it was superior to them.

Check this out:

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/211-1-fisherf70.html

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/209-1-minelabetrack.html

You pose an interesting question though, so I'm going to cruise the net and see if there is a video comparing the two.

Time for a big bowl of these navy beans and steak.

BTW, my main machine is an old Compass R&C and since I re-designed it and put it on steroids it beats everything BUT the Mighty Nexus, which matches it for depth but not in target separation and recovery speed, not in ten light years.

Thanks for the info and have a good 'un.

Larry

In response to your post.... I'm still waiting to see an E-Trac (or any other machine) out-hunt me in a hunt with my lowly, less depth getting, Explorer XS.

You guys argue about other machines being better, but when you look at the most plentiful silver finds in hard hit areas by users on this site and others, the Explorers / E-Tracs absolutely crush the competition. It's not even a contest. It's a blowout with the mercy rule.

When you visit other sites such as findmall where they have individual forums, you can see for your self. F75 users, V3 users, etc. just sit there talking about how amazing their machines are. Minelab users are posting silver every hunt.

 

[Iron Patch]

Arguing detectors online is nothing more than a good way to kill time. There's just too many factors and one shouldn't assume just because a poster has detected a long time they really know what they are doing. Lots of people golf, but only so many shoot par!

I know what my Explorer has done for me, and what it has done compared to other units I have compared targets against, but that's it, and reading pretty much everything online means nothing. I have never been shown a target I could not hear, but yet I have done it to several people ... even some using the same detector as I was! To have different results on the same unit is enough proof there's just too much to it to be able to compare on forums. Sites first.... Detector & user probably a tie for 2nd.

 

[timekiller]

Arguing detectors online is nothing more than a good way to kill time. There's just too many factors and one shouldn't assume just because a poster has detected a long time they really know what they are doing. Lots of people golf, but only so many shoot par!

I know what my Explorer has done for me, and what it has done compared to other units I have compared targets against, but that's it, and reading pretty much everything online means nothing. I have never been shown a target I could not hear, but yet I have done it to several people ... even some using the same detector as I was! To have different results on the same unit is enough proof there's just too much to it to be able to compare on forums. Sites first.... Detector & user probably a tie for 2nd.

100% Agreed!

 

[LuckyLarry]

Here is something that causes me to wonder why other detectors weren't used:

http://www.rebelmetal.com/

Now why would someone with a business to run and a sane mind.. switch from such a powerful and proven line of metal detectors and start using the F-75 instead? And of course the next question is "why not just use a Minelab"?

I think the answer speaks for itself. Philosophically speaking, of course.

I see this happening so often that I'm beginning to think that maybe there is something more to it all than just my own personal tests. In fact - why have there been no Minelab winners in the National Relic hunts? In fact too the Tejon is the only known detector that ever won one over a Nautilus. These are normal questions so it's of some real value to ask them. I have heard reports of Silver being found deep with E-Tracs and Explorers too but that's primarily because of operating frequency, and not of detector design. ALL US DETECTORS SOLD IN THE US are limited by the Federal Government as to transmit gain (power) because of dangers to medical, military, and police and government operations - and that fact is indisputable. The best frequency however for finding silver is about the same as a clad dimes or pennies @ 2.7 Khz. If we use one VLF freq it does not ever do the same job as a higher or different freq for other metals. This of course is common knowledge too.

http://jb-ms.com/Baron/payne.htm

The E-Trac is probably Minelab's finest machine with some of their various PI's being almost as impressive, but the competition is tough and where the rubber meets the road is where people will eventually convene. Right now though the over-all nod goes to the F-75 as far as LF, and VLF detectors go. This is not a bashing, discredit or cheap shot at Minelab, it's just how it is, nothing more.

BTW, I didn't like the Tejon. I traded it for a Browning A-Bolt 338 and thought I got the best of the deal. It had a real rough time running in high iron soil and I thought Tesoro ran way too much sensitivity in it. It did beat any Minelab vlf or multi-freq I ever ran it against though, regardless of the soil. It's recovery speed out-did everything but the older Compasses and Tesoros and made the Minelab Explorers and Sovereigns look like a waste of money - not only with depth - but especially with cherry-picking. Of course that's because those older machines had really slow processors, something that the E-Trac does not. I like the E-Trac and am impressed with it's audio - but I can't see 5 cents difference between it and the F-75 as far as performance. Yes others like it well enough to stop using their Explorers and prefer it to even the E-Trac but that's more opinion and personal preference, or so it seems.

Have a fun wun.

Larry

 

[p2c]

Larry,
I in part agree with your last post. The problem with my fisher maybe that its operating frequency is set at 13 KHz give or take a few tenths for being able to shift the frequency to avoid EM interference (this shift is in reality negligible to detecting performance other than potentially avoiding EM). I just don't think that's the best frequency for what I want to do, find old silver coins or old coins in general. I think it's great for relic hunting. As I mentioned I could find a BB at 8 inch depth, but I wont find something coinsize any deeper than that. Also, the Frequency may not be as good for the soil conditions where I live. I think the FBS allows having that low frequency in the selected range of frequencies the minelab FBS's run at. For relic hunting I don't know. I do know the guys who have minelabs up here are finding deep silver coins, some guys up here are in the 400's, 300's mid 100's for silver coins this year from parks that have been -Heavily Hunted- for years. I haven't had my minelab for very long, but I have had it long enough to tell the difference over my fisher.
Besides frequency, I think having conductivity and inductivity (FE) numbers, verses just conductivity makes a huge difference as well. My fisher, any target lower that 7 inches would sound like iron and the TID gave iron values. With the minelab, on the deep targets the sound will be high if its highly conductive, since the inductivity values are measured separately. Or put in other words, TID, which is far less reliable than sounds, remain relatively unchanged at depth for conductivity values. What depth will do will mess with the FE (inductivity values). But If I know the target is deep, and is registering right for conductivity, and it has that nice high tone, then I will dig even if the FE value is raised. On my fisher it would just sound blah- iron and give me an Iron TID. That may have something to do with the characteristics of soils here, but the minelab does solve the problem.
I do agree with Rebel's assessment that the f75's are incredibly light, which is good, they get 40+ hours on 4AA which is incredible (minelab if you don't use the rechargeables -- 16 hours off of 8 AA's). And I am inclined to agree that it is superior for relic hunting. I guess it just depends on what you want to detect for. I'd rather dig coins.

 

[Iron Patch]

why have there been no Minelab winners in the National Relic hunts? In fact too the Tejon is the only known detector that ever won one over a Nautilus. These are normal questions so it's of some real value to ask them.

You asked and here is your answer. (I was on the Minelab team in 2004)

How many times would a high school baseball team beat the yankees? The answer is probably about the same number a Minelab team having many park and beach hunters would beat Nautilus or Tesoro team who's members almost all relic hunt. Often times the most success from these hunts is digging huts which is about as far as you can get from shooting coins in a park. It actually made very little difference what detector anyone was using, it was all about experience.

 

[Iron Patch]

Larry,
I in part agree with your last post. The problem with my fisher maybe that its operating frequency is set at 13 KHz give or take a few tenths for being able to shift the frequency to avoid EM interference (this shift is in reality negligible to detecting performance other than potentially avoiding EM). I just don't think that's the best frequency for what I want to do, find old silver coins or old coins in general. I think it's great for relic hunting. As I mentioned I could find a BB at 8 inch depth, but I wont find something coinsize any deeper than that. Also, the Frequency may not be as good for the soil conditions where I live. I think the FBS allows having that low frequency in the selected range of frequencies the minelab FBS's run at. For relic hunting I don't know. I do know the guys who have minelabs up here are finding deep silver coins, some guys up here are in the 400's, 300's mid 100's for silver coins this year from parks that have been -Heavily Hunted- for years. I haven't had my minelab for very long, but I have had it long enough to tell the difference over my fisher.
Besides frequency, I think having conductivity and inductivity (FE) numbers, verses just conductivity makes a huge difference as well. My fisher, any target lower that 7 inches would sound like iron and the TID gave iron values. With the minelab, on the deep targets the sound will be high if its highly conductive, since the inductivity values are measured separately. Or put in other words, TID, which is far less reliable than sounds, remain relatively unchanged at depth for conductivity values. What depth will do will mess with the FE (inductivity values). But If I know the target is deep, and is registering right for conductivity, and it has that nice high tone, then I will dig even if the FE value is raised. On my fisher it would just sound blah- iron and give me an Iron TID. That may have something to do with the characteristics of soils here, but the minelab does solve the problem.
I do agree with Rebel's assessment that the f75's are incredibly light, which is good, they get 40+ hours on 4AA which is incredible (minelab if you don't use the rechargeables -- 16 hours off of 8 AA's). And I am inclined to agree that it is superior for relic hunting. I guess it just depends on what you want to detect for. I'd rather dig coins.

Two things.... You hit the nail on the head about the Minelab's great sound ID at depth, it's what makes the detector. But giving the Fisher the edge on relic hunting... I don't think so. Relic hunting in some ways is like digging in a trashy park where you often have to make the best use of your time. Because of the great iron disc you don't waste time chasing those deep iron rusty targets. On top of that, I guarantee the Explorer is as deep, as sensitive, and will see through iron just as well as any Fisher. (I'd say better) Last year I got my bud with his F-75 to check a couple deep good hits I had... he did not get them, or hear them well enough to dig. They both ended up being small pieces of brass, a good diggable target as far as a relic hunter is concerned. That said, he only had one month on his unit for every year I have on mine so when this coming Spring rolls around and we hunt again I'll put him to the test on both deep and masked targets. I am very sure regardless of how much experience he gains my explorer will always come out ahead.... the only problem I have is he is a lucky %$#%# and seems to get something good no matter how few holes he digs! We don't live close, and don't hunt that often, so I never get to prove the law of averages for the number of targets dug, because he's gone with the goods before I know it. (he'll probably read this but that's ok, he knows he is getting a beating come Spring)

 

[RPG]

Larry,
I in part agree with your last post. The problem with my fisher maybe that its operating frequency is set at 13 KHz give or take a few tenths for being able to shift the frequency to avoid EM interference (this shift is in reality negligible to detecting performance other than potentially avoiding EM). I just don't think that's the best frequency for what I want to do, find old silver coins or old coins in general. I think it's great for relic hunting. As I mentioned I could find a BB at 8 inch depth, but I wont find something coinsize any deeper than that. Also, the Frequency may not be as good for the soil conditions where I live. I think the FBS allows having that low frequency in the selected range of frequencies the minelab FBS's run at. For relic hunting I don't know. I do know the guys who have minelabs up here are finding deep silver coins, some guys up here are in the 400's, 300's mid 100's for silver coins this year from parks that have been -Heavily Hunted- for years. I haven't had my minelab for very long, but I have had it long enough to tell the difference over my fisher.
Besides frequency, I think having conductivity and inductivity (FE) numbers, verses just conductivity makes a huge difference as well. My fisher, any target lower that 7 inches would sound like iron and the TID gave iron values. With the minelab, on the deep targets the sound will be high if its highly conductive, since the inductivity values are measured separately. Or put in other words, TID, which is far less reliable than sounds, remain relatively unchanged at depth for conductivity values. What depth will do will mess with the FE (inductivity values). But If I know the target is deep, and is registering right for conductivity, and it has that nice high tone, then I will dig even if the FE value is raised. On my fisher it would just sound blah- iron and give me an Iron TID. That may have something to do with the characteristics of soils here, but the minelab does solve the problem.
I do agree with Rebel's assessment that the f75's are incredibly light, which is good, they get 40+ hours on 4AA which is incredible (minelab if you don't use the rechargeables -- 16 hours off of 8 AA's). And I am inclined to agree that it is superior for relic hunting. I guess it just depends on what you want to detect for. I'd rather dig coins.

Two things.... You hit the nail on the head about the Minelab's great sound ID at depth, it's what makes the detector. But giving the Fisher the edge on relic hunting... I don't think so. Relic hunting in some ways is like digging in a trashy park where you often have to make the best use of your time. Because of the great iron disc you don't waste time chasing those deep iron rusty targets. On top of that, I guarantee the Explorer is as deep, as sensitive, and will see through iron just as well as any Fisher. (I'd say better) Last year I got my bud with his F-75 to check a couple deep good hits I had... he did not get them, or hear them well enough to dig. They both ended up being small pieces of brass, a good diggable target as far as a relic hunter is concerned. That said, he only had one month on his unit for every year I have on mine so when this coming Spring rolls around and we hunt again I'll put him to the test on both deep and masked targets. I am very sure regardless of how much experience he gains my explorer will always come out ahead.... the only problem I have is he is a lucky %$#%# and seems to get something good no matter how few holes he digs! We don't live close, and don't hunt that often, so I never get to prove the law of averages for the number of targets dug, because he's gone with the goods before I know it. (he'll probably read this but that's ok, he knows he is getting a beating come Spring)

What it boils down to is the operater knowing his machinery. I'm going to get me one of them minelabs one day. And it's all Iron Patches fault.

 

[Iron Patch]

Larry,
I in part agree with your last post. The problem with my fisher maybe that its operating frequency is set at 13 KHz give or take a few tenths for being able to shift the frequency to avoid EM interference (this shift is in reality negligible to detecting performance other than potentially avoiding EM). I just don't think that's the best frequency for what I want to do, find old silver coins or old coins in general. I think it's great for relic hunting. As I mentioned I could find a BB at 8 inch depth, but I wont find something coinsize any deeper than that. Also, the Frequency may not be as good for the soil conditions where I live. I think the FBS allows having that low frequency in the selected range of frequencies the minelab FBS's run at. For relic hunting I don't know. I do know the guys who have minelabs up here are finding deep silver coins, some guys up here are in the 400's, 300's mid 100's for silver coins this year from parks that have been -Heavily Hunted- for years. I haven't had my minelab for very long, but I have had it long enough to tell the difference over my fisher.
Besides frequency, I think having conductivity and inductivity (FE) numbers, verses just conductivity makes a huge difference as well. My fisher, any target lower that 7 inches would sound like iron and the TID gave iron values. With the minelab, on the deep targets the sound will be high if its highly conductive, since the inductivity values are measured separately. Or put in other words, TID, which is far less reliable than sounds, remain relatively unchanged at depth for conductivity values. What depth will do will mess with the FE (inductivity values). But If I know the target is deep, and is registering right for conductivity, and it has that nice high tone, then I will dig even if the FE value is raised. On my fisher it would just sound blah- iron and give me an Iron TID. That may have something to do with the characteristics of soils here, but the minelab does solve the problem.
I do agree with Rebel's assessment that the f75's are incredibly light, which is good, they get 40+ hours on 4AA which is incredible (minelab if you don't use the rechargeables -- 16 hours off of 8 AA's). And I am inclined to agree that it is superior for relic hunting. I guess it just depends on what you want to detect for. I'd rather dig coins.

Two things.... You hit the nail on the head about the Minelab's great sound ID at depth, it's what makes the detector. But giving the Fisher the edge on relic hunting... I don't think so. Relic hunting in some ways is like digging in a trashy park where you often have to make the best use of your time. Because of the great iron disc you don't waste time chasing those deep iron rusty targets. On top of that, I guarantee the Explorer is as deep, as sensitive, and will see through iron just as well as any Fisher. (I'd say better) Last year I got my bud with his F-75 to check a couple deep good hits I had... he did not get them, or hear them well enough to dig. They both ended up being small pieces of brass, a good diggable target as far as a relic hunter is concerned. That said, he only had one month on his unit for every year I have on mine so when this coming Spring rolls around and we hunt again I'll put him to the test on both deep and masked targets. I am very sure regardless of how much experience he gains my explorer will always come out ahead.... the only problem I have is he is a lucky %$#%# and seems to get something good no matter how few holes he digs! We don't live close, and don't hunt that often, so I never get to prove the law of averages for the number of targets dug, because he's gone with the goods before I know it. (he'll probably read this but that's ok, he knows he is getting a beating come Spring)

What it boils down to is the operater knowing his machinery. I'm going to get me one of them minelabs one day. And it's all Iron Patches fault.

Maybe I should have stayed a dealer.