Teknetics Delta 4000. any good?

[diesel266]

So, Like most people new to the hobby I started out with a Radio Shack (Bounty Hunter) detector. After two years of not finding anything I paid up for a White's Prism 2. It was a great machine and worked well for a few years. After the warranty ran out, it broke and I wasn't going to pay $250 in repairs for a $300 detector. So I gave up the hobby for 3 years. The other day I was shopping at a Dick's Sporting goods and I found a Teknetics Delta 4000 that was on Clearance and I sold it for $68. I did some simply online research and see that its has some good reviews, but I want a honest answer. Is this detector any good? I live in PA and our soil here is high in minerals and firm. Will this Delta hold up well and does anyone know who makes it? Also, I see that it has a 5 year warranty. That's rare. Any info would be good...

 

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[SouthFLdigger]

The Delta 4000 is an amazingly good detector for the price i paid. I paid $160.00 and have 2, you paid $68 im surprised you did not buy another, that is an absolute steal ! The Teknetics Delta 4000 belongs to the Greek series from Teknetics, they all share very similar depth at max settings, my Delta will find a quarter 11" down in my mild soil here in Florida at 12 sens.Ive dug nickels and pennies 10 -11 inches down in the dry sand here in FL at 12 sensitivity. Its recovery speed is very fast it can sort through trash very well due to its fast processor, all this while maintaining very good discrimination and depth. It will ignore bottle caps (crowncaps) with a disc at 40 and using a moderate to fast sweep speed. The Delta is a fantastic detector, and trust me i've used mid to high end detectors in the last 7 years. It will not work in wet salty sand though, so be aware. Everywhere else the Delta is fantastic, especially the newer version with better EMI shielding and stability ! Newer version has a screw in coil cable and other minor changes, such as much thicker coil cable.

 

[diesel266]

Thanks for the info. I got this for just $68 because it was the only one and a customer return. When I open it and put it together it was missing three screws and I called Teknetics and they were very freindly and sent me the missing parts. Thanks for the info about the sand. I thought most detectors would work in sand, But I guess I was wrong. Is this model made by the same company that makes Bounty Hunter?

 

[SouthFLdigger]

Thanks for the info. I got this for just $68 because it was the only one and a customer return. When I open it and put it together it was missing three screws and I called Teknetics and they were very freindly and sent me the missing parts. Thanks for the info about the sand. I thought most detectors would work in sand, But I guess I was wrong. Is this model made by the same company that makes Bounty Hunter?

The Delta works great in the dry sand at the beach, but not in the wet salty sand where the waves crash or sand that has been soaked by ocean water. Yes First Texas makes bounty hunter as well, they are a good company.

 

[diesel266]

I work at a place that sells basic Bounty Hunter models and they seem to suck. I really like White's, but I couldn't pass up this model. I thought about selling it and buy a White's, but you said that you feel that this model will do well for coin shooting and relic finding. I'm in PA, where is a good place to hunt other then my own back yard?

 

[SouthFLdigger]

I work at a place that sells basic Bounty Hunter models and they seem to suck. I really like White's, but I couldn't pass up this model. I thought about selling it and buy a White's, but you said that you feel that this model will do well for coin shooting and relic finding. I'm in PA, where is a good place to hunt other then my own back yard?

I have two top of the line whites detectors, or at least mid grade. A Whites DFX, and a Beach Hunter ID, Whites is a great company but the Delta competes with any of these on dry land.

 

[Papalittle]

My delta 4000 sucks, pin point way off, can't find a quarter if it's life depended on it, great dime and penny finder, turns itself on when I turn my van off, will not turn on sometimes unless I remove battery.....I know these are good machines but I must of got a lemon.

 

[garyo1954]

The only problem I have with my 4000 is getting it back!
First time my son used it he found a spill, took it home to detect out his way.
That was last year. LOL

 

[Garrett424]

You got a GREAT deal on your Tek. I picked mine up on Craigslist for 175 bucks and I got a great deal.

I must say (again) that I absolutely LOVE my Delta 4000.

I too started with BH machines; 3 of them. I can't agree with diesel266 that they "suck" because I have found all kinds of treasures with all of them; including the oldest coin I have found (an 1814 LC), silver coins as well as both gold and silver jewelry. For what they are and their price, they're capable units and excellent training devices due to their ease and simplicity of use. Using them also taught me a great deal about this hobby (and loving this hobby) and enabled me to hone my skills to a point where when I got a better machine, I KNEW HOW to use it well.

My hunting went to a much higher level when I got the Tek. I started hunting spots I pounded hard and found lots of GOOD stuff the BH's missed.

The Delta is amazing IMO. It weighs nothing so you can swing it all day and all night , uses only 1 9v battery that lasts forever (and cuts your operating cost WAY down) and finds amazingly small and deep targets. It has true notch capability that works great. If you get tired of digging Zincoln's, just notch 'em out. It's that simple.

You can't ask for better pinpointing capability either. It's truly idiot proof. You press the button and watch for the lowest number which will be right on top of your target. You can start digging targets with this machine immediately. The learning curve is very small, believe me. It could not be more simple to operate. I also like the volume control and the two headphone jacks; 1/4 & 1/8".

The VDI is pretty darn good and overall target indication is pretty good too. Like any detector, the machine makes a "best guess" based on depth, soil condition and the target itself; as well as the actual position of the target. Sometimes a coin in a vertical position can give a very different signal than one that's lying flat. But as far as coins go, the target indication is very accurate most of the time.

Non coin items may not be as accurate but that's typical in this hobby. Pop tops and pull tabs will always read like nickels and gold with any machine because they have the same type of conductivity and fall in the same range. You just have to dig the trash to find the gold and nickels. That's just how it is and you just have to accept the fact as part of the hobby.

But when you keep digging trash, eventually the gold appears and makes it all worth it.

I went out on my first impromptu hunt of the year on Easter Sunday for about one hour at a soccer field. About 4 minutes into the hunt I found my first ring of the season. It's just a very small, once gold plated monogrammed pinky ring but it's a ring nonetheless and the Tek sniffed it out immediately. It was deep and looks like it was down there for a very long time. As I've said on this site many times, it LOVES tiny targets and hits really deep.

I haven't posted any pics of that ring yet because I've been crazy busy.

As SouthFLdigger said above, as far as dry land goes, you can't go wrong with this machine in this price range. It does fine in fresh water though. The minerals in salt water will throw it off but that happens with many detectors.

Even if you get something even better down the road, you'll have a rock solid, reliable machine that you can always fall back on and be confident about. I definitely highly recommend it. It will not let you down.

If you decide not to keep it, let me know. I would be happy to buy it from you. But honestly, once you use it for a few hours, I have no doubt that you'll wanna' hang onto it.

When I next upgrade I'm definitely sticking with the Tek brand.



Oh, and Papalittle, you definitely have a messed up machine. From your description, there's no way your Delta is working properly. Something is undoubtedly wrong with the particular machine you wound up with. You should send it back and either get it fixed or get a replacement.

If you got it new you should have a 5 year parts and labor warranty. I would use it if I were in your shoes. Good luck.

 

[skeeter86]

Great deal one of the fastest recovering machines that I have used it will give separet signal with items right next to each other heck they can even be touching each other and you will hear two seperat or more beeps.

 

[supertraq]

Well the bottom of the line alpha 2000 is damn good,so the delta 4000 has to be really good.

 

[barr75a]

Have had my delta for a couple years now and I love it. It's been trouble free for me. I've found a ton of coins with it. Can't believe you got one for 68$! What a steal. Happy hunting

 

[Garrett424]

I got my Delta last October and loved it from day one. But, I didn't get to learn it really well last year because it was late in the season.
My last post in this thread was back in April. I've been using my Delta almost daily since then.

All I can say is after REALLY learning this machine in both disc and all metal mode (A1) I LOVE it even more. I just can't find a single thing wrong with it. The ONLY possible improvement I can see for this unit would be a manual ground balance but for my style of hunting at this point it's just fine without it.

I was going to upgrade to a T2 SE earlier this year and that's still my intention but after having some great luck early on this year, I opted to really stick with the Delta and get to know it fully before moving up. I'll never sell it regardless of where I go from here.

All I can say to sum up this years' hunting strictly with the Delta 4000 is that it's STILL a great machine. In it's price range I don't see how anyone could possibly go wrong with it.

It's simple, tough, all of it's features work very well and it hits deep.

So if you don't have a ton of money to spend and need a good, tough, reliable machine that will find you treasure; I STILL highly recommend the Delta 4000.
They truly hit a home run when they created this machine.

Next year I hope to be reviewing the T2 SE; maybe even sooner.
From what I have read and heard thus far it's like the Delta on steroids. Can't wait to find out for myself.

 

[ZR2guy]

I had a Delta 4000 at one time. It was a really good detector for the price. I only wish I could have hunted with the DD coil on it. It does go surprisingly deep. I remember that the first target I ever hit with it was a nickel. It was at 5"! Needless to say, I was impressed. I currently swing a T2 SE LTD (DST ). I haven't been out with it much since buying it back in August due to work being so hectic but what little time that I have had it out, it blows me away at how fast and accurate it is at target separation. First Texas really makes some great detectors for all budgets. Glad to hear you are enjoying your Delta 4000. Happy Hunting!

 

[Loco-Digger]

Awesome deal on that Delta. I'd keep my eyes online and get a DD coil. It will increase your depth and let you cover more ground per swing. I used to have the mind set that BH detectors were not up to par, but the Land Ranger Pro I recently purchased has changed that perception. It has many of the bells and whistles of the high end detectors. I have ran it over the same ground as my F75LTDSE to compare them and have noticed that it runs quieter, not quite as sensitive to the small iron in the ground as the f75, but I am still very very pleased with this BH model. 1/5th the price of the high end detector and is capable of almost the same depth.

 

[Garrett424]

I had a Delta 4000 at one time. It was a really good detector for the price. I only wish I could have hunted with the DD coil on it. It does go surprisingly deep. I remember that the first target I ever hit with it was a nickel. It was at 5"! Needless to say, I was impressed. I currently swing a T2 SE LTD (DST ). I haven't been out with it much since buying it back in August due to work being so hectic but what little time that I have had it out, it blows me away at how fast and accurate it is at target separation. First Texas really makes some great detectors for all budgets. Glad to hear you are enjoying your Delta 4000. Happy Hunting!

5"?? I dug an old LC at about 9" with my Delta. The thing is insane.

It also finds really miniscule fragments at impressive depths, like old .22 shells with barely anything left of them, nail heads, tiny bits of wire, etc. I dunno' if I have an incredibly good one or what but the thing never ceases to amaze me.

I've also dug numerous small pinky rings including one 18K. The thing just loves small, deep targets; and everything else for that matter. It definitely keeps you busy. In some spots you can't walk 3 feet without having to drop back down and start digging. I can easily dig 80 or 100 targets in a day with this machine depending on the site.

I can't wait to get my hands on that T2. I'll have to go over all of my spots. I can only imagine what'll start showing up.

 

[ZR2guy]

I really believe that the Teknetics line-up from from First Texas runs "hotter" coils than other brands. My Delta was very sensitive to small targets as well. I also owned a Gamma 6000 and would still have it today but with that DD coil on it, I couldn't get near power lines without it going insane. I would have to turn the sensitivity way down. I took it on a club hunt one time and about 30 guys showed up. I couldn't get near any of them without the Gamma going insane. Some of the guys knew this and purposely stayed just close enough to mess with me. Other than that, the Gamma was also very fast at target separation and would go deep. I only walked away from the Teknetics brand because of the EMI issues that I experienced in a majority of my honey holes that I hunt. When I read about the DST upgrade, it slowly gravitated me back towards Teknetics. After the Gamma, I swung Minelab and Whites. I recently sold my MXT Pro to buy the T2 that I own now. Always wanted the T2 from the time it debuted but it was out of my budget. I have the stock DD coil for it as well as the 5" and a NEL Sharpshooter coil. If you like the Delta, you will be in love with the T2. I know I am.

 

[Garrett424]

I really believe that the Teknetics line-up from from First Texas runs "hotter" coils than other brands. My Delta was very sensitive to small targets as well. I also owned a Gamma 6000 and would still have it today but with that DD coil on it, I couldn't get near power lines without it going insane. I would have to turn the sensitivity way down. I took it on a club hunt one time and about 30 guys showed up. I couldn't get near any of them without the Gamma going insane. Some of the guys knew this and purposely stayed just close enough to mess with me. Other than that, the Gamma was also very fast at target separation and would go deep. I only walked away from the Teknetics brand because of the EMI issues that I experienced in a majority of my honey holes that I hunt. When I read about the DST upgrade, it slowly gravitated me back towards Teknetics. After the Gamma, I swung Minelab and Whites. I recently sold my MXT Pro to buy the T2 that I own now. Always wanted the T2 from the time it debuted but it was out of my budget. I have the stock DD coil for it as well as the 5" and a NEL Sharpshooter coil. If you like the Delta, you will be in love with the T2. I know I am.

Good info there.

The Delta can go crazy around power lines too. My XPointer will even interfere with it if I don't turn the coil away while digging the plug.

I always crank the sens as high as I can get it. On tonight's hunt, pretty far from anything; I ran it wide open the whole time. On average I run it around 10. I almost never have to go below 10 but once in a while it can happen, usually in populated areas.

Also, overflying aircraft ALWAYS interfere with the Delta until they pass, which I find amazing. Even the ones that are way up there have an effect.

And yeah, the T2 is my dream machine. I've never used one but I just feel like that's exactly the one I want based on what I have read and heard form many people. I would have already had it but of course, about 4 things happened at once that wiped out the cash I had set aside for the deal.

The guy who's selling it has been really cool about waiting so for that, I'm very grateful. He called me just a few days ago.
As a matter of fact, he also has a G2 and prefers it over the T2. That's why he's selling the T2. You don't hear too much about the G2 but from what I've read they're pretty bad ass as well. Lots of good reviews out there.

Teknetics seems to be a good brand overall with machines for every budget.

 

[FloridianRebel]

I've found on my Delta that it goes crazy when in residential areas.I tend to run its sensitivity at about 7-8 because anything higher it starts chirping and buzzing to practically everything.The Delta's my first detector and so far I like it but there are times when it pisses me off.Good luck!

 

[Garrett424]

I've found on my Delta that it goes crazy when in residential areas.I tend to run its sensitivity at about 7-8 because anything higher it starts chirping and buzzing to practically everything.The Delta's my first detector and so far I like it but there are times when it pisses me off.Good luck!

It's a sensitive machine but it's definitely a good, effective machine with very impressive depth.
You made a great choice for your first machine. I WISH I had started out with the Delta.

Honestly, I had every intention of upgrading last spring but after having a great start early on this year I decided to just see how things went for a while. As it turned out I wound up having a great season with the Delta and never upgraded.

I'm definitely upgrading next spring but I'll never get rid of the Delta. I truly love that machine. It's been very very good to me so far and just continues to amaze me.

Also, do you have one of the early versions with the push on connector? From what I understand they were significantly more chattery than the later models with the screw on connector and heavier coil cable.

Then again, even at 7-8 you'll still dig plenty of targets. I dug my oldest coin ever; a 1787 new Jersey Copper that was only about two inches beneath the surface; if that. ANY detector would have found that one but the point is, although depth is definitely important, not all good targets are necessarily deep. You just never know where anything will turn up.

And keep in mind the more you use it and the more you really get a feel for what it's telling you, the better it'll get; believe me.