Compadre or no Compadre?

[P.ALLEN]

After seeing reviews and reading info on the Compadre, I think I want to purchase it for my second detector. Attempt to talk me out of it and give recommendations for an alternate. I would like to get a Tesoro, and $500 is too much money for me, if that helps.

My current detector is an ACE 250 and I don't think it discriminates as well as I would like.

 

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[digger27]

Get it.
Hyper sensitivity and other worldly discrimination are just a few of the features this one possesses.
Here is just one example, this ring was found near a picnic pavilion surrounded by close trash but the Compadre avoided the junk and still hit on it hard like it was a silver dollar.
The smallest thinnest, lightest silver ring I have ever found and if came in at only POINT THREE GRAMS!
Just one of many, many times this thing has dropped my jaw.



I have always said EVERYONE should have a Compadre in the arsenal even if you only use it once in awhile because it has a few superpowers most others don't.
I am biased, however, I was the one that started one of the oldest, longest still running threads on the web about this one with over 201,000 views and close to 1000 posts.
That thread has sold a lot of Compadres over the years and the funny thing it was just an off the wall post about how I felt about it after I got one and saw what it could do but it took off into the stratosphere.
Just Google "Church of the Compadre" and it will pop up.

This year I got a Mojave and that one has all the abilities of the Compadre but it is even deeper but I still have my Compadre and I will convert it to a water unit one day.
My Compadre paid for itself more than 10x's over in the clad and jewelry it found and my Mojave is well on its way to paying for itself and more too even though I have never used either full time.

For $150 there is no better value out there than the Compadre, still.
For an extra $100 the Mojave is more than worth it if you want to go that high.

Either one is a joy to learn and use, shockingly productive and fun is built into both as a major feature.

 

[Terry Soloman]

The Mojave, has now replaced my trusty Compadre. Get the Mojave!!!!

 

[Peter67]

Get the Compadre or Mojave and use it as your nr. 1 detector. I also started with the Ace 250 and just after 2 months i sold it when i saw what the Ace 250 had missed, even with the bigger coil. I have a 27 year old Tesoro Bandido that even outperforms the Ace 250.

 

[Ammoman]

I say get rid of the ACE and pick up the mojave as your primary detector as well.

 

[Tahoegold]

For the simple pleasures of detecting...

I would like to add something about the fun of detecting for my experience with having a compadre. I also have a detector that has adjustments. (I keep thinking of getting a mojave and probably will sometime.)
I don't see myself getting rid of this Compadre ever. Sometimes I just want to go down to the beach, turn the Compadre on and swing away. I love watching the sceenery and still be able to find anything. I only have to listen. I keep the settings anywhere from no descrimination for the full power of this machine to just touching the "Iron" lable to give iron signals a little broken signal. I just dig it all when using the Compadre. Why not? If going out to "Hunt" for treasure why not dig it all? Each signal becomes your potential prize! Talk about simple pleasures! Think about this, (I have the 8" doughnut on mine) you can turn this on and have incredible discrimination and a nice little round window to pinpoint. I can turn the discrimination up full blast and still get silver, and clad. I have found stud earing BACKS on zero descrimination. I can tell if it's a big or small target. All in a simple to use, un assuming single knob analog beep machine. I don't mind that there's no sensitivity knob, I just lift the coil enough when over black sand and still pick up quarters dimes and nickles that others have missed! I love being "stuck" with just a on/off knob that adjusts for descrimination and has true all metal. I have learned to use it as well as my adjust everything machine. Heck, I have had to put my fancy one away and grab the Compadre because I wanted to just hunt AND enjoy the sceenery. I found myself at peace AND finding more stuff because, yes, the Compadre was a better choice over the hot black sand beach. Better, simpler, and less distracting from the beautiful area I was enjoying. I use a type of head set that hooks over my ears like ear buds but they are not. They are tiny flat speakers that I can move forward to avoid the loud tone the Compadre produces. I can detect quietly among beach goers this way. I always get kids asking if I found anything and I always say something like yeah, a quarter and some dimes and nickles. The get excited and the parents are smiling. Well, there are many detectors to choose from. But only one as SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE as the humble unassuming Compadre. Don't let the simple package fool you. It finds coins like you wouldn't believe. And you'll be sifting for tiny stuff as you'll hear a crisp short signal and just KNOW it's tiny yet a target. I don't ever have a doubt that I'm missing something when using my Compadre. I have both types of detectors. I like being able to "set-up" my adjustable detector and hone in on a specific kind of target. By the way, that's what I do with the Compadre as well. It has an incredible ability with just one knob. It has one thing all the others dont have bar none. It has the most simplistic way of doing it, period. It's fun and effective and unless someone can prove me wrong, it has a place in the tool box of detectors for everyone young and old. Try one, use it for fun and enjoyment. Use it seriously to hunt with determination and you will find it has all the capabilities one needs to do the job. I love mine for all these reasons. There you have it. Hope you find what YOU are looking for for YOUR detecting enjoyment. Because, in the end, you will use what most floats your boat. Cheers!

 

[Ammoman]

Indeed the Compadre is a great detector...i have one myself. That said, i believe the Mojave is the Compadre with just a little more depth and ability to add coils.

 

[P.ALLEN]

Thanks Fellas! This is exactly what I needed.

 

[fltacoma]

Get both the Mojave and the Compadre w/ 5.75 coil as a backup detector!

 

[Stoof2010]

Well if it helps....
The first day I used my compadre was the last day used my ace 350.
I sold my ace soon after and that started me on my long road with Tesoro.
I still use mine alot. I also like it for introducing new people to the hobby. It's dead simple to operate and understand and works well above it's cost.
I haven't had as much time with my Mojave but so far I like it as well.
If your soil is mild, the compadre is still my favorite for simplicity and performance. For a little more you can have the mojave for sensitivity, coil change-ability, and ground switch in case you run into some bad ground.

If you feel any of what I felt the first time running my compadre, I see other tesoros in your future anyway.

So I can't tell you what choice to make but I can say that you'll live either one you get.
Comes down more to your ground where you're hunting. If it's rough and mineralized the compadre won't run as well but the Mojave will. If it's mild like my Michigan ground, the compadre and the Mojave will run well.
Let us know what you decide.
P.s. I have both the compadre models, but got the 8" first. The donut makes for really easy pinpointing, but the 5.75 is easier in dense trash.

 

[Tahoegold]

I say get rid of the ACE and pick up the mojave as your primary detector as well.

It's hard to argue this point! Although the Mojave doesn't have VDI and sometimes it's nice to have that one more bit of info.

 

[Stoof2010]

P.p.s I got my 5.75 compadre after having half my other tesoros in my arsenal because I liked it so much
That was before the mojave was released so I can't really say how I'd do it nowadays.

If you are only buying one, I'd say the Mojave in that price range. Just has more abilities and options on it.
You'd have to ask others with more time with the Mojave if the compadre still has some extra specialness the Mojave doesn't. I haven't used mine but a couple times at the end of this fall so I won't attempt to comment on that.
I will say the compadre has something that my others I've ran doesn't. May just be in my head, but works for me

 

[Stoof2010]

It's hard to argue this point! Although the Mojave doesn't have VDI and sometimes it's nice to have that one more bit of info.

Once you see how "slow" the recovery time is on the tesoros compared to the ace250/350 you'll know what we mean. I can't even swing my tesoros fast enough to not have them beep on each coin in a row. My ace would give one tone for 3 different coins spaced 2-3" apart when I swung over all of them. The Tesoro will give you three beeps.
When hunting even in mild garbage, it's an advantage.
Watch some nailboard test videos.
Relics1864 (Keith southern) has one for the Mojave from when he first got it. It'll show how well it'll block out things like nails and still hit on coins, even when the coin is surrounded.

I don't mean to argue either.
If you want vdi get a Deleon. Lol. All the best of Tesoro with the screen that will tell you all you want.

I have noticed that Tesoro did help me to trust the audio. I found that vdi and screens can actually make you not dig iffy things that can turn out to be a gold ring with garbage around it.
Like the previous poster said above, in the end you will use what you like. I'm just telling my story of my ace (first detector) and my compadre (2nd detector)

 

[jld66]

Not knocking the compadre or the mojave at all. But, I suggest waiting a bit longer, save a few more dollars, and get a good used cibola or even a vaquero. You will have a more capable machine for just a little more money.

 

[Stoof2010]

I agree jld
I was just going on the assumption that he had the ace250. If he was going to save for a better machine and he enjoys the ace I figured he would have already saved and gotten the ATPro or newer ATMax.
My suggestion about the compadre or Mojave is not only to wet his feet with Tesoro, but also keep the costs down.
Even after I got my vaquero, cibola, outlaw and bandido II micromax I still take out my compadre.

I was just saying that the relatively small investment for a compadre would pay of and show him all the wonders of Tesoro.
On the flip side, if he realizes he doesn't get along with Tesoro, he can resell the compadre and not lose much or just keep it and move on and use it from time to time. For the cost, it's less of a risk.
But me knowing what I know and feel about Tesoro (YMMV) I agree with you. Bu as hard as it is to believe, not everyone likes Tesoro. Some just love the screens and stuff.
:-)

 

[Tahoegold]

Compadre:
3.2 lbs
1- 9volt battery
1 knob
Head phone jack
Speaker
Lifetime warranty
Lowest cost Tesoro
Lots of people that own them. Very rarely does someone say they will get rid of theirs and they still use them even though they have all kinds of other detectors. One of the original questions was about weather or not the Ace 250 was descriminating as well as you wanted. How would adding more nuance to the sounds work for you? The Compadre would not just beep. It would make a huge variety of sounds. Fuzzy, popping, buzz beeps, clean edge beeps, soft edge beep. So many variations! And YOU get to use your brain to determine if you want to dig. There are other options on the table as this kind of sound descrimination is a Tesoro feature. Analog sound not limited to digital bell tone and number readout. There's much more information that your ear can learn to decipher from these machines. There's a reason some have a few Tesoros. They actually offer different levels of capabilities. Still, those capabilities come with a price. At around $160, the Compadre is a great deal and a very capable unit. Some say it does things other detectors can't. You can read on and on about this on this forum. If you don't mind spending more, thin I'm sure there's a Tesoro you would be happy with. The question was Compadre or no, and descrimination. No one is even trying to put down the compadre because it's a clasic and it works great! It descriminates out nails and finds coins. I'm not trying to pull you away from exploring the other modles. I just think I will keep the Compadre just like most would. I started with it and now I want to have another type. I just can't afford it and this Compadre is very fun. Interesting how when someone asks about the Compadre there's so much to say about it yet It's such a simple detector. Looking forward to which choice you make! Have fun with the research!

 

[P.ALLEN]

Fantastic advice! All in all with the information and testimonials that you all have given me, and due to budget I will go with the Compadre. This last summer I made about 3-400 dollars in the river diving, so I think this year with my area narrowed down I can make a bit more. Then I will upgrade based on that. Much appreciated to all, happy hunting.

 

[slomoshun]

.... the Compadre, I think I want to purchase it... Attempt to talk me out of it...

Decide whether the detector is the hobby, or listening and finding is. Less can often be more. K.I.S.S. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle

 

[luvsdux]

I've posted this idea before, but this seems like a good place to do it again. In my opinion every detectorist should start out and learn on beep and dig machine like most of the Tesoros. Once a person becomes one with the subtle differences in the tone, then carrying that over to a tid machine is the best of all worlds. That's how I started out and when I did add tid to my arsenal I found the tone nuances were quite useful as extra info when deciding to dig.
luvsdux

 

[CaptEsteban]

My Compadre was the one detector that " paid for itself " the quickest. I have 4-5 detectors, & I use it more than the others put together.