Garrett AT Pro - Not Impressed

[Matt1344]

[I know that this is generally considered the most beloved detector which is why I couldn’t wait to use it.]

So I’ve put about 10 hours on the AT Pro (I know that’s not a lot), but so far I’m not impressed with anything it does that the cheaper detectors don’t (if that makes sense).

Maybe I just need a little more time on it or need to adjust some of the settings.

The search coil being larger than the one on my White’s which I had previously used, makes digging a nightmare. Each object rings in, in an area that is about a square foot. The pin pointer (on the detector) is useless when there are multiple objects in one area. With the AT Pro I’m digging holes three times the size and spending 5 to 10 x more time searching for the object.

The thing is all over the place with the sensitivity set higher, but the sensitivity seems to directly affect the search depth. You can’t take advantage of the deeper search depth (over 6 inches) if you don’t have the sensitivity up, but if you keep it up there seems to be too many false positives. I get coin range signals that go away. I get coin range signals when the detector is sitting still. There seems to be so many random signals that go away with this thing as well.

Speaking of depth, I laid a quarter on the surface of the ground and took the detector directly over it. It rang in at 2 inches (which is what it should do)…but then at 4 and 6 inches with the exact same motion going over the same spot. So basically the depth indicator means nothing.

Now on to the numeric metal values. The same coin could ring in (and does) at 7 different values or more. So what’s the point? Is a specific number from 70-99 really going to keep you from digging? The numeric values seem useless when there is so much inconsistency and such a wide range of values the exact same coin can ring.

WIT reminded me below, I've also found more bottle caps than EVER! Which has translated to probably 5 x more trash digs.

To me, every bell and every whistle on this thing isn’t worth the hassle…at least so far.

What are your thoughts, feel free to put me in my place/tell me what I’m doing wrong. So far using it, for me, has been very frustrating.

 

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[Gaspipe]

I'am with you on the ATP. I have one and after 4 months it's back at Garrett for repairs. I think I know the machine well and while it's a good machine ,in my opinion it is overhyped and oversold by dealers . I do like the smaller coil better . But if you were to ask me if I'd buy one again knowing what I know now and having seen other machines at work I would say definitely not. And while we all hear and know Garrett has good customer service I feel way to many machines end up needing it.

 

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[Rawhide]

I have a old BH 202 that was king many years ago. I now run a F75. I sometimes hunt with both machines to see what the older BH is missing. I will say not much. Of course depth and sensitivity to small targets is where the two machines part ways. I have hunted areas that no detectors should ever been put into. I always head for trashy areas when I first start a new area. I want to see what others left behind. I know the F75, I can make it work 9 days out of 10. That tenth day we must have sunspots or something, as nothing I do is right. You have a machine that has been out for awhile and would say your doing nothing wrong. Welcome to the hobby. Maybe you need to give it a good cleaning and have a set down talk with it like I do mine. I also just realized you came from a whites which is another good machine. Im curious as to what caused the machine to go crazy when you were hunting. Was it location?

 

[choppadude]

It's interesting to read all the complaints that some AT owners (and some non owners) have expressed here. I have been running an AT Pro for a few months now, having only used the BH 505 w a DD coil before it. I have experienced some of the so called issues some have mentioned here but have a quite different attitude about the Pro. My opinion is this machine it doing exactly what it was designed to do. Yeah sure there might be a few out there with some bugs but every manufacturer has them. If you read the instructions and view the many vid's out there and take the time to learn the machine, you shouldn't have any problem. Some complain that the Pro is noisy, well I would say every noise is a target all you need to do is figure out which is a good target. Why would other machines not be so noisy in the same ground,( maybe their not picking up the targets?) Greatest depth I've achieved is in Pro Mode full Sensitivity and zero Discrimination, with Iron Audio on and off depending on trash. Is it noisy? Sure it probably is by someone's standard but I have pulled merc dimes as deep as 12" under a running track around an abandoned football field. The original limestone track had been covered with a cushioned new tech track which was then removed when they stopped using the sports complex. I have dug two coins through the sod over the original track and down into the clay base. Pin pointing has never been a problem read the instructions 95% of my finds are dead center of the hole or plug. You getting jumpy signals, well in my experience JUMPY usually means JUNK. The more time you spend with the Pro the more you will figure out whether it's truly a jumpy signal or a coin next to junk. I dig way less junk and way more good targets since I started running the Pro. Blame it on the machine if you want but I think this machine is telling you a lot more about what's in the ground than those who bash it are mentally capable of figuring out. Next thing some will want is a walk behind, self swinging detector, that will choose which target to dig and dig it too. Hunter

Excellent post!

 

[RotZorn]

I think a lot of people hate the ATP just because its popular. I admit that at times I have been annoyed by people who just refuse to shut up about it- going on and on just being obnoxious about it.

It's especially awkward to see or hear an ATP owner give another digger a hard time about "how crappy the detector they have is"?!?! It's the equivalent of having a guy in a Benz pull up to a person in a pickup truck and have them tell you all about how much better their ride is than yours...... Gimme a break.

It's important to realize that not ALL people who use the ATP are like this, and its no reason to hate the machine- it's a damn good MD.

 

[Ahab8]

I have a good friend that's been using an AT Pro for about 3 years. He has made some amazing finds with that machine. When he first bought it he hated it and wanted to wrap it around a tree. He also has had to send it back once for repair. I don't think anyone questions Garrett's customer service. They were great. Once he really got locked in with his machine he starting making some great recoveries and continue yes to do so. I have a T2 SE and I absolute love my machine. When we do hunt together he will occasionally ask me to scan a target that is only a whisper on his machine. It will be a clear signal on mine normally. But this rarely happens. Here are my thoughts and observations for whatever they're worth!
#1. 90% of targets are within range of any of today's quality machines.

#2. If someone isn't willing to read their manual a few times and truly pay attention and learn their machine completely, they will never get the most out of it.

#3. This to me is by far the most important point!
If you are not willing to fall in love with the research and truly learn the history and events in your search area, you won't be rewarded with the quality and quantity of great finds that those of us who immerse ourselves in the research are blessed with finding! If you don't consistently put your coil over the right soil you're just not going to be as successful as others. As with anything else in life you will only get out what you put in.
Buy a quality machine in your price range, learn everything you possibly can about your detector. Put yourself in areas with great history. Above all else, enjoy the experience. Look around at the beautiful nature we get to see. Hear the birds singing and watch the animals scurrying around the forest. Soak in the scenery. If you find something, great. If you don't, you still had a better day than most. Best of luck everyone. All the best, Abe

 

[Tnmountains]

The person that started this thread borrowed the machine?

I have a Tesoro and I learned it and loved it. I have an ATPro same thing. Same with the F-75. People are loyal to what they know and like.

When I buy I looked at people on here who are successful all the time in todays finds. The detectorist that hunted the way I wanted to and in similar conditions. Then I talked to them in P.M.When I asked advice in an open forum and got it I would look at what the person was finding by their post. If they did not have any recent finds but knew everything about everything I was skeptical. I researched successful hunters and what they used and then what I could afford.
I have learned to let my machines run right where you may have a light chatter at times so they are sniffing out everything. It takes getting used to. When my machine is silent for awhile I sweep it across my boot eyelets to make sure it is working right. That is old school I am sure.
This was the method to my madness,ha ha. I had a good hunt today with F-75. Yesterday was ATPRO. Have to have targets or you won't find anything.

 

[golden sluice]

In regards to the original post; I think you are suffering from sensitivity and ground balance issues. My at gold is so dead on With its dd coil its scary. I once found a piece of aluminum the size of a pinkie nail in a grass lawn 10 Inches down. Its depth read at 10". My pin pointer was used and it's signal swelled exactly where the target was in the dirt. I love mine. I wish everyone had the same quality of a garrett detector

 

[Ahab8]

The person that started this thread borrowed the machine? I have a Tesoro and I learned it and loved it. I have an ATPro same thing. Same with the F-75. People are loyal to what they know and like. When I buy I looked at people on here who are successful all the time in todays finds. The detectorist that hunted the way I wanted to and in similar conditions. Then I talked to them in P.M.When I asked advice in an open forum and got it I would look at what the person was finding by their post. If they did not have any recent finds but knew everything about everything I was skeptical. I researched successful hunters and what they used and then what I could afford. I have learned to let my machines run right where you may have a light chatter at times so they are sniffing out everything. It takes getting used to. When my machine is silent for awhile I sweep it across my boot eyelets to make sure it is working right. That is old school I am sure. This was the method to my madness,ha ha. I had a good hunt today with F-75. Yesterday was ATPRO. Have to have targets or you won't find anything.

TNMountains wrote a great post. Instead of going online and reading reviews written by people who may or may not have a clue what they're talking about. Success speaks for itself! I didn't find this forum until after I got my T2 SE but felt good when I was told by some of these guys that it was a great machine. Lots of these guys use the F75 or T2 SE. Most have had success with the Pro as well . Find a great spot and you will be successful.

 

[DigitNY]

The OP needs to spend more time with the machine, watch all the Garrett videos and read tips from people that have been using the ATP successfully. I have started MDing a bit over two months ago and bought the ATP and the machine is amazing, I dig NO bottle caps, have found a total of 34 silver coins, including a 1799 Half Real at about 8 inches, the oldest coin is a 1734 KG II Farthing. Wouldnt trade mine for anything.

I have had my atpro just a couple of weeks and the weather sux, so have maybe 3 hrs on it hunt in pro coins or zero with 35 iron disc. And I keep diggin bottle caps,,!!?? Any help appreciated, have a minelab 305 n a fisher cz70. So I'm not new to metal detecting..
PPP

 

[cooper1841]

Iron audio, Iron audio, !!!

I have had my atpro just a couple of weeks and the weather sux, so have maybe 3 hrs on it hunt in pro coins or zero with 35 iron disc. And I keep diggin bottle caps,,!!?? Any help appreciated, have a minelab 305 n a fisher cz70. So I'm not new to metal detecting..
PPP

 

[Lynne G. Peck]

I have about 40/50 hours on my AT Pro. After 40 years of detecting it is with out a dough the best detector I have ever had. Works much better than the high dollar detectors I have owned. Pin Pointing just takes practice but I have found it to be very close all the time. Needless to say the Garrett Pin Pointer is a must!!! I have found that the depth reading is sometimes deeper than the coin find. My first 3 hours with the unit I pulled up 152 coins. Yes 152. All clad but what a morning!! Since then I have found two gold rings, Two Merc dimes and one 1942 wheat penny, plus a couple of hundred coins. Practice, Practice, Practice, From what I have read here on the net, I think it is time for me to order a 5X8 coil. Keep digging!!! Lynne

 

[2TallHunter]

I love my AT Pro everywhere but saltwater. It works great everywhere else. I have been using it for three months now and I usually know what I'm going to dig before my digger hits the ground. I think my next purchase will be the Minelab Excalibur II for the saltwater, or if I can come up with the money, the ultimate purchase Minelab CTX 3030. That would be my dream machine. Now that is a great all-star machine. It goes everywhere but the deep water.

 

[stephintexas]

Newbie question: What is EMI and VDI?

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Iron audio, Iron audio, !!!

Iron Audio is KEY

I didnt understand it at first, Then I noticed i was digging the hell out of Bottle Tops....Now..Not so much...the Iron Audio will drown out the good part of the signal

 

[stephintexas]

I am research various MD's to buy and this will be my first one. The more I read, the more confused I get. At first I was considering one of these three: Fisher F2, Garrett 250, or White's Coinmaster Then....I kept reading about the Garrett AT Pro and several experienced MDR's suggested that I purchase it. After reading this thread, I see several stumbling blocks for a newbie trying to figure out this metal detector and would really like your opinion on what the smartest purchase would be for a newbie. I don't want to get frustrated and end up not using it. Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer first hand advice.

[I know that this is generally considered the most beloved detector which is why I couldn’t wait to use it.]

So I’ve put about 10 hours on the AT Pro (I know that’s not a lot), but so far I’m not impressed with anything it does that the cheaper detectors don’t (if that makes sense).

Maybe I just need a little more time on it or need to adjust some of the settings.

The search coil being larger than the one on my White’s which I had previously used, makes digging a nightmare. Each object rings in, in an area that is about a square foot. The pin pointer (on the detector) is useless when there are multiple objects in one area. With the AT Pro I’m digging holes three times the size and spending 5 to 10 x more time searching for the object.

The thing is all over the place with the sensitivity set higher, but the sensitivity seems to directly affect the search depth. You can’t take advantage of the deeper search depth (over 6 inches) if you don’t have the sensitivity up, but if you keep it up there seems to be too many false positives. I get coin range signals that go away. I get coin range signals when the detector is sitting still. There seems to be so many random signals that go away with this thing as well.

Speaking of depth, I laid a quarter on the surface of the ground and took the detector directly over it. It rang in at 2 inches (which is what it should do)…but then at 4 and 6 inches with the exact same motion going over the same spot. So basically the depth indicator means nothing.

Now on to the numeric metal values. The same coin could ring in (and does) at 7 different values or more. So what’s the point? Is a specific number from 70-99 really going to keep you from digging? The numeric values seem useless when there is so much inconsistency and such a wide range of values the exact same coin can ring.

WIT reminded me below, I've also found more bottle caps than EVER! Which has translated to probably 5 x more trash digs.

To me, every bell and every whistle on this thing isn’t worth the hassle…at least so far.

What are your thoughts, feel free to put me in my place/tell me what I’m doing wrong. So far using it, for me, has been very frustrating.

 

[dirtydig]

ive had mine for 3 months now and the 5x8 is the only thing that works, i dont use the large coil unless im in a feild where the targets are far apart. ground balancing is key on this machine and i dont care who gives advice on this technique, unless they are standing right next to you then it will probably be different. the machine has sensativity issues with the soil. i am just now getting it down but i know i will need to go thru 2 more sets of batterys before i can say i got it. also i have had plenty of problems with it bouncing around. keep the coil cleaned off and the cord wrapped and wound snugly. also i have found batterys that have caused weird behavior. all in all i love this machine now more than the hype. it doesnt lie to me.

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

Newbie question: What is EMI and VDI?

EMI= ElectroMagneticInterference VDI=Visual Display ID

Welcome to Treasurenet, Stephanie!

Wayne

www.metaldetectingstuff.com

 

[BcuttinPlugs]

The fisher f2 is a great starter machine and It gets plenty deep. The one prob about it is no ground balancing. The at pro is awesome. I just picked one up and hit two sites I previously hit with my f2. Well I pulled some nice old coins nicest being a 1873 Indian head that I missed with the f2. But depth wasn't the problem. I'm thinking it's mostly the ATP is quicker and can see through the trash. Imo I think it might be one of the best out there for seeing through the trash. ATP is really easy to learn. I seriously only have about five hours on it haha. I know everyone else will say that's not even close enough time to understand. Idk I guess I'm a quick learner.

 

[49er12]

Hey Matt I was curious about this unit as well. I think those two guys on the cable tv channel using it so you no people seem to go with with what seems to be a popular or celebrity used detector. I use a whites dfx seems fine I see you use a whites also, what pin pointer do you use, I don't care about fancy just something that's quality and works you no thanks.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

The fisher f2 is a great starter machine and It gets plenty deep. The one prob about it is no ground balancing. The at pro is awesome. I just picked one up and hit two sites I previously hit with my f2. Well I pulled some nice old coins nicest being a 1873 Indian head that I missed with the f2. But depth wasn't the problem. I'm thinking it's mostly the ATP is quicker and can see through the trash. Imo I think it might be one of the best out there for seeing through the trash. ATP is really easy to learn. I seriously only have about five hours on it haha. I know everyone else will say that's not even close enough time to understand. Idk I guess I'm a quick learner.

Its hard to really say you found something that your other machine missed.

I hunt the same areas , with the same machines...and find stuff i missed. it just happens.