How do you choose

[rodarian]

Hello everyone. I am in the market to upgrade from my ace 250 and i have it narrowed down to atpro or atgold. How do you choose which is best? I live in upstate NY and have many permissions in both NY and VT. Both are mountainous areas. My dilemma is, one is $100 more than the other but both seem to be the same machine. Am i wrong on this assessment? If the atgold is really that much better, i think i want to go with that one but if not then atpro it is. Any advice on this conundrum would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all,
Rod

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

How would I choose. Of those two I'd go with the AT Pro because I do no gold prospecting at all.

 

[clv]

Going to detect on the beach? Wet salts? If so get the AT Pro.

 

[bigfoot1]

unless you are going small nugget shooting...at pro all the way.a very solid mid price machine that can do many tasks well.Not the ultra best in any single catagory,but super versatile in that sense it is the best there is for some.Be sure to get the 5x8 coil also...you will REALLY be glad you did

 

[clv]

Yep, the at gold just won't handle salt waters only fresh waters.
Have you looked at any other brands?

 

[pgfhgs]

AT pro all the way, or spend double and get a V3i

 

[Sandman]

Both these single frequency detectors will suck in wet saltwater sand but will work fine in the dry sand or inland unless your near a cell tower. It's a crap shoot really as some work there and others are falsing like crazy.

Bigfoot is right about the 5X8 coil.

 

[Carolina Tom]

I used an AT Pro... for the money, an awesome machine. The other boys are right, the 5x8 coil is the way to go. The machine feels nose heavy, and just plain heavy with the larger coil!

I now use a Deus, and I really like it, but it is another step in price.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

I use both machines for relic hunting, with the AT Gold getting the call more often because of the threshold and All Metal Mode! For your case, I believe the AT Pro with a small coil will be a fantastic choice for your hunting needs. Also, it is nice to have a waterproof detector; just in case. Of course, there are many other mid-level machines that are of fine quality.

 

[rodarian]

Thank you to everyone that commented here. Really, the only other machine i have considered is the whites m6. I only have a budget of about $700(less if i can) but $700 is my max and I know this because my wife told me so. I don't see me doing allot of under water MD'ing but i do like to get into the shallow rivers and creeks that are around here. Also, i really enjoy MD'ing in a light to moderate rainfall. Idk why but i do...lol. So, from what I have read from your posts, the at pro with the smaller coil is my better option. I will have my new machine ordered by the end of this month, whichever machine it may be, but if I go with at pro, the 5x8 coil is going to have to wait till I get further approval. Thanks again for the help, all.

 

[gleaner1]

Hello everyone. I am in the market to upgrade from my ace 250 and i have it narrowed down to atpro or atgold. How do you choose which is best? I live in upstate NY and have many permissions in both NY and VT. Both are mountainous areas. My dilemma is, one is $100 more than the other but both seem to be the same machine. Am i wrong on this assessment? If the atgold is really that much better, i think i want to go with that one but if not then atpro it is. Any advice on this conundrum would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all,
Rod

Well Hello!!. There is no best. Your assessment is weak. If your dilemma is that both seem to be the same machine then that is not a dilemma, it's pure lazyness, sorry to say. Alls you gots to do is spend ten minutes of your computer time researching and reading about the functions and functionality of the two machines at Garret's website. It's so easy, a caveman can do it. Well, most cavemen that is. Good luck rodarian. I live near you, I hope to metal detect with you some time. I specialize in the Adirondacks, loaded with old time silver up there.

 

[gleaner1]

Both these single frequency detectors will suck in wet saltwater sand but will work fine in the dry sand or inland unless your near a cell tower. It's a crap shoot really as some work there and others are falsing like crazy.

Bigfoot is right about the 5X8 coil.

Some of the early release units were defective, they "falsed" because they were garbage fresh out of the factory. Oh well, we move on, its been so many years now. My original release atpro is the most stable non-falsing metal detector I have ever used hands down. And I like craps.

 

[gleaner1]

Thank you to everyone that commented here. Really, the only other machine i have considered is the whites m6. I only have a budget of about $700(less if i can) but $700 is my max and I know this because my wife told me so. I don't see me doing allot of under water MD'ing but i do like to get into the shallow rivers and creeks that are around here. Also, i really enjoy MD'ing in a light to moderate rainfall. Idk why but i do...lol. So, from what I have read from your posts, the at pro with the smaller coil is my better option. I will have my new machine ordered by the end of this month, whichever machine it may be, but if I go with at pro, the 5x8 coil is going to have to wait till I get further approval. Thanks again for the help, all.

rodarian, you will ABSOLUTELY LOVE M6.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

M6 is a good coin machine. When I was in a club the president had one and he did very, very well.

 

[rodarian]

AT Gold Metal Detector vs AT PRO
True All-Metal Mode
Yes
Notch Discrim (adjustable)
Yes
Notch Discrim (fixed)
Yes
Operating Frequency
18 kHz 15 kHz
Proportional Audio
Yes Yes
Tone Roll Audio™
Yes Yes
Standard Binary Audio
Yes
Fast Recovery Speed
Yes Yes
Iron Audio™ (Disc. modes)
Yes Yes
Iron Audio™ (All Metal)
Yes
Threshold Adjustment
Yes
High Resolution Iron Discrimination™
Yes Yes
Digital Target ID
Yes Yes
Ground Balance, Auto/Manual
Yes Yes
Ground Balance Window™
Yes
Waterproof to 10 feet
Yes Yes
Freshwater use
Yes Yes
Saltwater use
Yes
Ohhhh, now i see it...

 

[Massieville Mike]

AT Gold, as already previously mentioned, has true all metal mode and it has been said by others (I don't own, nor have I used a Pro. I do use a Gold) that the Gold is deeper and more sensitive to smaller objects than the Pro. It also comes with the 5x8 coil, standard. I really like my Gold, and am quite satisfied with its capabilities and the success I've had with it thus far. Wish I had experience with a Pro as well so that I could give you an informed opinion of both detectors, but unfortunately I can only talk first hand about the Gold. I have dug quite a bit of stuff using the Gold and I can say, honestly, that it does do well on small stuff (Big stuff too of course Lol!). I have dug more than one 22 caliper bullet at more than 6". Happy huntin' and good luck to ya, whatever you decide on!

 

[Seabees]

Have you thought about getting a used pro/gold, then you can probity also get a used M6 too.
OR
Get a used pro/gold and then you can also get the 5x8 coil.

 

[rodarian]

I am now looking at an almost one year old used m6 with 14 months of warranty still on it. I do like the way you think, seabees.

 

[clv]

If you are considering an m6, then you should take a hard look at the MX5, it may have a poly housing, but it's lighter, weather resistant (hunt in the rain, just can't dunk it), a night light, and some other features you might like, and of course less money.
With the settings at the right spot and a 5 x10 DD coil maybe even go nugget hunting (let you know when my unit gets here).