Is all cheap detectors, Junk

[dieselram94]

I can cherry pick and duck most,not all caps. Am willing to dig them a while where i hunt regular.
If i could trade a couple units in i could see running a minelab down the road. Content for now,usually.
getting Justins hands on a variety of used with knowledgeable user(s) would go far.
What i think he is wanting it for a lot of units will cover,its what he might want out of it farther on that makes amount of investment important.

Jeff,the garrett ace series are multi bell tones. At times capable of an interesting medley!

The one time I used a ace detector the machine was giving multiple tones on the same target. It sounded like a kids electric piano...All tones going off. I don't like noise and so this really bugged me. My opinion of the ace detectors was set right then and there. But it is just my opinion and worth just what you all paid for it

 

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[releventchair]

Thanks,now i will have to concentrate on not hearing a piano! On occasion i turn the headphones down. I did miss hearing the noon whistle yesterday,the only hole in the rain for what looks like an all most two week period,so that's good. Got a couple extra hours in. I have a couple 350s,they are well worth the cost to me. Lots of hours helps. All ways like trying others though, we know where that leads eventually. Unlike some, ummm significant others you can have more than one favorite and not get in trouble.

 

[George (MN)]

From an AT Pro user: buy it if you can afford it. They can't state a price on the internet less than about $600, but you may be able to get a quote on the phone or in an e-mail for a bigger discount. Certainly if you ever saw a used one for $400 & it had the cam locks that indicate manufactured or remanufactured after the early problem units you should be fine. But I see many AT Pros on eBay going for $500-$550 used, so a new one might be a better deal from some dealers.

What I like so much about the AT Pro is it has the most accurate & stable ID at depth I've ever seen. It will ID correctly almost as deep as it can detect, I got a dime 7" deep that IDed correctly on all of 10-20 passes I did before digging it up. This was in moderately mineralized soil that was hard from being totally dry. It is good at getting tilted coins. After setting the ground balance it goes deep & IDs great. Dimes ID 80-85, quarters 85-86, nickels 52-53, copper cents upper 70s to lower 80s. Iron disc of 40 can completely reject things like steel bottle caps. At iron disc 35, they give a one way beep. The zinc cents give high tone 1 way & mid tone on return sweep, so no need to even look at the visual ID.

In PRO mode I'm told it can hear a coin under a nail, if iron is not completely rejected. I've just used it in STD mode, sens 7 out of 8, iron disc 40, coins program. Almost never dug junk & when I did it was almost always small round objects.

I had a Garrett Ace 250 & the deepest dime that IDed correctly was 4" vs 7" for the AT Pro. Even Minelab users say their visual ID is not accurate beyond 7". I've got a Minelab Safari that can detect a dime in air test to 11.5" vs 10" for AT Pro, but Safari can't ID accurately at depth any better than AT Pro, despite cost. AT Pro in STD mode, sens 7 of 8, gives a high tone at 10" on a dime. The Safari at 11.5" gives almost all low junk/iron IDs on dime. Best wishes, George (MN)

P.S. I am not brand-prejudiced as have owned about 50 detectors from White, Fisher, Garrett, Teknetics, Bounty Hunter, Nautilus, Wilson, Minelab, Compass, & chinese models. Have been detecting since 1976.

 

[Eric Wilson]

I'd try to find a used minelab in good shape. Warranty can be transferred if too much time hasn't passed. If you can expand your budget any you should consider it.

 

[lonewolfe]

min 3 tone ID (low, mid, high) = MUST for a beginner

Target ID = Must for beginner

Depth gage (good for a beginner)

Turn on and go = must for a beginner

$400 range?

Fisher F4
Garrett Ace 350
MineLab 505
Teknetics Delta 4000
Maybe a used Whites MXT

just to name a few for someone just starting out but that doesn't want the bottom of the barrel and that have some sort of features/extras

HH and good luck in whatever you decide

 

[fistfulladirt]

ONe big feature of Minelab, is that all the knobs go to eleven! That's what we call the MInelab advantage.

 

[Silver Slayer]

Fisher F2 $199.00 sweet machine!

 

[bigfoot1]

this is like asking what is best fishing reel,golf club,chevy vs ford....on and on...I say rent,rent,rent....then buy

 

[jeff of pa]

So, Jeff, was is the big difference with the $1500 - $3000 detector versus my $600 AT Pro? Just curious.

well first off I've never used the AT Pro

So I am going on what I think the Big difference is.

the AT Pro doesn't have the features the Minelab Explorer has

one of them
FBS (Full Band Spectrum : 28 frequencies operating simultaneously over a range from 1.5kHz to 100kHz.)


or BBS (Broad Band Spectrum : transmits multiple separate frequencies over a range of 1.5 kHz to 25.5 kHz. All multiple frequencies are transmitted at the same time, spread over a wide spectrum. )





as I said (Spoiled)

Not trying to be rude, or Brand Loyal so much as,
trying to be honest on my mindset.

as I said earlier, you (I) still need to swing over the object so
no matter the cost of the detector if You (I) don't swing over it, And Dig
neither of us win, but I'd feel out of place swinging anything else.
and not hearing what I Do.

 

[BryanM362]

well first off I've never used the AT Pro

So I am going on what I think the Big difference is.

the AT Pro doesn't have the features the Minelab Explorer has

one of them
FBS (Full Band Spectrum : 28 frequencies operating simultaneously over a range from 1.5kHz to 100kHz.)

or BBS (Broad Band Spectrum : transmits multiple separate frequencies over a range of 1.5 kHz to 25.5 kHz. All multiple frequencies are transmitted at the same time, spread over a wide spectrum. )

as I said (Spoiled)

Not trying to be rude, or Brand Loyal so much as,
trying to be honest on my mindset.

as I said earlier, you (I) still need to swing over the object so
no matter the cost of the detector if You (I) don't swing over it, And Dig
neither of us win, but I'd feel out of place swinging anything else.
and not hearing what I Do.

So, what is the outcome of the frequency things you mention? Better target ID? Better depth?

 

[oxbowbarefoot]

So, Jeff, was is the big difference with the $1500 - $3000 detector versus my $600 AT Pro? Just curious.

I absolutely loved my AT-Pro. As I said before, it is certainly not a toy. Its adaptability and performance are outstanding for a detector in that price range. In well-practiced hands, it can certainly compete with most people using high end machines. However, high end machines in well practiced hands will illustrate the difference between $600 and $1600. I am continually finding items now with my Deus that I would likely not have found with the AT-Pro. It took time for me to see the difference though, I had to learn the Deus before I could even match my performance with the AT. I sold my AT-Pro last fall, but intend to buy another. Not just as a backup, but as my reliably rugged, go-to detector for water, weather, and to mix things up.

 

[jeff of pa]

So, what is the outcome of the frequency things you mention? Better target ID? Better depth?

I Think "Think" I'm getting more depth. I know depth is great.
the Explorer is sweet on Deep small silver.
My sovereign was sweet on gold jewelry of all sizes.

the sovereign was very Stable in almost all ground conditions, Except High Iron areas.
Then I felt I lost depth, by Backing off on sensitivity.

Haven't expierenced that with the Explorer SE yet.

the Sovereign was awesme on target Id at any depth,
just by comparing Number on screen to tone emitted.
(I litterally Dug every signal with the Sovereign.
So I know when I was surprised, it was due to multiple targets,
and the sovereign choosing one of them to tell me was there)

the Explorer not so accurate on the Cross Hair ID,
I don't look at id all the time though.
and never ysed the Number id on it.

Most times I dig everything unless real trashy areas and Limited Time.
Then I try to get pickey & cherry pick the Highs

 

[lonewolfe]

So, what is the outcome of the frequency things you mention? Better target ID? Better depth?

Better target ID at depth

BBS and FBS are exclusive to ML and is a different kind of technology than all other VLF machines use

they are also very stable in highly mineralized soils, on wet salt beaches, black sand, and in salt water

everyone knows (at least the long time guys in the hobby and especially anyone that's swung a upper end ML with FBS/BBS tech.) that they are DEEP silver seekers and ID things correctly right down to the near fringes of their depth capabilities (where other machines start to lose their ID'ing abilities to correctly ID at approx. 4 in.) and get worse the deeper the target.

They are not necessarily the deepest machine/s out there though (but as stated above) they will ID like no other machine/s nearly to their depth limits.

This hobby isn't ALL about "depth" though - sure - the deeper the better but - when a guy swinging "machine A" passes over a target at 7 in. because it looks/sounds crappy to him on his machine and then guy with ML follows behind and swings over same target with a Sov. or Explorer and digs up a 1800s silver 3 cent piece that YOU just walked over because HIS machine tells him it's a good target based on the ID and sound = too bad for you!

At the same time though - many many machines of all manufactures can not handle working in "iron" worth a crap -

ML's are not known for being a good choice in doing such either

the AT Pro on the other hand and in the hands of an "experienced user" can walk into a nail infested / iron infested site and pick out a silver dime at 6 in. that the ML just walked over or some other machine INcluding a lot of $1500/$2000 machines because many of them don't work in iron infested sites very well and can't "unmask" like the AT Pro can (as well as others)(including the $1800 Deus).

P.S.

do not confuse the FBS/BBS tech. of Sov. and Ex-cals, Explorers, Ctx3030 etc. etc. with the new line of ML "X-Terra" which use a different kind of tech. (not FBS/BBS) which is one reason they are MUCH "cheaper". There's a reason (or reasons) the X-Terra line is much cheaper and why they won't ID at depth like the FBS/BBS Minelabs will (among other things)!

 

[Frankn]

OK, I only read the first couple of posts, but here is my theory. There is a big difference between cheap, which means low cost and ineffective. What you will get here is every bodies favorite brand. I own several brands of detectors, each selected for a specific use. When you start, it should be with a general purpose detector of the highest quality you can afford. My general purpose detector for the last 12 years has been an XLT by Whites. It was top of the line when I bought it and I still view it as such. It will find anything the new ones will find and more than most. I have found rings,coins of gold, silver and bronze, gold nuggets, and deep large targets at 2' like a license plate. The good news is that you can pick up a good used one in the classifies here or on the Bay for a bit over $300. Frank...

 

[Justintime]

Thanks guys for all the great, advice. I have found a, whites/5900DI pro SL, he wants 300$, is that a good detector.thanks Justintime

 

[jeff of pa]

Thanks guys for all the great, advice. I have found a, whites/5900DI pro SL, he wants 300$, is that a good detector.thanks Justintime

probably a decent detector in it's time, could be 10+ years old
found this from 2006
Whites stop making them available early 2006.

2006 Quote :

A new one under warranty goes for $424 or more. Used ones sell on EBay for from $250

remember that was said 7 years ago.
so $300 is a bit steep.

If you haven't purchased yet wait for responses.

and Google whites 5900DI pro SL

that's at least 7 years old

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I still have my Fisher 1260X I bought in 1985 - 28 years ago. GREAT machine then, higher end.

Getting back into the hobby, I figured that beast was completely obsolete and new technology would blow the Fisher away. So, figured I'd dabble, didn't go completely low ball, just mostly. Bought a new Ace 250.

Cheap feeling, very low depth, Target ID inaccurate, Depth indication way off.

Gave that Ace to my brother, and went back to my much better 1260X - old enough to be the Ace's great, great, great grandfather as far as technology goes - but still a much better detector than the Ace.

After a while, deciding to get very serious, reading as much as possible about it, I did finally go for the E-Trac, and as for that I say WHEW!!!

DO NOT discount older technology when considering used premium machines from the ancient eras! And you can pick them up relatively cheap!

 

[jeff of pa]

I still have my Fisher 1260X I bought in 1985 - 28 years ago. GREAT machine then, higher end.

Getting back into the hobby, I figured that beast was completely obsolete and new technology would blow the Fisher away. So, figured I'd dabble, didn't go completely low ball, just mostly. Bought a new Ace 250.

Cheap feeling, very low depth, Target ID inaccurate, Depth indication way off.

Gave that Ace to my brother, and went back to my much better 1260X - old enough to be the Ace's great, great, great grandfather as far as technology goes - but still a much better detector than the Ace.

After a while, deciding to get very serious, reading as much as possible about it, I did finally go for the E-Trac, and as for that I say WHEW!!!

DO NOT discount older technology when considering used premium machines from the ancient eras! And you can pick them up relatively cheap!

I have to agree My Whites 6000D series 2 was Very Very good to me.
But again, after a month with the Sovereign, The 6000D felt like a toy in comparison
so I sold it for $100

 

[bevo]

so a whata ya doin with the 1260?

 

[bevo]

My minelab is an instrument, the others are units. But I have a sick disposition to bring performance outa the low ends. The quality ones that is.Then again I'm kinda weird.