Seeking advice on a 2nd detector

[Vern2]

Here is my story: I am almost 71, with arthritic hands, and bad legs and feet after back surgery a year ago. But I still want to get out and metal detect. I just can't do it all day, just a couple of hours at a time.

My MD career is now 83 days long. I love it, and have been finding many clad coins with my Tesoro DeLeon, and two rings, and a ton of trash. I probably need another detector like a nail in my head, cause the DeLeon has been very good to me when I put it over ground to be successful. Very accurate on coins. Light and very well balanced, especially with the 5.75 concentric. No I don't need another detector. However.

Nothing will do me until I get another on. Just gotta have one, and I just know all of you experienced guys and gals understand where I am coming from.

So help me decide, please. I live in South Georgia. I have had absolutely no trouble with the preset GB on the DeLeon. None. So that is not an issue.
No chatty, no nothing.
I know you old guys don't, but I still get joy out of finding clad coins. Yes, I want so bad to find silver coins, and I just know it will happen. But so far out of 320 coins, I have found just clad. But I was real happy when I found the two rings. Real happy.

So, I want a detector that will find coins. Perhaps set up to find coins in pretty clean ground, and at ball fields and parks where there are a lot of pull tabs and bottle caps. Good on rings and other good stuff. There are no gold fields in SW Georgia.

My new detector has to be light, because of the hands. Small coils are a blessing.

Here are the ones I have been considering, in this order: T2, F75, F70, and the new Patriot, and Omega 8000. Xterra 705, but I think it is too heavy at 3 and a half lbs.

I have read the merits of all, more than once, but I still don't have it in my head yet. Nope, I don't need another detector, but I do need help to feed this new addiction. Meds don't help.

Thanks!

 

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[Peyton Manning]

at 71 you still need to learn patience grasshopper
you are doing well, better things will come

 

[Vern2]

at 71 you still need to learn patience grasshopper
you are doing well, better things will come

Sorry Jeff, I don't speck I have enough time left to find patience. I'm in a hurry.

 

[Geobound]

I know that you didn't mention either one of these two machines, but I'm going to mention them anyway.

1) The Garrett AT Pro is quite simply an easy machine to use and learn, and will find exactly what you are looking for.....though in theory they all will, just this one seems easier?
It weighs just a tad over 3 pounds, and may not be too bad for your tired hands. It comes with comfortable headphones, with adjustable volume controls. Not saying you're hard of hearing or anything, but if you are this could help.

2) XP DEUS WITH FX-02 WIRED BACK-PHONES, REMOTE AND 9" COIL. Even with this setup, the machine weighs in at around 2 pounds and is used by several older gentlemen that I know of (not personally, just through other forums), and they swear by this machine.

The control module can either be kept on the shaft of the machine for a visual display of your target ID numbers, or can be worn separately from the shaft enabling you to hunt by sound only.

You've gone this far in reading the specs of machines, I figured two more things to look up wouldn't hurt.

The Deus is more money than the AT Pro, but perhaps some of its features may interest you?

Good luck in whatever model you decide to go with.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Tesoro Mojave / Makro Racer 2

 

[gunsil]

Vern, the only reason you haven't found a silver coin is because you haven't yet put your coil over one. No machine in the world will do better unless you get the coil over one. It is not your detector, it is just the places you are hunting, or you would have found silver. Many easy access places have been hit hard for years, you just need to find an older site that hasn't been detected yet and you will find silver with the machine you have. Permission for private property is one of the best ways to do so. I'm only a couple years younger than you and when I started almost fifty years ago there was more silver than clad in the ground, but it just isn't so anymore in many public places so you need to find older homes and yard to hunt, the silver is there and your machine will find it.

 

[☠ Cipher]

Most of the machines you listed aside from maybe the Omega 8000 are 3.5 ibs. I have the f75 LTD and love it. The new patriot is the f70 repackaged at a lower price with patriotic imagery. That might be the best value for your dollar in fact. I too have problems with my joints. My arm starts to bother me quickly if I don't switch arms frequently. So I bought a harness swing and that has made all the difference. I went from only being able to swing for a couple hours to all day with little to no trouble. Another tip, from my own personal experience, and others may disagree based on their own preferences but I find it easier to coin shoot with a concentric coil. I don't care for the DD. Other than that any of the machines you listed are excellent. The Xterra 705 is the only multifrequency machine listed. It is not simultaneous multifrequency, but can be changed via coil. That is an advantage as well. With a 3khz concentric you'd get nice hits on silver coins.

 

[Vern2]

Hey guys, thank you for the advice. I appreciate it.

I like the idea of the harness.
The one I am leaning toward is the Patriot. From what I have read, the F70 is a great coin machine. I also like the T2 at $499.
But I don't hunt relics. Rings and coins.

A representative at Teknetics told me that the T2 was absolutely the best detector for the money. He was real sincere about it too.

I may talk myself out of buying one right now. The Deleon has proven it's worth pretty dog gone good. The more I hunt, the better it gets. Just need to get the coil over some old stuff, like you said.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Vern, the T2 is basically a Tesoro Vaquero with a screen. Save some money!

 

[snorks]

I think the 705 is perhaps the lightest on your list.

 

[Indian Steve]

Skip ALL of the above and get a Tesoro Compadre. 2.2 pounds, single knob discrimination, 5.75 or 8 inch coil, $160 and lifetime warranty and will find anything that the big money machines will find.

 

[Ammoman]

You already have a very good machine. I would go with the new Mojave or compadre.

 

[Vern2]

You have really given me some detectors to think about. I thank you very much.

 

[bakkhoe]

Are you finding wheat cents? If not, you are in the wrong place to find silver. If you are, then you just need to persist and keep hunting and you WILL find silver. If you have friends, or neighbors that have houses built in the 1950's or before, ask to hunt the yards. Those are some of the best places to discover some silver.

You really have a very good detector. The fisher f75 ldt2 with dst is a very good, deep hunting detector as well and is light weight.
The new Tesoro Mojave is even lighter and super easy to run, and finds lots of silver in trashy sites. Good Luck!

 

[Vern2]

Are you finding wheat cents? If not, you are in the wrong place to find silver. If you are, then you just need to persist and keep hunting and you WILL find silver. If you have friends, or neighbors that have houses built in the 1950's or before, ask to hunt the yards. Those are some of the best places to discover some silver.

You really have a very good detector. The fisher f75 ldt2 with dst is a very good, deep hunting detector as well and is light weight.
The new Tesoro Mojave is even lighter and super easy to run, and finds lots of silver in trashy sites. Good Luck!

No wheats. You ate right, I need to get over some old ground.

The F75 is one I am considering very highly.

 

[bakkhoe]

Doesn't have to be a really old spot, or house. 1940's-50's houses have quite a lot of silver and way less ferrous trash. Kids had money.... and lost it.
Permission is not hard to get. The hardest part is knocking, and if you don't knock, the answer is a definite no.
We all want you to find some SILVER !

 

[Cosmo3]

I am 67 ans also have arthritis in my hands. My son bought me a Bounty Hunter Sharpshooter II for Christmas. It was a very good machine that I refuse to knock in any way. I found many, many coins and a few relics with it. I was bitten hard by the bug and felt like I wanted an upgrade so I bought myself a Garrett AT Pro and gave the BH to my daughter-in-law who has become my detecting partner, and a very good one. She on a regular basis beats me in finds for the day.

That said I have found 6 rings, a locket, several other miscellaneous jeweler pieces with the ATP. I never found one with the BH. I contribute this to the settings I used. I love the ATP but plan on buying a NEL SharpShooter 9.5x5.5" Search Coil (Garrett AT Pro) because of the lighter weight. I find the stock coil a little heavier than I like. I have learned to use the ATP in Pro Zero mode and am finding things I never did with the BH. Add to this the ATP being waterproof to 10 feet and I feel I made the correct buy when I upgraded.

 

[Vern2]

My first detector was a Garrett ACE 200. The whole feel of the ACE has spooked me from trying another Garrett. The AT Pro might be great, but that's just me. Glad you are happy.

Actually I've decided against buying another detector. For now anyway. Since installing a 5.75 Concentric coil about a week ago, it's like my DeLeon is a totally different machine.

I'm finding dimes and quarters at much higher ratio. Digging less trash. DeLeon is lighter and easier to swing longer. Of course since adding small coil, swinging less and digging more.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

 

[perry2]

I am 79 and use the ATPro only. Best machine I have ever used for -under $600 Perry

 

[Vern2]

I am 79 and use the ATPro only. Best machine I have ever used for -under $600 Perry

Good for you Perry. I sure hope I'm still swinging when 79.
Like I said, from what I have read, there are many thousands of sane people, just like us, who love the AT Pro. I probably will never know, but to each his own money.😊