So, just how good is the F75?????

[gallileo60]

What do you guys think, is it a coin killer, and is it easy to use? What is the learning curve like... Thanks, Tom

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

I sure like mine. You can find coins immediately and after almost three years I'm still learning some of it's tricks. You can crank the discriminate and notch in nickels and then dig nothing but coins all day . . . at least at my local parks and soil conditions. I did that for a while (a HUGE luxury after years with a Musky) but now I run almost no discrimination and dig the occasional trash in order to also dig rings and jewelry. The VID is accurate and repeatable and you can tell zinc cents easily from pre-82 cents.

Now there is a LTD version that has a "boost" (which for all I can figure is a larger volume range and does what good headhones might already do for the regular F75) plus a cache mode.

Here's a list I made up and a notch scale if you so choose.

 

[gallileo60]

Charlie, thank you very much...I am really trying to get the best deal for my money....Tom

 

[jsmorleymxt]

ive used many differnt detectors in the past, but hands down this is the best dtector ive ever seen. you will not go wrong. the learning curve is moderate but very easy to learn. you cant go wrong on buying the f75.

 

[gallileo60]

ive used many differnt detectors in the past, but hands down this is the best dtector ive ever seen. you will not go wrong. the learning curve is moderate but very easy to learn. you cant go wrong on buying the f75.

Anything you guys do not like about it?Thanks again, Tom

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Anything you guys do not like about it?

Oh, fur sure!

The "dead halibut" coil (see my avatar) catches on every stem, stick and tuft in the woods or rough grassy spots but is fine for mown lawns or plowed fields. Adding a solid coil fixes this.

The unit IS jumpy. The good news is because it is on the hair's edge of stability vs. depth so you have to tone down he sensitivity in some spots. You'll still be ahead of many other detectors, however. It can be adjusted to be not jumpy, so not a problem. I can imagine some spots - near large motors or high voltage lines (I have hunted under 13,800 volt power lines with no problems EXCEPT after rain). I have also found quarters INSIDE of metal monkey-bars at a tot lot. My Minelab (also a DD coil) couldn't find coins there.

It is somewhat lightly constructed. Compared to the earlier Fishers it is downright flimsy. But it compared to the XT series from Minelab. I guess light is a trend (and my arm/wrist approve). Has not proven to be a problem and it is light and a pleasure to use all day but I do tend to "baby" it a bit because of this. Heck, it is delicate electronics and not a mil spec unit. I could defend myself in battle with my Musky, but have not yet had to. Life is full of trade-offs. For a relic hunter in the rough it may be an issue. For a coin shooter the lighter the better. It also rewards the user who sweeps it fast (better depth and definition, believe it or not) so light is a requirement.

Mine does not like NiMH batteries. But they are good fresh off charge that day. So I am currently married to Alkalines. The good news is they last around 40 to 50 hours of detecting time. That's a bunch.

The unit tips over when you set it down. I had to make a little stand out of dowels that I leave attached. With that it is fine and even yanking the Sun Ray around doesn't tip it over. I also leave the dust jacket on the battery case as it gets wet and muddy.

 

[Streak!]

I think the F75/F75 LTD is about as good as it gets.

I think the only thing I'd change is maybe to make it more EMI proof, but its a fact the more sensitive a given detector is, the more its apt to be EMI sensitive.

The F75 is an admirable coin shooter, but its real strength is it rapid recovery speeds, and its ability to sound off on co-located targets, as opposed to a lot of lesser machines out there.
It light and easy to use, and has astounding battey life. Some have expressed concern over its build quality, but I gotta tell you, I have one of the origonal F75's, thats never been sent in for anything (including any "upgrades"), it its still tickin. I hunt stubble fields........woods, and do a lot of bushwhackin with it, and have never had a failure. none. Considering its perceived "flimsy" construction, its held up every very very well.The only thing I did to it was change the arm cup to something I liked better .(an old Shadow arm cup).
The LTD, in normal modes, is an exact clone of the F75, BUT, when using one of the Boost processes, it changes quite a bit. It still has that F75 flavor, but the responses are much more robust and solider. Its far more than just an audio boost. My LTD can get a target in the woods where there is a good deal of overburden very well, when the origonal F75 wont make a peep. It does get a "bit" more "in the ground" depth, but its minimal. Its strength is its ability to get a target holding the coil 6" off the ground that "may" have been heard (barely) with the older machine by scrubbing! (and get it very well). It (the LTD) also is a bit quieter and stable in BP mode than the origonal F75 is/was.
Now that I have an LTD, my older 75 is relagated to backup status.....but if it werent for the LTD, it would still be on top on the heap compared to most other machines I have used.
If though, your used to a relatively quiet machine It may take you a bit of time to get used to it. you hear a lot more with it than most other machines out there. A lot of guys dont like that. IF you take the time to really learn and become accustomed to it , it will serve you well. Good luck with whatever you choose................ Streak!

 

[cosmic]

Great machine if you get a good one!!

 

[mikewaz]

I love mine! I learn something new with it every time out. I found silver in my yard 10 mins after putting it together using the default settings, and that was after I pounded that yard with my 1266. It's a breeze to tweak while hunting and because it's so easy I always experiment with the settings to check the response. Can't wait for a good thaw to get back out there.
Mike

 

[Streak!]

I like your chart Charlie.......... but it should be noted...

that the ground plays a big role in specific ID's. For instance, in MY ground, Large cents bang in at a rock solid 83 99% of the time. If I read your chart correctly, it seems yours come in at 81. Did you comple this chart with targets responses in the air, or in the ground? I'd be interested to know that to see if the air ID's differ much from dirt ID's. I guess its possible that different machines will Id slightly different due to component variances....but digital machines tend to be much more alike off the assembly line than their analog counterparts.
When we hunt in Bad dirt, like in some places in Va, the Ids are GREATLY affected, sometimes by 15 or 20 numbers!
Just for comparison.......my Dirt Gb's in the mid 60's........... and I get a FE304 reading of no bars to maybe one bar at some sites. in other words..................... pretty mild. Again....nice chart! Streak!

 

[mag]

I was wondering where you were, Streak.

that the ground plays a big role in specific ID's. For instance, in MY ground, Large cents bang in at a rock solid 83 99% of the time. If I read your chart correctly, it seems yours come in at 81. Did you comple this chart with targets responses in the air, or in the ground? I'd be interested to know that to see if the air ID's differ much from dirt ID's. I guess its possible that different machines will Id slightly different due to component variances....but digital machines tend to be much more alike off the assembly line than their analog counterparts.
When we hunt in Bad dirt, like in some places in Va, the Ids are GREATLY affected, sometimes by 15 or 20 numbers!
Just for comparison.......my Dirt Gb's in the mid 60's........... and I get a FE304 reading of no bars to maybe one bar at some sites. in other words..................... pretty mild. Again....nice chart! Streak!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Re: I like your chart Charlie.......... but it should be noted...

Did you comple this chart with targets responses in the air, or in the ground? I'd be interested to know that to see if the air ID's differ much from dirt ID's.

All the targets on my charts were either dug (I keep a logbook) or tested in coin-flips placed on the ground. So, semi ground tested. I am a big decrier of the general uselessness of airtests. More apt to find a coin on the surface than flying, but buried would be better still.

And I agree. This chart is perhaps only good for my detector. I have no idea how well or if they are all standardized. Certainly the soil alters the readings also (the coil averages the conductivity within its field - which can have all kinds of mineral variations). I do note that the current coins in circulation read very consistantly in my various hunting spots (hills to river bottoms) with the exception that the post-82 cents read off as they disintegrate . . . especially where nitrated grass fertilizer is used.