What are the Top 5 Tesoro detectors?

[FAT SEXY]

Looking for opinions, curious to see how things grade out on TreasureNet

Is Tejon the GOAT?

 

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[Terry Soloman]

1) Vaquero
2) Compadre
3) Sand Shark
4) Tejon
5) Lobo Super Traq

 

[FAT SEXY]

1) Vaquero
2) Compadre
3) Sand Shark
4) Tejon
5) Lobo Super Traq

Picking your brain: Is there any difference in the black and gray Vaqueros/Tejons or is it purely a cosmetic difference?

 

[Terry Soloman]

Picking your brain: Is there any difference in the black and gray Vaqueros/Tejons or is it purely a cosmetic difference?

Cosmetic. Some claim there is a difference but the circuitry is the same.

 

[oldkoot]

All I can add is I have a gray Vaquero and a Black Tejon two of the quietest detectors I own on the Ground I detect I love both, both very lite also, Vaquero is the lightest of the two and that's only because the vaquero runs on one 9 volt battery and the Tejon takes 8- AA batteries

The Vaquero and the Tejon both very good Beep and Digs

 

[FAT SEXY]

All I can add is I have a gray Vaquero and a Black Tejon two of the quietest detectors I own on the Ground I detect I love both, both very lite also, Vaquero is the lightest of the two and that's only because the vaquero runs on one 9 volt battery and the Tejon takes 8- AA batteries

The Vaquero and the Tejon both very good Beep and Digs

Have you ever used a Cibola?

 

[oldkoot]

Have you ever used a Cibola?

Nope never used a Cibola

 

[john845]

I think my vaquero Is the best machine I have used when I really learned it I had great success I dug a trime at least 6 or 7 inches just learning to set the machine right for the conditions at the place I was and proper swing speed I got much better and had a great time find great things I might have missed before

 

[oldkoot]

I think my vaquero Is the best machine I have used when I really learned it I had great success I dug a trime at least 6 or 7 inches just learning to set the machine right for the conditions at the place I was and proper swing speed I got much better and had a great time find great things I might have missed before

These people that keep pushing all these newer detectors and telling people how the older analog and single frequency detector are obsolete in my opinion are totally wrong and off base and miss leading the newbie, and have never actually used a older beep and dig like the Vaquero or the Tejon and there are a few more I own that are just as capable, those that keep telling everyone that those older detectors like the Tejon and the Vaquero are obsolete, in my opinion they have an agenda, just because they state these older detectors are obsolete does not make it so.

Just my 2 cents worth

 

[oldkoot]

In my opinion any one new coming in to detecting those new people should start out with a beep and dig and actually learn how and what detecting is actually about, they would become much better detectorist all around, quit relying on a stupid target ID and start listening to the tones on a beep and dig and learn what the detector is telling you, not only that but also learn how to ground balance a detector properly, in my opinion a new person just starting out in this great hobby would be a much better and well rounded detectorist if they would take that route instead of thinking they need the latest and greatest that these You Tubers are peddling.

just my opinion

 

[oldkoot]

I think my vaquero Is the best machine I have used when I really learned it I had great success I dug a trime at least 6 or 7 inches just learning to set the machine right for the conditions at the place I was and proper swing speed I got much better and had a great time find great things I might have missed before

Are you power balancing your Vaquero if not you should try it, it does give the Vaquero and the Tejon a bit more depth, I also power Balance my Troy Shadow X5 to increase the depth it gets, I can not tell you why it works or how it works but it works, it is also very simple to do

I will see if I can find the link that I used to learn how to power balance my beep and digs and post it here for you

 

[oldkoot]

Here is how you power balance the Tejon and the Vaquero

ground balance in all metal as normal then
with the disc level set as low as it goes out of all metal and with the sensitivity set as high as possible,you bob the coil up and down and reduce ground balance adjustment very slowly as your bobbing the coil ,at some point as you reduce the gb setting(toward the negative)you will get a "beep" as you lift the coil from the ground then "stop" adjusting gb
then start to bob the coil again and very slowly increase gb setting(to the positive) just to the point where you eliminate the beep on the uplift.

you are now power balanced and will have the best depth of detection and response in discriminate mode possible.

 

[FAT SEXY]

In my opinion any one new coming in to detecting those new people should start out with a beep and dig and actually learn how and what detecting is actually about, they would become much better detectorist all around, quit relying on a stupid target ID and start listening to the tones on a beep and dig and learn what the detector is telling you, not only that but also learn how to ground balance a detector properly, in my opinion a new person just starting out in this great hobby would be a much better and well rounded detectorist if they would take that route instead of thinking they need the latest and greatest that these You Tubers are peddling.

just my opinion

Good points.

I'd also like to add that doing your homework on a location is more important than anything else.. if you aren't setting yourself up with a nice spot it doesn't matter what detector you have.

A well scouted location + A fine tuned Tesoro = Great Time

 

[Terry Soloman]

Gifford / Tesoro Timeline:
1975 Bounty Hunter - TR500


1976 C & G (Crum & Gifford) - Bobcat; Lynx; Wildcat


1977- Bounty Hunter - Red Baron


1978 Fisher - 551; 552


1979 Bounty Hunter - Rustler; Raider


1980 Tesoro - Deep Search IV; VI; VII


1981 Tesoro - Aztec; Cortes; Amigo


1982 Tesoro - Scout; Mayan


1983 Tesoro - Inca; Silver Sabre


1984 Tesoro - Montgomery Ward (Contract) Sabre II; Sabre Supreme


1984 Tesoro - Turtle (Contract) Silver Turtle


1985 Tesoro - Golden Sare; Cutlass


1986 Tesoro - Silver Sabre Plus; Eldorado; Royal Sabre


1987 Tesoro - Toltec 100


1988 Tesoro - Toltec 80; Diablo


1989 Tesoro - Golden Sabre Plus; Lobo


1990 Tesoro - Bandito; Pantera


1991 Tesoro - Diablo II; Silver Sabre II; Stingray


1992 Tesoro - Cutlas II; Golden Sabre II


1993 Tesoro - Bandito II


1994 Tesoro - Toltec II


1995 Tesoro - Piranha; Stingray II


1996 Tesoro - uMax Series - uMax Bandito; uMax Cutlass; uMax Diablo; uMax Sidewinder; Amigo II


1997 Tesoro - Lobo Super Traq; Laser PowerMax; Bandito II uMax; Silver Sabre uMax


1998 Tesoro - Ctlas II uMax;


1999 Tesoro - Sand Shark; Laser Rapier


2000 Tesoro - Conquistador; Compadre; Tiger Shark


2001 Tesoro - Cortes; Conquistador uMax; Eldorado II; Silver uMax


2003 Tesoro - DeLeon; Tejon


2004 Tesoro - Cibola; Vaquero


2012 Tesoro - Outlaw

 

[FAT SEXY]

Outlaw seems like an underrated Tesoro. I've never personally used one, but research has told me that a lot of people love it.

Also, I've always wondered which was better, Cortes or DeLeon

 

[oldkoot]

Gifford / Tesoro Timeline:
1975 Bounty Hunter - TR500


1976 C & G (Crum & Gifford) - Bobcat; Lynx; Wildcat


1977- Bounty Hunter - Red Baron


1978 Fisher - 551; 552


1979 Bounty Hunter - Rustler; Raider


1980 Tesoro - Deep Search IV; VI; VII


1981 Tesoro - Aztec; Cortes; Amigo


1982 Tesoro - Scout; Mayan


1983 Tesoro - Inca; Silver Sabre


1984 Tesoro - Montgomery Ward (Contract) Sabre II; Sabre Supreme


1984 Tesoro - Turtle (Contract) Silver Turtle


1985 Tesoro - Golden Sare; Cutlass


1986 Tesoro - Silver Sabre Plus; Eldorado; Royal Sabre


1987 Tesoro - Toltec 100


1988 Tesoro - Toltec 80; Diablo


1989 Tesoro - Golden Sabre Plus; Lobo


1990 Tesoro - Bandito; Pantera


1991 Tesoro - Diablo II; Silver Sabre II; Stingray


1992 Tesoro - Cutlas II; Golden Sabre II


1993 Tesoro - Bandito II


1994 Tesoro - Toltec II


1995 Tesoro - Piranha; Stingray II


1996 Tesoro - uMax Series - uMax Bandito; uMax Cutlass; uMax Diablo; uMax Sidewinder; Amigo II


1997 Tesoro - Lobo Super Traq; Laser PowerMax; Bandito II uMax; Silver Sabre uMax


1998 Tesoro - Ctlas II uMax;


1999 Tesoro - Sand Shark; Laser Rapier


2000 Tesoro - Conquistador; Compadre; Tiger Shark


2001 Tesoro - Cortes; Conquistador uMax; Eldorado II; Silver uMax


2003 Tesoro - DeLeon; Tejon


2004 Tesoro - Cibola; Vaquero


2012 Tesoro - Outlaw

Quite a list of detectors from Tesoro, sure wish someone would bring them back, I have the Deep Tech Vista X which reminds me of the Tejon quite a bit
personally for me I prefer the Tejon, the Tejon also is a bit deeper than the
Vista X, and the Vista X cannot be power Balanced either like the Tejon or the Vaquero.

when I do try to power balance the Vista X it performs like crap, The Vista X just does not have the feel of the Tejon to me either, the X is a very uncomfortable detector to swing and the Tejon is not

Been eyeing a nice Bandido 2 and a nice Outlaw just haven't jumped on those two yet

 

[oldkoot]

Outlaw seems like an underrated Tesoro. I've never personally used one, but research has told me that a lot of people love it.

Also, I've always wondered which was better, Cortes or DeLeon

The Compadre is another Beep ad Dig that has always interested me, but what has always stopped me from purchasing one when I do find one for sale is that hard wired coil, I personally like the option of changing out my coils so I just cannot convince myself to jump on a Compadre when they come up for sale, even though the Compadre is one of the most if not the most modded VLF detectors to have ever been produced, but in this day and age who could I get to Mod a Compadre and I am no Electronics expert so no way would I attempt to do those mods myself

 

[Terry Soloman]

Outlaw seems like an underrated Tesoro. I've never personally used one, but research has told me that a lot of people love it.

Also, I've always wondered which was better, Cortes or DeLeon

Depends on the soils The Cortes was better in highly mineralized soils, while the DeLeon was great in milder and neutral soils and sands.

 

[DiggerinVA]

I have owned and used most of the detectors made by Tesoro in the late 90's and early 2000's. I have had several of a few models like the Tejon and Vaquero. I would rank them (of the ones i have owned) as my top 5 as follows:
1. Tejon- probably tied with the Deus 2 as my favorite detector ever! Found more minnieballs than i can remember!
2. Vaquero-powerful, versatile and simple enough that even a newbie can make great finds with it
3. Bandito 2 uMax- a real coin magnet and great machine for those old yards
4. Silver Sabre uMAx- Simple to use park hunter that loves silver coins
5. Compadre- the jewelry magnet that will pay for itself many times over

 

[Almy]

The Cibola is the only Tesoro I have used, so I cannot compare it with others. I have hunted with pals using more sophisticated detectors, and found as much as they did. I have gone back to areas hunted by such detectors and found good targets they missed. It's been a reliable, light detector. I've found a huge number of old coins with it, including tiny 5C silver and 1/2 real and tiny buttons and .22 short bullets. I've never felt the need to replace it over about the 15 years I have had it.