Which PI detector?

[Fletch88]

I have 2 VLF's - AT PRO and Ace 350. Needing to go deeper than 10' underwater. I love the AT Pro on land and fresh water but, not real impressed in wet,salty sand. I've narrowed my search down to Sand Shark, Mark ll, or the Infinium LS? Intend to dive in freshwater lakes/rivers and hunt wet line/surf at beach. Any suggestions?

 

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[63bkpkr]

Fletch88,

First, Welcome to Tnet! Second I would find a bunch of inputs on this subject to be of interest as well, hope it happens..............63bkpkr

 

[Fletch88]

I've been researching for a couple of weeks. Like the price and the fact that waterproof headphones come standard with SS and Mark ll. After watching many videos and reading several dozen posts, I'm leaning towards Infinium. Really wish it came with waterproof headphones. Thanks, 63!

 

[rainyday101]

If fresh water ONLY, get a Tesoro Tiger Shark. In All Metal Fast mode it hits all 12" coins in my test garden. Unlike a PI you will have discrimination to eliminate trash. Water proof to 200 feet and lifetime warranty and the price is reasonable. If you call one of our forum sponsors (Miller MDZ) you can a super deal on one. It's one sweet freshwater detector and I know because I have one. I haven't used any other water detectors so I can't make any comparisons for you. Hopefully others can chime in on opinions with other makes/models.

 

[Fletch88]

If fresh water ONLY, get a Tesoro Tiger Shark. In All Metal Fast mode it hits all 12" coins in my test garden. Unlike a PI you will have discrimination to eliminate trash. Water proof to 200 feet and lifetime warranty and the price is reasonable. If you call one of our forum sponsors (Miller MDZ) you can a super deal on one. It's one sweet freshwater detector and I know because I have one. I haven't used any other water detectors so I can't make any comparisons for you. Hopefully others can chime in on opinions with other makes/models.

I only have a few freshwater sites to hunt. And only a couple of family relics and jewelry I want to locate. Will probably use it more in salt after that!

 

[Terry Soloman]

The Sand Shark (which I use) is the easiest PI to use and set up. It is also the least expensive and has the longest warranty (lifetime). You could buy a Tesoro Sand Shark AND a Tiger Shark for about what you will spend on the Infinium, and shoot just as deep. Best of luck to you no matter what you end up with!

 

[Fletch88]

Thanks Terry! That pretty well helped me decide on the Sand Shark. I guess the question about depth vs Infinium was my main concern and of course price!

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[Fletch88]

Now which coil do most prefer in the water? 8" or 10.5"?

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[Terry Soloman]

I use the 8" coil. It gives plenty of depth, is just a tad more sensitive to smaller targets and cuts through the water like a knife. The 10.5" seems to "flip up" a little more in knee-high surf, and is heavier while adding about 2" in depth (which I don't need at the beach). However, this is a personal preference! Best of luck!

 

[dbsmokey]

Thanks Terry! That pretty well helped me decide on the Sand Shark. I guess the question about depth vs Infinium was my main concern and of course price!

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Please do more research on the SS before deciding. Here is a place to start: http://meteldetecttorreviews.net Also, many reputable experts have chimed in on the Infinium vs. SS, Sea Hunter vs X, etc. on the Head to Head section of this forum. I had a very bad experience with the SS and Tesoro was not good to me.

 

[Terry Soloman]

YES! Do your OWN research! dbsmonkey and about four other members here will tell you the sky is green if I say it's blue, so PLEASE take his advice and do the research. I already know what you will find - that the Sand Shark is just as good, just as deep, and a lot easier to use than the Infinium, Dual Field or Sea Hunter. Again, good luck no matter which machine you buy!

 

[Sandman]

YES! Do your OWN research! dbsmonkey and about four other members here will tell you the sky is green if I say it's blue, so PLEASE take his advice and do the research. I already know what you will find - that the Sand Shark is just as good, just as deep, and a lot easier to use than the Infinium, Dual Field or Sea Hunter. Again, good luck no matter which machine you buy!

Terry is right on about the Sand Shark. I have dove with it and never had any troubles with it. In freshwater the Tiger Shark is better because of disc on hair pins which last a long time in fresh water. What hairpins are doing out in +30 of water is any ones guess.

 

[John-Edmonton]

Learn the Infinium......it's unlike the others you have mentioned.

"The Infinium does have some discrimination characteristics. It's not like an accumulative type or notch found on VLF type detectors. In fact, the Infinium is entirely different then any other type of detector. What the Infinium can do as far as discrimination is concerned, is give a tone HIGH-LOW for iron, aluminum and gold. It also gives off a LOW-HIGH signal for silver, copper and again iron. So iron and other junk is always the wild card in both types of signals, as it is a Pulse Induction type of detector. However, the Infinium also comes with an iron check, which again helps with getting a better probability of what type (iron or not?) target it is. Now the Infinium has a bit of a learning curve, and if you are new to metal detecting and lack basic theory on how the machines operate, don't buy one. It will be a lesson in frustration for you.

Now having said that, other little techniques are on your learning curve to be discovered. For instance, the smoothness/roughness of the tone gives a hint as to whether it is an iron rusted target or not. The "Sustain" length of time that the Infinium gives after reading a target gives you a hint as to its size. The Infinium gives a double bleep on bobby pins and wire. So......if you only want to dig gold, only dig the HIGH-LOW signals. That removes a lot of signals that you can leave in the ground. Also, use the iron check, which even cuts out more targets. If you want to dig mostly coins, including old deep silver, dig only the LOW-HIGH signals. Again....use the iron check.

Is the Infinium the holy grail of detectors? No it isn't. It's a PI and loves iron, like all PI's. Iron can not be discriminated out like a VLF detector. But it goes DEEP! It must be ground balanced and a proper frequency must be picked for maxamum performance. I have pulled rings out at over 14 inches with a nice strong signal. It is one of (if not the) deepest machines available. It was designed to get gold in some of the highest mineralized soils in the world. It works in all salt water/beach environments and is water proof too.

Is it a good coin shooter? Perhaps, but only in areas where there are few targets. It's not practical for park environments, as it picks up all metals, even those that your VLF will miss. I have had some success using it in the woods, digging only the LOW-HIGH signals. It should also perform well at relic hunting too.

Where it worked best for me was in hunted out beaches where most of the targets had been removed. The best beach hunters dig ALL targets. The Infinium isn't for everyone, and is not a do it all detector. But if you give it the time it deserves to learn it properly, and use it in its proper environment, it is a killer. I have my best gold ring year ever in 20 years using this machine."

 

[dbsmokey]

YES! Do your OWN research! dbsmonkey and about four other members here will tell you the sky is green if I say it's blue, so PLEASE take his advice and do the research. I already know what you will find - that the Sand Shark is just as good, just as deep, and a lot easier to use than the Infinium, Dual Field or Sea Hunter. Again, good luck no matter which machine you buy!

I am not opposing you, Terry, merely to oppose. I think you, often, are too quick to promote Tesoro, simply because it's the brand you love. I purchased a Sand Shark based on the advice of many, including Sandman. I will forever regret that decision. It is not Sandman's fault or anybody's fault I happen to have a bad experience, however. Sandman has unquestionable experience and expertise and I value his input. Many love the Sand Shark. I don't doubt it performs well in some conditions. However, I had a broken machine out the box. It failed on me in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii. To top it off, Tesoro blamed me for some of the problems; in the end, I sent it back but was still out ~$100 for shipping, cost of repairs (which I don't believe were warranted based on the "lifetime warranty" and having a broken machine from the get-go) and a battery holder which I purchased but for which I was never reimbursed. Tesoro treated me with contempt and certainly didn't live up to the customer service some tout.

All I am saying, is, there are alternatives to Tesoro. They treated me in a very poor manner. When I told them I would advertise this unless they made it right, I was ignored. So, I am keeping true to my promise to let others know; strongly consider a different brand, or risk getting an under-performer with questionable service. I have heard the Infinium and Sea Hunter perform quite well, in fact, in many circumstances, superiorly to the SS.

 

[Toysandthings]

Very interested in the infinium, any depth test on 1g gold nuggets?? with the 8" coil??

 

[Terry Soloman]

... However, I had a broken machine out the box. It failed on me in a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii. To top it off, Tesoro blamed me for some of the problems; in the end, I sent it back but was still out ~$100 for shipping, cost of repairs (which I don't believe were warranted based on the "lifetime warranty" and having a broken machine from the get-go) and a battery holder which I purchased but for which I was never reimbursed. Tesoro treated me with contempt and certainly didn't live up to the customer service some tout.

All I am saying, is, there are alternatives to Tesoro. They treated me in a very poor manner. When I told them I would advertise this unless they made it right, I was ignored..

So basically you broke your machine - user error (didn't you flood the control box?) and then actually threatened or tried to "blackmail" Tesoro when they told you that you would have to pay for part of the repairs or shipping?

 

[dbsmokey]

So basically you broke your machine - user error (didn't you flood the control box?) and then actually threatened or tried to "blackmail" Tesoro when they told you that you would have to pay for part of the repairs or shipping?

What is wrong with you Terry? Did you really just attack me personally just because I had a sour experience with Tesoro? You just called me names! If I were Tesoro, I would cringe every time you write something; you certainly don't cast a positive light on them when you write such slanderous statements. Based on the way you act on the forums, it would be interesting to see how you recruit and retain customers for your own personal business.

I am entitled to my opinion; and I certainly had a bad experience with Tesoro. They made a choice to ignore my requests to refund me for a part that they charged me for and kept. They have the part, they have the $, I have nothing. Any consumer would be quite unhappy with that result. Any reasonable business would attempt to retain a customer. As I've said before, you aren't privy to all of the details of this occurrence. Even when you are presented with the facts, you ignore them: the machine had a loose battery foam pad rattling around when I received it, the machine leaked on me, Tesoro was less-than-kind during phone conversations.

I'll say this again Terry, what consumer would not be upset if he/she were out $100? Tesoro has the machine, they have the battery holder they charged me for, and I have nothing. I lost a once-in-a-lifetime detecting experience in Hawaii. They could have at least offered to refund the $16 for the brand new battery holder I returned. I will say this again, Terry, although you chose to ignore it the last time I said it: if $100 is nothing to you, lI will give you my paypal address and you can pay me $100.

Again, to the OPer: Please forgive this diatribe that resulted. I should have known it was coming. I have heard some nice reports about the Sea Hunter and the Infinium. Undoubtedly, Garrett would treat you better than I was treated by Tesoro.

 

[sws33]

I just got my Infinium and love it. I think it's as close to a turn on and go detector you can find. I've used other machines that needed more tweaking in a salt environment than this machine and it is deep. Deepest keeper so far was a dime at around 16". It's a PI machine so it loves iron but I have quickly gotten used to it's subtle signals that let me know what to dig. Also nice to be able to change out coils for different situations. I think there are 4 or 5 coils you can get for it. I have the big DD , which I don't like for the beach, too heavy. I have the 5 x 8 DD which I love and I have the 8" mono which is great also. My next coil will be the 14" mono.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Gentlemen, please stop the personal attacks....

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[dbsmokey]

You, me, and EVERYONE else on this forum knows that Tesoro does not sell its detectors to the public - just distributors and dealers. Who was yours? If you hadn't messed up your Shark, Tesoro would have fixed it FREE. If it was "messed up out of the box," why didn't you send it back to your dealer? Your story is as false as you are - in my Never Humble Opinion.

I enjoy your posts. It becomes ever more obvious you either don't have a clue, or are just another blowhard attack dog. I "forgive this diatribe," but I can't stop laughing - and certainly won't forget it.

Oh, and one more thing - an extra battery tray is $10.00 - NOT $100.00, and my dealer sent me a spare FREE along with some more silicone tubes to lube my O-ring. Tesoro has the best customer service in the industry, and the dealers I deal with take care of me because they want my return business.

The apology was not directed toward you, Terry. I won't merit your inquisition with answers. It's hard to distinguish whether you were the one picked on in your school days and are now making up for lost time, or if you have always had a bullying style. I remain in good company as one whose opinion is berated by you; far more experienced, better people lie in that category. For that, I am honored.

Levying personal attacks and calling me names is way out of line, even shameful. Your post has been reported. One generally resorts to name calling once out of options. You, likely, ran out of them long ago. You are entitled to your opinion of Tesoro. I won't fault you for your opinion. However, you are bringing this forum to a new low. You have no idea what transpired between Tesoro and I, nor do you have cause to call me a liar about reporting it. I know what transpired and I am quite sure of how I was treated. I will no longer respond to you as long as you insist on bullying and calling names.

To the rest of you, I apologize for having incited this nonsense. I will stand by my warning that Tesoro is not always perfect and they have lost me as a customer for life. If you so choose Tesoro, I hope you have the experiences Terry has had, for mine were quite unpleasant. I will not stand down but will continue to offer my opinion and experiences because my complaints fell on deaf ears at Tesoro. I am likely trying a Garrett next; I just have to decide between and Infinium and Sea Hunter.

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