Who has a detector they DO NOT like???

Ok, guys and gals. I'm going to add my 2 cents. I bought a little Micronta (?) from Radio Shack in 1979. I used it only in my own yard. I found enough to pay for it during the remainder of that year. In 1980 I bought a BH840. Over a one and half to 2 year period, it paid for itself. If I could have spent more time MDing, it probably wouldn't have taken nearly that long. Due to work and family illness, I didn't do much detecting for several years. Then the 840 started giving intermittent troubles. I no longer had the little Micronta. In about 1999, I bought a BH 2D/707. It was a motion type and I never liked it. Last year, I thought I'd try a BH Lone Star, bought one, and didn't like it. A couple of weeks later I saw a Tracker IV priced really cheap. I bought it. I didn't like any of the 3. They were all motion type and I was used to the non motion type. There was nothing wrong with any of them, just not my 'style'. A month later, I saw another BH 840 for sale on the internet and bought it. I like it! It's a non motion type. I don't use a pin pointer, though I have one. Using the 840, I don't need it. I am not 'knocking' any detectors. I just don't like the motion type. By comparing both 840s, I've repaired my old one. Now I have 2 BH 840s and will probably sell the other 3. By the way, I have a little Harbor Freight 3500 (which I believe is by Micronta) that is non motion, but doesn't have the depth capability of the BH 840. I'll probably keep it.
 

Without a doubt it was my whites xlt.Lacked depth which is very important in southeast u.s as our soil very unstable,fast sink rate in the loamy soil...My favorites are cz-20,T2,and lobo super traq....Also for the money my ace 250 really works great,good coin shooter.
 

Bought an ACE 250 for my first detector, hated it. Had I had known about the EuroTek Pro, I would have gone with that. Sold the ACE and bought an AT PRO and I love the thing.
 

My first attempt at his hobby was back in the spring of 1977. While stationed in Germany I purchased a Relco Pacesetter metal detector that was a piece of junk. The Relco might have been the worst metal detector of all time, I never found a single coin with it after dozens of hours trying. This experience soured my enthusiasm for the hobby until I tried hobby again in 1985.

In 1985 I rented a White's Coinmaster for the weekend from a White's / Fisher dealer. I found my first coins with this machine. I saw my wife detect a 1889 Morgan Silver Dollar, after she found the signal I dug it up! I was hooked!
The same year I purchase a Fisher 1220-X from the same White's / Fisher dealer. the 1220-X was extremely simple to use. Found my first gold rings and silver coins. This machine could get silver dimes at 5 or 6 inches max. Really liked the machine except that it would kill your wrist! Horrible ergonomics!It had no meter and had a single tone.

In 1988 I kept the 1220-X as a back up and purchased a Fisher 1280-X water / land machine. The 1280-X was hip mountable so it was extremely light when hip mounted. In 1988 through 1992 I was one of the first in Northern California with a water machine so I was really cleaning up in the rivers and lakes around here. The silver coins and gold rings coming out of the water was amazing during this time. I was hitting the 100 year old swimming lagoons and scoring every time out.
The 1280-X was a great machine for it's day. It was water proof but it lacks a meter. It's depth was about 6 or 7 inches max. Found my first seated half dime with the 1280X.

In 1994 I bought my first machine with a meter. I purchased the Fisher CZ6. After 20 years it is still my main park machine! Love it! I've taken it to England, Ireland, Hawaii, and 6 other U.S. states. It just works, the CZ6 never has any EMI issues, it uses the older analog technology. It locks on targets without the meter fluctuating, this is at any depth.

I purchased several other machines between 1994 and 2012 but I always return to the CZ6 as my main park / coin machine.

Other machine I've owned:

Garrett GTA 1000, ok machine, good for tot lots. Not good for deep silver
Teknetics T2, Would shut down in bad soil. Tested it head to head with my CZ6, could not get the deep silver my CZ6 could after marking/flagging out good deep coin targets with the CZ. Sold it on ebay for $ 1,800.00 to some Arab guy.
Tessoro Conquistador, best competition machine, great for tot lots. Super light weight. Would never use it when going for deep silver.
Minelab Explorer, Way to heavy, to many strange noises from target hits. This machine went crazy due to EMI or black sand on the Santa Cruz beach. Sold it after one year.
Fisher 1235-X , Great competition machine. Still have it as a back up for my Tessoro. Not good for deep silver park hunting.
Fisher CZ20, my primary water machine, sill use it. Older technology, probably better water machines out there now. Still a good machine even after its introduction 15 years ago.
Fisher Coinstrike, not sure about this. I.D on target not consistent. I.D numbers change depending on depth. I.D. number jump up and down. Wish it would lock on the target without bouncing. Still have it, but don't use it much. I'll save it for tot lots?
White's Surfmaster P.I., A must for black sand beaches or high mineralization. Perfect for Lake Tahoe where the super high mineralization causes VLF machines to go crazy.
 

I had a whites xlt that was just to weak for southeast where stuff sinks fast..people out west seemed to like them back then..It took cz power to work here,now a lot of machines have good depth,still my cz-20 is the most versital beach,land it still can't be beat..just heavy and heavy duty.
 

Noodle said:
On the ACE250, once I learned to "read" the signals, I found it quite reliable, and also found things far beyond 3-4 inches. Sometimes got frustrated at digging 8-10 inches on an 8" read, hoping it was wrong, but still found things down there! Since that is the only machine I own, I've grown to love it for amateur hunting ventures. That's all I do anyway. Oh, I do have a White's, 1970 era. I liked it, too, if you weren't selective on what you were hunting. Everything read the same!
Click to expand...

The ace 250 has really good depth for any price...Don't use mine much because i mainly hunt meteorites now,but learned today that to get coins closer to iron junk is run in jewelry mode or even allmetal.
 

I would have to say that there are a lot that have detectors they do not like ….. For every one seems to get a different detector every time they turn around …. WHY BECAUSE SOMEONE ON ONE OF THE TREASURE WEB SITE'S … TELLS ABOUT WHAT THEY FOUND WITH THERE BRAND & MAKE OF DETECTOR…..AND THEN ONES WILL SEE THAT AND SAY "WOW" I HAVE TO HAVE THAT DETECTOR SO I CAN FIND THAT …… SOME PEOPLE ARE NEVER HAPPY OR SATISFIED … THE ONES THAT ARE HAPPY AND SATISFIED WITH WHAT THEY USE ….. SEEM TO BE THE ONES THAT FIND THE MOST...
 

I have had maybe 100 detectors since 1978 or so. I have loved detectors that others hated, hated detectors that others loved. Like a lot of you I am always looking for the next detector around the corner that will do everything but dig it up for you.

I can tell you the best detector I have ever had is the one I spent the time to learn and put to the test. Some people can make a $200 machine find the grail but its all about learning the unit. If you give up to easily


you will never know.
 

ReidMan said:
I have had maybe 100 detectors since 1978 or so. I have loved detectors that others hated, hated detectors that others loved. Like a lot of you I am always looking for the next detector around the corner that will do everything but dig it up for you.

I can tell you the best detector I have ever had is the one I spent the time to learn and put to the test. Some people can make a $200 machine find the grail but its all about learning the unit. If you give up to easily

you will never know.
Click to expand...

I totally agree! So many think they need the latest and greatest detector made, or need 10 different detectors for every hunting site imaginable. Then there are the guys with 20 year XLT's held together with duct tape that refuse to buy a new machine because they know it like an extremity and are still successful!
 

Around 12 years ago - i bought a Whites QXT Pro ---reallyl liked the style --looked like the present day MXT or M6- the QXT was a 2 filter machine but a a long audio similar to a 4 filter ---and was the Worst audio i have witnessed on the detectors i have used === sounded like a honking goose --i learned a lesson --never just buy machine without trying it first -- there may be something right off the bat you cant stand about the machine -- of course the opposite may be true ==== my teknetics MARK 1=== best machine i still use
 

Liked all my detectors. Happy with my finds.
 

Although I have purchased two AT Pros and have found gold and coins,
The balance of this machine is awkward for me and the placement of the control box is weird as I have to turn my hand a little to read it!
Being nose (coil) heavy, I went with a 5x8" coil and that helped a lot! But the feel and balance still seems awkward to me!
I'm spoiled with my Excal for its balance (straight carbon shaft)
and I'm always at the beach anyway!
Although the coil on my Whites Surf DF PI needs a stabilizer, it's still very light weight and scores at the beach!
 

Wow, I cannot believe this thread is still around....It is hard for some folk to admit they spent a bunch of money on a clunker...Thanks for all the replies...I have learned much from this thread...
 

Just about to trade a Tesoro Tiger Shark for a sand shark, I bought the wrong machine . I assumed the Tiger shark ( that swims in salt water) was a salt water machine, duh....
 

SADS 669 said:
Just about to trade a Tesoro Tiger Shark for a sand shark, I bought the wrong machine . I assumed the Tiger shark ( that swims in salt water) was a salt water machine, duh....
Click to expand...

I think its pretty stupid to name a freshwater detector after a saltwater fish. What is the point of that?
 

Atomic, thanks so much for making me feel less of an idiot ha ha. You're the best......
 

SADS 669 said:
Atomic, thanks so much for making me feel less of an idiot ha ha. You're the best......
Click to expand...

It would be less confusing if they named it 'Catfish', lol.
 

atomicscott said:
It would be less confusing if they named it 'Catfish', lol.
Click to expand...

They should just call it," rubbish in the ocean" or "Tesoro make you sore oh " if you try it in salt.

I'll post what the Sand Shark performs like that I am swapping it for though....?...
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Ace 250 or DFX(hopefully not as ridiculous as it sounds)

⬅️ Previous Thread

European vs US-Australian detectors.

Next Thread ➡️

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Steve's Detector Rods

Latest Discussions

Back
Top