Would like to hear from some Minelab Safari Users here

[devldog]

I live in Georgia and I am a Relic Hunter and have been hunting relics off and on for over 30 years now. Relics in Georgia or in parts of Georgia are becoming fewer in numbers to find. What is now found are relics that have either been simply missed by other hunters through the years from either a simple miss, or missed due to older technology ( as we know detectors today are much better and deeper than most detectors were some years back). I am curious as to who uses the Minelab Safari for relic hunting and what is your take on the Safari. I know from doing some research that the Safari is a multi frequency detector. I watch a lot of Utube videos and have seen some on the Safari, but most are on either coin or jewelry hunting. I would love to have say the GPX 4500, but this is a bit rich for my blood. Here is my dilemma. I own a White's MXT ALL PRO and the Garrett CX Plus metal detectors. In order to get the Safari, I would have to sell both these detectors. I have also considered the Garrett AT Gold. The Garrett would be some less financial wise and it would give you the options of use on either land or water. The only thing I don't like about the Garrett's are the pin connections at the control box. These you have to be very careful with. So, I'm at either keeping what I now have, selling both in order to get the Minelab, or sell one and get the AT Gold. I'm not sure if the AT Gold would go as deep as the Safari. I'm not one that bases a detectors performance on cost. I'm curious as to what detector would give me the depth for relics deep in the ground. Any feedback considering this would be greatly appreciated, and Merry Christmas.

 

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[Geochem]

I notice not many with Safari seem to post. I would like to know if owners like them verses prior MD's.

 

[devldog]

Me too. It seems there must be a lot of closet Safari users. Lol

 

[gunsil]

I use my Safari often in the woods/ cellar holes. Last time out in Oct. found a Phillip V reale at almost or at 10" deep using my Sunray 8" coil. Found a toasted KG largie too, and some other small relics. Safari is just as deep and as good a silver sniffer as Etrac. I do get fooled by rusty nails a lot but one has to dig a lot at colonial sites because many what one may regard as poor signals can be cool stuff. Safari is just as deep as Etrac but merely gives less target ID, and it is a heavy machine. I like the fact that there are many coils available for different conditions and the 8" Sunray stays on most of the time. I also have the 15" Coiltec WOT coil and the stock coil so I have a lot of search options. The multi frequency is excellent in mineralized soil and also works well on salt beaches. One thing about coils though is that it is a pain to change them unless you pre-mount them on extra lower shafts. Coin shooting trashier areas I often use my ATP just because it is lighter and faster in recovery, but if a site has been "cleaned out" the Safari will often find deep silver others have missed.

 

[devldog]

Thanks Gunsil for your reply and information on the Safari.

 

[relicmeister]

Well I own a Teknetics omega 8000 and a minelab x-terra 705 both excellent detectors. I was longing to acquire an
E-trac but could not justify it cost -wise.
I bought an essentially new safari on eBay because I learned that it can do pretty much everything an e-trac can do but with less user control which I kind of prefer as I'm just into jdetecting
And often in all-metal or minimal disc.
Although I have only had a couple of short detecting trials, in rather poor conditions, I've found a 1901 IH first time out and just the other day I found
An 1802 draped bust large cent. Both finds were below 8" but were strong hits in areas I've gone over numerous times with my other machines. These finds to me demonstrate the power of
FBS technology and I can't wait for winter to be over so I can really get some experience using the Safari. I'm
Very glad I bought it. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

[relicmeister]

I also consider myself more of a woods relic hunter than a coin hunter, and I
Think the Safari will an awesome relic
hunting detector.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Safari is a great detector that is simple to use, it is a basically a lower version of an ETrac, it has less programs and a slower processor than the ETrac but still works great. I use to own one and loved it, the only reason I sold it was I found an almost new Etrac for $800 a guy had to sell quick to help pay for his divorce lawyer.

 

[devldog]

Thanks for the replies. I've heard a lot of positives on the Safari. Best of Luck to yhall' with your units and Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[Swaveab]

I think I should chime in with my 2 cents worth. I have a Safari, but haven't owned anything else and I'm still relatively green on my experience. Aspects of the Safari may be hard to grasp and I found that Andy Sabisch has updated his book that covers the Safari and the older model Quattro and is now in publication again. I'm reading it at present and it is helpful in gaining a further understanding of the detector. Officially it is called the 'Quattro & Safari Handbook'.

 

[relicmeister]

The weight of the Safari while not excessive (my omega and xterra are
Much lighter) it can cause me to quit a detecting trip earlier than I
Otherwise might. So I attached a snap buckle one half to my finds bag
Belt and one with elastic to the detector shaft just under the "v"stand
In a sort of hip mount which takes most of the weight off my arm and
This way I could use it all day without getting a sore arm. I also made
A shoulder sling for it. The detector just swings to my side when I kneel
To dig a target.

 

[sprailroad]

I have both, the Safari, and the AT Pro. I really like them both, and I kind of look at them as different tools for different jobs. The Safari can be great on salt water beaches, and as far as areas with trash, the smaller coil is of course again great, and lighter in weight. I will very often use the Safari in parks, school grounds etc. A really good detector. The AT Pro, well for one, it is waterproof, so in streams, lakes etc, with any slips, trips and falls, you did not just fry your machine, nice for piece of mind, and as with the Safari, the smaller coil is a pleasure to use. I have not been a "Relic Hunter" as such, but have been reading much about it from fella's in the know from this Forum. I have been shown a place a couple of days ago that a friend owns, couple of hundred acres that was homesteaded 150 years ago, with the small cabin on it still, near a creek. The area is very heavily wooded, with a few open patches. It would SEEM to me from reading the Forum, that first time out, I will use the AT Pro, and to dig everything just to see what's there. I am not crazy about the pin connectors with the AT, so I pretty much leave the stock coil on. With the Safari, having a second lower shaft, changing coils is a snap, very easy, and no exposed coil cable to snag. I haven't been much help here to your question, and it seems as though you have very good detectors, and the experience as well. I THINK for Relic hunting? The AT would be the work horse, simple and to the point, the Safari? perhaps better for coins, jewelry etc. Others may have better answer's. (I just now noticed that your thread is dated Dec. of 16, I'll bet you've already made a choice.)

 

[tlane38003]

Go really slow and dig all the deep faint signals that your positive aren't iron and your good finds will increase I use a explorer se and I think they are very similar i hunt in all metal conducive sounds seem to id more accurately

Sent from my LG-V410 using Tapatalk

 

[Tommybuckets]

The downside is the machine is really slow and heavy and can get confused so you can't trust the target id al the time. The upside is it is great with the WOT in wide open fields and gets those silver dimes at 10-12 inches. In tight spaces around big deep metal or nail beds it is tough going.

 

[gunsil]

Safari is a great detector that is simple to use, it is a basically a lower version of an ETrac, it has less programs and a slower processor than the ETrac but still works great. I use to own one and loved it, the only reason I sold it was I found an almost new Etrac for $800 a guy had to sell quick to help pay for his divorce lawyer.

Safari and Etrac have same processor speed, the only real difference is that the Safari doesn't give as much target ID info or have as many user programs and isn't backlit. It is just as fast and just as deep as Etrac.