Detector Reviews

[bluemax]

Well after 10 years out of the hobby I've got back into metal detecting with the purchase of an
Garrett Ace 250. One of the first things I noticed was the amount of options available on a detector that cost me less than 200 bucks. A decent detector wasn't even available for anywhere near that price 10 years ago. One big frustration that still exists in today's metal detector marketplace is the lack of any real comparision reviews between detectors. After reviewing quite a few field tests from the magazines it's apparent that they are concerned about affending potential advertisers and are really hesitant to say anything negative about any detectors they test. I wish that there were somewhere a buyer like myself who has no clubs locally can get accurate information surrounding detectors before dropping upwards of 1000 bucks on some models. Has anyone ever really done a objective review on the real advantages or disadvantages of multi-frequency detectors like the Minlab Quattro verus single frqequency units? Most of the newsgroups dedicated to one brand or another swear their's the best ever. Wouldn't it make a little sense for the magazines to standarize their testing methods so results can be compared accurately? I realize weight and certain other intangables go into the decision process but those things can be determined a little easier from sales literature where detection capability cannot. I figure that within the next few months I'd like to purchase a higher end detector but would perfer to walk into a dealers showroom with some type of information that will help make the decesion easier. Right now i'm interested in the Minelab Quattro vs the White's XLT but we'll see.

 

[Mr.Bill]

The Ace 250 is quite a unit, and has shocked a few manufactures, to say the least.

The question of detector comparisons has been a strong topic of conversation here on the forums for years. Yes, certainly testers, and the magazine publishers are very concerned about hurting their supporting, ($$$) manufactures feelings. This just can

 

[Rick(ND)]

Too many are more worried about how deep it will go and don't pay attention to how good it will disc or ID or even how it will handle the ground condition for your hunting need.

 

[bill(de)]

Here's my take on detector reviews and opinions.Take everything with a grain of salt because what works for me may not work for you.I have found a number of older coins in the 2'-6" range and my oldest a King George 11 copper at 4".I live in a area with dense population growth and almost every public access park or school is trashed to death and heavily hunted so for me i want Numerical VDI target ID and quick recovery speed and multiple coil options.Depth is nice,but not target masking.I want a multifaceted adjustable detector most of the time but some sites although few, i want a quality knob turner with depth and works well in iron.In my humble opinion the first thing to do is decide what type sites your most likely going to hunt and buy the detector that fits that priority.Just my thoughts. HH Bill

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Just too many variables to consider along with the fellow comparing personal feelings.My advice would be to find a club in your area and find what works best. A trip to a knowledgeable mult-line dealer may also help. I have read product reports by different individuals on the same unit and surely was a lot of variance. The same would happen if we had individual testers comparing the major manufacturers..So do your homework and comparing a Quattro to an XLT is comparing apples to oranges, however are both good units and many do well with either..I have read a nice report comparing an XLT, CZ and GTI but that was years ago when they were 3 of the top ones.Don't have a prayer where I read it but its on the net somewhere..

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the CZ v XLT v Garrett CXIII review by Charles Conger
This was posted at http://www.polbox.com/p/proscan/titans.htm
Best place for reviews with a bit of independance is on the German forums. Trouble is there's not much in English and babblefish translations are not to good for detector infomation. Depth performance comparisons are of some use though.

 

[Steve(MS)]

I'd like to read that review but I'm not fluent in german, if you could give some instructions on how to access that info, I would appreciate it,
Steve(MS)

 

[Anonymous]

The 'Battle of the Giants' review is in English but for some reason as I post the address it cuts half of it off.
Will e-mail you
Brian

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry Steve and anyone else interested but all links to 'The Battle of the Titans' have disappeared. (Titans not Giants...Battle of the Giants was a less deep look at Explorer v CZ 3D V DFX and that seems to have gone as well).

 

[Steve(MS)]

Anybody got a copy, just curious about it,
Steve(MS)

 

[Anonymous]

Send me your e-mail address and I'll send a copy through...its 20 pages though.

 

[Anonymous]

I see people all the time worried about maximum depth. It may be important in some areas, but around here there is so much iron trash at the good sites with old stuff that it's much more important how well it can work in iron than does it hit a dime at a foot. I've found good stuff very near to junk that wasn't really that deep at all, in areas I know other detectors have been in, and it could well be that the junk masked the goodie because the user had the discrimination cranked to avoid the endless pulltabs and other garbage. I was only too happy to dig the silver and indians they left, along with some of the junk.

 

[herby]

I am interested in the report. Will you email the report to me? It would be much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Ralph Bryant]

I think you BOTH read it wrong. He said "isn't" so restrictive that your comments might be edited, referring obviously to "them other" forums.

 

[Chuck in Boise]

I'm interested in feedback on a 'good'light- weight nugget hunting dectector. Appreciate your oppinions. Chuck

 

[Ralph Bryant]

Hi Chuck,

There are several good nugget machines on the market, and a few that are now discontinued that can still be picked up at a good price on the used market.

Depending on the smallest size of "nuggets" you think you might encounter, the Fisher Gold Bug II is probably the most sensitive of the induction balance (VLF) types, capable of detecting extremely small gold in the range of sub-grain weights (not grams, GRAINS). Next in line I would think are the White's Goldmasters, with one of my all time favorites being the Goldmaster GM3. There have been a couple of subsequent gold machines from White's since the GM3, and they are also very good for small gold, operating at a frequency of + or - 50kHz. You would also do well with either of the previous two Goldmasters made prior to the GM3, those being the Vsat and the Goldmaster II. The entire Goldmaster line used very similar circuitry, while the earlier machines were primarily manually adjusted, with later models adding auto ground tracking and other features.

Next in line I would lump a couple of discontinued models together in about the same category/performance range, those being the original Gold Bug by Fisher and the Diablo uMax by Tesoro. The Diablo was another favorite that I pushed around Arizona and Nevada for several years and did very well with.

These are the ones I would look at first, depending on your budget and needs.

Hope this helps,

Ralph

 

[dirtfisher]

Check out www.metaldetectorreviews.net

 

[sameolgeorge]

try minelab [less hot rocks]

 

[DavHut]

You wrote: "I'm interested in feedback on a 'good' light- weight nugget hunting dectector. Appreciate your opinions. Chuck"

In my eye there are only two:

1. Tesoro Lobo SuperTraq
2. Fisher Gold Bug II

Nothing balances in the hand like the Fisher, it's very sensitive, although it's a bit of a trash hound. Not so much the Lobo and NOTHING is as smooth operating. Buy 'em both used and sell the one you don't wish to keep.

David

 

[sameolgeorge]

In my eye there is only one brand for gold I have three a 17000 , a 18000 , and a 2200 I have found some where around 3000 nuggets the 17 and 18 gets the little ones and the 22 gets the big all minelabs have a short learning curve Im planing a trip to Az. in a month or two im always happy to teach EMail Texas George AT sameolgeorge@yahoo.com