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.
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.