F44 or F5-That is the question...

[mike c.]

Hi guys,
I'm considering moving up from my Fisher F22 to something at least a little more advanced.I have the opportunity to get a used F44 or an F5 for a fairly reasonable price.I"ve heard good and bad things about both machines.

I want something that can be ground-balanced and I want a true all-metal mode.Both of these fit my requirements.Neither are depth-monsters so I understand,but they can't be any WORSE that the F22,which isn't all that bad.The F22 will hit a quarter at 6-8 inches.

I'd have to get rid of the F22 to finance the purchase.I don't metal detect enough to justify owning two,and nobody else I hang with cares a hoot about metal detecting so I don't need a loaner.

I'd like some opinins about these machines.PLEASE,keep in mind,this is ONLY about the F44 and F5.I know there are a lot better machines out there Like the ATPro,Teknetics Patriot and maybe even the Bounty Hunter LRP,but used machine around here(reasonably priced) are as rare as hen's teeth and the F44 and F5 are available(so the owner said).I told him I wanted time to think on it.

 

[RLOH]

Mike, I have never used the F44, but the F5 is one of the best coin hunting detectors I have used. It is loaded with features and the seperate threshold-gain adjustments allow for some difficult conditions. The only complaint I have with the F5 is a rather tight pinpoint button location. Over the years, I have had either a F5 or it's Teknetics counterpart, the Omega. After hundreds of hours on both, I like the F5 , but only because of it's controls setup. The F5's that I have owned have been extremely durable, never a problem. Good luck with your choice.

 

[still looking 52]

Never owned the F44 but I've owned the F5 for five years now and it's my only detector. I can say with confidence that you can't go wrong with the F5, it's durable, reliable, accurate and deep.
I use the 11" DD coil and can go down to 8" on a dime in normal dirt plus the low frequency loves silver which is what I mainly hunt for.
Another plus is batteries life,40 hours on a set of 9 volt batteries.

 

[mike c.]

Thanks for the replies,appreciate it.Can either of you comment as to how much of a handicap the stock coil on the F5 would be as compared to the DD?I believe the gentleman's F5 only has the stock unit.

 

[jmaclen]

Hi,
I have used the F5 a few times. It is an excellent coin/jewelry detector. I liked its cousin the Omega 8000 too except for its EMI shielding problems. The F5 did not have any EMI issues when I used it. Love the analog adjustability and knobs!!!!

I have an F44 and you have most of the F44 in your F22. You mentioned the Land Ranger Pro. Basically, you already own most of one since the F44 and the LRP are about as close as you can get except for notching options.
I have used my F44 for 6 months and have finally decided that it is not going to work out for me. It is a really nice detector just like the LRP I used for awhile. The all metal mode on the F5 is closer to true all metal than the all metal mode on the F44 which cannot be adjusted threshold wise. The F44 cannot handle the moderate to high mineralization in my area very well however and the target IDs tone and numbers are very jumpy or up averaged on anything past 4" in my bad dirt. So, I am going back to the F19 for my Fisher fix.

As for coils, my F44 actually did better depth wise and with Target ID accuracy with an 8" concentric Frat Bros coil. The 11x7 stock DD was not nearly as good in my dirt.
I would go with the F5 if you don't have any major EMI issues.

Jeff

 

[still looking 52]

I would guess the stock coil would work just fine maybe even better in certain situations just because when they designed it they design it as a complete package and those guys from engineering know what there doing.

 

[dfmike]

F5 all the way !!! Some might say that the F44 gives you more for your money. It does have more advanced features that might or might not be useful. Personally I enjoyed my F5 a lot more than my F44. Same frequency but totally different personalities.

 

[Skwerly]

Fisher F5. without a doubt. it's actually a deeper machine than most give it credit for, even with the stock coil. The low frequency it runs allows for some good penetration into the dirt. Mine is accurate and, as with all fishers, it's light as heck. My buddy's AT Pro feels like an awkward tank in comparison.

Get the F5. you can't go wrong.