F5 durability & Depth

[Coyote65]

I am considering buying a Fisher F5, after reading several reviews my only concerns are build quality and durability and what kind of depth to expect from it. Reasons for asking these questions is I read a couple reviews citing build quality one even mentioned the thin flimsy plastic covering the display getting scratched up, I am anxious to hear from owners/users of the F5 to give their honest opinion of their machine.

 

[Alimo88]

Nothing will scratch it if nothing comes in contact with it. Take care of your equipment i say. I have a two year old detector with no scratches on the control panel.

 

[Coyote65]

Thanks for replying, there is no dealers close by for me see the detector up close so I rely on info I read and from owners such as yourself. I am in the market for a mid ranged detector and considering the F5 and was trying to get some insight from fellow owners about the machine before I purchase because I am considering another detector alongside the F5. That being the Tesoro Vaquero, I know one has Target Id and the other doesn't which is why I asked about the build quality/durability of the F5 to summarize I like the Target Id but if it means sacrificing build quality and depth for the Target id then I would rather go without it.

 

[EddieR]

The F5 is an awesome detector, deep and loads of info on the screen. If you compare the build to a Whites or Garrett then no, the build is not as heavy. The faceplate is thin plastic. HOWEVER....there is a cheap little thing you can do to protect it. Go to the fabric section in Wal-Mart. They sell rolls of clear vinyl by the yard. Get the heaviest vinyl they have, and get some double sided tape while you are at Wally World. Cut a piece of vinyl to fit the faceplate and attach it with the tape. Just stick the tape to the faceplate and stick the vinyl cutout to it. It's not permanent, is easily changed, and best of all, the yard of vinyl and tape costs around six bucks.

I have a number of machines, and I have all of them protected this way

Eddie

 

[Jay4]

If your after build quality and warranty tesoro has the edge But, Fisher has more features and build excellent machines with five year warranty.I had a vaquero but traded it for a F5 because i prefer the different tones.only drawback with the fishers is the screen quality but, most people put an extra piece of plastic on the screen to keep it from getting scratched. As far as depth goes i cant say at this point im still learning the F5 but, from what i have read about the same. If you decide to go with the fisher read all of Mike Hillis posts About the F5 that will get you learning the machine faster.

 

[sqwaby]

I use the F5 and the Vaquero also. I would tell you the build qaulity might not be the best, but it not going to fall apart either. As mentioned its an expensive piece of equipment and should be treated as such. The f5 is becoming my go to coin shooter, but the Vaquero still shines for depth, beach ans relic hunting. If I could get a Vaquero with a nice tone setup like the F5 I would probably be happy with it as my one machine.

 

[Coyote65]

I have decided to go with the F5, I treat all my equipment with the utmost care and I've heard and read enough to be confident in my choice thanks in large part to everyone's opinions and input, thank you all very much you've been very helpful and I appreciate the feedback. I will take the advice about the screen and either get the clear plastic to protect it, I was also curious would that clear protective covering work that some cell phones use for protection of their touch screen phones/i Phone? Just a thought as I'm unaware of exactly how fragile or flimsy it is on the F5, I did read someone was more concerned with scratching it vs actually breaking it.

 

[Terry in PA]

As far as coin depth you'll get around 8 inches on a dime and 10 - 11 on a quarter. As far as the face plate goes I took a piece of clear plastic from a box that my daughters Barbie came in cut it to fit and used two sided sticky tape on the corners. Been there for over a year! The detector works well. As said on the other post look up post by Mike Hillis you'll learn a lot from them.

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

Read about the omaga 8000 I sold my F5 for the 8000 with 11DD and it is a keeper

 

[Coyote65]

Read about the omega 8000 I sold my F5 for the 8000 with 11DD and it is a keeper

I've already ordered the F5, so I'll give it a try for awhile, I enjoy your youtube videos I'm a subscriber and to Bill Ladds as well. I took into considerations your video when deciding on the F5, Nice nugget ring by the way. Thanks for the info and vids keep it up as to it gives newbies such as myself some helpful and insightful info.

 

[upstatedetector]

I have the F5. One of the first things I did was cover the screen with a thin piece of plastic. Every once in a while I take it off clean underneath as to get any trapped dirt and re-tape. It works great. The only other detector I have owned was a Garrett GTA 500 and the build quality on the old Garrett was much better. The F5 is considerably lighter although the Garrett had a removable battery compartment with belt clip which was neat. I am not at all rough with my equipment and I mostly detect on my parents property. The headphone jack on the F5 has become loose (still works fine). All in all I am happy with the f5 so far but I would love the 5"DD.