how about the f-4

[yowow#1]

hello folks on f-series forum, I have got a question if i may. I was wondering why there are hardly any talk about the fisher f-4, there seems to be almost none on the forums, internet, "anywhere really". I have a friend that i hunt with occasionally and he uses an f-4 and he usually does great. I have machines costing 2-3 times more than his f-4 and i don't do better than him, I asked my friend about depth and he said the f-4 wasn't the deepest machine but it is really great at its capability. I am impressed with it. Okay to quit rambling, My question is this, so why is it like a step child in all the internet and forum world? just curious.

 

[stilpony]

My guess would be that there isn't much of a price jump to get up to the F5, so most spend the few extra bucks and buy the F5. The F2 is a great intro-machine and is quite a bit less expensive than the F4, so beginners tend to go with the F2, and when they graduate, they jump to the F5. I don't think that the F4 is the "stepchild" in the bunch, but I think it's just a bit to close in price to the F5. I come to this conslusion because this is exactly what I did! I'm new to metal detecting, found out that the Fishers offered a lot for the money, looked at the F2, thought I better get a few extra features, so I looked at the F4, but noticed the F5 wasnt' that much more expensive, so I made the jump.

Anyway, must my opinion, not fact based.

HH
Pony

 

[REVIER]

I agree.
The F4 is an F2 with the manual GB available on the all metal side but not the disc side according to Dave Johnson.
The DD coil is different but you can get that on the F2, also.
If you tend to hunt in disc I am not seeing any compelling reasons to go higher than the F2 in the entry price point.
Mine finds plenty and I use the concentrics..


Now the F5 is a whole different class and a whole new ball game.
Many more settings and much more advanced than the F2/F4, and for a little more than the F4 a great value.
Plus...it has knobs.

If manual GB were added to the disc side of the F4 at the same price, or if the F4 was lowered a little in price that would be a logical step up in the F series line and more hunters would own them, I would think.

 

[yowow#1]

Thanks guys for your responses, all makes sense i reckon. just curious about it since it seemed like a pretty good machine and you never see it.

 

[richard thompson]

I have had my F4 now for three years and love it! I have found about $600 bucks in coins along with many rings and other items. I got the F4 over the F5 due to the learning curve the F5 that people wrote about. The F4 is very easy to use and can find anything that the F5 can find. In Virginia Beach area I found a Civil war pocket compass and right next to it a hand made silver ring about 6 inches deep, what a find! That same area was covered by a friend with a bounty and he did not pick it up at all. I would get the F4 and spend the extra money by getting the Garrett Pen Pointer, now you are set for some fun. Good luck and get dirty.

 

[rob]

The F4 is a good machine but basically a Bounty Hunter 3300 with a different numbering system.

Like Reviver said, much rather have the F5.

 

[yowow#1]

I have had my F4 now for three years and love it! I have found about $600 bucks in coins along with many rings and other items. I got the F4 over the F5 due to the learning curve the F5 that people wrote about. The F4 is very easy to use and can find anything that the F5 can find. In Virginia Beach area I found a Civil war pocket compass and right next to it a hand made silver ring about 6 inches deep, what a find! That same area was covered by a friend with a bounty and he did not pick it up at all. I would get the F4 and spend the extra money by getting the Garrett Pen Pointer, now you are set for some fun. Good luck and get dirty.

Richard thompson you kinda sound like my friend talking about his f-4, he is good with it. He has never said why he purchased an f-4 over an f-5, and i never asked? He never says this is what i found with my f-4. But i always ask, and he will show me his finds and they are usually pretty good.

 

[richard thompson]

I think the most important thing to know about any unit you purchase is how it works. Getting to know your detector is very important, it sounds funny but you really do get to understand and know what your metal detector is trying to tell you with time spent in the field, perhaps six months or so. One of the things I have found out is if you get an 80 hit on your detector run over it several time very fast. If it sounds of as an 80 you then have a quarter, however if it does not sound off then it is most likely a bottle cap. This is getting to know your detector, sounds, speed of sweeps etc. I would purchase the pen pointer by Garrett. Most of the time I only dig about a two inch wide hole to get my target item rather than digging a large hole looking for it. Trust me it is well worth the money when you have little time to hunt and dig, it will save lots of time and you can cover more ground with the extra time. I hope this helps you out. Let us know how you are doing.

 

[mrmerck]

I was a total newbie to detectors til last May when I pulled the trigger on an F-4. I researched everything under the sun in my price range with an emphasis on getting a machine that was easy to learn. In 12 months I`ve found $270 in clad and have never second guessed myself. Two weeks into owning the machine I was finding coins with ease.

Pros-
Easy machine to learn on
Light weight
Very accurate on ID
I can notch out things I want or don`t want to find


Cons-
I wish it was a bit deeper

 

[Skwerly]

like most, i don't know a whole lot about the f4. i currently swing an f2 and am seriously considering an f5 somewhere in the future. as stated, if the f4 were 300 instead of 400 dollars, i think more would step up to that one before moving on to a machine with more features. it also operates at a very low khz and many hunters want a little more.