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DeepTech

I need to get down to ONE detector. Help me pick which Tesoro to keep..

T

thumperjones

Member
So I need to thin down my detector arsenal, and I'm going to keep just one for all my hunting. I'm familiar with all these machines, and have a good bit of hours on them. So I have a pretty good idea of what is good at what, just wanted to see what you guys would do in my shoes.

My hunting consists of either old homesite hunting for relics, open field low-trash areas hunting for civil war bullets and stuff, and some urban coin picking when I only have a few minutes to hunt.

My detector arsenal:
Bandido II uMax with 8" donut coil, 7" Widescan
Vaquero Black with 9x8 Concentric and 5.75 Concentric
DeLeon with a 9x8 Concentric, 7" Widescan, 8" donut

What one machine would you keep to use for all hunting?

I know which one is deepest, which separates best, and which sounds the best. But I can't decide which I like the best, and I can keep only one.

Looking forward to your thoughts!
 
Bandido II sounds the best and is great all-around. Vaquero is deeper, but unless you get the tone mod, doesn't sound good and it also doesn't have the nicer mode switch of the Bandido... I'd keep my Bandido over the Vaqueros... You can always find another V, if you miss it, 'cause they're easy to find. Haven't played with a DeLeon, but if I'm after target ID, I'd probably use something other than a Tesoro. So... Keep the Bandido II microMAX... I would, anyway. ^_^
 
I agree with pinenut.
It's regarded by many as the best unit tesoro ever made.
Plus, like he said, you can always find the other units again easily if you wanted them again. A good Bandido II Micromax is hard(er) to find. Especially in good condition.
 
Bandido II [size=small]micro[/size]MAX [size=small](µMAX)[/size]

Maybe the 8" Donut, but I seldom use it unless it is a larger, more open area.

Replace the 7" DD with the thin-profile 6" Concentric coil. I keep the 6" mounted full-time on all my workhorse Tesoro's

If you are "... familiar with all these machines" then you should know this is the best answer to your question.

I have ample hours on most Tesoro models and it was quite easy for me to reach my own conclusion, now you have to make yours.

Monte
 
Thanks for all the comments guys! :cheers:

I kinda had my mind made up before I started this thread, but wanted to see what the other guys thought. And it looks like we are all on the same page, and for the same reasons!

I thought about keeping the Vaquero until I started thinking what it did better than the others. Well, nothing. It's barely deeper than the Bandido in normal setup (not supertuned) and that's really the only advantage the Vaq should have. The frequency difference never seemed to make it any more sensitive to me.

Now the DeLeon is noticeably deeper than either other machine, even with it's preset GB in our sometimes hot soil. And on coins, the ID works EXCELLENT. If I were mostly just a coin hunter, the DeLeon would be the no-brainer to keep. Really the only thing I can knock it for is the audio is not QUITE as descriptive as the others. But you have the ID to make up for it, so it kinda is a wash. Really impressed with this machine.

The Bandido II just seems to have it all. Great Disc range, true No Motion AM and Motion AM modes, simple and fast mode switch, and deep enough for most everything. And as mentioned, it would be the hardest of the three to find later if I needed to buy it back. Only negative for me is the tone is a tad too high and it gets fatiguing a little quicker. But it ain't stopped me yet! A Bandido II with the tone pitch of an Eldorado or Silver uMax would be just perfect.

Enjoy hearing all your thoughts, everybody. Keep em coming!
 
My theory is anything worth having one of is worth having two or more. Remember the Bandido and the D can share coils.
BB
 
BarberBill said:
My theory is anything worth having one of is worth having two or more. Remember the Bandido and the D can share coils.
BB
Click to expand...

Me too Bill, Ive got several of my favorite detector
 
The Deleon is the deepest 5pin I think Ive ever used. I did not care for the ID, I did not find it very accurate unless it was IDing a stand alone target it perfectly clear ground(like on a beach).

I would prefer the Bandido II because of the ground balance and the layout of the machine, meaning one 9 volt instead of a separate battery pack. You can get long cabled coils for the Bandido and wade with it, making it more versatile.
 
Neil said:
The Deleon is the deepest 5pin I think Ive ever used. I did not care for the ID, I did not find it very accurate unless it was IDing a stand alone target it perfectly clear ground(like on a beach).

I would prefer the Bandido II because of the ground balance and the layout of the machine, meaning one 9 volt instead of a separate battery pack. You can get long cabled coils for the Bandido and wade with it, making it more versatile.
Click to expand...

I agree, I dont really find tesoros digital machines to really be that comparible to what you can get from a lot of the other manufacturers. Any machine can technically be a beep and dig, but having a digital display and VDI numbers just make you focus on that, instead of the tones. More of a distraction.
 
It is a shame you have to just keep just one. I have had my share of Tesoro's through the years and I find the ones they do not make anymore, especially the mid to late 1990's to early 2000's are always the ones I go trying to find again. If I were you and had to keep just one of the ones you have listed, it would be the bandito. That is because they are hard to find and the other 2 are still in production and easy to come by if you were to want another down the road. Those 15 year old plus tesoros are becoming too hard find these days and when they do show up, the prices seem to still be up there too. Good luck!!
 
The only one out of those machines that are mentioned that i use is the UK version of the Vaquero its called the Laser Trident 11 Extreme with the 11x8 coil on,must dmit i dont use it that often but mainly bought it because of the weight as sometimes i have problems with my right wrist,so a lightweight backup machine too my Deus is order of the day,it does well on trashy roman/saxon sites but still not sure about the 11x8 coil yet,so have just bough a 10x6 Mars Sniper coil albeit not used it yet.

The Extreme that i use is like a normal Vaquero but on Steroids,what the mythical Cazador should have been like i guess,its a really light machines and just for that one reason why i keep it in my detecting arsenal and no other reason.
 
bigtim1973 said:
bibelot said:
If I could only have one Metal detector, I would sell all those listed and buy a E trac.
Click to expand...

I cannot stand minelabs. They are the spoiled know it all metal detector brand. If you really want to hear someone moan and groan, out hunt a minelab user with a turn on and go detector.
Click to expand...

wouldn't that be stereotyping minelab owners??

I out hunt myself all the time and I never groan I learn what we all should know and that is that what ever detector you are swinging you missed something :buds:

AJ
 
Vaquero Black with 9x8 Concentric and 5.75 Concentric
you have ground balance
no screen to deal with
with this setup you are ready for clean sites and trash sites.

Beep and dig my friend.....
 
Look up ebays past auctions for a Deleon. It isn't a popular model and you will lose your shirt when selling it if you bought it new. Another reason why I would keep the Deleon.
 
bibelot said:
Look up ebays past auctions for a Deleon. It isn't a popular model and you will lose your shirt when selling it if you bought it new. Another reason why I would keep the Deleon.
Click to expand...

Nah I got a smoking deal on the DeLeon. They do sell for pretty cheap it seems like. I have a Silver uMax on permanent loan to a buddy, I may get it back and give him the DeLeon since he mostly coin hunts. He will like it.

I believe I may sell my Bandido II. For no other reason than the tone hurts my ears after a short time. I hope to be able to trade it for an Eldorado's uMax which has a much nicer tone for me and should be comparable in performance.

The Vaquero with the coils I have is the logical best choice for a "do it all". Problem is, it falses on iron a lot more than my 5 pin models, and its not that much deeper to put up with it.

I know I will really regret selling the Bandido, and I'll probably never be able to have another. But the piercing high tone has bothered me from day one.

I think I have a plan together now. Thanks for all the comments guys. Maybe I can find time to sell some of these machines soon.
 
Sounds like a plan, and I am with you on the tone of the Bandido as compared to the Eldorado (micromax style). I much prefer the tone on the Eldorado to the tones on my other Tesoros, and, as I have said before, I wont part with it.
 
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