"Coinboy007": Hi guys. I’ve been using a simplex for a while and liked it, but for some reason I just don’t ‘click’ with the machine. It might be the limited amount of tones or limited depth, but I feel like I should upgrade. I’ve narrowed down my options to a Kruzer or an Anfibio, because I recently got into water hunting. Money is a big issue for me as I’m 13 years old and I only get allowance money, so I would buy the machine used. My question is, are the extra features and depth on the anfibio worth the extra money over the kruzer? I am mostly hunting parks, schools, and old houses and homesites, but also some lakes and creeks. Thanks in advance for the advice!
-Coinboy
First, congratulations on getting into this great sport at a younger age ... and working/saving to buy your own equipment. I got started when I was 15, but way back then it was a new hobby interest. I started out building mine from a kit my older brother bought but couldn't get it to work.
As for the two models you are considering, you stated you selected them because you recently got into water hunting, thus looking for an 'upgrade' that is waterproof. Of the two they both work well. I have owned both, and have had an Anfibio three times, but I just sold it this week. I don't swim, and I don't live close to a coastal, sand-covered coastal beach. Plus my mobility issues and use of a cane don't get along well on soft sand. But I do Beach Hunt freshwater areas with a firmer ground make-up, and for that I have a Simplex +. Two, as a matter-of-fact. I generally use a smaller-size to mid-size coil so I don't notice a nose-heavy feel as much as some using a standard or larger-size coil. However ... I found the Multi-Kruzer to be nose-heavy for me with the 7" Concentric coil. The Anfibio Multi, with the standard round 11" DD or the 7" Concentric balanced and felt much more comfortable, for me.
I have other makes and models in my Detector group that work for me specifically in very dense iron contaminated sites, or for hitting tot-lots, or for day-to-day urban Coin Hunting needs. I've been using the Simplex + since mid-November last year and have found it to be a very impressive performer. Both of mine have the 2.77 update which I really like, and one has the 11" DD coil mounted for Beach Hunting or working a wide-open / sparse-target site, an my min-use Simplex t+ that rides on the back seat keeps the 5X9½ DD mounted.
You also mentioned that you like to hunt "old houses and homesites" and since I've been driving for over 55 years and you're not quite there yet, I like to work ghost towns, homesteads, and other old-sites that can have a lot of iron debris, building rubble and other trash to del with. To better handle really dense-trash places a smaller-size coil is a must-have, in my opinion, so I always consider any coil in the 4½" to 6½" diameter. For that I have had my trustworthy and dedicated Nokta FORS CoRe and FORS Relic models since early January of 2015 and 2016. They keep their smallest-size coil mounted and I have yet to find a detector that can match or out-perform them. Prior to the FORS CoRe I relied on White's MXT Pro w/6½" Concentric coil and a T2 Classic w/5" DD coil. All of these are very good detectors today. Of the FT products I like the Teknetics T2+ better than the Fisher F75 models, but like any detector pick it gets to be a personal thing.
You did state you are looking for a good-condition used detector in order to afford it, but we don't know what kind of a price range you are shopping in. At 13, and I have grandkids at or close to that age, they come in a variety of sizes from 5' 10" 14 year old to a shorter-size 12 year old. Not sure where you live, but we are getting into the latter part of the year and for some detecting weather might limit their hunt-time, plus the days are getting shorter. I know the Simplex + is a very impressive detector, and since most coins, in most places, are not really all that deep, I have found the Simplex + to get very practical depth-of-detection. I would suggest you devote as much time as you can to using your Simplex + now while the detecting time and opportunities are here. Hunt hard and save up. Plan ahead and keep a watch so that by late winter and the approach of spring, you'll have more $$$ for shopping, and just might come across some really good deals ... and be ready for it.
By then you might get to like the Simplex + more than you do now, and perhaps be able to shop for a more land-based detector and hang onto the Simplex + for water hunting.
"HalinAL": IowaRelic when you say FT machine do you mean Fisher Teknetics? I do some relic detecting here in N. AL and interested in some good relic detectors.
HalinAL
Of the First Texas Product, I have preferred the T2 series since its introduction in 2006. My personal favorite is the T2+ and I favor the 5" DD coil for the trashier, iron plagued sites when Relic Hunting. I parted with my last T2, the T2+, earlier this year when I just didn't need it because I have two dedicated Relic Hunting models with smaller-size coils that both out-perform the T2 or F75. Those are the Nokta FORS CoRe and FORS Relic. Other TID model that have worked well for me over the past 15 years or so are the White's MXT Pro and MX-7, either with their 6½" Concentric coil, and Nokta / Makro Racer 2 and Impact with their 5" DD coil. They also have a mid-size 7" Concentric that I like in modestly littered places.
If you don't mind a good non-display detector, my two picks would be the Tesoro Bandido II µMAX (pronounced microMAX) w/6" Concentric or the DeepTech Vista X w/5¾" DD. Just some thoughts on what I use or have enjoyed using with success.
Monte
