Habanero said:
Looking for my next Tesoro, any suggestions?
Yes, seriously think about all the sites you'll search, then decide if you'll always hunt in the silent-search Discriminate mode or perhaps use a true, Threshold-based All Metal mode at times. I know I make use of both search modes. Finally, consider finding a good condition former model and not just a currently made or brand new unit.
Then consider search coils. I feel it is good to have at least two coils, and maybe a third, that will suit the different site conditions you'll encounter. Then, once you have picked a detector and coils, devote ample time afield to learn the detector well. I know many Tesoro's have worked well for me, both for Coin Hunting as well as Relic Hunting, for 32 years as of July. I've owned and used other brands, and parted with many that couldn't match the performance in dense iron nails that the Tesoro's handled well. I've always tried to keep at least one favorite Tesoro in my personal arsenal.
Most competitive models featured visual Target ID or audio Tone ID, but it was easy to conclude that in a densely littered site there was too much masking of good targets to rely on their "part time" usefulness. I've owned many make and models, multiples of some I liked or even some I tried to like, but almost a third-of-a-century now, I would say the bulk of my modern coinage was found with a Tesoro, and I can guarantee you that a good 80% or more of my old coins and choicest artifacts came by way of using a Tesoro. No Tone ID. To Target ID. No Notch Disc. Just good old 'simple' but 'proven' performance. Proper GB, highest Gain I can w/o falsing. Lowest Discriminate level I can tolerate. Then it's just a matter of
'Beep-DIG!'
Habanero said:
I'm after coins and jewelry; mainly coins unless it's a site that is likely to hold some jewelry. Mild Texas ground, not after deep silver either. It would be nice but there just isn't any here like there is up in the Northeast
Regardless of the direction you travel, are there silver or other older-date coins that might be located 'deep?'
Yes, but in most cases their depth isn't what we always read about. In the detecting hobby I have noticed that "depth" kind of has a "mistaken identity," if you know what I mean. If there has been build-up due to fill material, decades of grass clippings and/or decayed leafage, then some older coins might still be out there. Sometimes coins are a little deeper than normal due to 'displacement,' such as field or lot plowing, or garden or yard tilling, or heavy vehicle or animal traffic especially in a wet or muddy condition.
Otherwise, in most typically searched, human activity locations, most of the older coins are gone because those who got into this great sport in the early era cleaned out a lot of what
was there. No, we didn't get it all, and No, we didn't have the most design technology back in the '60s and '70s, but detectors did work, and I believe more people who got into detecting in those early days and took it seriously,
learned their detectors and how to get the most performance out of them and the best results. We had less modern trash, and far less higher-conductive discarded litter to deal with as well.
I've hunted in that mild Texas dirt, as well as many states with varied 'dirt' Back east, in the Mid-West, and mostly out in our very mineralized Western States. Been enjoying the sport for over fifty years now. Most coins have been, and usually still are, in the surface to 4" range and most 'deep' coins are an honest over 4" to perhaps 8". Yes, I have found some deeper, but not often. The main ingredient isn't trying to imagine how deep a detector will go, but site selection. All of the Mercury, Barber and Seated Liberty dimes I have recovered in the past year have come from the same depths as those I found during the '70s, '80's, '90s and up to the present, and that is surface to ±4", ... and mostly - not + the 4" mark. Site selection.
Habanero said:
I'm trying to wean myself off of screens and multi tones for a bit because I think I'm passing on good targets by letting the screen tell me what it thinks is in the ground.
I am certain you have passed by, or at least not made any recovery efforts for many good targets that just didn't look right or sound right according to the detector's visual and audio ID system. It's a weakness that can effect us all, and I include myself in that list of many because I know there have been times I got frustrated with myself for over-reliance on a visual read-out.
The best route to success is keeping the Disc. level as low as tolerable, and with most of my favorite Tesoro models that is at the minimum setting with their ED-120 Discrimination range. That's enough to reject most ferrous trash and anything that gives me a 'good' or reasonably 'iffy' audio 'beep,' I recover it and take a look. Then I know what it is, and can decide if it is good or bad.
Habanero said:
I've owned several of the Tesoro models in the past and most of them I regret selling.
I have been in that same predicament, but I have been making a change to correct that blunder. My good old 'original' Bandido should have arrived at the Tesoro service department yesterday or today to get a little modest repair and then be returned to me while I'm on my ghost town jaunt and a little This is the first repair work on that original Bandido which still works like a champ.
I can send it off for service because I have now been rebuilding my detector arsenal of all-time favorite Tesoro's. I have been looking for a few of them for years and just about four weeks ago I got a pristine condition Silver Sabre µMAX from a fellow for $150. He had another Tesoro that he said didn't sell at his yard sale so I bought it as well for $250. That was an equally perfect, 'as-new' condition Bandido II µMAX. Not a bad deal on a hard-to-find pair, in their condition, for $400 total.
Tomorrow UPS will be delivering a Silver Sabre II, and on Monday a Bandido II will be delivered to my son's house when I am on a trip to Utah. While on this trip I should get my original Bandido delivered from Tesoro, and it is the more used and aged-looking of them all, but I'll have all fived of my prized Tesoro's with me on my return home from vacation. Until I pass away, these all-time favorite five Tesoro's will be in my arsenal and I won't part with any of them. Good used Tesoro's are out there to be found, with the exception of these five proven performer models.
Habanero said:
I cut my detecting teeth on a silver umax, owned some compadres, tried a Vaquero once, owned a Deleon, Cortes, Outlaw and Tiger Shark. Out of those I least preferred the Outlaw, Cortes and Vaquero. The Outlaw just had issues with the retune button and found myself fiddling with it and wondering if I was getting it right or not. The Cortes, small screen. Vaquero I tried just did not sound very pleasing with it's tone.
Did you use them all enough to learn them well? Have a preference for any one of them? Which search coil did you use most often?
Habanero said:
I'm leaning towards the Tejon for my type of hunting, that and I haven't tried it yet out of my many Tesoro's.
Haven't tried but want to try it is one good reason to get a Téjon.
Habanero said:
My favorite coin to dig up is a nickel and I'm thinking if I can set the dual discriminators up just right then I hope it will be killer on nickels.
Tinkering with the dual Disc. function can be almost time wasting like relying on visual TID, and can also lead you to ignore or miss hearing many good targets while trying to isolate one particular coin type. I had three Téjon's and never liked using the dual Disc. in that fashion, or really at all. Instead, I like to hunt with the ability to quickly change from All Metal search to Discriminate, or Disc. to All Metal, and that meant locking the Primary Disc. control in All Metal, then searching in the Alt. Disc. 'mode' and checking in All Metal.
Habanero said:
Also like I can adjust the tone on it to suit my ears.
That was my favorite Téjon adjustment feature.
Habanero said:
I'm bummed that the clean sweep is no longer offered for the delta series as I'd like to add that coil to my arsenal for sport fields.
So, why not just shop for a 'standard' frequency Tesoro if you really want to use a Clean Sweep coil? Pretty simple fix for that desire.
Habanero said:
Also thinking about a Deleon again as it was pretty accurate with it's TID but then I feel like I'm relying on a screen again.
I'd pass on that preset GB model as it has limited TID function, and would still cause you to rely on that more .... the result being good targets not recovered.
Habanero said:
Another Compadre wouldn't be out of the question either; just not exactly a depth demon but I'd likely mod it to accept other coils....such as a clean sweep 
Any reason's to try one over another, revisit a past fond friend or avoid one or another altogether?
I'd also pass on the Compadre and doing a mod. If you really want to hunt with a Clean Sweep, get a model that is ready-to-go and will accept that coil. I'd suggest a model with GB adjustment because the coil's can vary. If you lie ED-180 Disc., look for an Eldorado.
Habanero said:
I'd love to try a Bandido II umax or the Eldorado umax but those are not current production, hard to find in good condition and bring a premium price when they can be found.
My four newer Bandido's were all out there for someone to snag. It just means look everywhere you can, and be ready to buy or trade to get what you want.
Habanero said:
I'd also like the warranty that comes with a new machine.
You had a Silver µMAX, owned some Compadres, tried a Vaquero, a DeLeón, a Cortes, an Outlaw and a Tiger Shark. That's at least 7 Tesoro's. Ever send them in for service? Are they all sold or traded away? If so, what good was the Lifetime Warranty? I have owned and used more Tesoro models than any other brand except possibly White's, and I have now, for the first time, sent a Tesoro in for repair because a battery clip is broken. Tesoro detectors have been very reliable performers with better durability and fewer failures than most brands I have monitored.
Habanero said:
To answer the question regarding why the Tejon; there are several reasons. I've not tried it yet, the dual discriminators cannot be found on any other Tesoro and feel that it's like having a notch feature, kind of anyway, I think I'd like the trigger switch for checking targets and the pinpoint.
Notch Disc., regardless of the design, can hamper finding many desired targets. But if you really want to try one, why not?
Habanero said:
I'm not sold on it yet, just my list of pluses. Can you tell me why not to consider it over other units?
I can't give specific reasons that you might understand, but I can tell you that having owned three, and I know what they can do, I have had better success, better [size=small](cleaner and quieter)[/size] Discrimination with other Tesoro models, and I hunted side-by-side with two of them and the Eldorado I had, using the same size search coils, and I get better depth with the Eldorado.
Habanero said:
Tesoro website says it was mainly designed for coin and relic hunters. I'm not trying to be argumentative, just wondering what the others have over the Tejon or even the Lobo ST for examples sake.
Yes, the Téjon can be used for all applications, as can the Lobo or Lobo SuperTRAQ. I used the LST as one of my primary-use detectors for about a year back ion '99 to '00 with the round 8" Concentric donut coil and it did well. What I didn't like, however, was that auto-track was only a function in the All Metal mode. The Disc. mode has an internal GB preset. Also, it was a little heavier.
My suggestion is to just pick a Tesoro model you might like, current production or a little older, then get a couple of coils and go hunting. If you have some good sites, then all you need is a good detector. I would suggest the Vaquero over the Téjon, but I would like the higher tone so far as audio, but the Vaquero just doesn't have the design set-up I prefer. Good used models are out there, and you just might find a choice unit before I do.
Monte