Metal Detector Company Size / Engineering .

[rljehart]

Just a thought on the major Metal Detector Mfgs on size and chief Engineers

USA companies -very lean = competive --to stay in business --facing serious overseas competition
i didnt realize how small Tesoro was= a couple of dozen employees -- 4 day work week -- and some are part time --- Vince Gifford is the Prez and chief engineer , Rusty Henry been with Tesoro for 25 plus years= had several duties -repairs /inventory/marketing - i talked with him a few weeks ago - he says he is retiring soon ---- hopefully Tesoro will come out with a home run on their next machine
i remember when the Cortes came out Dec 2001

Garrett == a few dozen employees == i havent asked if ROBERT PODHRASKY is still the chief engineer ? hopefully the GTI 2500 replacement will be in the works = came out 1997(GTI 2000) upgraded to the 2500 ==1999-----------------ace 250(sold tens of thousands of these fine machines in the few years) and AT PRO were the money makers ---

Whites --a few dozen employees -really have their share of the market --MXT, DFX, XLT were big hits with the V3i -- the 6000 analog wished they still MFG --but i heard the meter had Mercury --became a hazzard issue -due to Oregons laws -- dont know who the chief engineer is -- the fellow who designed the DFX -- had started on the V3i programming -but he moved on -- new engineers took over ---hopefully they keep up the good work

First Texas --really have come along way since the BH days --bought out Fisher ---- got some of best Engineers in the business --Dave Johnson for one --- new detectors designs -seems like every couple of years --really got it going -- still just a few dozen employees --probably hiring

Minelab -- i know a few years back they got bought out by a HUGE company and got some money behind them --got Bruce Candy chief engineer -- mulftifrequency technology - a real big dog in the industry for high dollar machines --- dont know if the GO Find is going to be winner or if they want it to be - make plenty of bucks selling etracs

now we have AKA , Nokta , Makro Vista , Cscope(were the only overseas competitor at one time) , Blisstool , Deus - several others - really started to take hold here is the USA -- real competive market --years ago back in the mid eighties the late ninties -i would see someone with a detector every once in awhile == now its fairly common --see alot a ACE 250s -- places to hunt are getting more harder to find == i mainly detect areas that are being bulldozed down for the new Apartment or building complex going up --and i to get on it quick --i am not the only THer in the area !

 

[squirrel1]

The United States metal detecting manufacturers had better wake up. Why?? Things have changed in recent years. A company can't always say depend on their good service anymore.

The communications process has been opened up with internet, internet video, cell phones, etc.

The shipping process has been streamlined----folks trust it more and you can actually get something from the other side of the world in short order.

Companies like Xp Deus, and Nokta/Makro and Minelab have been cashing in.

Domestic manufacturers seem to want to hide (keep secret) their up and coming detectors.

Time to produce great performing detectors is vital too.

Looks like i.e. Makro/Nokta is fixing to release another detector--a detector I feel will get a lot of attention.

What I see here with the domestic makers is basically repackaged detectors. Minor changes to just kick the can down the road. Examples are Omega 8000 vs 8500, Fisher upgrading the F75LTD with DST technology, White's DFX to White;s V3i/VX3. Tdi Pro/TDI SL. And Tesoro putting paint jobs on their old detectors.

Something's gotta give. Who will be the first to go???

I've been thinking some of the domestic makers should join forces---join their talents.

I see for example Nokta/Makro with a rep on the forums answering a few questions and making a few announcements----why don't the rest???

The domestic industry as I see it is up for grabs----and none of the domestic makers seem to be reaching.

I try and be an honest person---call balls balls and strikes strikes.

I have commented on this on other forums.

I wonder sometimes if they even read....I do know Nokta/Makro does.

The sky is the limit if anyone is willing to reach for it..

 

[supertraq]

I been saying it for years,the U.S companies dribble out technology a drop at a time so they keep you coming back every few years.
I believe the technology to build machines far better than we have now has been around for years but we only get a taste here and there.
The foreign competition needs to make a name,so?

 

[ironsight]

.....see for example Nokta/Makro with a rep on the forums answering a few questions and making a few announcements----why don't the rest???......

Exactly!! While many 'veteran users' of a specific detector answer questions here, there is nothing like getting an answer from the horse's mouth.
Its a breath of fresh air seeing a Makro rep chime in here once in a while.
Not only do some domestic and other companies not post here at least once in a while but also totally ignore what their faithful customers want in a new detector model.

I'm specifically thinking Minelab here though not a domestic company. There are plenty of threads in the eTRAC forum pertaining to wanted new features for a futuristic eTRAC-II but apparently has fallen on deaf ears over at Minelab.
In most hi-tech electronics company once they reach a certain size the marketing idiots and bean counters typically over rule their engineers and sadly their customers too.

 

[skookum]

Hi,
Not only that.
US companies/engineers do not listen to customers or they don´t care what latter have to say.
Remember how many people would have paid top price for the tone ID for their Whites 6000 or XL Pro?
Did Whites listen ??
You guessed right - they just didn´t give a hoot.
A little engineer from Poland did.
When he quit making them, it seemed there wasn´t anybody in the US capable of producing such an item.
Or maybe nobody cared.
Kind of sad.
HH
skookum

 

[sidney]

Has anyone used the Racer detector ye?. If you had do you like it ? And how deep can it go?, can it go as deep as the Fisher F 70? Or the MXT etc.

 

[Tom Slick]

Maybe you should try the Makro Racer forum?

 

[Sven]

Now the China companies have to take in everything they have learned dissecting US, European machines and come out with
a totally new, high performance machine that rivals anything currently on the market at half the cost.

If they can do it with CB radios etc...................................................

So US manufacturers better wake up and listen to their customers, bean counters and marketing better listen, more profits can mean more bonus payouts.

 

[GMD]

The whole range of the VLF machines of the Golden Mask brand from Bulgaria is developed by one person. And this person is a metal detecting enthusiast for many ears. This explains why the brand gains so many fans in the last 2-3 years.

 

[squirrel1]

Seems Bulgaria gets mentioned a whole lot. Aren't the great performing SEF coils made there???? And don't forget about the bad ground piercing blisstool detectors.