Minelab Safari

[Nickledigger]

Been looking at a new detector and have been told that the Safari is a good machine and easy to learn pretty much a turn on and go.My research hasn't been all that sucessful don't know anybody who owns one and everything you read and the sellers all kinda say the same thing so I figured I would ask the people who actually own them.Mostly hunt coins,jewelry,some relics,never prospect and the ground around here is pretty mild,never beach hunt,just dry land.

 

[reltolbert]

Nickledigger,

The Safari is a great and easy machine to use. According to one of our forum members and using the 11" (stock) pro coil
@ 18 sensitivity ( 20 is max )(air test) you can expect to find a quarter at 12.5" deep; dime at 11.5"; nickel at 12.5"; penny
at 12.5". It favors silver and does a good job with gold items. It's water resistant up to the control box. Does great on the sandy
beaches, ocean or fresh water. Slightly heavy but has great balance. It utilizes the 'FBS' circuitry with 28 frequencies so it makes
it easier to identify a coin, ring, etc. easier than other single frequency detectors. With auto ground balance plus virtually
eliminating electronic interference it thus produces a steady 'hum' (threshold) which makes it easier to detect.
I could go on and on praising the Safari.
I highly recommend Andy Sabisch's new book 'The Minelab Quattro & Safari Handbook' before or when you buy
your new Safari detector. His book covers the Safari from 'A' to 'Z' and you will learn how to professionally use
this great machine. Great Book.

Regis

 

[ual10]

I had mine out for a few months now with no complaints, The E-trac has more features but the Safari is almost as good, IMHO , FBS especially. It does very well at the beach if you would ever like to get down there, and very good on land also. I would suggest a smaller coil for parks that have high iron/trash, I use the 6x8 sef. You also need to put in some hours to learn the functions, like any detector, and get to know the tones. The Safari is very good.

 

[Prep1957]

I agree with all of the above but I should warn you to get a good digging tool,I use the lesche now but wish it was 3 inches longer.You will be digging deep holes.It does and get fools by large iron square nails.You need to get smaller coil I use 6X8 and have very good luck sniping coins within one inch of junk targets.I have not used any other small coil but it looks like X5 could be as good as well.If I thought there was a better detector out there I would buy it.The Etrac is a very good detector but I had no use for its extras I had 2 of them no complaints but after much testing I found out it had no increase in depth detection so I sold them and kept Safari.If I were Minelab I would build a detector that was set up for 2 tone ferrous because that seems to be what most Etrac owners stay on anyway it is like owning a radio with 10,000 stations but you only use one station.Goodluck on your decision.

 

[Goldstrike]

[size=medium]Check on the past posts on this forum and you'll get a good idea of the potential of the Safari and to see what people have found since the Safari came on the market and also recent finds. Just from the start of this year, I have paid for mine (again) with my finds and that's excluding my many other finds since I bought it so that should speak well of the Safari!![/size]

 

[reltolbert]

Prep1957,

That's very interesting that you also owned Etrac's but kept the Safari and sold the Etracs. Usually it's the other way
around.
If I may ask, what were the Etrac's extras you didn't care for? I understand the Etrac's pin pointer centers the target
exactly.
I like my Safari and I'm just curious about the Etrac's attributes.

Regis

 

[Prep1957]

Its not that I did not like the extra features it is that at my skill level the extra features would not increase my depth or more recovery of coins in fact the constant playing with the Etrac was cutting down on my recovery time with no increase in depth.speed.It is a very nice detector,but I do not need it.Like I said before if and when someone builds a better detector than a Safari I will buy it. at this time there is no such detector out there.The Etrac,F75,705 are equal not better.Also There are a lot of people that bought Etracs and did not like them and sold them. I bought them made a nice profit reselling them.There is no detector out there that you can buy and turn on and have it match the skill level of veteran coinhunter you will have to pay your dues.

 

[reltolbert]

Prep1957,

Thank you for your information. My Safari is the best machine I have ever owned and I'm very
happy with it. As I mentioned before, my first day out (last year) with the Safari I found a silver ring and silver coins
which tells you it is an easy and sensitive detector to use.

Regis

 

[Dave400]

Great discription reltolbert.Couldn't have said it better myself.I feel the same way.Best machine I ever had.So glad I got one.So many amazing finds.Anybody who gets one wouldn't be sorry.Take the plung like I did.It;s worth every penny..Just found my first Barber dime friday 1906.What a thrill ! !

 

[Prep1957]

With the addition of 6X8 it is even better detector it cut down on Iron targets by 75 percent and will find good target right next to junk.I found a junk target last week that really impressed me on how good the Safari really is.I had 2 signals that read penny.The signals were about 3 inches apart with a large iron null that was at least 12 inches long next too my good targets. Thinking that I was going to recover 2 pennys I dug large butcher knife laying flat 6 inches down with 2 copper or brass rivets in the handle that held the wood handles the rivets were still in the Iron blade handle.I do not know if this was because of 6X8 will put pro coil on see if it will do same thing.I have never owned a detector that could do that made my whole day.

 

[reltolbert]

Prep1957,

I'm glad you talked about your 6x8" coil and what it can do. I ordered one (been waiting a month) and it
will be here on Tuesday.
I've read some wonderful things about it and have seen photos of the Jewelry and valuable coins that were
found often beside iron targets. I wonder how it does this?

Regis

 

[Prep1957]

Due to weather and holiday having trouble getting out to coin hunt most hunts have been less than hour.Tryed Pro Coil on butcher knife like my 6X8 it just nulled out whole knife did not see copper rivets it is just too big I think any small coil would work but have been doing real good with 6X8 for time I have been out,hope it stops raining soon.

 

[reltolbert]

Prep1957,

We have been getting a lot of rain here almost every day in North Idaho. Expecting my 6"x8" coil
to arrive tomorrow and would like to see some sunshine to test it outdoors.
I read on Find's Treasures, in the E-Trac forum, about the 6"x8" coil being tested against similar
sized coils and it came out a winner especially in its separation between a good find and Iron.

 

[croakersmoker78]

I love it for coins.I have almost 50 silver for the year and alot of other good finds.It is a very good machine