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Tesoro Umax Bandito

Welgund

Member
Hi,

I love my tesoros, I own six of them. I just picked up one of these, reason why I did is cause it looks like it's just out of a new box mint condition. I don't expect it to perform on par with my other tesoro's but would like to know a little more history on it from anyone who has used one. Probably going to just hang it on a wall as a classic
 
You might be very surprised at how close to the current models it will actually perform..There really hasn't been that much change in electronics, and or frequencies on Tesoro models.
 
I can't remember where I read it, but I recall a post where someone reported that Rusty Henry of Tesoro said he considered it his all-time favorite Tesoro. Monte (a legendary metal detecting guru) also considers it one of the top two or three detectors Tesoro has made. So sure, hang on to it as a classic, but you also need to put it to good use. I think you'll find that it out-performs your other Tesoro's.
 
I just picked a Bandido microMax up myself for the same reason. If I remember correctly Monte said it was his least favorite over the original Bandido and Bandido 2 microMax because it lacked a threshold and got a little less depth. I like mine from what little testing I have done with it. I like the toggle switch vs the button on the Outlaw. I do notice the 8" donut seems much heavier than the 8" donut coil on my Silver microMax.
 
My comments above refer to the Bandido II uMAX. If that's not the unit you picked up, then my comments were misplaced.
 
The original Bandido Micro-max was the first Tesoro I bought with the small housing that has spoiled me for life as far as the size of detectors go. From what I remember seems like the audio was more modulated vs saturated and once set for your area it could hunt pretty decent with good discrimination. I'm real picky about my settings and the one thing I didn't like was the placement of the threshold adjustment...but that's just me and my opinion. I remember back then thinking it was not a "depth monster" but once set for your area it was pretty good if the coil swung over the target and pretty decent in the trash. My thinking may be outdated but I think there is some "give and take" when it comes to overall depth vs good discrimination.
 
I have this model, is there one even plainer than this?
 
Woodchuck there were two previous models of Bandido's before the Bandido Micro-max...the Bandido and the Bandido II which had the older, larger housing. All of the Bandido's had the adjustment controls on the outside of housing except for the Bandido Micro-max which has an internal trim-pot for the threshold. I really prefer to have all my adjustment controls on the outside at my finger tips for more "flexibility" in detecting... especially when it comes to changing coils.
 
[size=small](which is a 'micro' symbol and not a u or a U)[/size] and not the Bandido II µMAX, then it is an 'OK' detector for some people, but it does lack a few things the more avid detectorists would prefer.

The Bandido series had four [size=small](4)[/size] models and the µMAX Bandido is the only one I didn't/don't care to have in my personal arsenal. Why not? Because it lacks an external Threshold control. For the best, versatile performance in an All Metal mode, you really should have a variable Threshold control. My original' Bandido and my Bandido II have the Threshold trimmer controlled via the shaft-knob on the back of the control housing, and my Bandido II µMAX has the front panel Threshold control that was omitted on your model.

In addition, most [size=small](not all, but most)[/size] of the µMAX Bandido units I handled when introduced seemed a bit wimpier or lacked the depth and audio response quality of my Bandido and Bandido II models, so I decided to not have one in my arsenal. When they brought out the Bandido II µMAX it had the Threshold control, and it also had a stronger audio response and a bit more depth than the first µMAX version.

Oh, I found good targets with those first few I had come through [size=small](I was a Tesoro Dealer at the time)[/size], but favored the performance of my first two Bandido's. I still do.

However, it is a Tesoro, it has the ED-120 Discriminate range, and it will work as well as it can with a quick-response and fast-recovery, so use it at your favorite sites and see how things go. By the way, I used the 7" Concentric coil most of the time [size=small](95+%)[/size] with all my Tesoro's since the intro of the Mayan and then the Inca, and continued to the present. I prefer to use smaller-than-stock coils most of the time due to the intense trash at the sites I like to hunt [size=small](especially ferrous junk)[/size] and have also gone to the 6" Concentric coils on my two µMAX Tesoro's.

So, while the 'original' µMAX version Bandido isn't one of my all-time favorite Tesoro's, it does have most of the control functions and Discrimination range to let it function reasonably well for many people. Go enjoy it and report back on how things are going with it, the coil/s used and the results of finds made.

Monte


PS: To make the 'µ' [size=small](micro)[/size] symbol, you can cut-and-paste .. or .. if you have a numeric keypad on the right of your keyboard, just hold down the 'ALT' key and type '230' then release the ALT key and type 'MAX.' The result is µMAX and not a letter 'u' symbol.
 
Could someone tell me where the micro symbol is located on a keyboard?
 
holding down the ALT key and typing 230, but my laptop has a numeric keypad on the right-hand side. It doesn't work if I try using the numeric string along the top of the keyboard.

Monte
 
Thanks guys, I was tired of typing out "micro" in lieu of the symbol
 
have had it read [size=small]micro[/size]MAX rather than µMAX because too many people don't type it or paste it, or don't have the right computer set-up to do so easily with the ALT key.

It bothers me when I see a letter symbol used, like a u or U, and it really annoys me when I listen to a video or hear someone talking and they say YOU MAX instead of the proper micro MAX.

So reading the [size=small]micro[/size]MAX you typed was just fine with me. :thumbup:

Monte
 
I don't understand why anyone would care if a person calls it umax or micro.. might as well also be called the muMax (miMax) as that's the actual Greek pronunciation, from where we get the µ from.. I didn't have my detector a week and I bet four people asked if I knew what the µ meant....
 
TN Mike said:
I don't understand why anyone would care if a person calls it umax or micro.. might as well also be called the muMax (miMax) as that's the actual Greek pronunciation, from where we get the µ from.. I didn't have my detector a week and I bet four people asked if I knew what the µ meant....
Well, Mark, Jack Gifford picked a name for his detectors just like out parents do for us. When first introduced it was explained in the catalogs and manuals and flyers that it was pronounced [size=small]micro[/size]MAX, so that's why I care.

The subject thread by Welgund asked about "A Umax Bandito" and the 'U' was incorrect, the 'max' should have been 'MAX', and the 'Bandito' should have been 'Bandido.' The Tesoro choice was to use the '[size=small]micro[/size]' electronic term for that symbol and it was clearly explained. Tesoro used American English and Hispanic names for their detectors, not Greek, so a Greek pronunciation wouldn't be correct.

If you had four people ask what the 'µ' meant, then it was apparent they wanted to know a correct term or name for it, and that is '[size=small]micro[/size]' for '[size=small]micro[/size]MAX.' Way back when, there were a lot of Tesoro Dealers, and they read the literature and letters from Tesoro and most of them dealt directly with consumers and kindly explained what the 'µ' was and how to say the correct name for the detectors. As time has passed, there are far fewer metal detector Dealers, of any brand, and more purchases are made via the Internet and, as we hear with many mis-pronounced names of many models of many brands, it can get confusing. At times it also gets frustrating.

So, Mark, it's only right to make sure we use a proper name, because it just isn't right, ... therefore, Mike, ... to call some person or some thing by an incorrect name.

Monte
 
we all await a new µMAX :biggrin:

I have been called many other things other than my real name :poke: but I am still me and what ever someone decides they wish to call me doesn't change my being :blowup:

and well after the way I was treated by Tesoro last time I dealt with them., their hat I wear is due for some graffiti like my minelab hat :rofl:

AJ
 
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