Any V3 to AT Pro converts out there???? Interested in your opinion...

[sbmsp]

Hi,
I'm wondering if there are any people who transitioned from a V3 to AT Pro as primary detector? I've found myself drifting back to Whites machines for a while (MXT/M6 and now have a V3i but will probably never use it to it's full capabilities). My MD time is moderately limited and I go for coin/jewelry (wish it was all jewelry!!) and minor relic. I have a high end water machine also but really only find myself doing shallow water and beach hunts (salt and fresh). Wondering if I should thin the herd and do an AT Pro as an all in one machine. I do a decent amount of night hunting and am bummed about the no backlight on the ATP Pro.
Also, I'm a bit concerned about the # of folks I see that have had warranty issues on their Pro.... Any thoughts on that? I'm glad Garrett stands by their product but would prefer not to have to use the warranty!
Thanks for any input,
HH'ing,
Steve

 

[mickfin]

Hi sbmsp, I had a Whites V3i i went back to old school with the Whites XL-Pro 6000
I also got a Garrett AT-Pro and i find myself useing the AT-Pro more thean the 6000 if that Helps,
See the AT-Pro has a fast recovery with a DD coil and can find good stuff in junk??? I think its a all around Detector, But i dont Hunt the Salt mutch with it
I have a Garrett Sea Hunter PI 4R that, Maby some AT-Pro Salt users will Reply, Mickfin

 

[Sailorman]

I've run an AT-Pro in salt water. It's not going to match a high end beach machine in the water but it's no slouch either! On the wet sand and dry sand it's OK. Again not quite as good as a machine costing twice as much but still pretty good. Did one fresh water hunt and did well with it. It's great on land. Probably the best in it's price range.

When considering the warranty stories remember that this is one of the hottest selling detectors right now. On a percentage basis they have issues on par with every other machine I'm told by several dealers.

 

[widebody]

[size=large]i believe some folks are still trying to deny the amount of problems this machine has had. it's been much much more than any other machine i've read about in the last two years. i do like the AT PRO but there are times i want to wrap it around a tree. it still has problems that irratate. when it's working right it's great. when it goes crazy for no apparent reason it's maddening. i would say in my un-educated thinking the blame falls on cheap connectors. they might not have so many problems if the connectors were more beefy. jmo.

HH[/size]

 

[INCH]

[size=large]i believe some folks are still trying to deny the amount of problems this machine has had. it's been much much more than any other machine i've read about in the last two years. i do like the AT PRO but there are times i want to wrap it around a tree. it still has problems that irratate. when it's working right it's great. when it goes crazy for no apparent reason it's maddening. i would say in my un-educated thinking the blame falls on cheap connectors. they might not have so many problems if the connectors were more beefy. jmo.

HH[/size]

I'm all ears hear LOL, What are cheap connectors made of comparerd to other type connectors on detectors and how do they get beefed up?

 

[Marc-Montana]

I had to send mine in for the upgrade and a little bit of repair. Since getting it back from Garrett it's worked like a champ. There are times that I get EMI with the larger 9x12 coil, and when that happens I just switch it out with the stock 8.5x11 coil. It's the first metal detector I've owned, but I'm happy with the performance since I sent it in for the upgrade/repair.

If you do decide to get an AT PRO, call Garrett to get the caps for each coil when they are not connected. My detector's extra coils didn't come with the caps, and they're great to have because they keep the connectors from getting dirt and other gunk inside of them. As long as you keep the gunk out of the connectors, I think they work great.

 

[Sailorman]

[size=large]i believe some folks are still trying to deny the amount of problems this machine has had. it's been much much more than any other machine i've read about in the last two years. i do like the AT PRO but there are times i want to wrap it around a tree. it still has problems that irratate. when it's working right it's great. when it goes crazy for no apparent reason it's maddening. i would say in my un-educated thinking the blame falls on cheap connectors. they might not have so many problems if the connectors were more beefy. jmo.

HH[/size]

Again though, what's the percentage of problem units to units sold? If what the dealers I know are saying is true, that they sell more of these then any other model, then on a purely percentage basis we might indeed hear more about problems because there are more of them out there. But the same dealers tell me they see about the same rate of returns for them as they do any other model. There's just more of them sold.

Yes, everyone acknowledges that the first run had some serious issues but Garrett stood up and made it right. Since then things have been pretty good. But forums and human psychology being what it is, every time now that an AT-Pro goes in for work a bunch of folks remember the first run and start making a fuss about how horrible the machine is and they are all bad and blah, blah, blah. Yet when I see a Fisher, Minelab, White's or any other make have a problem discussed on a forum folks are just "Well, electronics can break down. Send it in and they'll fix it." Several people talk about having to send in some high end machines several times before they would even work right out of the box and nobody hardly bats an eye.

When there is a problem it seems that Garrett steps up to the plate and tries to make it right and pretty quickly as well. I don't see the issue as being worse then any other maker on the new machines.

 

[Nitemare26]

My Detector acted up when I was detecting at the beach i was sitting there digging then out of no where CHATTER! I looked at the houses on the shore then I noticed a directional antenna point right at me! I assumed thats what it was then went down the beach a bit more. Trying to see if I would be out of its range and even switched frequencies a few times. Still chatter! I was like what the heck? Then it dawned on me. While I was digging my cell phone turned itself on in my pocket!!!! I turned it off and as soon as It powered off SILENCE!!!! IT is very important that you turn your cell phone off or leave it in your vehicle. I am sure many who are having issues already know this but maybe theres some people out there who keep their phone on them. It definately interferes with mine.

 

[widebody]

[size=large]as i said, un-educated. by beefed up i mean thicker, more solid connection. Bigger Pins. Tighter fitting. don't think the small pins in the ATP may be tight enough and just might be causing a lot of the sudden bezeerk noise.jmun-educatedo.
i agree Garrett addressed the problems that way too many folks had to contend with. as i said before, i've not read of nearly as many complaints from other makes as i have the ATP. i don't sell machines. i just use them. i made a statement about reading more comments about a certain machine that i could see had the Best Rep on relic hunting of any others i'd read about and get hit with all the dealers facts of sales on a differnt model that from what i read wasn't all that good. another thing i use for a measuring stick is how often i see the machines going to re-sale. i have a whites XLT that is very hard to find on the classifieds. i take that as a good sign folks really like and hold on to their XLTs. not so with a number of other machines.you can sell hundreds of junk machines but the rep they get will ferret out the junk machines from the good models.this is just my opinion and the measuring stick i use to by things. works for me. The ATP is proving to be a very good machine but still has issues it shouldn't have. i know of folks who won't dunk their machines cause they don't want to have to send it in. i'll be trying to solve my issues before i have to send mine in. i won't reseal it but will try tips i picked up today and if it drowns when i finally get it wet then i'll send it in. but i will be sure it's a warranty thing first. i don't want this thread turning into a pissing contest so some think one way i another.

HH [/size]

 

[firstring]

Hi,
I'm wondering if there are any people who transitioned from a V3 to AT Pro as primary detector? I've found myself drifting back to Whites machines for a while (MXT/M6 and now have a V3i but will probably never use it to it's full capabilities). My MD time is moderately limited and I go for coin/jewelry (wish it was all jewelry!!) and minor relic. HH'ing,
Steve

You have a two part question here and I'm going to address the first one. I also own a V3i and last week aquired an AT Pro. This is my 3rd year detecting, my 2nd using the V3i. I don't consider myself a "season veteran" nor a "newbie". I also have my first detector, a DFX. The sites I hunt are mainly schools, parks and tot lots for coin/jewlery. With the many wide uses of the V3i, (meteorite hunting, gold nugget hunting, etc) I too will probably never use the machine to it's fullest capabilities. One of the features it has, not seeen on other machines is its 3 frequency use, either best data or correlate and the sweep analysis of the signal. (See programs by Magic and Cybersage) Utilizing this in conjunction with smaller coils, for conditions, it is a deadly machine on jewelry, especially small gold jewelry. I have just recovered my 13th ring for the year. Don't give up on the V3i as a land machine. I'm not proud, I am here to learn how to become a better dectorist. It's really not about which machine is better. I don't believe in a mantra of brand vs brand. They all have good points and not so good points. Do yourself a favor and purchase a book "Metal Detecting Boot Camp" by Magic. Learn HOW to detect intelligently. I guarantee, by following instruction set forth in this book, you will increase your finds including the elusive jewelry you are seeking. I did. There is a river running through my town that is a very active during the summer months. That is why I got the AT Pro, as a fresh water machine. Last summer the owner of a canoe/kayak business contacted me about a ring lost in the river. I was unable to help. The water was 4 feet deep where this ring went overboard. This is not going to happen again. I had a specific need that was fillled. I took the AT Pro to a local park to get aquainted with it, to get a feel for the audio and visual signals. First day out with an unfamiliar machine, I popped a necklace. It was silver plated, but still jewelry. I received a couple of leads about lost rings by talking to people and observing. One was lost at a park, one in shallow water of a river beach area. Approximate location at site of each unknown. Owners unknown. I went to the park last Saturday, looked at it, took a chance on where to start and the ring was in my hand within 10 minutes. Trying to locate owner for return. Machine used - V3i. Next up, river ring. Machine I'm going to use - AT Pro. Don't know what the results are going to be. But it's the machine of choice in my arsenal. It is my belief I now have 2 of the deadliest machines for MY needs. The results speaks for the power of these weapons. I wish you the best in your search for treasure. Happy intelligent hunting.

 

[pulltabMiner]

I've owned my AT Pro for 9 months and my V3i for 7 months. I hunt with both of them on a regular basis. When I want to hunt primarily by ear I hunt with the AT Pro. When I want to slow down and look for really deep stuff, I use the V3i.

The AT Pro is lighter so it seems like more fun to use. Also, I have gotten to know my AT Pro really well and I find lots of stuff with it. The V3i lets me see more and I can dig mid tones with a higher degree of confidence. Also, if I want to hunt with true All Metal, I reach for the V3i as the AT Pro doesn't have All Metal (Zero Discrimination is not All Metal)

In all honesty, I can not say that one is better than the other. When I am tired, the AT Pro is the obvious choice as it is much lighter than the V3i. Also, if I want to hunt a mega trashy area and don't want to slow down my swing too much, I put on the 5x8DD coil on the AT Pro and away I go.

I am one of those people who has had ZERO problems with the AT Pro. The only time I've had to deal with Garrett was when I accidentally drove my digger through the control box. Garrett replaced the control box at NO COST. How's that for customer service? (oh, and they were super nice about it)

I've had one problem with the V3i and that's with the rechargeable battery. So far, my dealer (Chuck at Indian Nations Metal Detectors) has been stellar about it. No complaints here.