Best Tesoro detector for silver coins.

[WV62]

The Tejon is the only Tesoro that I have ever owned, so I have no idea as to how it stacks up against other Tesoro's for silver coin hunting.

So is there any other models that would be better for that silver coin hunting? I guess I am like a lot of you out there I like to try different detectors.

My best setup for the Tejon is with the 5.75" concentric coil because of the amount of trash I am hunting in. I also have the 11x8 WS that I just got a few weeks ago and it seems like a good coil, but I haven't had a lot of hunt time with it yet.

I can pick up plenty of clad coins with just about any detector I have and that is fun from time to time but I really seem like I am always looking for silver coins.

Ron in WV

 

[pinenut]

Ron, a favorite of mine for finding coins in trash has been the Bandido II μmax. They're considered an "ED120" machine, wich won't pick up small iron like your Tejon. That's actually a good thing when seeking coins in modern trash, as nails and bottle caps are more cleanly rejected. Though a bit more "quirky", the current Outlaw is probably closest to the Bandido in function. Any Tesoro will find silver if you get the coil over it though. If you don't mind getting a pre-owned Tesoro, look for a nice Bandido II μmax (and get a 5.75 coil for it).

 

[Monte]

the Bandido II μMAX as a versatile silver coin detector. Well we have found that some lower frequency detectors tend to have a slight Edge on high conductive targets, we have also found that most well-made detectors that operate between 10 and 15 kHz will provide us that level of Versatility for low conductive gold jewelry & US 5 cent coins to higher conductive silver coins and all the Targets in between.

We have to remember that operating frequency his only part of the whole picture and we have to also consider how the detector was made. Some detectors that operate at a lower frequency may not have a circuitry design and had any real benefit to high conductive silver coins.

Not considering the hot series, most Tesoro models happened man to operate between 10 kHz and 15 kHz. Over two decades ago the well respected detector engineer George Payne wrote some information describing why he picked 12.5 kHz as the operating frequency for his Treasure Baron model from Discovery Electronics as that would be an Optimum frequency to handle a wide range of detecting applications and do well on low conductive gold as well as high conductive coins.

Also keep in mind it will depend upon how trashy the site is and how dense the trash level is, as it could be too close to a desired Target for some frequencies to handle well. An example would be and iron litter decide can often be more difficult for a lower frequency detector to handle. We could also get into differences in performance between analog and digitally designed detectors.


I have owned and used the Tejon and it does have some strong points but I have usually found silver coins deeper and /or more responsive using the Vaquero. They share the same search coils, but there is a difference in frequency and how they perform. Through the years I have done quite well using the first two and last of the four Bandido series models.

Monte

 

[WV62]

Thanks guys, that helps a lot.

I went to the Tesoro web site and pulled up the specifications for most of the models I thought may do the job. The Vaquero and the Outlaw were the 2 that looked the best.

Ron in WV

 

[amberjack]

I would guess the one you are swinging has the best chance of finding silver, just from my experience none I have tested out shone the other they all seem pretty equal for the most part dependant on ground and coil used..

AJ

 

[HaroldILL.]

The Golden uMax is a 10 kHz Detector the lowest Tesoro Made. You would think Hot on Silver. I have the New Tone Model which seems to have the Depth Olders ones Didn't. Have not had long and most My sites have Been Cherry picked for silver years ago. But Dig wheats at 9" No Problem with a Proper High tone. My ground is Mild.
With the 4 Tone I.D. and Sweet Modulated Audio Makes a Good little Coin Machine.

 

[pinenut]

Thanks guys, that helps a lot.

I went to the Tesoro web site and pulled up the specifications for most of the models I thought may do the job. The Vaquero and the Outlaw were the 2 that looked the best.

Ron in WV

Vaquero has no odd quirks like Outlaw has. It's simpler to use and a little deeper than the Outlaw. BUT, it doesn't have as good an iron rejection. I think the pinpoint function on Outlaw also detunes better than Vaquero's detune; not that you need it, but it's good when popping shallow targets from manicured lawn areas.. Outlaw does have its quirks though, some related to using that red button, but also with threshold changing if accidently bumping the disc knob when in no-motion all-metal (which I don't normally use).
I like the toggle switch for all-metal on Outlaw, better than the switch-pot used on Vaquero. Another thing I prefer on Outlaw is the audio tone (similar to Mojave's), though Vaquero "high-tone" is better still (you can order that option, or have one converted). Standard Vaquero tone is too low for my ears. A plus for Vaquero is the frequency toggle, which can help when around similar frequency detectors, and with lessening EMI in some situations..

Ron, the best way to decide on one is to take each out to several locations, swing 'em for a few days and then see which you like. It would be nice if we all had a local Tesoro dealer with loaner or rental units. If you lived nearby, I'd offer to take you to some local spots and try the ones I like.

 

[WV62]

I kind of like the sound of the Vaquero, being that the coils I have for the Tejon will work on it.

I sent a PM to one of the forum dealers with a trade offer, but haven't heard anything back yet. I never done or tried to do a dealer trade, see what comes back.

Ron in WV

 

[walnut]

My Vaquero has become my go-to detector. I just don't think it misses much. Takes a while to learn to trust it vs the "confirmation" of a visual display but it really is that good.

 

[Welgund]

Out of all the Tesoros I have owned over the years the Vaquero has found me the most silver. My Vaquero with the 5.75 concentric gets exceptional depth, much deeper than my Tejon with the same coil. The Vaquero in my opinion is one of Tesoros finest.

 

[Herb Jones]

I have both the B2uMax and the Vaquero, and have had silver success with both... the Vaq. Is definitely deeper, but there is a quality about the B2uMax that is very pleasing. I haven't quite decided what it is, they are similar yet very different... that being said, I have found the most silver with a Lobo Super Traq... in spite of its higher operating frequency.. maybe its location, moisture, dryness, perhaps just random luck, ..... not sure why,... I plan on running the 5.75" concentric on it next, just to have some kind of benchmark to compare to equally... to me there is not enough of a difference to choose either over the others, but having an arsenal of interchangeable coils is definitely the way to go in my opinion.... that's the most versatility you'll get for your dollar. My experience is that either will hit silver if you manage to swing across one.... what I am noticing is kinda odd in the sense that some machines tend to pull more denominations than others, .. now I am sure this is purely random and coincidental, but I consistently pull more dimes with the LST than any other machine, and I can not even begin to explain how that could be.

 

[pinenut]

..now I am sure this is purely random and coincidental, but I consistently pull more dimes with the LST than any other machine, and I can not even begin to explain how that could be.

Herb, I notice the same thing and wonder if it's due to how I have the detector tuned..
Some places though, I pull out lots of nickels and it makes me think the area has been detected before, by someone wanting to "cherrypick" higher value coins or just silver. That's actually encouraging though, as the nice 14K ring I recently dug, discs out where zincs do. I know that if they left nickels, they probably missed the gold.

 

[WV62]

Sensitivity, thinking the T and V were somewhat alike I found out different last night. I air tested the Vaquero with the sensitivity at 10 thinking it would get unstable if I went in the red. I had the 5.75" coil on it and I put a silver dime in front of the coil and was only getting about 5". So I check with disc at min and max no difference no change, now I was thinking this is not going to be good. So just for kicks I set the sensitivity to max in the red, and the machine was still stable and now I was getting on the high side of 8.5" on the silver dime.

Before I did the above air test I took the Vaquero for a short 1 hour hunt on a curb and was only running sensitivity at 10 and the first coin I found was a 1944 penny at close to 5" in the ground. From there on I found 5 more coins, 3 clad dimes and 2 reg pennies, all of those were from 4" and less.

Now on my next trip in town I will bury that sensitivity in the red and work the same section of curb. Just a couple of weeks ago I had the Tejon on the same corner section of curb and found 2 wheat pennies and a silver dime and I was running the T sensitivity at 10 which seems to be about all I can push it before it starts to chatter.

This is getting interesting,

Ron in WV

 

[fematrailer]

Just got my Bandido 2 this week. Put the 5.75 on and was not as deep as the 8 but I haven't played with it yet.

 

[Herb Jones]

I had a chance to run the LoboST with a variety of coils this week. It performed very well with the 5.75"con. I also ran the B2uMax with a 5.75" con. And a T2 with its 5" con. I found one silver dime, and it was with the LST. In an area I had checked with the B2uMax. I was sure I had probably just missed it, so I went back over the target with the B2uMax before digging, and got A decent signal ( poor sweeping on my part), but the Bandido signal was not as crisp and tight as that of the LST the T2 absolutely nailed it( no surprise there)... but I didn't think the LST would be deeper than the B2uMax, but it was... on that day on that target. ( still sorting out a test bed) I have yet to hit a target with the B2uMax that was not detectable with the LST. I wish I had brought the Vaquero to compare, but that would have been too much gear lying around in New Orleans.... I don't want to have to shoot the New Orleans natives because I enticed them to rob me... lol., but as I stated previously, I consistently find more silver with the LST than any other machine. When coupled with the 9x8 or 5.75" con. It is a very nice machine... but I do believe my results are just random. My soil is mild, and I have little environmental interference to contend with... as I posted earlier... I still find more silver with the LST than any other machine... and I can see no specs or info that would make me think it would be particularly good on silver coins... that being said, that last dime may very well be the last piece of silver I ever find with it... who knows? I think finding silver coins has more to do with location and proper set up and technique than which Tesoro you are using... I don't think it really matters all that much. I don't think I have ever found anything very deep that was worth digging... I prefer to limit my hole depth to around 6" when on public lands,( simply for the aesthetics of the hobby, digging deep holes looks like maintenance and shovels and mounds of dirt draw attention) so I rarely run my units cranked all the way up. I tend to adjust everything to around the 3 o'clock position, and even as low as 12 o'clock so as to eliminate chasing deeeep targets... On private property where I can break out the shovel, I crank them up and dig deeper targets, usually with the Vaquero or the T2. but none of those deeper targets have turned out to be anything more that random junk... aka relics of the past with no intrinsic or inherent value., but I dig them when I can, just so I can better understand what the machines are saying... the best Tesoro for silver for me is the LST, but I think any of my machines would have found the few silvers that I have unearthed. The compadre will hit virtually anything down to about 6" in my soil on my hunting sights, so for me I choose a specific detector for a site based on which machine I want to use that day, and not necessarily which one is deepest or better... gonna give the original Eldorado some attention next. They are all different, yet the same, and I do believe that any Tesoro would get you down to normal <6" coin depth , provided you don't have specific environmental interference, ( high iron, hot rocks, extreme trash, dry soil,....) that being said, I have found silver at depths down to around 6" with every Tesoro I own except the Eldorado ( just haven't put any real time on that machine yet) ..... It's not the machine, finding silver coins is all about research and location location location, once on site any of them will perform adequately if you get the coil over the target... if buying, get a used whatever at a fair price and give it a shot. You can always get your $$$ back by reselling if it's not for you. I can say from 1st hand experience the Lobo Super Traq, Vaquero, B2uMax, and even a Compadre will serve you well if coinshooting silver is your goal., I use only small dia. concentric coils when coin shooting.

 

[oleterryg]

While I have never used another Tesoro MD, I do know what a great MD the DeLeon is. I would have the confidence in my Deleon to find silver, IF I am in the right location. Up to 7" the DeLeon is very accurate, by tone and visual numbers. Unbelievable how accurate this machine is, compared to some other MD I've used in the same price range.

I just can't understand why the mighty DeLeon is left out of the mix. Folks, this machine is a beast.

 

[UtahRich]

While I have never used another Tesoro MD, I do know what a great MD the DeLeon is. . . . . . . I just can't understand why the mighty DeLeon is left out of the mix. Folks, this machine is a beast.

Likely just a matter of have a TID vs the traditional Beep-n-Dig of most other Tesoro's.


Rich -

 

[Monte]

The Tejon is the only Tesoro that I have ever owned, so I have no idea as to how it stacks up against other Tesoro's for silver coin hunting.

My experienced opinion is that several other Tesoro models can do better on higher-conductive silver coins.

So is there any other models that would be better for that silver coin hunting?

Yes, and again this is from my experiences handing just about every Tesoro model made since the mid-'83 release of the Inca, and a few that came before it. Most Tesoro's, other than the Gold Nugget Hunting models, operated at 10 kHz, 12 kHz and one at 15 kHz prior to the Tejón and other 'HOT' series models. In my 52+ years of metal detecting I have found virtually countless coins, especially in those earlier years from '65 through the '70s when I could pull 60K to ±130K coins a year depending on if I was working overtime or not. Every available hour I could devote to detecting I did, and I lived in areas where there were a lot of people and many available public sites to hunt.

By about 1980 to '85 it was apparent the detecting hobby here in the USA had surged, and more-or-less started to peak, and with so many metal detecting clubs as well as a high percentage of hobbyists who were not active in any club, I could tell the popular-use sites were starting to show signs of running low of coinage. I had used many, many makes and models of detectors during that first twenty years I was enjoying this great sport [size=small]('65 to '85)[/size] but I was also enjoying a change in my day-to-day site selection as well. I still got in a lot of Coin & Jewelry Hunting in all the typical urban hunting sites, but I shifted to doing more Relic Hunting of older, more rural locations in mid-'83.

Silver coins made up a very good percentage of the dime, quarter and half-dollar recoveries I made in the latter '60s and during most of the '70s, but the more the popular places got worked, then smaller the silver take became. Still okay into the '80s but with each passing year of that decade it meant more determined effort to find new site to hunt, or patiently work the already thinning areas while being more attentive to some signals received.

During this period, using detectors that operated anywhere from about 1.75 kHz in the mid '70s on up to the VLF/TR-Disc. and early VLF-Disc. models that were up to 15 kHz, I was finding more desired targets, including silver coins, when working with detectors that were ± 2.[size=small]5[/size] kHz of an optimum "general purpose" or "all-around" 12.[size=small]5[/size] kHz operating frequency.

That would be models that worked anywhere from 10 kHz to 15 kHz, and Tesoro models made a nice fit in that range. It included the Inca, four in the Silver Saber series, four in the Bandido series, three in the Golden Sabre models [size=small](including Tesoro's only 15 kHz model, the Golden Sabre Plus)[/size] , and others such as the Royal Sabre, Pantera, Conquistadors, Eldorado's, and up to the more recent Compadre, Silver µMAX [size=small](microMAX)[/size] and others.

Today, the only Tesoro models I keep in my Regular-Use Detector Battery work at 10 kHz, 12 kHz or 14.5 kHz, all within that 10-15 kHz frequency range, and all equipped with a coil I feel best works for the sites I hunt. All of them are responsive to the broad-range of coin conductivities we have, from the lower-ready 5¢ piece to the higher-conductive $1 silver coin, and I have found more coins total, both Coin Hunting and Relic Hunting, since July of 1983 using Tesoro's in this frequency range ... most operating at 10 kHz or 12 kHz.

I guess I am like a lot of you out there I like to try different detectors.

I enjoying trying to learn the strengths and weaknesses of different make s and models, and have since I got into this great outdoor sport. Putting in as much time afield as I have, and do, helped me settle on my preferred target ID models as well as sort out my favorite non-display Tesoro's that I rely on.

My best setup for the Tejon is with the 5.75" concentric coil because of the amount of trash I am hunting in. I also have the 11x8 WS that I just got a few weeks ago and it seems like a good coil, but I haven't had a lot of hunt time with it yet.

I keep a thin-profile 6" Concentric on my Vaquero, Bandido II µMAX and Silver Sabre µMAX, a 7" Concentric stock coil; on my Mojave, and the Bandido currently has the stock 8" coil mounted. I do have the 8X11 RSD DD coil on a spare lower rod for a quick-change onto my Vaquero for the few times I want it for more open area searches.

I can pick up plenty of clad coins with just about any detector I have and that is fun from time to time but I really seem like I am always looking for silver coins.

Ron in WV

Yes, and I am out the door in 5 minutes to do just that ... Hope for silver coins. Heading for a site used more in the '30s and '40s and into the early '50s that produces a few modern coins but has kicked out Wheaties, Buffalo's and occasional silver, mainly Merc's. On this journey I am only taking my Nokta Impact for TID work, and my Vaquero and very trusty Bandido II µMAX.

Monte

 

[Gannon]

Very informative write up Monte!