Coinstrike vs the Fisher F series.

[JoeR]

The old Fisher company`s now discontinued Coinstrike detector had it`s problems and I doubt that F5,F70,or F75/75LTD users would prefer it over their new machines.However,the coinstrike had it`s strengths and I am wondering if any Coinstrike user who now has an F series detector could contribute a comparison of detector performance both old and new.

The Coinstrike was noted for excellent ground balence,good ground tracking,ability to work in iron,and fast response in trash.It`s fatal weaknesses in the marketplace were the bad user interface,steep learning curve,oddball depth reading system ,and trouble with EMI.

Let us hear how you compare and rate them.

 

[ElginTim]

I had used my buddy's C$ on several occasions but was inept at keeping up with the settings for the environments. Actually just inept at setting it up decently. He was well acquainted with it. Since I got my F70, I realized it seems to be almost identical regarding setup and operation, user interface not withstanding. When we hunted together and I used my CZ's, he was able to id coinage from mems to dimes/quarters easier than the simple high tones I would get on the CZ.

Using the F70 alongside his C$ now we are fairly equivalent in our ability to determine what coinage is being indicated, the exception being non-standard or foreign coins of course. We still have trouble determining some mems from some clad dimes and trade off on accurate target assessment. That said, I could outhunt him in terms of depth with the CZ in good ground, and we're about equal now in depth between the F70 and C$. I think the advantage though goes to the F70 over the C$ for it's ability to give a good read on a coin on edge at mid-range depth. By good read I mean that the tone and target number will be more consistent and bounce less.

I had been told by more experienced users that the C$ was probably the best machine ever made for dealing with cinder and ash-laden ground, such as under many old sidewalks and in some side-yards, near coal chutes. Did not notice this superior performance myself but again I had not mastered the setup on that rig while hunting those sites. I do however have great faith in CZ's at such sites, in salt mode they really tear that interference out of the way. By way of comparison I used the F70 on several such sites and had mixed results.

 

[LilloEsquilo]

Well I must be nuts then, as I had an F-75 and now have 2 Coinstrikes, which I so far prefer.

Not sure why you are looking for a comparison since you don't sound interested in the Coinstrike, unless it's to justify an F series purchase. If that's the case just hunt with it and forget the CS - both are capable.

As far as ergonomics go, I find them about equal. I don't feel the Coinstrike is heavy, though others do. The F-75 is great. Build quality goes to the CS. Target separation boy that's tough, both are great. Very fast. Depth again both go deep. The notch system on the CS is FAR more logical and easy to use than the one on the F-75 - most people don't even know how the one on the 75 works, I had one and I don't know how it worked. I just left it alone, it was so convoluted. Both have backlights, the CS has ground tracking the 75 doesn't. Both have a decent selection of aftermarket coils. With the CS you can save and recall your settings, while with the 75 whatever you are using is what you've got. As far as target ID, this is just my opinion, but it seems to me the classic digital Fishers (EDGE, EXCEL and CS) have a number system that is a little to learn and feel confidence in the ID. But the 75 is not bad at all. Both seem to like rusty bottlecaps.

As we go through this, there are a lot more ways they are similar than not. To me the sound from the CS is even much like the 75. As I said I'm nuts so someone will probably pipe up screaming to pull my head and my ears out and I'm full of it. Can't please everyone.

I honestly prefer the CS. Recently I picked up 2 of them for less than the cost of an F75, brand new with warranty (the same 5 year warranty that the 75 has). I wanted to try them out for myself while I could still get ahold of one. I'm looking forward to what it can actually do out in the field. Like I said, I really think they are very similar machines, though I prefer the trigger that the 75 has to pinpoint with to the button on the CS - they really should have used a trigger for that. And those touchpads are as you mentioned touchy, literally. But you get used to that as each machine has it's own quirks the 75 had it's own as well (the notch system, and the fact that some settings radically change performance on the machine and these settings aren't obvious).

Both are really sensitive to EMI. Like I said, very similar machines. I don't think a person could go wrong with either, I so far prefer the CS, but if I had a 75 again, I would be very happy with it as well.

 

[JoeR]

LilloEsquilo and ElginTim

I thank you both for your excellent replies.I own a Coinstrike which I bought back when Fisher offered a lifetime warranty.In reading posts about the F series I noticed some odd similarities in their operating characteristics with those of the C$ and wondered if some ideas and technology had been borrowed from the older machine.Curiosity about this and the desire to have a reference point for evaluating the F series prompted this thread.

Given the astonishingly low prices for used Coinstrikes now,I would buy one in a minute if I did not already have one.Keep the replies comeing folks,this is going well.How do they compare with regard to depth and ability to handle high ground mineralization?

 

[LilloEsquilo]

That's exactly what I had thought - that Fisher may have used some of what they had with the CS in later models. I'm not sure, honestly, as the F75 was derived from the T2, and the people who made the T2 didn't (I would assume) have access to the technology of the CS to work from. But they sure do have many similar characteristics. Who knows? I had wondered about that too though.

Not to go off on a tangent or anything but speaking of the T2, I've had one of those, and while it's a great detector, those things are getting bid up over a grand on the auction site. I could have kept mine another year and doubled my money on it even though it was used based on what I'm seeing. I sold it for 500 bucks a year ago with the extra coil and a ton of extra parts for it. I could have gotten 3 times that a year later. All I can say is I wish I had known, and that is just crazy. Seriously, you can get an F75 LTD brand new for LESS than you'd pay for a used T2 on the auction site. I really do think that's nuts. I really don't get all the "hype" about the T2, yes it's a good detector, but that's like paying a Lamborghini price for a Corvette. People are actually doing it and I have no clue why. But that's probably another subject!

About depth, I'm not sure yet with the Coinstrike. I won't know till spring. In the soil here (Wisconsin) coins usually don't end up that deep - I've found Indian heads from the 1880s at 2 inches. Most are deeper, but most coins don't really sink at a huge rate here. (At least where I am in the southern part of the state). I found a large cent from 1847 at maybe 8 inches. So maximum depth here isn't as vital as at a place like Florida where the sink rate is much greater. But what you do find here is a ton of rusty iron, and target separation and dealing with mineralization is vital, so I think the CS will do well, only one way to know for sure!