Menu
What's new
Find's Treasure Forums

Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!

You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.

Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.

Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.

Click here to register!

Need Support Help?

Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you

Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.

CZ3D vs. DFX

C

cga

New member
How would you guys and gals compare the CZ3D to the DFX for finding coins around iron and other trash. Also what kind of depth do you think you get in general, about the same or better? I've had this DFX for a long time and been thinking about getting something new to play with.

Thanks for any help.
 
They don't allow multi brand comparisons on this forum. It just installs to much fighting with each other. Comparisons usually get deleted here.

R
 
in YOUR area. Find deep coins and see if each dectector can find them. NOT fair to compare UNLESS, you have the same coin, the same depth, the same soil and the same moisture content. Each brand has good points and not so good points. BUT different detectors work differently in different soils. Need to find somebody close to you that can help you with YOUR areas soil.
 
Lets put it this way CZ's are user friendly depth demons that excell on saltwaters shores.

DFX on the other hand is a tweakers dream and in capable hands is capable of good depth and the ability to change many factors but for most has a long learning period if you want to excel with it...

For 8 years hunted with a XLT guru and I used a CZ and we both did well so personal preferences and knowing our unit made us both a winner..

Actually two different beasts and tough to compare but either are the detector of choice for many....and if you are in a detector club might be a good subject to debate...
 
Having used both ( ie, CZ's..not just the 3D) for over 10+ years, I would say for strictly coin hunting, the CZ will trump the DFX on depth. As iron increases as well as trash, and coins are mixed in at moderate ( 2-7 inches in depth), the DFX can be set up to cherry pick coins and bypass trash and iron better. You can get a better ID of the target via the Signagraph. But going strickly on tone, the CZ with the more clear cut 3 or 4 tones, depending on model, can make a difference. The DFX does have the tone ID option, but I feel the more disctinct tones on the CZ's ( since I use them more than any other unit ) are easier to tell solid sounding, clear, deep coin signals.

When it comes to gold jewelry hunting in parks and dry sand, the DFX, with the ability to run strictly at 15Kz, has the edge.
 
Thanks Dan-Pa and therover. When reading about a new unit,any brand x, all you hear is how GREAT it is. The real world is very different though. But I have read that the CZ3D is a good machine for depth and pretty much turn on and go.While I have found many good items with the DFX. I'm just getting the itch for something new. I'm looking at the V3i and the V3 also. I don't care what the price is, I just want good quality and easy to use. That way I can switch back and forth between machines instead of setting after setting that does not make all that much difference. I hunt in old lumber camps, old sawmill sites and old home sites from 1820's-1940's. Then the area (65,000 acres) was turned into a state park. On about 1/4 of this land the park started in 1921. So
, while every thing is old, its also infested with lots & lots & lots of square nails and iron. I'm trying to get away from all the fiddling around with settings to get depth and eliminate some iron and so on. Thanks for your input,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Cliff.
 
Indeed might be a good idea to get a completely different unit in a CZ3D as same brand V3 just might be an improved duplication of the DFX with all the parameter changes etc.

Just my lowly opinion but Tesoro's are the king when it comes to gold rings and feel the CZ with 5-15 frequencies can hold it own with most and never thought Whites was the best
Not something I read in a book as have used all of the above and comes from in field experience...
 
Cliff,

The CZ3D, in enhanced mode, is designed for the older sites you will be hunting. As long as there isn't much modern trash ( ie, tabs, aluminum, etc.) enhanced mode would be the way to run it, since that mode will bring some of the older coins such as V Nickels, Indian heads, etc. into the high tone category, where as the older CZ's like the CZ5 and CZ6a, may hit those targets as mid tone. Now, if you will also dig all of the mid tone hits, the enhanced mode vs regular mode on a CZ won't give you much of an advantage. If you run enhanced mode on the 3D in more modern sites, a lot of the aluminum and some tabs will hit as high tone....not what you want.

One of the main things to be aware when running a CZ in a lot of iron, is to run with the discrimination setting at 0. This may sound odd, but you WANT to hear all the iron tones, so this way, when there is an iron target that will bleed over and hit low tone, then high tone, you will hear the low tone. If you run a CZ with the discrimination setting at 1 or higher, the low tone of iron is now blanked out and you do not hear it. In the example where an iron target will hit low tone then high tone, with discrimination at 1 or higher, you will ONLY hear the high tone, and think it is a good target. For the first year or so using my CZ6a, way back in the early 90's ( still have that unit and it is still my go to machine !), I hunted a lot with the discrimination at 1, and dug tons of iron nails and rusty iron objects. When I started running in 0, and listening to all the targets, and only digging up REPEATABLE mid tone and high tone targets, and stayed away from a lot of low tone/high tone hits, as well as all low tones, I now dig WAY LESS iron. Sure, every once in awhile I will dig up a deep iron target, but target ID on most all detectors becomes less accurate the deeper the target.

For a deep, SIMPLE unit to set up and use, as well as adjust, on both land and salt water beaches, the CZ line is still at the top in my book. I strictly hunt by the tones, and never use a the meter, so I have mounted my CZ on a straight shaft, under the arm cuff, and it is one of the best balanced units I have.

JC
 
Thanks therover, thats the kind of information I need. Also been reading up on the CZ70pro. It seems that the 3d is almost the same. There is a Fisher dealer about twenty miles from me, in Salamanca Ny.,but she don't have a 3d. Just hated to order one and not be happy with it.

Thanks!
 
There isn't, in my opinion, much difference depth wise between the Los Banos CZ5, 6a, 7a, 70Pro or 3D. The differences are in the features, analog vs digital as well as the shaft configurations. I prefer the CZ5 and 6a due to their being analog and having knobs. The sensitivity adjustments for these can be more finely tuned then the digital units where they have a push button to take up in increments of 2 I believe ( ie. 2 to 4, 4 to 6, 6 to 8, etc). They do, however, have the ability to notch out targets, but I never used that feature on any of the units I have. I dig everything but iron...and I dig iron too because I still get fooled on the deep stuff.

If you are going to be digging all mid and high tones, then I think the 3D in enhanced mode does not really offer any advantage. The main advantage is if you are coin hunting and digging high tones only. That is where that unit can bring older coins into the high tone category. All detectors are going to mis-ID certain targets, based on ground conditions, target corrosion or the proximity of the target to another target, etc. Lots of variables. So some old coins regardless will ID all over the map.

I would go check out the units the dealer has. If that dealer has a used CZ of the CZ5 or 6a type (be aware the original CZ6...NOT 6a, had a coil connector that was specific to that unit only, so it is not compatible with any of the other CZ coils. In retrospect, I don't think there are many CZ6's around), I would ask to try it out.

See what it air tests ( and if possible, in ground) a clad dime and a nickel. Both should hit high tone and at depths of 9-10 inches. See how some pull tabs sound and ID. If the unit and coil is in good shape, a reasonable price would be $375-$425 range. Most used CZ's are holding their values in that range, and depending on the condition can be up to $500-$600. This of course does not include the CZ20 and CZ21 models, which are the waterproof ones. If you stumble on a CZ6a jump on it. That, in my opinion, is the best model they ever made but I am a bit biased since that is what I use.

One last thing is, check out the classifieds. Some guys want to trade for another unit, but you can always ask if they would want to sell the unit outright. But I will tell you this...you won't get any of the 3 I have !!!! HA !
 
If you get a CZ, you might try the 5" coil in heavy iron/nail infested areas. I don't have one (yet), but I have heard it is the cats meow in this stuff. ...and for some reason, it still goes real deep! I have one of the 1021 serial number CZ3D's that Tom Dankowski tuned up for me. It's not for sale. I hunt a few areas that are loaded with old nails and it sounds like WWlll when in 0 disc. I hope to find a good 5" coil at a reasonable price for these areas.

I would like to find a nice CZ6a for a back up though!
 
Found a nice one.....and using every CZ model ever made have to agree with therover as its surely one of the best models..Took a while to find a nice one but got lucky ....I guess....

As far as the digital models ...be careful as Fisher doesn't have anymore meters...so if your meter goes ....you have a problem...

Also like the rodmount CZ7 and 7A but didn't catch on as were not hipmontable but also a fine unit...

In addendum no matter what CZ you have its a winner.......
 
Well thanks everyone, I ordered CZ3D today plus a 5'' coil. Should be here on Tuesday or Wednesday. So keep those tips coming.

After spending today, all day, back in those iron infested places I normally go, that was enough. Did get lots of normal bits and pieces of crusty brass, heads off of old paper shotgun cases, ect., and one wheat penny. Went back to a site from the 1800's, right next to the road, and not even one good signal. Pretty big home too, going by the footprint it left. Very few iron nail signals and almost no big iron. Theres no brush or weeds, just trees and a few leaves on the ground. I've been going there for a few years now and the only thing I ever got was a brass pad lock. I can't even find where a shed or the barn was. This is the strangest place I've ever hunted. This place and a few more that are simular, will be a good test for the 3D.
 
could be that it is already "burnt"?
perhaps the cz-3d with the "hockey puck"
on board will help!..just sayin'

(h.h!)
j.t.
 
The 5 inch coil on a CZ will be almost as deep as the stock 8 inch coil, but will find masked coins much better. Good luck and HH............

Roger
 
The CZ 3D has more sensitivity in the enhanced mode than it's predecessors. I have a CZ 7a pro & the CZ 3D is a hotter machine. I did the Pepsi challenge with them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top