Eurotek pro or f4/f5

[BrianNH]

First detector
I was interested in the Fisher f4 or f5 and someone suggested I look into Eurotek Pro withh DD coil.
I live in New hampshire. From what I read this detector is made for high mineralized soil. How do I know what my soil content is.
Still unsure what I would like to get. Help and suggestions would be great.

 

[mudpuppy]

Alright! Good job Brian!...this should really get you the info you need to make a decision... I will say, I am happy you are doing some diligence.

For your first experience with detecting, a guy has to be confident and get the proper tool to do it right...good on ya, everybody is here to help you get into a rig that you will really enjoy and be happy with...I got big hopes for you buddy!..
Mud

 

[MarkCZ]

Again, the F4 and the Eurotek Pro are entry level machines so neither is a fair comparison to the F5 the F5 is a good size step in upgrades. Now to be fair you could drop the F5 off the list and then compare the F4 and the Eurotek Pro, but it that group you might want to add the Teknetics Delta into the group.

One thing to keep in mind is the price in any model lineup,
$199.00 $300.00 is a dance in and out of the entry level models.
$300.00 to $500.00 is another dance in the mid-level models.
$500.00 and up is getting into the upper range of units with most of the upper end features.

Now look at the price of the F4 vs the F5?
Look at the Eurotek Pro vs the F5?

Your doing great in researching before buying, but to find the best bang for you buck then narrow down the price range, like
$200.00 to $300.00
$300.00 to $500.00

Its gets harder to land on something, or the best with a vast price range, for example a price range of,
$149.00 to $1,000 dollars.
In that price range they're hundreds to consider.

It the models that's in your group the F5 is by far your best choice, but its price actually puts into a different up-line model group. If your dollars can get you into the F5 range then look at the different models in that price range like the Omega.
I'm thinking that would also give you at lest three models in the First Texas products F5. Omega, and the Gamma. Of these the F5 has the most manual controls, the most to learn, with a little more room for growth. The Omega is a powerful simple unit with enough features to make it simple but a serious performer, the Gamma is little step down from the Omega. Of the F5 and the omega most of the problems people run into with them is trying to run them to hot before they've had enough time to really learn them before cranking them up

They're LOTS of help on this forum, but help us out a little, most everybody has a price cut off, find that then look at the best for your type of hunting, area (soil), and what you're mainly going to be hunting for. If your thinking of being a coin shooter, then that puts you into a bit of a different group than relic hunting, or Gold Prospecting. Relic hunters will often times go the route of Beep & Dig (no ID meter, but great audio ID) coin shooters most times tend to go with the metered units.

What I end up doing is I can't really afford the upper range detectors but I've been detecting sense 1980 so I really don't have a desire for an entry level detector so, I shop for used upper line units, that puts them in my entry level price range, but I don't get the warranty and that's a down side.

Mark

 

[BrianNH]

Again, the F4 and the Eurotek Pro are entry level machines so neither is a fair comparison to the F5 the F5 is a good size step in upgrades. Now to be fair you could drop the F5 off the list and then compare the F4 and the Eurotek Pro, but it that group you might want to add the Teknetics Delta into the group.

One thing to keep in mind is the price in any model lineup,
$199.00 $300.00 is a dance in and out of the entry level models.
$300.00 to $500.00 is another dance in the mid-level models.
$500.00 and up is getting into the upper range of units with most of the upper end features.

Now look at the price of the F4 vs the F5?
Look at the Eurotek Pro vs the F5?

Your doing great in researching before buying, but to find the best bang for you buck then narrow down the price range, like
$200.00 to $300.00
$300.00 to $500.00

Its gets harder to land on something, or the best with a vast price range, for example a price range of,
$149.00 to $1,000 dollars.
In that price range they're hundreds to consider.

It the models that's in your group the F5 is by far your best choice, but its price actually puts into a different up-line model group. If your dollars can get you into the F5 range then look at the different models in that price range like the Omega.
I'm thinking that would also give you at lest three models in the First Texas products F5. Omega, and the Gamma. Of these the F5 has the most manual controls, the most to learn, with a little more room for growth. The Omega is a powerful simple unit with enough features to make it simple but a serious performer, the Gamma is little step down from the Omega. Of the F5 and the omega most of the problems people run into with them is trying to run them to hot before they've had enough time to really learn them before cranking them up

They're LOTS of help on this forum, but help us out a little, most everybody has a price cut off, find that then look at the best for your type of hunting, area (soil), and what you're mainly going to be hunting for. If your thinking of being a coin shooter, then that puts you into a bit of a different group than relic hunting, or Gold Prospecting. Relic hunters will often times go the route of Beep & Dig (no ID meter, but great audio ID) coin shooters most times tend to go with the metered units.

What I end up doing is I can't really afford the upper range detectors but I've been detecting sense 1980 so I really don't have a desire for an entry level detector so, I shop for used upper line units, that puts them in my entry level price range, but I don't get the warranty and that's a down side.

Mark

I live in NH, Would like an all purpose detector, Coin, Relic and Jewelry hunting. I was told the Omega is very chattery and not very good for coins, more of a relic machine. I would me more inclined to get a metered unit over beep and dig.
I would be comfortable in the $300 to $500 range. Looking for an easy to us detector that I could use without wanting to upgrade in a year. The $500 range would be, head phones, digging tool and pro pointer.

 

[MarkCZ]

They were claims to the Omega being chattery in the very first release but I think even in many of those cases they were trying to run MAX sensitivity with the larger coils.
The person or persons stating that the Omega is more of a relic machine couldn't be farther from the truth! its for sure a Coin Detector and it does a good job at it. If you get it with the 11" DD coil and run the sensitivity around 65-70 it should do very well in most areas.
Its very simple for the performer that it is, its so simple that some may get the idea that the operator doesn't have enough control over the settings for it to be a serious detector. The Omega is an off spring of the F5, or to say its sort of a simplified version of the F5, its,
light weight,
Very easy to setup,
power efficient, it runs a VERY long time on one 9 Volt battery.

Now, even looking at the F5 when you add in your others accessories,
A Pro-Pointer,
Decent headphones,
And a digging tool.
Is probably going to bank the bank.
I've been in this spot myself, here is what many of us had to do. We put are bank roll into the detector, some times the freebie extras will get you by for awhile (throw in the box diggers, earphones, & pinpointers) but they are free for a reason, just to have something to work with. Don't get sold on the detector deals that give you hundreds of dollars in free stuff, now if you can find a Forum sponsor that will actually add in a Pro-Pointer in the deal then GREAT! but keep in mind that just the Pro-Pointer is around $120.00.

Here is what I've done over the years.
Spent my money on the detector, get as much good stuff in the deal as you can!
My first pinpointer was a Harbor Freight one for like $15.00 (Harbor Freight item # 97245)
For a digger one of the best CHEAP ones I've found is at Tractor Supply, its like $9.00 If you get one of these you can sharpen that V-notch at the tip and its one of the best to cut small roots with out there! (see pictures)
For Headphones many times you can get through a detector learning curve with something laying around the house, I often times used earbuds with my Omega when I wasn't hunting for the extreme deep silver. In most case of clad stabbing I use the ear buds, unless there is to much background noise, trains, lawnmowers, lots of traffic, or other loud noises.

The idea is to get the detector, get some stuff to make it work and a LOT of us make things, borrow things, then as we move along we replace those items with better ones and kick the old stuff down to backup or loaners.
Don't think starting out that you have to have the best of the best in accessories, for YEARS much of this stuff that's on the market now didn't exist and we made it or improvised what we needed out of something else.
I'm sure I'm not the only person that has spent a good deal of time collecting the better stuff as I went along.

A good nail apron makes a great fines pouch! (Lowes, Home Depot)
A good sized stiff bladed hunting knife is still a great digger! (Barn find, flea market, I cut down an old heavy bladed meat curving knife that I used for decades and I wouldn't be a bit upset to go back to it)
I'm sure they're are people on here that if you put out a plea for a good usable set of VERY affordable headphones that a set would turn up for the cost of shipping! just don't expect them to be a set of SunRay Pro Golds.
Get creative!
Improvise!
If you cut the cost of the detector to get a bag full of freebies then you will most likely end up either wanting to or needing to upgrade everything sooner than your ready.

Now, on the other hand.
Sometimes newbies to the hobby aren't sure enough about the hobby that if they get into it well they stay the course?? and in these cases then the entry level machines are the perfect choice!! get one, see if the hobby really is for you then just upgrade, or drop out and get what you can out the detector and move on.

Now, you have some more things to consider.

Mark

Mark

 

[MarkCZ]

Here is my 80's starter digging equipment, ad to that a Lowes nail apron. (pinpointers did not exist)
The only thing I bought was the screwdriver that I still use for a probe.

Mark

 

[MarkCZ]

Then YEARS later I upgraded to this setup. (I still have my old stuff and its not for sale)
Notice the pinpointer, that's a Harbor Freight one, I including a picture from their website.
The digger is an upgrade to a Lenard Soil Knife from Amazon for like $20.00.
That's the same probe.

Mark

 

[MarkCZ]

And in the last four years or so I upgraded to this.
Same pouch, digger, and probe, but I upgraded to the Garrett Pro-pointer.
That leather fines pouch is an ebay find for $10.00
And then in the past couple of years I made a magnet stick and added it to the arrangement.

Mark

 

[mudpuppy]

I agree with what Mark said....get a good rig and some good phones...make your own digging tool, and definitely learn how to use a probe like a screwdriver...

..as far as a Pinpointer, you actually can hunt very successfully without one at all!

I dont have one..unless you consider an Fpoint a pinpointer...I use it maybe once or twice per month if I'm fishing around in the grass roots for a suspected chain, or a coin tipped on edge...the PP mode on your rig is good enough, and you really can hunt without one if you never had one to begin with...I pulled over 10,000 coins my second year into this sport without a pinpointer, so It can be easily done...

I cannot hunt without my screwdriver though, I carry a spare......just some things to consider that may open up your initial $ outlay for a rig...
Mud

 

[BrianNH]

They were claims to the Omega being chattery in the very first release but I think even in many of those cases they were trying to run MAX sensitivity with the larger coils.
The person or persons stating that the Omega is more of a relic machine couldn't be farther from the truth! its for sure a Coin Detector and it does a good job at it. If you get it with the 11" DD coil and run the sensitivity around 65-70 it should do very well in most areas.
Its very simple for the performer that it is, its so simple that some may get the idea that the operator doesn't have enough control over the settings for it to be a serious detector. The Omega is an off spring of the F5, or to say its sort of a simplified version of the F5, its,
light weight,
Very easy to setup,
power efficient, it runs a VERY long time on one 9 Volt battery.

Now, even looking at the F5 when you add in your others accessories,
A Pro-Pointer,
Decent headphones,
And a digging tool.
Is probably going to bank the bank.
I've been in this spot myself, here is what many of us had to do. We put are bank roll into the detector, some times the freebie extras will get you by for awhile (throw in the box diggers, earphones, & pinpointers) but they are free for a reason, just to have something to work with. Don't get sold on the detector deals that give you hundreds of dollars in free stuff, now if you can find a Forum sponsor that will actually add in a Pro-Pointer in the deal then GREAT! but keep in mind that just the Pro-Pointer is around $120.00.

Here is what I've done over the years.
Spent my money on the detector, get as much good stuff in the deal as you can!
My first pinpointer was a Harbor Freight one for like $15.00 (Harbor Freight item # 97245)
For a digger one of the best CHEAP ones I've found is at Tractor Supply, its like $9.00 If you get one of these you can sharpen that V-notch at the tip and its one of the best to cut small roots with out there! (see pictures)
For Headphones many times you can get through a detector learning curve with something laying around the house, I often times used earbuds with my Omega when I wasn't hunting for the extreme deep silver. In most case of clad stabbing I use the ear buds, unless there is to much background noise, trains, lawnmowers, lots of traffic, or other loud noises.

The idea is to get the detector, get some stuff to make it work and a LOT of us make things, borrow things, then as we move along we replace those items with better ones and kick the old stuff down to backup or loaners.
Don't think starting out that you have to have the best of the best in accessories, for YEARS much of this stuff that's on the market now didn't exist and we made it or improvised what we needed out of something else.
I'm sure I'm not the only person that has spent a good deal of time collecting the better stuff as I went along.

A good nail apron makes a great fines pouch! (Lowes, Home Depot)
A good sized stiff bladed hunting knife is still a great digger! (Barn find, flea market, I cut down an old heavy bladed meat curving knife that I used for decades and I wouldn't be a bit upset to go back to it)
I'm sure they're are people on here that if you put out a plea for a good usable set of VERY affordable headphones that a set would turn up for the cost of shipping! just don't expect them to be a set of SunRay Pro Golds.
Get creative!
Improvise!
If you cut the cost of the detector to get a bag full of freebies then you will most likely end up either wanting to or needing to upgrade everything sooner than your ready.

Now, on the other hand.
Sometimes newbies to the hobby aren't sure enough about the hobby that if they get into it well they stay the course?? and in these cases then the entry level machines are the perfect choice!! get one, see if the hobby really is for you then just upgrade, or drop out and get what you can out the detector and move on.

Now, you have some more things to consider.

Mark

Mark

Wow cool thanks. A lot to think about. I watched a video on youtube, He was saying and showing how chatty his Omega was near his house and under power lines.I think it was from 2013. I do like the Omega, looks easy to use. I have inquired someone with an Omega 8000 for sale with Software version 4 and 10" Elliptical coil for $370 shipped. Also there is one on ebay for $385 buy it now.
I could get by with budget digger and head phones, put the money into detector and pro-pointer.
Thank you, Brian

 

[MarkCZ]

I would doubt it only a couple of months old, version 6 has been out longer than that, and before that there was a version 5.
I recently sold mine that I liked very much but I decided to upgrade to the F70 and here is what I sold mine for. (keep in mind that this Omega had the upgraded the 11"dd coil)

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?44,2163319

I think $370.00 is a little to high for a 10" single coil version 4 package, so I would be looking for one more towards the $325.00 to $350.00 range.

Mark

 

[BrianNH]

I would doubt it only a couple of months old, version 6 has been out longer than that, and before that there was a version 5.
I recently sold mine that I liked very much but I decided to upgrade to the F70 and here is what I sold mine for. (keep in mind that this Omega had the upgraded the 11"dd coil)

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?44,2163319

I think $370.00 is a little to high for a 10" single coil version 4 package, so I would be looking for one more towards the $325.00 to $350.00 range.

Mark

Thank you I will keep on looking.
The one on ebay says version 6 with 10" coil. Damaged screen (Small pin hole)
I could get a brand new one from Bart @ Big boys with 11" DD coil, Jolly roger head phones, Lesche digging tool & Treasure wise pouch $649.00
I may ask him what price is without freebies. Then I can try your Ideas on digging tools and more.

 

[MarkCZ]

I would doubt it only a couple of months old, version 6 has been out longer than that, and before that there was a version 5.
I recently sold mine that I liked very much but I decided to upgrade to the F70 and here is what I sold mine for. (keep in mind that this Omega had the upgraded the 11"dd coil)

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?44,2163319

I think $370.00 is a little to high for a 10" single coil version 4 package, so I would be looking for one more towards the $325.00 to $350.00 range.

Mark

Thank you I will keep on looking.
The one on ebay says version 6 with 10" coil. Damaged screen (Small pin hole)
I could get a brand new one from Bart @ Big boys with 11" DD coil, Jolly roger head phones, Lesche digging tool & Treasure wise pouch $649.00
I may ask him what price is without freebies. Then I can try your Ideas on digging tools and more.

I wouldn't rule out a good deal on an F5 either, but used you would probably want to look for a later one with the screw in coil connector, the early versions had a push in (plug in) connector and coils are harder to fine for them.

Mark

 

[BrianNH]

I would doubt it only a couple of months old, version 6 has been out longer than that, and before that there was a version 5.
I recently sold mine that I liked very much but I decided to upgrade to the F70 and here is what I sold mine for. (keep in mind that this Omega had the upgraded the 11"dd coil)

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?44,2163319

I think $370.00 is a little to high for a 10" single coil version 4 package, so I would be looking for one more towards the $325.00 to $350.00 range.

Mark

Thank you I will keep on looking.
The one on ebay says version 6 with 10" coil. Damaged screen (Small pin hole)
I could get a brand new one from Bart @ Big boys with 11" DD coil, Jolly roger head phones, Lesche digging tool & Treasure wise pouch $649.00
I may ask him what price is without freebies. Then I can try your Ideas on digging tools and more.

I wouldn't rule out a good deal on an F5 either, but used you would probably want to look for a later one with the screw in coil connector, the early versions had a push in (plug in) connector and coils are harder to fine for them.

Mark

The f5 looks as if it may have a bit of a learning curve. I dont want to get frustrated.
What mid range detector would you recommend for an all purpose rig? I am open to suggestions.

 

[mncricket]

I have an mxt in new condition for $475.....would include...bag, batteries, book, and detector. I could throw in an inexpensive digger, finds pouch and maybe a pinpointer (wouldn't be a propointer, but it would work for now).....you would be on your own for headphones though I am afraid.....you can use earbuds you have around the house to start too.....

 

[rick (nova scotia)]

Wow Mark that was quite an effort there lots of typing, and real good advice. And still use rather cheap headphones.
AS far as the power lines go pretty much every detector will have some place where they don't work real well, and sometimes there is no apparent reason for it. I've only experienced a couple of places in 3-4 years with Omega.

 

[Hightone]

3 completely different machines. If you can afford it, you will have more control than most detectors with the F5. It IS a little harder to learn, but once learned will be more versatile and will give more info on the ground and the targets than the other two. The confidence meter alone stands out over the others. But if you want to spend less, the ETP is a great beep and dig machine, especially for relics. If you are a jewelry/coin hunter, the F4 and F5 is the better bet, IMO.