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F 70 or Cortes

D

DanOsh

New member
Looking for a new detector, which one would be the better choice and why? The Fisher F 70 at $650 or the Tesoro Cortes at $680. I mostly go to parks and schools, would like to do some relic hunting in the future. Would be used in Wisconsin.
 
I own a Cortes, and I find it to be a great detector, especially in parks and school yards. The display is accurate as far as junk vs. coins. I need to qualify that statement, because I hunt in Canada, and our coins are different than US coins. This has always been a frustration with the green and yellow ID machines I have owned in the past. However, the Cortes gets around that problem by the small bar graph that displays the conductivity of the target. I have learned to ID the coins by the spread of the bar graph alone. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Cortes to anyone. I have dug coins at 10" and 11" (measured, not guessed), it's light, and can go 35+ hours on a set of batteries. Don't forget about the life time warranty.

However....

The F70, being $30 cheaper is the obvious winner. From what I have read, it is loaded with more features than the Cortes. If it was me, and I had that budget to spend, I would look hard at the F70. I don't know that it's any deeper, and I don't know how I would get around the Canadian vs. US coin issue, but it would be worth looking into. I would want to visit a dealer however, as buying sight unseen is too risky because of quality issues. I would want to look my potential machine over closely before buying. That's my opinion, and others will no doubt strongly disagree, but that's how I feel.

However (again)....

Look at a used Cortes. They generally go for $400-$500 and don't worry about the non-transferable warranty. If the machine has no signs of abuse Tesoro will fix it for free anyway if it needs it. That's what I did. I bought mine for $525 as a demo and it had a problem with the all-metal mode. I sent it in and had it back better than new, in less than 3 weeks, and at no cost.

Since this is the Fisher forum, I'm probably going to take a lot of heat for this, but who cares. I hope it helped a bit,

Dan
 
while the Cortez may be a good machine...............its recovery speed and separation arent even CLOSE to the F70's....................... We wont even talk about the ergonomics and depth. :) And getting a whole weeks worth (At least) of detecting from 4 AA's is kinda hard to beat. Everyone I've spoken to that has the F70 is very impressed with it. (myself included).
With all due respect to the Cortes user............I dont think the two machines are even in the same league............ Streak!
 
for park hunting it cannot compare to the depth of the F70, period. For casual coin hunting, get the Cortez, for deep coins, get the F70. John
 
Thanks folks for all the information and thoughts on a new detector, now the adventure of picking one begins :twodetecting:
 
Another thing to look at is that tesoro is a u.s. company,with lifetime warrantys on their detectors and has been a solid company for years also with no call backs on the cortes,repairs can be costly electronics go down everyday i know i do this for a living.So when you are looking for a new detector, warranty is a big deal.Any solid company that offers a lifetime warranty are commited to manufactoring great machines because if they made junk it would come back and bit.
 
Deeper? How do you figure? I have both and the F70's claim to fame is that its more stable (less prone to getting noisy from outside interference), but in all metal or no disc. the F75 is still deeper by a couple of inches.
 
If you will notice on the forum. Not many folks seem to keep a particular detector long enough for the warranty to matter....Jack
 
Well the Tesoro has a true Life Tim Warranty with no questions asked!!! That is one key to consider if you plan on owning this for a long time! The F70 has a 5 year warranty. Plus since I too was considering one for Christams I asked Fisher how much longer they intended to service and support the 1200 series in terms of coils and parts and such. They would not answere that question. So since they have been purchased buy another company that makes metal detectors and will not answere simple product questions like the above I would be a bit nervious! So if you do get the F70 I would buy any extra coils that you think you might want and coil covers etc......Just to play it safe! If they give you a solid answere on the above please share it with us since I was really concerned withthe lack of a responce I got from them!

Also Shop arounf and you can find prices for the Tesoro's that are alot cheaper. Their is a guy with a store on Ebay that sells new Tesoro's about as cheap as I have seen them any place else. Their is also a Fisher 1270,1280,1266 on ebay at this time!
 

I don't know about that. I don't think the forums are representative of the entire hobby. There are some that turn over machines constantly, but what percentage of the entire hobby does this represent? I don't have the answer, but I would think there are way more people that keep machines that they buy for a long time versus those who try it for an hour or 2 and sell it.

As for my Cortes, I plan to keep it a very long time. I too tried a few machines until I found this keeper, but this one will be with me for years. So if the electronics go haywire anytime down the road, I don't need to sweat it.

Dan
 
I personally dont think anyone can really get the feel......or "master" ANY machine in just a few weeks or months. Its an evolutionary kinda thing. Sometimes it just doesnt "click" till you have a BUNCH of hours in the field. anyone that tells you they can evaluate any given machine in just a few outings is pretty much FULL of it. I keep em till I KNOW they are for me...and sometimes that takes a year or two....................... Streak!
BTW......we have an honest 22 machines in our arsenal. Granted.....some are older ones we dont use much anymore....but a LOT see regular use!
 
I agree with you 100% on that one Streak!---That's exactly why these Forums and "jawing" from "in the trenches" long time users and sharing info is so neat & important.--The field tests you read ARE informative-but should be taken with a grain of salt.--Nobody-and I mean NOBODY can pick up a new detector & in a very short time have it "mastered".--The field tests ARE good for general information.--Since the mid 70's, I've went thru over 50 detectors to get to where I am now (detector wise).--We have 10 in our arsenal now for various types of hunting (which could very well be more than I need).--But I feel I "know" these detectors-and it's taken me time to get that gut working relationship with them.--Two other observations (at least for me)----Giving some time and you find you "just don't like" a detector-you AREN'T going to do as good with it.--I've had a couple that I just could not stand-and I had worked hard with them over time---I would have wrapped them around a power pole (if a pole was handy). ha-----Last observation--and I find this true for me at least.--Detecting is just like anything else in that you have to keep that edge (STAY in practise).--If I haven't used a detector for awhile-it takes me a while to get "in tune" with it again.--I have to spend a little time getting that "working edge" with it again.---Well, I'm not too smart & I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination--the above has just been my experiences, as I see them.-------Take care, Del
 
WOW 22 detectors, 50 detectors that is just crazy!!! What could possably need 22-50 detectors for besides collecting detectors? So along with useing metal detectors you like to collect them as well like some people collect vaccum's or base ball cards etc.......... I am trying to picture you with a Relco with a 22 inch wagon wheel three spoke coil along with a hand carved copy of the 10 Commandments in the other hand!LOL You know my wife seldom tells me know but I think I would have to find a new place to live if I had 50 detector's.LOL So you too guys are the main suppliers of all the old detectors on Ebay then???? Seriously you guys should take some photo'sof your huge collection and use them as you avatar's.
 
I, Too, tend to keep mine a long time as well and I totally agree that one cannot learn a detector in a couple of weekends of few hours of hunting. Even the least expensive so called "turn on and go" models all have a language all of their own. I've got some where around 1400 hours in with my F 75 and I am still learning things about what it is telling me. To each his own though. HH jim tn
 
hi jim!
do you use the 75 exclusively?..just wondering!..i would think that because of the detector's ability to read targets and ground so quickly that you really have to pay 'close" attention to what it is trying to tell you,and make adjustments as you gain expertise!

(h.h!)
j.t.
 
j.t., it is a very rare occasion anymore when I swing anything but the 75. About once a month for a couple of hours I will use my cz3d just to try and keep a little bit acquainted with it, but it is the F75 98% of the time. One of the great things about this hobby is there is very little about finding treasure that is constant. That is why even with 1400 hours with the F75, it is always going to be a learning process. I do think though, simply because the F 75 will do so much, so fast, a lot of detectorists are intimidated by it, when in actuality, there is no need to be. In fact, a wonderful amount of good treasure could be recovered with the F 75 if one never took it out of the factory pre-set modes. HH jim tn
 
WilliamJB-------You didn't read my post very well.--I said I have "gone thru" over 50 detectors since the mid 1970's.--I "ONLY" have 10 now!!!! haaa----The secret of this whole thing (and to avoid being beaten up)-is to get your wife interested in metal detecting also. My wife loves the hobby as much as I do, so she "gets to use" some of MY detectors----or was it the other way around????---Boy did this subject get off track----GET THE F70!!-------Del
 
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