Goodbye Outlaw, Hello ???

[mojotrout]

Just to be clear, I did not give up on Tesoro, I still own two of them, the Silver and the 7 inch Compadre. I simply wanted to try another machine in the 600-800$ price range and had to trade my Outlaw to swing it. I chose to move the Outlaw because--

-It had the best trade-in value of my machines
-It was proving difficult for me to get consistent performance from it (but likely MY fault, not the machine's)
-I was getting equal or near equal performance from my Silver uMax in the places I hunt coins so why have two machines doing the same thing?

In a month or two, I should be able to afford another MD and it will be another Tesoro -- because I like the three Ive tried so far and dont think Ive experienced the best they have to offer yet. I certainly didnt mean to start an argument and Im not bashing Tesoro-- they're still my favorite brand.

Now on to more important things -- BarberBill, you say your Deleon is deeper than the Outlaw/Silver/Golden? I'm intrigued....

 

[Bill G]

mojotrout,

You mentioned performance in your area between the detectors. I have been detecting for 15+ yrs now and in some areas like certain parks, playing fields, recreation areas your detectors for coin shooting will perform a lot the same as far as depths that your finding coins. The reason I say this is that's just how deep the coins are period in those areas so all your detectors are hitting them about the same. The plain truth is over all most VLF detectors perform in the same way and manufactures have done about all they can with the technology it has been pushed to the limit over all ( the biggest advancements is just better & smaller electronics and faster smaller processors in the last 10 years or so) we get fancy machines that really do not do much if any more than before.( but with the new processors there have been some improvement in iron info and recovery speeds my At Pro is proof of that compared to older Garrett's) With that said yes some detectors are a little deeper and some ground balance better or auto track the ground or have a nice screen and the next brand has a better cooler screen I think you get my point. Most depth monster units in most cases in all reality only have 1" to maybe an 1 1/2" maybe 2" more in depth on certain ground. Most often they run more erratic are noisy and cost a grip of money. So the question is for general hunting is this what a guy wants because in trash with these detectors normally you have to dial them back so much to keep them stable you loose the little extra depth they could give you. In a wide open low trash good ground setting they will shine but how often do we get that anymore??

I have found a good quality middle of the road detector pick your brand (but learn the detector) will do the job well with or without a screen. The screen if used right and not depended on is a tool that will help you guess at the type of metal in the ground we will never know for sure ( the digging tool tells all)

We all change our detectors and try different ones and we all have two or three different ones (find one that suits you and feels good but there is no true miracle detector) but I have found true what I stated above no matter witch brand or style detector your using.

I will state this though if you use a fixed ground balance detector this can handicap the detector in a lot of situations proper GB is critical to best detector performance no matter the brand.

You said you liked the Deleon above it's a fine detector but has a fixed GB. I wish Tesoro had made it with an auto track or adjustable GB this in my opinion was Tesoro short coming when they decided to make the Deleon & Cortez ID detectors. The Cortez is fixed GB in the disk mode but will ground balance in all metal. I had a Cortez great machine on nickels but lost a grip of depth in mineralized ground in the disk mode. If anywhere that Tesoro needs to re think things is around there ID detectors that they offer, other than that they build a solid light weight straight forward detector. Like many others on this forum I like Tesoro detectors a lot for all the same reasons as others.

Happy Hunting,
Bill G

 

[mojotrout]

Thanks for your insights Bill. It does seem strange that some will pay a lot more money to get another inch in depth, only to see that negated by the trash in the ground. There should be a term out there called "effective depth" that describes how deep a machine can find a desired target while ignoring/sorting through/unmasking the trash around it. It would be difficult to measure objectively and be repeatable, but it sure would help with evaluating a machine's real-world effectiveness.

The Deleon interests me because BarberBill said his was deeper than the other uMax units he's used. I have very little mineralization in my SW Idaho soil -- so little that my fixed GB Silver does as well as my manual GB Outlaw did (within 1/4 -1/2 inch in depth and about equal separation too). So Manual GB, while good if I plan on hunting other areas, is not a deal breaker if I'm planning on using the unit around my town.

And I strongly agree that most detectors will perform well once the user really gets to know the machine. Its all about finding the one that suits your own personal style and aesthetic. I know I like swinging a Tesoro, and I really love the Fisher F5 for hunting sports fields. Now I'm about to see what I think of Minelab's stuff. Those Bliss's look awesome as well, but are likely out of my price range. At some point I'll try a White's and maybe a Garrett too, but not before getting another Tesoro. After all, the Silver and Compadre are technically my wife and daughter's machines and they're going to take them away from me at some point!

 

[Bill G]

Thanks for your insights Bill. It does seem strange that some will pay a lot more money to get another inch in depth, only to see that negated by the trash in the ground. There should be a term out there called "effective depth" that describes how deep a machine can find a desired target while ignoring/sorting through/unmasking the trash around it. It would be difficult to measure objectively and be repeatable, but it sure would help with evaluating a machine's real-world effectiveness.

The Deleon interests me because BarberBill said his was deeper than the other uMax units he's used. I have very little mineralization in my SW Idaho soil -- so little that my fixed GB Silver does as well as my manual GB Outlaw did (within 1/4 -1/2 inch in depth and about equal separation too). So Manual GB, while good if I plan on hunting other areas, is not a deal breaker if I'm planning on using the unit around my town.

And I strongly agree that most detectors will perform well once the user really gets to know the machine. Its all about finding the one that suits your own personal style and aesthetic. I know I like swinging a Tesoro, and I really love the Fisher F5 for hunting sports fields. Now I'm about to see what I think of Minelab's stuff. Those Bliss's look awesome as well, but are likely out of my price range. At some point I'll try a White's and maybe a Garrett too, but not before getting another Tesoro. After all, the Silver and Compadre are technically my wife and daughter's machines and they're going to take them away from me at some point!

Thanks' and I do understand where you coming from. Have fun experimenting with units I have done the same thing and tried many different units, it's all part of the game. You are lucky my wife supports me in the hobby and likes the finds but she does not like to detect at all. (she will go sit for hours and read a book in a lawn chair with an ice chest of goodies with me while I hunt, that's good enough for me) She tried it and hated it and my kids mostly my oldest son not the youngest (both boys grown now) along with the wife's opinion thinks I look like as they say a geek doing it. Oh Well.

At least your family dig's it and wants to hunt with you.

Happy Hunting,
Bill G

 

[Idxpro]

I simply made a suggestion based on the consensus that most would agree Tesoro is not the right machine when it comes to TDI.

Not the right machine based on who's standards? I think it boils down to why we use metal detectors. If I was selling my finds to feed the family, and every minute out in the field counted, then, sure, I concede. But I'm not. This is a hobby for me, something I enjoy doing in my spare time. It gets me outside in the fresh air, it gets me exercise crouching down to recover targets, and it's intriguing to find objects lost by people long gone. It relaxes me and makes me happy. And for me, Tesoros are the perfect machines for that. I'd rather dig up 50 coins in the top 6" and have a good time than obsess over settings, menus, 99 tones etc. worried that I may miss one silver dime slightly out of reach of the Tesoro. What I do find is what matters, not what hypothetically I may have missed.

So, respectfully, I must disagree. The Deleon, like my other Tesoros, will be the perfect machine for the job.

Dan

Fair enough Dan....

 

[mojotrout]

Hey Bill, I wouldnt describe my family as avid detectorists -- they've gone with me 3-4 times so far -- but it is nice that they are into it enough to give me some company now and then. The book and cooler sound much more like their speed than swinging a coil for hours.

P.S. I think we all look like geeks too. We are geeks. Own it with pride!

 

[Bill G]

Hey Bill, I wouldnt describe my family as avid detectorists -- they've gone with me 3-4 times so far -- but it is nice that they are into it enough to give me some company now and then. The book and cooler sound much more like their speed than swinging a coil for hours.

P.S. I think we all look like geeks too. We are geeks. Own it with pride!

You bet with Big Big Pride How funny looks like your family is running at the same speed as mine. I bet this is true for a lot of guys that detect He He!!!!

Take Care,
Bill G

 

[yowow#1]

I like Tesoros.

I've had machines with screens: Ace250, GTI2500, F5, F70, T2, Omega 8000, GTA1000 and maybe a couple more I can't recall at the moment. I really liked the T2, but someone offered me $1650 for it so I had to sell it. I only paid $450! I would get another T2 one day, but other than that I have no interest in anything other than a Tesoro.

Maybe I should elaborate.

I like Tesoro's audio quality. They don't have that ridiculous flute tones of some of the other makes. I'd end up shooting myself in the face if I had to listen to that noise for more than 5 minutes.

I like Tesoro's build quality. Some of the machines mentioned above were so cheaply made that I was just waiting for them to crumble in my hands while I was using them. The T2 was the exception. That thing was built like a Tesoro.

I like the light weight of the Tesoros. I'm not an old man yet, but after swinging a heavy machine for a few hours even the fittest dude is going to feel it.

I like the warranty of the Tesoros. I can have confidence that years down the road I won't be left holding the bag if something stops working.



Dan

Wow! Someone gave you $1.650.00 for a machine that retails for $749.00 and could be bought for less from a dealer. What were the machines you can't remember? Based on your selling ability, they might get you rich in no time.

 

[Hombre]

My wife and I hunt together, she bought a new Deleon last year to replace her old Toltec ll she has owned since 1995.

A metal detecting hobby and a marriage made to last forever

 

[dan b]

Back a few years ago someone found a chunk of gold in Sudan with a T2. This made the news, and some people thought they could get rich too, and that only the T2 could find gold. You couldn't buy any new ones as they were sold out. Bidding on ebay was going as high as $2000 for used ones. I got $1650 for mine, and I figured I would just buy a new one later when they were available again. Never got around to doing that.

I think this was in the winter of 2009 when this happened. I'm sure others remember that too

Dan

 

[Shenandoah Digger]

When the T2 prices started skyrocketing I was able to get 4 new ones from Bass Pro Shops, as I sell bait and tackle in my convenience store and buy from their wholesale company regularly. I sold three on ebay at a buy it now of $1800 each. I was getting ready to sell the fourth when the bottom fell out, so I got stuck with it. Not a bad problem to have though. Very good detector.

 

[atomicscott]

Why not try another brand entirely, to see what you've been missing? Figuratively and literally!

 

[yowow#1]

When the T2 prices started skyrocketing I was able to get 4 new ones from Bass Pro Shops, as I sell bait and tackle in my convenience store and buy from their wholesale company regularly. I sold three on ebay at a buy it now of $1800 each. I was getting ready to sell the fourth when the bottom fell out, so I got stuck with it. Not a bad problem to have though. Very good detector.

That's incredible, i have never heard that story, "great story", then again i don't know to much about teknetics, even though i have owned a couple first texas products. fine read dan b and shenandoah diggger