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How does one ever decide what to buy??!!!???
- Thread starter Clev
- Start date
You are doing the right thing in reading reviews and postings and trying to learn all you can before you buy. I have been detecting for 35 years and I still spend much time trying to decide what to buy when I decide to buy.
As for high end machines, they can be very complicated to really learn right. Yes, some do have quick start features, but to get everything out of the detector that is offered you will need to tweak the detector, and that can be complicated. As for the cheaper machines with all the features, you get what you pay for. One of the most important things to take into account is what you want to hunt for. Different machines are made for different styles of hunting. If coin hunting then maybe a high end machine or a low end machine with all the bells and whistles will do just fine. If relic hunting you will want a machine that is made for relic hunting. A coin machine is not the best for relic hunting, and a relic machine is not real good for coin hunting. If water hunting you will want a 100% submersible water hunting machine. Most manufacturers have machines to fit every need.
Now for Ebay. If you buy a used machine in most instances the warranty will not be honored unless you return the machine to the original buyer and he turns it in for warranty service. The seller may agree to this to make the sale, but when it comes down to it if he thinks he is going to spend money to get your machine fixed he will either balk or pass the expenses on to you before the machine is sent back. If buying on Ebay and considering a used machine still in warranty, or they claim it is still in warranty send them an email asking them if they will do that for you and offer to pay their expenses. The exception to this is the Tesoro line of detectors, they stand behind their detectors and their lifetime warranties no matter who sends the detector in for repair. Also, when considering Ebay, most sellers of new machines will tell you somewhere in their listing if they are a dealer and the name of their dealership. Give them a call by phone and talk to them. Believe me they will gladly sell you a machine outside of Ebay to avoid those costs and you will not have to worry about being ripped off. With a little research and Google searching you can check up on most dealers.
Now for the local dealers. They are going to stick it to you unless you know the rock bottom price. I live in Missouri and my local sales tax is .07%. Figure on a one thousand dollar detector that will be $70 in sales tax, or $35 on a $500 machine. In fact it will be a bit more due to local sales taxes which in some instances approach .08%. In most instances you will not pay sales tax by buying from a dealer outside of your State. I have bought over 20 machines over the phone and never had to wait more than a few days to receive the machine. At the most you will be looking at maybe $20 in shipping costs and many dealers will ship their detectors free, which means no sales tax and no shipping charges.
As for high end machines, they can be very complicated to really learn right. Yes, some do have quick start features, but to get everything out of the detector that is offered you will need to tweak the detector, and that can be complicated. As for the cheaper machines with all the features, you get what you pay for. One of the most important things to take into account is what you want to hunt for. Different machines are made for different styles of hunting. If coin hunting then maybe a high end machine or a low end machine with all the bells and whistles will do just fine. If relic hunting you will want a machine that is made for relic hunting. A coin machine is not the best for relic hunting, and a relic machine is not real good for coin hunting. If water hunting you will want a 100% submersible water hunting machine. Most manufacturers have machines to fit every need.
Now for Ebay. If you buy a used machine in most instances the warranty will not be honored unless you return the machine to the original buyer and he turns it in for warranty service. The seller may agree to this to make the sale, but when it comes down to it if he thinks he is going to spend money to get your machine fixed he will either balk or pass the expenses on to you before the machine is sent back. If buying on Ebay and considering a used machine still in warranty, or they claim it is still in warranty send them an email asking them if they will do that for you and offer to pay their expenses. The exception to this is the Tesoro line of detectors, they stand behind their detectors and their lifetime warranties no matter who sends the detector in for repair. Also, when considering Ebay, most sellers of new machines will tell you somewhere in their listing if they are a dealer and the name of their dealership. Give them a call by phone and talk to them. Believe me they will gladly sell you a machine outside of Ebay to avoid those costs and you will not have to worry about being ripped off. With a little research and Google searching you can check up on most dealers.
Now for the local dealers. They are going to stick it to you unless you know the rock bottom price. I live in Missouri and my local sales tax is .07%. Figure on a one thousand dollar detector that will be $70 in sales tax, or $35 on a $500 machine. In fact it will be a bit more due to local sales taxes which in some instances approach .08%. In most instances you will not pay sales tax by buying from a dealer outside of your State. I have bought over 20 machines over the phone and never had to wait more than a few days to receive the machine. At the most you will be looking at maybe $20 in shipping costs and many dealers will ship their detectors free, which means no sales tax and no shipping charges.
mgtmadness
Member
idk. well I bought a used DFX, but really wanted a Spectra V3, or a Minelab E-Trac or SE Pro. but the V3 was 700 more than my DFX. my dfx was 840 with 950 coil,1400DD coil, 5.3 coil, all coils had shafts and hardware and covers, and it came with some books, also box cover and 2 battery packs and charger. it cost him about 64 dollars and change to ship it all.after all said and done.
then don't waste money on a machine that has major disc programs. I too dig most signals, I dig a lot of tabs and screwcaps because I just can't stand it. I have passed by targets and backed up to dig them and sometimes it is something good. I use an E-TRAC most of the time and I usually have a good idea of what I am going to dig... but I dig it anyway. (It will make more finds than any machine out there if money is no concern.)
I'd point you toward either a Sovereign GT or a Tesoro Tejon. You can get good disc with etiher and you wont miss much with either. IMO, the Tejon works better in small iron like cut square nails, it just ignores them while the GT will hit them but usually with a one way signal.. however, even though I know it's probably a piece of sq nail... I usually dig it anyway.
You can probably get a Tejon used for 300 bucks and then buy a new SovGT from David at Dixie in Madison, TN... his free mods are worth it I think. Tesoro warrantees their stuff for life...
Just my 2 cent...
I forgot to say... if you get a Tejon, you need to get the 5.75 HOT DD coil and leave it on.
J
I'd point you toward either a Sovereign GT or a Tesoro Tejon. You can get good disc with etiher and you wont miss much with either. IMO, the Tejon works better in small iron like cut square nails, it just ignores them while the GT will hit them but usually with a one way signal.. however, even though I know it's probably a piece of sq nail... I usually dig it anyway.
You can probably get a Tejon used for 300 bucks and then buy a new SovGT from David at Dixie in Madison, TN... his free mods are worth it I think. Tesoro warrantees their stuff for life...
Just my 2 cent...
I forgot to say... if you get a Tejon, you need to get the 5.75 HOT DD coil and leave it on.
J
I think so, for inland use. It is lighter. loses almost no depth, and every single person I know who uses a Tejon puts it on and never takes it off. It is a GOOD coil. You can swing it as fast as you want and it will hit. The person around here who knows the most about Tesoro detectors is Monte. Look him up on the Tesoro forum and ask away. You'll find that a LOT of relic hunters use the Tejon with the small coil. Tesoro has a forum too on their website.
J
J
I'd hate to see you buy a high end detector and in a few months
find it relegated to your closet or garage not being used. That happenes
more times than you can imagine.
I'd go with a good machine like the Ace 250.
There are alot of people who slam the machine as being cheap or just junk.
Heres something to consider:
One of the reasons for much of the flack over the
Ace 250 is because it's so low priced. It's automatically
assumed that if its a cheap buy then it's a cheap machine
and "no good."
What they seem to block out/fail to take into consideration is
that Garrett made an executive decicision that would grab a bigger share
of the market and that was to build a well "made machine" that would
stand up to the mid-range and higher end machines. He buildt the Ace 250
and priced it at $212.00. The plan worked.
The Plan worked so well that Fisher had to come out with the F-2, a nice
little machine by the way, but still not up to the caliber of the Ace 250.
Whites just came out with the Coin Master at $179.00, another basic
machine, but a far cry from the options you get with the Ace 250.
The only complaint I have with the Ace 250 is that it doesn't have
any concentric coils, like a 7in or 8in. At present, useing the standard
coil that comes with the Ace, your going to get about 6inches on the average
sized targets, such as a coin or ring. It will pick up deeper on larger size targets.
There are larger coils and even one or two after market coils.
Although the Ace 250 is built for the average "ground" it will have
trouble with heavy mineralized ground. But all in all the Ace 250 is a good machine
for the money, especially when you consider it could easily have been priced in
the $400-$450 range. Remember, this is a "Factory Pre-set machine." and not
intended for gold nugget hunting, although it has found large sized nuggets
in Alaska, according to one of Garrets older News Letters.
This is a good machine to start out youre MDing experience with but you will
probably grow out of it and want a higher end machine. A Whites or even a Mind Lab
might be the way to go.
Make no mistake, the Ace 250 is not CHEAPLY made. Its very well put together
and VERY reasonably priced.
I just wish Garret would listen and bring in some concentric coils!
Good luck with WHATEVER detector you decide to buy.
Katz
find it relegated to your closet or garage not being used. That happenes
more times than you can imagine.
I'd go with a good machine like the Ace 250.
There are alot of people who slam the machine as being cheap or just junk.
Heres something to consider:
One of the reasons for much of the flack over the
Ace 250 is because it's so low priced. It's automatically
assumed that if its a cheap buy then it's a cheap machine
and "no good."
What they seem to block out/fail to take into consideration is
that Garrett made an executive decicision that would grab a bigger share
of the market and that was to build a well "made machine" that would
stand up to the mid-range and higher end machines. He buildt the Ace 250
and priced it at $212.00. The plan worked.
The Plan worked so well that Fisher had to come out with the F-2, a nice
little machine by the way, but still not up to the caliber of the Ace 250.
Whites just came out with the Coin Master at $179.00, another basic
machine, but a far cry from the options you get with the Ace 250.
The only complaint I have with the Ace 250 is that it doesn't have
any concentric coils, like a 7in or 8in. At present, useing the standard
coil that comes with the Ace, your going to get about 6inches on the average
sized targets, such as a coin or ring. It will pick up deeper on larger size targets.
There are larger coils and even one or two after market coils.
Although the Ace 250 is built for the average "ground" it will have
trouble with heavy mineralized ground. But all in all the Ace 250 is a good machine
for the money, especially when you consider it could easily have been priced in
the $400-$450 range. Remember, this is a "Factory Pre-set machine." and not
intended for gold nugget hunting, although it has found large sized nuggets
in Alaska, according to one of Garrets older News Letters.
This is a good machine to start out youre MDing experience with but you will
probably grow out of it and want a higher end machine. A Whites or even a Mind Lab
might be the way to go.
Make no mistake, the Ace 250 is not CHEAPLY made. Its very well put together
and VERY reasonably priced.
I just wish Garret would listen and bring in some concentric coils!
Good luck with WHATEVER detector you decide to buy.
Katz
jhettel said:
Many, many of the detectors sold on Ebay are from private owners and the warranty issue (or lack thereof) remains regardless if you buy the unit from a private seller on Ebay, a private seller at your local club, or a dealer. The savings can be significant compared to new and many detectors are virtually new. The significant advantage with Ebay, if you pay by PayPal, is that you have 30 days to return the detector for a full refund from the buyer. The Seller has no option; he must refund your money. Most electronic devices, like metal detectors, either work or don't; there is no risk to you of getting a unit DOA. Even if the problem is intermittant, you'll find that out soon enough, certainly within 30 days of moderate use.
Katz, did you know that there is a 10X14 Exelerator DD coil for the 250 that turns that detector into a dynamite little machine? I know a guy that hunts Civil War relics with a 250, using one of those coils and he's real successful at getting targets between 8 and 10 inches. When I saw how well he was doing with that combo it made me want to get one.
E-Trac-Ohio
Well-known member
I know how hard it can be to decide on what machine to buy - I spent three months researching all the different detectors before buying one - the more you read the more confusing it gets !
In my humble opinion - get a E-Trac !!!
It's the best thing I did in 2009 !
Just go to the E-Trac section of this forum and see for yourself.
Good Luck ! --- Mark
In my humble opinion - get a E-Trac !!!
It's the best thing I did in 2009 !
Just go to the E-Trac section of this forum and see for yourself.
Good Luck ! --- Mark
-)Sounds like your in it for the long haul. I would say find a god deal on a used Xterra 705. It's a great machine easy to learn and has a back light for the early morning or early evening. If you buy it right it will be easy to sell. It should do all you need and if you have a beach around you also works on wet sand. What ever you decide GOOD LUCK and keep digging
.
.topknocker
New member
you haven't got any help here at all have you. everybody has got an opinion. some people say spend 212 dollars on an ace 250. then one guy says go out and by a 1500 dollar etrac right off the bat and everything in between. sorry we couldn't help. you will have to decide yourself.
Try Minelab's FPS Safari... It's ready to go and you will just get better learning and using it. The upgrade path to Etrac is there when you feel it's time. What are you going to detect?
Relics ? Coins in parks? Coins and Jewlery on the beaches? Gold nuggets in streams? Al have bearing on what type of machine you can start out with. My first detector was a Radio Shack VLF machine. It still works and will find metal but it has it's limits and very little descrimination (ability to determine metal types).
Join a detector club and frankly tell them your dilemma. Your bound to make freinds and learn from them. Might even have someone who'll let you use their spare to learn with on cooperative hunts.
Remember this hooby requires patience and walking, bending over and digging, permission to hunt from people who own property, and a time investment. Don't plan on finding a fortune. You got a lot of bottlecaps, pulltabs, rusty nails, tinfoil, cans, and other junk to dig nd sort before that first Mercury dime is yours.
Good luck...
Relics ? Coins in parks? Coins and Jewlery on the beaches? Gold nuggets in streams? Al have bearing on what type of machine you can start out with. My first detector was a Radio Shack VLF machine. It still works and will find metal but it has it's limits and very little descrimination (ability to determine metal types).
Join a detector club and frankly tell them your dilemma. Your bound to make freinds and learn from them. Might even have someone who'll let you use their spare to learn with on cooperative hunts.
Remember this hooby requires patience and walking, bending over and digging, permission to hunt from people who own property, and a time investment. Don't plan on finding a fortune. You got a lot of bottlecaps, pulltabs, rusty nails, tinfoil, cans, and other junk to dig nd sort before that first Mercury dime is yours.
Good luck...
Jerry=Iowa
New member
Hi Clev, Woo lots of information to decide on. I purchased my first Garrett GTA 500 in 1990 and have up graded with garrets 4 times since. When minelab came out with the X-Terra detector, I decided to step out of the box and purchase one. Using this new machine was like going back to the first year of detecting, and I put it away and purchased a new garrett. The bottom line is, choose a company that offers the best service and quality in machines and stay with it. All companies will build their machines with the basic same functions, learning and knowing those basic functions the company offers is the most important aspects to improving your performance in the field. You will upgrade! And when you do, you will hear others promote their brand of detectors as being the best on the market. When I first purchased a detector, I was looking at Garrett or Whites. At that time, the dealer advised me that he was going to stop selling whites detectors because he was having problems with company service; therefore, he helped me make my decision on garrett or it would have been a 50% chance I would have been a whites user today. I am sure the whites service department is excellent today as garrett is. I have used three different machines, manufactured by three different companies, and always returned to garrett. Remember this; it is not the machine that creates great hunts, but the user