I need some serious help !! :rage:

[Bowtie41]

Well,
I was without a comp for about 5 days while I tried to save everything then upgrade to XP.I'm back!!! 5 hrs and still not caught up on forums!
My problem is concerning choice of detectors and comments made by a man I met Sunday.

First off,after a couple months of talking to alot of you,I THOUGHT I had my mind made up for my 1st detector,since I'm a newbie.A CZ-70 Pro.

Then came Sunday.I took the family to a lake we goto camp alot about an hours drive from here.Since I've been on this forum(couple months I guess),and definately for the last couple Summers,I've never even met anybody around here with a detector,it's just something I always wanted to do,and never had time for(auto acc. took care of that)
Anyway,I saw 2 guys on the lakeshore working the swim area.I approached them,explained my curiosity with detecting,and told them about the forum,and the hunt Guvner is trying to get together in Oct.(another forum).
I asked what kind of machines they were using,since they were waist deep or better.Both were using Tesoros.One was I believe a Sand Shark,and the other a Tiger Shark?
The 1st gentleman was about 30ish.He was rude,and definately didn't want to bother even talking about detecting.Think he was afraid somebody would invade HIS turf.The 2nd man was about 50-55,and was very nice,telling me all kinds of tips about water detecting.When we started talking scoops,we had to BOTHER the young guy,since he was using the older guys scoop,and had even bought his detector from the older gentleman.But,he found time to ask me to carry a piece of a can to the trash for him(which I did).What an A-Hole!When we talked about different detectors,I told him I had decided on a CZ-70 Pro.He said He used to deal detectors,and Fisher was a nice unit,but their warranty wasn't as good as a Tesoro.I told him I was led to believe they had a lifetime warranty.He said it was,but after a length of time,you still have to pay.One of the things I need to know is is this true?Then he said the Tesoro has a lifetime warranty that never degrades.He said he has had his coil replaced,headphones,speakers in phones,and other parts replaced for no charge at all,can this be true,also?
The next question had to do with water hunting.He said although the CZ-70 is fine for shoreline,in no way is it a water unit.I agree,and after reading posts from all of you,I've decided I would probably wanna go waist to neck on the lakes/river here,besides being on FL coast at least 1-2 weeks a year.So I considered the CZ-20,but at least for me,it's a little pricey for a 1st detector.
Another discussion we had was with a display.I really liked the CZ-70 because of the readout.I thought it would help me as a beginner.Then I thought,if I'm waist to neck deep,I can't see it,so I'd still hafta rely on my ears,so do I really need it?
The last point we had was on depth/soil type.He said although the Fisher was better in saltwater than the Tesoro,the Tesoro was deeper in freshwater/land.

So.........................I realize this is a long post.SORRY.So,my question/deductions for you pros are:

1. Yes,I think I'll need a water machine.I don't plan on diving,but ever since I lost the ladder off my pontoon boat in 6ft,I've considered neck deep detecting!
2. I'm unsure about ground balance,do I need/want auto/manual?
3. I think I've realized I don't need a readout.
4. Do I want/need discriminate?I'll probably dig everything for quite some time.
5. I need either a light machine,or one that can waist mount.Have 2 bad discs in neck,2 in back,and fracture in vert. that acts up.
6. Considering what I've described,what would be the best all around land/water beginner detector?
Thanks to all who've answered all my posts before,sorry if I offended anyone by getting second thoughts,I just want to make an informed decision,and after seeing all the pics of your finds for the last few months,I wanna start trying detecting REAL SOON!

HH to all,
Kirk

P.S. If the Virginia Beach Pirates read this,you ain't fooling me!!!!You buy that stuff at a pawn shop and take pics!!Seriously,I hope to be 1/2 as good as all of you.First off,you'll only see 1/2 as many posts from me,and if you enjoy reading me 1/2 as much as me reading you......then I've enjoyed it twice as much as you did !!!

 

[therick]

First of all I would have asked Mr. B-hole if Tesoro was such a great unit why was he having to replace parts on it all of the time!! That's just my "type A" personality kicking in, I'm sure that there's nothing wrong with their machines. Second of all, buying a metal detector is like buying a car, if one car satisfied all people and all driving conditions then there wouldn't be so many choices. I personally own 5 metal detectors because I feel that each one excells in a particular type of hunting environment. I don't think that you'll find just one detector that is the best at all types of hunting. That's my opinion and that's why I have so many. Did I buy them all at once? No. It's taken years to develop the skill to understand what each unit is saying to you. I would try to find a dealer or several dealers so that you could try out different makes and models and then decide which is best for the type of hunting that you are planning to do in your area. Mineralization and terrain may make a big difference in the type of detector you decide on and a dealer in your area can give you examples of what you may encounter. Try not to let price dictate the machine you buy. If you are on a tight budget and buy a basic no frills machine, you may be very disappointed and leave the hobby all together. The opposite also stands true if you buy one that is too technical and need 3 degrees to operate. Find the unit that YOU like, then talk price. Save a little longer if you need to or I'm sure these same dealers will keep an eye out for a like new, used machine that you'll be very satisfied with. Plus you may have a little spare change to buy the accessories that you'll be wanting next. Notice that I have not recommended a detector, and I won't because you have to decide that for yourself. I wouldn't pick a wife for you so I won't pick a detector. Good luck in what you decide. Stay away from the magazine / detector field tests because I've never seen a field test yet that said, "This detector sucks".
Let us know what you decide. Happy hunting.

therick

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

Well, therick gives some good advice, for sure.

I will say one thing...as the owner of a CZ-70, it's one fine machine. It's one of the deepest land machines around and does super on deep silver and relics. It's easy to use, and yes, it does have a lifetime warranty. And you won't need it much, but if you do they WILL take care of you. And it doesn't "wear out" or degrade. Second, it's a killer beach machine...it's eats the wet sand for breakfast and gets great depth and does well in the shallow water. BUT...you mentioned waist to chest deep...not with the CZ-70. If you will be in more than a couple of feet of water or working the surf you will definitely want a water machine. While the CZ is "Rain Proof" and "Splash Resistant", it's not waterproof and if you submerge the box, take a good douching, or drop it in the water it will be "all over but the cryin'", as they say.

So I would then have to recommend either the Minelab Excalibur (which I also have and LOVE) or the Fisher CZ-20, which is also a machine with a great rep at the beach. I personally feel that the Excalibur is more versatile and gives you more info and better depth. They are both $1000, so not cheap. I can't speak for any other water machines. There are some that are cheaper. I hear the Headhunter units are very good. The Headhunter Diver would be the choice for what you describe, I believe.

Hope any of that helps...

 

[Barry C from mass]

1st off let me ask what kind of water hunting are you going to be doing? If fresh water is where you'll be hunting the Tiger Shark is a great machine. Great on small gold, a true life time warranty. I've never had to send mine in. If you plan on hunting salt water you would be better off with a Fisher or a Excal.
JMHO
Good Luck but like Rick said it's a personal descicion best is to try out a couple different brands and go with what you feel is best for you.
HH

 

[Eddie Currents]

First of all the CZ-70 is not immersible so you can't use it while neck deep in water without damaging it.

I suggest going to a dealer and getting the feel of water/land machines from different manufacturers and see which one(s) you like.

EC

 

[MrPirate]

What Theric says is true, we can't pick your detector, that'ts up to you. But as someone who has been in and out of this hobby for ten years I can tell you about buying a new detector. I have always loved the water, give me saltwater and Iam happy as a clam ( not into lakes and stuff to boring). Anyway my machine had to work on salt beaches so that narrowed the field. The unit had to be waterproof, for no other reason than in case of the accidental dunk, So that narrowed the field some more. Now I was never raised to save my money, as hard as dad and mom tried, I buy top drawer, Period! I don't want to mess around with some half ass machine that I have to ship to the manufacturer after every time out.That really narrows the field.

You see what I am getting at, you have to look at what you WILL do with the machine and narrow the field. Don't waste time looking at ten machines just because eight are less expensive. I have learned that in this life you get what you pay for 80% of the time and the rest we all know. If you can't afford the machine you want to buy, wait because if you buy a "less expensive" machine and don't like it you will have a very hard time getting even 50% of the money back. I paid $1000. for my first machine, a Garrett and three years later sold it for $800. Don't limit yourself because of price. When you are talking about specialized machines like these it is no different than buying a car, what do you want to drive the Chevy Vega or the Cadilac.

Good Luck and enjoy
Mark

 

[Bowtie41]

Well Rick,
By stating my needs,I was wondering if any detector fits the bill.The guy said he had to change his parts mainly do to use/abuse,and he had no prob getting them fixed,That's why I asked about Fisher Warrantee.Also changed mind to need a water unit,so I ask which of those will fit my needs.Leery of used units that don't have a warranty.I want people to give me several recommendations of what they tried,not from somewhat biased report.not looking for one "save all-be all unit,just several you have all tried so I can get a realworld opinions for the models will do what I want.I see lots of people trade machines like baseball cards.somebody here has had experience on several,if not all the MD's that would fit my needs.Thanks for your input.

Kirk

 

[Bowtie41]

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[Bowtie41]

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[Bowtie41]

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[beachguy777]

Well I can't stand it, I gotta throw my 2 cents in here even thought I don't own a fully submersibal unit, I can still stick my coil under the water. I have a Minelab Quatro and even though it isn't fully submersible, it seems to do great on the beach and land both. It seems to have great depth, and like that other guy, I think it was Eddie Currents, said, a lot of times you get what you pay for. I had a Minelab Musketeer before I traded it in on the Quatro, and it was "OK" , but I knew I wanted something with more powerful discrimination and I loved the idea of knotching out the bad stuff, so I went with the Qutatro and I'm not disapointed, but..., the one big drawback is, if you drop the main housing in the water, your screwed. Aparently Minelab won't cover water damage on the warranty and even if they did, what a drag to have to send it in to get it fixed. I've read a lot of good stuff about the Excalabur and Mike seems to really like his. The EXcal is pretty pricy, but the thing that turns me on about it is, it's totally waterproof, submersible, and if I'm not mistaken it has multi-frequencys which, should keep the mineralization deamons away. That's what I love about my Quatro, which has 28 frequencies, it has very little if any problems with salt water or mineralization at any of the beaches I've detected on. Also the EXcalibur has some discrimination, which I don't think the Pulse induction units have. Some of the Pulse units are supposed to be really deep seeking and sturdy units, but I'd hate to have to dig all that crummy iron and stuff. Well like they're all saying, it really is your personal decision, just like buying a car, there's different strokes for different folks, but it sounds like your going to the right place to do your homework on this stuff. Your talking to the guys that own these different detectors, and to me that's where you should get your best and most unbiased information. I would suggest checking prices and stuff on the internet here if you can't find a dealer near by. I bought mine from Kellyco and they're some of the finest most helpful I've ever delt with, anywhere on the planet.

 

[Troy]

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[Troy]

I've only had one detector I'm pretty new (3 or 4 years) and I hunt in the areas you describe up to neck deep I would like to get set-up for deeper maybe a hookah system. The 1280X is super easy to operate, very sensitive, hip mountable and water proof to 250 feet. I dig almost every repeatable signal in the water. I also use it on land I have found a few Indian heads and mercs but would like to get another machine made for land. Anyway you could pick-up a used 1280X at a good price. In salt water though it has issues at the wet sand/surf line a lot of noise but you can pick out a target if you don't get a headache, once your out beyond that point it settles down.
Good Luck,
Troy

 

[Jim Pa]

Bowtie,It's very important that you consider your bad back also.If I were you,I would get a detector of YOUR choice that has all the benefits you said you don't need.Don't RUIN YOUR DETECTING BECAUSE OF YOUR BACK.One thing you want to remember,you are the one who bends over to recover your targets.Also get a pair of knee pads at home depot or somewhere for about $9.00.They will save your back also.Pay attention to the other posts,don't buy cheap now and pay later.There are good detectors out there that will last you for lots of years.You should be able to pay for it with your finds in a while.Aluminum brings in .50 cents a pound,save it and take it to a scrap yard.Pays for batteries.For batteries,check Batteries Plus or sporting goods stores for sales.

 

[Bowtie41]

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[therick]

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[NamVetLesTreasureSeeker]

Hey Bowtie41, After reading your post, the best advice I can give is to FORGET WATERHUNTING WAIST TO NECK DEEP for NOW!! You're not physically capable right now. Water hunting is a whole different animal, than beach/dirt hunting. I'm not trying to be insulting, but your life is FAR TOO VALUABLE TO JEPERDISE!! Lifting a scoop full of wet sand or mucky mud requires alot of physical strength which requires using your back/neck/should/arm muscles, which you might be able to build up to. But, only under a doctors supervision. Start out with a CZ-70Pro beach/dirt hunting, and a little shallow water hunting up to your knees. Then,if you want to stay with it, you might meet up with a waterhunter, that will let you go out with him, and try his equipment. But, only if your doctor OK'S it. This it only my personal opinion. Good luck, hh

 

[Bowtie41]

Seems to help when I wade while the kids swim.They even tried water therapy when they were still doing therapy on me.Now they just gave up and said learn to live with it.

 

[Bowtie41]

Also,since most everyone says don't buy junk or I'll be sorry,I've settled on the following list,even if I have to save a little longer.In no particular order:

Has anyone tried this Cobra Beach Magnet from Kellyco,or is it just a toy?$425 Kellyco
Minelab Excalibur 800 or 1000 $1062 Kellyco
Fisher CZ-20 $996 Kellyco
Fisher 1280X $600 Kellyco
Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II $600 Kellyco
Possibly Whites Surf PI Pro about $650 kELLYCO
Tesoro Tiger Shark and Sand Shark ABOUT $600 & $550 RESP.

I want a machine That can perform well both on land and water,It doesn't have to be the best at both,but want one that can handle fresh/salt without Disc. all out.If it costs more,I'll save more I guess.Don't mind manual GB,want to be able to turn off disc. so I can dig all for awhile.weight somewhat a consideration.Warranties on these can't be all bad,or you'd all let us know.Do want a water machine since we get very little wakes on our local swim lakes or the river.

Sorry to bug ya all again,narrowed down to some sort of water machine just to be safe.Any comments on the above list will be of great help to me.

HH,see ya soon
Kirk

 

[Jim Pa]

Bowtie,There is an old saying.Give the laziest man on a job to do and he will find the easiest way to do it.======I gave up on can crushers long ago,I just step on them,Only one move.