As you read this, please keep in mind that my F2 is the very first detector that I have ever owned or used. I am still trying to learn the "language" that it speaks to me. And, I'm sure that the more I use it the better I will get with it!
I've not been able to get out and use the F2 that much. But, this past Wednesday (12/26) my brother and I got out and hunted the better part of the day. I used my F2 and he used his Whites MXT. Bear in mind that not only am I brand new to metal detecting, but because of my physical problems I am unable to hunt long without having to sit a while. Anyway, he found a old, silver, lady's wedding band, a costume bracelet, and about $7 in clad. On the other hand, I only foud $1.54 in clad. But, it was the most productive and enjoyable hunt that I've had so far! And, I learned some things about my machine and got some good tips from my brother!
I've had my F2 about 1 1/2 weeks now. As I said before, I've not had a chance to use it a whole lot. But, in that time I have found 6 quarters, 6 dimes, 5 nickels, and 9 pennies (all clad) for a total of $2.44 and enough trash to figure out that humans are hardcore litterbugs!!!!!!!!!!
Some positive things that I learned about my machine:
1. My brother and I could hunt side by side without either machine causing the other one any problems. I thought that great since we had such a good time hunting together and plan more hunts together in the future!
2. The F2 is extremely light weight and allows me to swing it much, much longer than I could if I were using a heavier machine like my brother's MXT.
3. The F2 has very fast target recovery. It can easily pick out multiple targets within just inches of each other.
4. I found both the notch and discrimination functions very easy to learn to use.
5. The VDI numbers are huge! I can easily read them without my glasses!
6. With the VDI numbers, it is very easy to determine between a nickel and a newer pull tab. Pull tabs did not always hit 34 and hold it, but they always at least bounced to 34. Nickels never did this! 33 was the highest they read. I dug many pull tabs to ensure that this information was correct.
7. The F2's 4 tones are wonderful! And, it is extremely easy to tell them apart. Being kind of hard of hearing, I purchased the Calrad 8 ohm head phones when I bought the F2. They made discerning between the tones just that much easier.
8. The locking rings on the F2 are wonderful. They make it so the rods are good and tight... there is no slop or play at all.
Now, for some less than positive things I learned about the F2:
1. The lack of a locking ring or nut where the coax from the coil plugs into the unit sucks!! And, this is my chief and major complaint!! As my brother and I hit an area with lots of trash, we began finding quarters. After digging about 4 of them, I had to sit and rest for a while. When I resumed hunting, I noticed that I wasn't getting any signals at all. I thought this odd, so I turned it off and back on again. I notched out the iron and foil, checked the battery meter and began hunting again. I went several yards with only a couple of minor beeps. Again, I thought this odd. So, I pulled a quarter from my pocket, waved it over the coil and the machine was as quiet as a church mouse! Further investigation revealed that the coax had come partly unpluged. Of course, when I pluged it back in the problem was fixed. But, I don't like how easily it worked its way lose enough to become a problem.
2. I don't know if this complaint is specific to the F2 or if it is common to most all detectors. When pinpointing a coin (for example a dime) I tried to pinpoint it as closely as I could before I pressed the pinpoint button. When I press the pinpoint button, the machine goes into all metal mode, of course. By doing so, if there was a tab, metal screw, or any other junk item within an inch or two of the coin and the junk item was shallower than the coin, it would pinpoint the junk item and not the coin. Is this a problem with my machine, F2's, metal detectors in general, or is it just that I haven't learned my machine well enough to "understand" what it is trying to tell me??
3. While the "on the fly" depth indicator seemed rather acurate, the depth indicator in the pinpoint mode wasn't as acurate. Several times coins were found one to three inches deeper than what the pinpoint depth said.
I really wish that when I press the pinpoint button that the machine would only pinpoint the targets that are notched in. But, it doesn't. That may be an option that is only available on machines costing many times more than mine did. If that is the case, I will just have to live with mine for now!!!
Other than that and the items I've mentioned above, It is my humble opinion that the F2 with its extra coil and lower rod was well worth the $199 that I gave for it. If I had it to do all over again.... with the knowledge that I have right now.... I wouldn't hesitate one second about buying it agian!!
Here is a pic of all of the clad that I have found so far with the F2. But first, one more piece of information. An older gentleman toald me that it was safe to use a bit of toilet bowl cleaner in some water to clean clad coins. So, that's what I did. DON'T DO IT!!! On most of the coins, it took some of the coating off. But, on many of them, it stripped them as though I had dropped them into acid!! Now, I don't know if the bank will take them or not. But, I will try!
I hope this has helped someone else,
Robert
I've not been able to get out and use the F2 that much. But, this past Wednesday (12/26) my brother and I got out and hunted the better part of the day. I used my F2 and he used his Whites MXT. Bear in mind that not only am I brand new to metal detecting, but because of my physical problems I am unable to hunt long without having to sit a while. Anyway, he found a old, silver, lady's wedding band, a costume bracelet, and about $7 in clad. On the other hand, I only foud $1.54 in clad. But, it was the most productive and enjoyable hunt that I've had so far! And, I learned some things about my machine and got some good tips from my brother!
I've had my F2 about 1 1/2 weeks now. As I said before, I've not had a chance to use it a whole lot. But, in that time I have found 6 quarters, 6 dimes, 5 nickels, and 9 pennies (all clad) for a total of $2.44 and enough trash to figure out that humans are hardcore litterbugs!!!!!!!!!!
Some positive things that I learned about my machine:
1. My brother and I could hunt side by side without either machine causing the other one any problems. I thought that great since we had such a good time hunting together and plan more hunts together in the future!
2. The F2 is extremely light weight and allows me to swing it much, much longer than I could if I were using a heavier machine like my brother's MXT.
3. The F2 has very fast target recovery. It can easily pick out multiple targets within just inches of each other.
4. I found both the notch and discrimination functions very easy to learn to use.
5. The VDI numbers are huge! I can easily read them without my glasses!
6. With the VDI numbers, it is very easy to determine between a nickel and a newer pull tab. Pull tabs did not always hit 34 and hold it, but they always at least bounced to 34. Nickels never did this! 33 was the highest they read. I dug many pull tabs to ensure that this information was correct.
7. The F2's 4 tones are wonderful! And, it is extremely easy to tell them apart. Being kind of hard of hearing, I purchased the Calrad 8 ohm head phones when I bought the F2. They made discerning between the tones just that much easier.
8. The locking rings on the F2 are wonderful. They make it so the rods are good and tight... there is no slop or play at all.
Now, for some less than positive things I learned about the F2:
1. The lack of a locking ring or nut where the coax from the coil plugs into the unit sucks!! And, this is my chief and major complaint!! As my brother and I hit an area with lots of trash, we began finding quarters. After digging about 4 of them, I had to sit and rest for a while. When I resumed hunting, I noticed that I wasn't getting any signals at all. I thought this odd, so I turned it off and back on again. I notched out the iron and foil, checked the battery meter and began hunting again. I went several yards with only a couple of minor beeps. Again, I thought this odd. So, I pulled a quarter from my pocket, waved it over the coil and the machine was as quiet as a church mouse! Further investigation revealed that the coax had come partly unpluged. Of course, when I pluged it back in the problem was fixed. But, I don't like how easily it worked its way lose enough to become a problem.
2. I don't know if this complaint is specific to the F2 or if it is common to most all detectors. When pinpointing a coin (for example a dime) I tried to pinpoint it as closely as I could before I pressed the pinpoint button. When I press the pinpoint button, the machine goes into all metal mode, of course. By doing so, if there was a tab, metal screw, or any other junk item within an inch or two of the coin and the junk item was shallower than the coin, it would pinpoint the junk item and not the coin. Is this a problem with my machine, F2's, metal detectors in general, or is it just that I haven't learned my machine well enough to "understand" what it is trying to tell me??
3. While the "on the fly" depth indicator seemed rather acurate, the depth indicator in the pinpoint mode wasn't as acurate. Several times coins were found one to three inches deeper than what the pinpoint depth said.
I really wish that when I press the pinpoint button that the machine would only pinpoint the targets that are notched in. But, it doesn't. That may be an option that is only available on machines costing many times more than mine did. If that is the case, I will just have to live with mine for now!!!
Other than that and the items I've mentioned above, It is my humble opinion that the F2 with its extra coil and lower rod was well worth the $199 that I gave for it. If I had it to do all over again.... with the knowledge that I have right now.... I wouldn't hesitate one second about buying it agian!!
Here is a pic of all of the clad that I have found so far with the F2. But first, one more piece of information. An older gentleman toald me that it was safe to use a bit of toilet bowl cleaner in some water to clean clad coins. So, that's what I did. DON'T DO IT!!! On most of the coins, it took some of the coating off. But, on many of them, it stripped them as though I had dropped them into acid!! Now, I don't know if the bank will take them or not. But, I will try!
I hope this has helped someone else,
Robert
- Blame it on evolution.
and I got to see what it was like when I was a noobie (digging alot of Trash) 
just starting out in the hoby. By the way I still dig alot of trash, don't want to miss those rings.
I was impressed with the F2 it's very light weight and a person could hunt all day with it. I think it would make a good back up detector if you already have another detector or it would be just fine for a first machine if you are just starting out and I think you will do well with it once you learn the machine. 