TURNMASTER
Active member
The coil issue, it has to do with a small number of coils that have had the "ears" that attach the coil to the lower rod breaking off. I was a problem for a small number of people and ML was happy to remedy for those still in warranty. The vast majority have had no problems. I have 3 coils I use a lot and have never had any problem with them. I am a hard user (I think), but I do not abuse. No banging on rocks or trees.
Any machine you buy will have a learning curve and can be frustrating. Likewise any machine can have problems, lifetime warranty or not. You will find a few folks out there who do not like ML based on general principal. Though I am not sure what that principal is, they just do not like the Minelabs (?).
That being said it would be a good thing if you could find your local dealer and handle both machines to get a better feel for their operation. I have thought about the Tesoro line but do not like the discrimination scheme.
I would take the AT Pro over the Vaq. However that may be obvious because I own the AT Pro. It is a good machine but I still use my Xterra 20 to 1 over the Garrett.
When dealing with a local dealer you may not get all the "extras" but you may find that you did not really need all the extras or that they were not the extras you really wanted. The benefit is in getting a local mom and pop who you are supporting and the ability to talk to some one face to face about your purchase, and he may put together a package that is close enough to the big extras package you get online to make you happy. Never know till you ask.
I recommend a quality digger and a Garrett Propointer. They will make your recovery time much quicker and easier. Oh yes and headphones, even an inexpensive pair such as Calrads will make your hunt more productive and increase battery life. And rechargeables.
Jeff
Any machine you buy will have a learning curve and can be frustrating. Likewise any machine can have problems, lifetime warranty or not. You will find a few folks out there who do not like ML based on general principal. Though I am not sure what that principal is, they just do not like the Minelabs (?).
That being said it would be a good thing if you could find your local dealer and handle both machines to get a better feel for their operation. I have thought about the Tesoro line but do not like the discrimination scheme.
I would take the AT Pro over the Vaq. However that may be obvious because I own the AT Pro. It is a good machine but I still use my Xterra 20 to 1 over the Garrett.
When dealing with a local dealer you may not get all the "extras" but you may find that you did not really need all the extras or that they were not the extras you really wanted. The benefit is in getting a local mom and pop who you are supporting and the ability to talk to some one face to face about your purchase, and he may put together a package that is close enough to the big extras package you get online to make you happy. Never know till you ask.
I recommend a quality digger and a Garrett Propointer. They will make your recovery time much quicker and easier. Oh yes and headphones, even an inexpensive pair such as Calrads will make your hunt more productive and increase battery life. And rechargeables.
Jeff
I don't think there are any places near me that sell MD's. I only saw one store online and it is about an hr or so away.