Newbie here,, 1st question to anyone who has advice

[Tajue17 @ Home]

well I've finally decided to take the plunge and try something I always wanted to do and find cool stuff with a metal detector.. I don't own anything yet which is the reason for this post.. after reading alot of reviews I think I want to get two Tesoros for me and my wife who also has never held a metal detector. I ask you guys if you think the Tesoro is a wise choice for two 40yr old beginners and if so I was wondering about the Cibola or the silver U max (or maybe one of each) which may be in my price range but even that cheaper Tesoro with the 1-knob but I don't know.

the terrain will be the beaches of Plymouth & cape cod, and I myself may stray into the woods and cranberry bogs where back in the day the cranberry farmers used to live in these little cabins that are now gone but the foundations are still there (plus I just bought a house that was built in 1900 so searching there will be cool)

anyway,, because I have to get two of everything I'd like to keep the whole package 1000.00 or less (even used if it was a reputable seller)


I have to buy everything including tools and that smaller hand detector for pin pointing,, please tell me what I really need now and what can wait.

thanks Ted L in Plymouth, Ma.

 

[mickfin]

Hi Ted, I know Whites units a Bit better thine Tesoro??? The Whites Coinmasters is a good Detector and in your price range,
or the two Tesoros units??? I just got a new Tesoro Sand Shark PI unit for the water, Somebody that knows Tesoro better will Chim in,
As for tools you can go without a Pin Pointer But not a Digger, Good Luck my Friend, Mickfin

 

[:Left4Dead]

Ok I will start with the easy stuff.

2 leshe digging tools =90.00
2 Garret pouches = 25.00
2 Garret pro pointers= 260.00
2 Sand scoops, for beach longer poles= 160.00

The brands on the pouches does not really matter, tesoro if you like.

Now the hard part. We have about 500.00 left give or take.

Detectors, one silver and one cibola should be close... Might be a bit over 1000.00

A few advantages of the cibola as you may have read is the pinpoint,and threshold. But you will also be able to hunt next to your wife and talk if you want because you can change the cibola freq. Unless the silver is on a different freq altogether since they are different platforms,I did not want to check. Its listed on tesoro's site. I am not an expert by any means just giving my 2 cents. Some else will agree or disagree with me and that ok.


I have the cibola and don't really use the pinpoint that much at all, x ing the target is most always good enough if you have a pinpointer. If you are going into the water even waist high you may want to look at the vaquero, as it has ground balance. Then maybe get a compadre, but that's a bit over budget.

Which ever you choose you will have a heck or a detector in Tesoros. I started on the machines that tell you the depth and kind of target, I was passing up good targets, now I'm passing up fewer, because if it's a good signal I just dig it .

Mike

 

[Tajue17 @ Home]

speaking of signal,,, tesoro asks if I want to upgrade to the original tone?


and thanks for the posts!!

 

[Hank68]

Two compadre's for the both of you,try it out for you spend a lot of money first, that's my advice. Best of Luck, HH.

 

[therover]

On the beach, will you be venturing near the water and into the wet sand and possibly suds or water ? I am going to go out on a limb here and assume that Plymouth beach and Cape Cod is on the Atlantic, and hence salt water. HA ! There is the kicker...salt water. It is conductive. Single frequency detectors like the Cibloa and Silver do not do very well in the wet, salt sand. Running them at low levels of discrimination and higher sensitivity levels will cause the units to false and act erratically. You will have to dial down the sensitivity and up the discrimination to the point where nickels, gold and possibly other targets will not be heard, and the depth will suffer.

BUT....they will hunt the dry sand great ! I have a friend here in NJ who uses his Silver micro max in the dry sand, and has only been hunting about 8-10 months and has found over $1000 in clad coins plus several silver pieces of jewelry ( the gold has alluded him for now, but his unit will pick it up if he ever goes over a piece ! ).

So, if you are going to only hunt the dry sand, and land, then the units you are looking at are great. They are fixed ground balanced units so being a newbie, you will not have to worry about ground balancing the unit. Also, they do not have target ID, so you will hunt by sound and will get the learn the unit without relying on a screen, which I think is a great way to start.

If you are not going to be hunting the wet sand and in the water, a lighter long handle scoop or even a hand scoop will do. The dry sand sifts through them very easily. As for a pin pointer, you really don't need one on the beach. In parks and on land they are very valuable because you can narrow down where the coin/target is, not harm the grass, and it makes it easier to find the target when it is covered in dirt. On the beach, digging is easy, filling the holes is easy, and you can just scoop up the target and the mesh/holes in the scoop will allow the sand to go through and keep the target. The only issue is when you find a really small target and it falls through the holes. The Tesoros pin point dead on, so you will have a very good idea exactly where the target resides under the coil with them.

So, if you plan on dry sand hunting and not getting near the water, the units you are looking at are super. If you want to go in the wet sand, and venture into the water, my suggestion is to save up for a waterproof unit. A salt water dunking of the Cibola or Silver will fry the unit.

Shoot, with that budget, you could buy a Silver for the dry sand and land, and a Sand Shark for the wet sand and water. The Sand Shark is a simple, water proof PI unit that will run in the salt water without any problems. Only caveat with that unit, like all PI's, is there isn't any discrimination so you will be digging ALL types of metal, including lots of nice rusty iron objects like nails, washers, etc. BUT...you won't miss much ! You can try to use it in the dry sand, but being that there is so much more junk in the dry sand, you will be picking up every small piece of iron and bobbie pins, parts of dune fencing, etc. The PI units are primarily made to hunt the wet sand and water, where there is a lot less lighter and smaller iron junk.

If you end up wanting to try your luck in the wet sand and suds, then save up and buy a sturdy, heavier long handle scoop. Read the forum posts on scoops. There are a lot of good models to choose from. The only bad wet sand/water scoop is one that breaks easily. Heck, some of the good ones break, but that is due to being heavily worked...what you don't want is a cheap one that will break day one on your first dig ! Don't skimp on a scoop if you are hunting the wet sand and water.

I hoped this helped more than hurt ( as in confusing you ). Beach hunting is a different animal than land hunting, and wet sand and suds/water is a different breed than dry sanding. Dry sand hunting is fun, but can start to get tedious if you are in an area with a lot of foil, bottle caps and junk. If you get beach hunting into your blood, a dollar says you will want to get into the wet sand and suds/water !

 

[Tajue17 @ Home]

wow,, tons of info here everyone and thanks again,,,, never gave it a thought about the salyt water and not having a depth reading.. tesoro has a great rep and reviews but honestly I never tried one and there isn't any dealers near me only mail order dealers. I'm wondering now if I should venture into an open forum and see what there is for other brands only for the 1st detectors to learn with and then make a purchase for sweet one.

i think we would surely need a salt water version because I know my wife wants to check the beaches out and not the woods or fields.. i'm confused but I'm getting there.. I need to slow it down though I'm already posting to tesoro ads in the forsale forum and thanks to some of these posts I need to chill out a bit..

thanks again this is all very helpful..

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Tajue17 , Sounds as if you are doing your homework just fine and deciding on the Cibola and the Silver. My suggestions would be to cut some corners and trim your "tools" list a bit and put your money into the detectors. Possibly even consider a Vaquero instead of the Cibola incase your local dirt may call on some help from Manual Ground Balance. Cibola is a great machine from what I hear and will probably be just fine but if you save a few $ tool wise you have more to put into Detectors. You won't need high $ shovels to dig with.Nor do you need all sorts of high $ "finds" bags with Co. logos etc. on them Wally World or your local Ace Hardware will do just fine for shovels and fanny packs etc to begin with. Do not forget some Good Gloves. Sharp glass cuts fingers long and deep! Use a cloth nail apron at first for your trash and keepers stuff and as you and your wife get the feel for things you will come to know what will fit your comfort zones and needs . Many guys buy high $ shovels only to find they are to heavy for those longer walks into the woods.Shop around also for the sand scoops. Go light(but sturdy,and no garden tools),they usually bend or break first dig. .Also, the pinpointers can come later. Tesoro does pinpoint Spot on!You save enough $ and maybe you can be able to have 3 Tesoros with the that one nob Compadre. It is every bit as good as you hear it is too.. Oh Yeah, be sure you get straight about the Tones(low or high) on the Cibola before you buy. I think the High is prefered, but you need to get the particulars on it. Some really great deals can be had used, and there are plenty of reliable folks always buying and selling. Tesoro can pretty much be counted on to take care of your repair /maint. needs for free even though you buy used. Their Lifetime Warranty is the Best of any you will find. HH, Charlie

 

[fowlercharles]

Duh! I forgot to mention headphones. Don't "chinch" on them, and they are a "must", HH Charlie

 

[BeyWolf]

There's a good chance that a Metal Detecting club is near you. Try and locate one and go to their next meeting.
When you introduce yourselves, repeat everything you said in your first message here. I think you will get a lot of advice and help from the members.
You might also get some good deals on used equipment.

I think fowlercharles has the best advice for you.

 

[:Left4Dead]

The tool bag is under 10? The apron is 4? Yes he could buy a cheap digging tool or a cheap home depot apron, but speaking from experience, you will go through a few cheap diggers and your stuff will fall out of the apron. I like to keep my digger tool and pinpointer both in my bag. I dont like to have knife in one holster, pointer in another and a apron, but thats me? Just trying to save him money in the long run. Also yes I did forget the headphones!! Darn it.

 

[Tajue17]

OKsounds good on down sizing the tools,,, I honestly didn't even know what I needed but at least a good digger and some gloves, I'll throw everything in back pack for now.. that pin pointer looked cool in the videos but I can fish around for a while and do it that way..

I did find another brand here locally on Craigs list which comes with 3 discs and even a pin pointer all for 200,, its not a tesoro but its less than a year old and has F2 in the name,,,,, i can honestly stick my wife with that and save some money AND I doubt she really cares if its wet sand or dry sand,, I am in the Tesoro forum and I'm still going back to this brand even after checking the others out again this morning.. Tesor just seems less technical to me and that warranty is a winner!!

so if I hold off on the tools and just get a good digger,, and i want to venture on to the wet Salty sand where the freezing cold atlantic's 4' surfs crashes against swimmers all day,,, but i also want to hit the woods and cranberry Bogs where people have camped for hundreds of years during the picking seasons. which tesoro would be the best unit for me that I won't want to upgrade anytime soon. I'm guessing at this point I can put 600 maybe 650 towards mine and get my wife something basic maybe even pass on that F2 thing I mentioned earlier and get that single knob Compadre for her if its very recommended??

again everyone thank you for the posts,,, I know I'm new here but you folks are cool for sticking with me..

 

[Hank68]

there's a lot of information and great people to help you on this forum, stick with tesoro and you won't be disappointed! Best of Luck Hank HH.

 

[Tajue17]

yeah hank I think I will,,, I'm going with quality over somethignthat comes with mediocre extra's that are not needed. focusing on a tesoro thats decent for the salt water sand,,,,,, the shark looks pretty good what do you guys think?

 

[Digga03]

my 2 cents try not to put a budget on metal detecting it just doesn't have one i started out getting one machine now have 7 or 8 and use them all, try 2 Cibola's then you can swap coils and detect together with frequency shift on them and have Tesoros latest technology and both having the same machine can swap notes on whats happening and understand each others experiences??

Cibola, Vaquero, Tejon all can swap coils if you upgrade latter on to a ground balance machine, but as stated before any single frequency machine will struggle in wet salt sand water dry sand no problems, would need a pulse machine for the wet sand, nothing wrong with spending the money to set up 2 Cibolas and related equipment and if you don't like it then can sell as a package set up to go for someone else to have a go?

i think people either click with detecting or they don't seems not much middle ground

unfortunately i use another brand pulse machine can not advise on Tesoro pulse but the thing with a pulse is they are heavy and pretty much useless in the park with heaps of modern junk around great on the wet sand water though wouldn't use anything else so by by 1K mark 2 VLF's 2 Pulse's set up with all the needed gear 2.5K.

start small see if you like it then if after a few months you like it then lash out its not for everyone detecting swinging a stick with a round thing on the end gets people looking at you more than is sometimes pleasant spending a lot of time on one knee scratching around in the dirt to find 80% junk 20% keepers it sounds good in theory but its hard work a special finds are hard to find so its not for everyone but the people who like it love it so hope you get a big a kick out of it as i do.

HH

Digga03

ps don't pull my post this time just because i say it as i see it that's rude to do that

 

[therover]

You can also go the new route for a waterproof unit, and the used route on the land unit. There are many, many great people on the forums that sell on the classifieds. Check out some of the bargains. Most if not all used units in good to great shape sell for 40-50% of the cost of a new one. As long as the unit has been only land hunting, there may be a good deal waiting.

Buying a used beach detector, especially a water proof one, is more of a risk. Not saying there aren't any good ones out there, but you just don't know how much it was used underwater, where, how well it was taken care of AFTER each hunt, etc.

Being a newbie is one thing....having the patience to stick it out is another. Patience is also needed when beach hunting, especially if you end up with a PI unit like the Sand Shark. Super unit, water proof, life time warranty, stable in the salt water....but you will be digging LOTS OF STUFF and ALL KINDS OF STUFF. So be prepared if you go that route.

Tesoro makes great products, but the only real salt water beach unit they make that stands a chance of operating at an OPTIMAL level, is their Sand Shark.

If they ever end up making a dual frequency Tiger Shark with the sensitivity control on the outside ( HINT HINT ), that would be the bomb !

 

[Tajue17]

well i'm in no rush or lets say I put the brakes on a bit...

lots of good info here though,, thanks everyone for the posts!

 

[tailofdog]

I have a PI unit for the beach but, you have to dig everything. I will only use it for clean beaches because, you can spend too much time digging pop tops, wire, and an amazing assortement of junk.
I will always use my PI at the waters edge and, clean beaches.
I guess i am warning you to not be disappointed at first. When you learn the ropes the pi machine is great!

 

[Digga03]

probably not

 

[ToddB64]

Hi Tajue17 !

Hope I'm not too late on this, nevertheless, here goes.........

I've been MD'ing going on six years. You can see below what machines and accessories I own and right now I grab my two Tesoro machines to go hunting for gold and silver jewelry. I hunt in parks with numerous baseball diamonds and also village parks with tot lots and areas for other sports, picnic tables, etc..

You are doing the right thing, seeking advice and opinions from experienced detectorists before making a decision on your first detector(s). But regardless of your final choice(s) on His and Her machines, there are three accessories that IMHO you need right away ( I feel very strongly about this.) and that is a good quality hand-held pinpointer, digger and headphones.

As for a separate hand-held pinpointer, I would spend the extra money and go for one of the better ones, like the Garrett Pro-Pointer, or the Treasure Products Vibra-Probe 580. I have the older model Vibra-Probe 570 purchased before the Garrett Pro-Pointer came out, but I've never regretted buying the Vibra-Probe 570....it does all I will ever want.

You can try all the inexpensive diggers, but the Lesche is the only one you will ever need and I can tell you it is a pleasure to use and with normal use will last for many years, even with occasional sharpening.

On headphones, I would stay with one of the upper-level makes/models if you can, but you can get by with a less-expensive set to start and up-grade later.

Where accessories are concerned, I would apply money in the following order (More >>>Less): #1..Pinpointer, #2..Digger, #3..Headphones. No doubt, I'll get some argument on the order of importance and spending, but that's just my opinion. ...If you have the money to go for the best in all three categories, great !

Well, that's just my 2 cents on accessories...hope it helps.

Todd