Question.......

[d-2]

I have a Cibola that I am crazy about. In the Tesoro line, is there a machine that will do any better? Do I need to step up a machine or 2? All I do is CW relic hunt. The only thing that I think could get any better would be depth. I need some advice, thanks...d2

 

[gregl01]

You'll probably receive many ideas on this one, but with all I've read about Tesoros it seems the consensus is that all the HOT machines (the Cibola, Vaquero and Tejon) are really close in depth. The hardcore Tejon guys will say theirs is deeper than the rest but i don't know for sure. I don't think anyone does!!!! Some say that the Nautilus detectors have far superior depth. Again??? Try a couple different machines and see what suits you. Good luck
Greg

 

[Digger]

If you are crazy about the Cibola, then you may have already discovered what some folks spend thousands of dollars trying to find. The perfect match! However, depending on the mineralization in your area, you may find that the manually ground balanced Vaquero allows you to get more depth than the preset GB Cibola. Having a backup detector is a good idea for most serious detectorists. Once you get the hang of ground balancing the Vaquero, you will likely find that the Cibola has become the back-up for your new Vaquero! HH Randy

 

[Scully]

and they way it opperates then you should stick with Tesoro. The Vaquero is the same machine only with a manual Ground Balance, which may buy you a tiny bit of extra depth. But if you want the deepest relic machine Tesoro offers, get yourself a Tejon. I like the call it the Vaquero on steroids. The gain on this machine is pushed to the edge, making a bit "fussy" but also giving it great depth. It is also awesome on coins and buttons on edge.

Scully

 

[saika]

Go out and buy yorself a POWEREX brand 9 volt for it. It runs at a true 9.6 volts and is rechargeable. What the rep told me is that they run full out and just die. It seems to make a difference on my Vaquero.

 

[d-2]

Thanks a bunch, I was intending to stay with the Tesoro line but was just wondering about stepping up to the Vaquero or the others. I have not tried turning the knobs "up" like some foilks do, does that help on depth???d2

 

[saika]

It sure can.

The Vaquero is probably a great next step if you want to move to a machine that hands over more control to you. Mind you, the Cibola is a great machine.

 

[Relicpro]

It depends on the particular machine and the soil conditions. I have a Tejon and it air tests a nickel at 13.5" in the disc mode. A friend of mine has a Cibola that reads a nickel at 15.5"!! I have called many dealers about buying a Cibola for myself and I have had them air testing them for me. Most have been averaging between 8 and 10 inches. One did get 13 though. I have also heard of Tejons that test deeper than the one I own. From what I have seen in the field is that the amount of soil mineralization can really affect the depth on these machines. In mild soil my Tejon will get a nickel at 11". My friends hot Cibola will go 13" on the same nickel. In hotter soil that drops to about 9" on my Tejon. I have also noticed that my Tejon hits harder on small targets than the Cibola does. Example-- in good soil I get percussion caps or buckshot around 8" with a nice tight crisp signal. With its high gain the Tejon is a lot more noisy in nail infested sites than the Cibola, but then again you would really hear a cuff button sing out on the Tejon with the gain set so high. Overall my Nautilus DMC 2B has about 2" more depth than my Tejon if the ground minerals aren't real bad. However it is my opinion that if there is a whole lot of iron in a site nothing can beat a Tesoro. If the ground is really mineralized a Minelab Musketeer Advantage works great but it isn't as deep as the Nautilus or Tesoro in good soil. If you are hunting in the woods where there are leaves or straw on top of the soil the Nautilus is my choice because of its extra depth. The disc signal on a DMC 2B is great also. It is very distinct and it is hard to walk over a deep target with the Nautilus and miss it. If I have a descent site I usually hunt it out with my Tesoro and my Nautilus. Usually each machine finds targets that the other one missed. If you are serious about relic hunting I would recommend that you have both a Tesoro and Nautilus. That is a deadly combo!! By the way the 5.75 coil on the Tesoro will double your finds is real trashy sites--just go real slow with it.

 

[DavHut]

Do I need to step up a machine or 2?
simple answer? Probably.
The Cib is a nice little machine and you can swing it all day - no mean feat, that.

But, in the relic fields raw depth is the key. You dont fiddle with knobs, you dont gawk at meters. You dig targets that sound off above yor DISC cutoff.

The Tejon is likely the depth champ from Tesoro, as most will attest. It isnt hard to operate although by most accounts it is twitchy and high strung when wound out. But, since youve been running a Cib, you are basically taking an evolutionary step with it. Id say Tejon.

 

[d-2]

Thanks for the info guys, and have a Merry Christmas...d2

 

[JHM]

I tried one of these in my Vaquero and I believe I'm getting an inch more depth. I hope the extra juice wont hurt the machine.

 

[saika]

They run at 9.6 voilts, which is what a 9 volt is supposed to be. They stay at peak power as long as they can and just go flat. I have run the batteries in other 9 volt devices and have never seen a problem.

YMMV.

 

[Rockym]

I have both the Cibola and a Tejon. IMO both are excellent machines. As far as raw depth goes MY Tejon gets at least 20% more depth than MY Cibola. The Cibola is a more stable machine. My wife loves it, and does very well with it. Personally I will put up with a little extra "noise" to get the extra depth. Don't forget a Tejon can be set up just as stable as any other detector, but you have the option of turning it up as you get used to it. HH
Mike