Reports from owners of AT Max in hand

[Waterdog]

I am looking for reports on people who have their Garrett AT Max and what they think of it. What do you like about it or dislike about it. Was it what you expected from the ads ?

 

[John-Edmonton]

I will be doing a summary in a couple of days. However, off the top of my cuff, it' s definitely deeper, and the iron audio id more pronounced. Mine was a prototype, so I presume there will be some changes on the final product. It has served me well....both on land and water.

 

[doc holiday232]

John, deeper than what? Not a trick question because I am a deep big iron,cannon projectiles, hunter.

 

[John-Edmonton]

That is pretty subjective, isn't? Two scenarios.....Actual targets (measured) buried in my soil. I get 1-2 inches better depth on coin sized targets using silver and copper coins, compared to what the AT Pro/AT Gold. This was also validated with at least 2 water hunts. Areas where I have hunted for years, along with many others. And that would include Minelabs, Tesoros, PI's, the Deuce, Whites and probably a bunch of other makes/models. This is a freshwater beach. Of course there are always fresh drops to find, but the AT Max hit on a buffalo nickel and 2 silver coins (dime & quarter) on different hunts. Now I have been hunting this beach for over 20 years, so I have to credit the AT Max for hitting those deeper targets, which others and myself have missed. I know this sounds like the cliche, "I hunted out a spot hunted to death and found....," however, this was the case. Another surprising situation was walking along a construction site, just passing the time swinging any, everywhere, and suddenly getting a faint high signal. Now I had to stop and play around using the 9 x 12 concentric coil, to find where I actually got that signal. It turns out, it was on the side of a pile of dirt......not underneath the coil. I just must of caught the silver dime at a fair distance, and dug it up. Judging from this scenario, where the coil passed and where the signal was picked up, I doubt very much that I would have hit it with the AT Pro.....same setup, same coil.

 

[Russ88]

Hello John.....Very Impressive update. I suspect that the ATMax is your go to detector now. You mention you have used Minelab and the ATMax performed better there too. Which models of minelab have you used in the past? Just curious. Also do you ever detect in a discriminated mode? If so do you notice deeper results in that scenario as well. I ask this because most of your updates have been in All Metal. Thanks again for your updates. It is always informative

Russ88

 

[Chuck Yoder]

Got my AT Max a couple days ago. Sold my ATP before this one arrived and now I'm not sure I'm going to like it. I've found a few clad but the clickity, click noise is about to drive me crazy. Every time it changes numbers when passing over trash it makes a loud popping sound like static electricity. Sounds like high voltage electricity grounding out. I have turned sensitivity down to one bar and got it to be quiet but lost 4 or 5 inches in depth. Turned sensitivity back up and used it that way. The clicking sound almost drowns out a good tone. Is this normal for these AT Max's. I'm not sure the extra depth is worth loosing the stability and cleanness of the ATP.

 

[woody]

Chuck, I don't have that problem. Can't imagine what would cause that. My Max runs as good as the Pro did. Maybe John can help.

 

[Buddy_TX]

May not help but try turning the threshold back to -1, -2 or -3. helped mine in a certain area I hunt other places I did not to turn the threshold down

 

[JimmyCT]

Mr. Chuck,

You are not alone, I was ready to wrap it around the big oak tree

I experienced the same phenomenon as you: loud popping static electricity sounds / sounds like high voltage electricity grounding out. I also thought the same thing about this particular noise drowning out the good tones. This bothered me greatly. One thing I don't think I will ever be able to do is run it in ZERO mode with zero Iron Disc. I like to run it like this with the Pro but on this beast aka the Max, I find it next to impossible due to all that noise you and I previously described. To minimize what you are describing, try the following:

1) turn your sensitivity all the way to 8 bars (Maximum)
2) Swing the coil and find a patch of clean ground.
3) Ground balance the machine
4) now reduce the sensitivity slightly. (currently (and for the most part) I am keeping it at 5 bars of sensitivity)
5) Set a negative threshold. At this point in time I have it at -3. This may change as I get to know the machine better.
6) Turn up your Iron Disc to 30
7) Make sure your volume on the headphone is at max volume. Then adjust it on the machine. Currently I am finding that I place it at level 4 if there is incredible amounts of noise in iron contaminated ground and up to 6 in cleaning ground. However turn it to where you feel best with your hearing.
start hunting

These settings (subject to change as I spend more time with the AT Max)

I found the above settings help tremendously in hearing the deeper targets. I still hear the pops and clicks but nowhere what you and I are describing up above. It seems like once I start increasing the iron disc up around 27-30 the audio cleans up to where you will be able to hear the good targets better. Again, this is just me, and this is where I found a little "peace" if you will, in getting to know the machine better and in hearing the deeper targets. Let me know how you make out. - Jim

Got my AT Max a couple days ago. Sold my ATP before this one arrived and now I'm not sure I'm going to like it. I've found a few clad but the clickity, click noise is about to drive me crazy. Every time it changes numbers when passing over trash it makes a loud popping sound like static electricity. Sounds like high voltage electricity grounding out. I have turned sensitivity down to one bar and got it to be quiet but lost 4 or 5 inches in depth. Turned sensitivity back up and used it that way. The clicking sound almost drowns out a good tone. Is this normal for these AT Max's. I'm not sure the extra depth is worth loosing the stability and cleanness of the ATP.

 

[88SIII]

I'm still waiting for my AT Max, but my buddy just received his and mentioned that when in ALL METAL mode, there is just one tone. Is that correct and is that typical for other detectors in All Metal mode. ? I've only ever used a Minelab Xterra 705 and the ALL Metal mode on that machine , there are still tomes for each ID segment. The Xterra has prospect mode which then drops to 1 tone with an Iron discrimination level. is the AT Max ALL Metal more similar to the Xterra Prospect mode? Thanks for any insight.