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Retiring garrett gti2500 ..buying v3i

K

Kydigger4949

New member
Im looking into getting v3i next few weeks...iv got the garrett gti 2500 used about a year..can burn up clad in parks fast as can dig it ..6 or 7 inches in discrimination mode seems be tops ..test garden shows quarter at 8 inches but 10 inches nothing ...i feel its ok detector and keeping it ..but for money paid ..dont think id buy another one ..have any you had same experience???? Now iv found alot of good stuff dont get me wrong. But hoping v3i will go over spots iv hit hard and bring stuff out
 
I'm not brand loyal. I can honestly say thr V3i is top 2 or 3 in depth. It might be the deepest depending on your set up skills. Even just running stock programs you should be able to get 9" on a dime and 12" on a quarter, more or less. It is neck and neck with the e-trac on high conductors and tops on low. My only criticism is the weight, I don't find it difficult at all to set up.

The iron separation is near the top, especially in correlate.

Good luck,
EMS
 
I hope it will work for you and you get the results you want. Welcome. Rob
 
Weight shouldnt be problem ..about same as garrett..its heavy and not for everyone ..iv got used to it and some days it still kicks me after the hunt
 
Welcome to the 3v club. I myself like the 3VI with the wireless headphones. You can start with the stock programs and work your way up to the more advanced features. Good luck
Kevin
 
[attachment 216000 2011-11-20_210240.jpg]
 
I should clarify, by weight I really mean balance as a light detector can be a bear to swing if poorly balanced. With the 6X10 coil I can hunt all day with the V3i, but with the stock coil the balance is off. Some guys on the White's forum are playing with counterweights by the battery's and that really really helps. Or you can just shorten the rod all the way with the stock coil (I do), which helps some. Anyway, my back is getting stronger and perhaps I just needed to build strength as it's bothering me less and less.

Anyway, as you can see the balance is my only criticism. Outside of that, I just love the detector. Very very powerful and flexible machine. I think you will love it. Good luck.

Hope that helps,
Albert
 
go to youtube and type in the search box v3i detector and there are many videos on this machine. Then download the manual from white's and study it. Then at least you will know something about it when you do get it
 
I have owned a few Garretts in the past and have liked them quite a bit. I still here that voice in my dreams on occasion saying the VDI numbers and depth out loud!

I will tell you from my own experience that I used a Garrett in a site for 2 years and found a nice amount of stuff, until I was convinced it was hunted out. I Started going back with the V3i and found stuff that I missed with the Garrett, and tons of it. Some were too deep for the Garrett and some were too small for the Garrett!

You will really like the V3i once you make the adjustment to White's. It may be frustrating at first but stay with it.

I tried to send you a private message with some other info but they did not get through to you. Please send me an email at neilhschwartz@yahoo.com.
 
I too had a GTI 2500 for +3yrs. and really liked it. I used to hunt for hours and use to switch-off from left to right hand then back. Presently, I still do the same switch-off between R. to L. hand with my V3 so nothing has changed here.

Thank you Rob for showing the difference in weight of 3 detectors. If only Garrett shaved off 1.5 to 2lbs then re-distributing the weight, they would have a winner! When I owned the 2500, I slid off the battery pack and clipped it on my belt. It didn't feel right. . . kinda nose heavy.

I'm looking into one of those bungee cord weight distributing set-ups for my V3. I think it'll help.

I would go to your nearest dealer and try V3 or rent one and try it out for a couple of days and see what you think.

Good Luck,

TC-NM
 
Garrett makes good stuff and early on it is what I used as I had the "BEST" Garrett dealer close to me (Roy Lagel), service was great, and their performance took a back seat to no one. Roy sold the hobby, was an international expert with more than one study, and was there to mentor you on just not detector use, but how to approach it and how it (and an 11/12 year old kid) all fit in with the world. I think of the Lagels often and miss them to this day.

Your going to love the V. Learn it with the same prioritization to basics as you did the 2500 and as you learn the rest...you will appreciate the basics even more. (You will just be able to work so many "tools" to so many of your changing wants and needs.....and who cares if you only want to learn a few of them?)

I do tend to be "brand loyal", but.....not to the point of not owning or using other equipment too. When it comes to my top/main machine though....I am "V" loyal. It's "main use" and can be adjusted to "pick up the ball" where individual wants and needs require it. Most of the time you are just running it close to where you first started out learning it anyways and that says something.
 
Thanks guys for info ...i did find by removing battery pack clip on belt it made it way off balance ...and iv watched all videos on youtube about v3i..its sold me and never used one ..i downloaded manuel also and have read it several times and will more until i get mine dec 1st..i dont regret owning garrett and have found and had great learning experience with it ..but ready to learn whites and find some great stuff ...again thanks for all you guys help and info ....ron
 
I did the exact same thing you did. Retired the 2500 and bought a v3i. You will be very happy with the v3i,it goes deeper and is more sensitive to gold and silver. There is a learning curve to be able to get the max performance out of this machine. The preselected programs are good, but you can get better performance by making your own programs. The fox ,magic and other programs offered on this site are a good place to experiment with. CHEWY
 
Ditto on that.

I got back into the hobby early last year with a used GTI 2500. We had fun together and found alot of clad, but not much else. I sold it and moved up to a used V3+i (upgraded V3) and I have not looked back except to reminise. I counted up at the end of the year (2011) and in 9 months I had $89.20 in clad, $13.71 in keepers (old, silver, and odd coins), and 7 rings (6 silver no gold). Not to mention an assortment of bullets and shells, sprinkler parts, and other metal objects. Looking at the bounty I can say half the year I used the 2500 and the balance was with the V3i

And here is the interesting part. I did NOT hunt any new locations at all with the V3i that I had not already hunted with the 2500. And I can honestly say the GTI 2500 did not find any more than $30 of the clad, a few of the keepers and 1 sliver ring it called a silver quarter as I recall. So lets say $30 in clad, some old coins, and 1 silver ring to be fair for the 2500 and the rest was all the V3i. That is impressive considering it was the same time with each and the vast majority of what I found was surely in the ground multiple years (judging by the difficulty I had cleaning it up at home) and the 2500 got the first crack at all of it!!! I have no doubt that I have been much more productive with the V3i than I was with the GTI 2500 and I am not saying the GTI was bad at all. Only that it was a clad monster and little else in my ever so humble opinion. I like Garretts and I just got my wife a Ace 250. I cannot speak to their service because I never had to use it. My used GTI 2500 was a quite old "talker" but it still worked well which is impressive. Granted it is a relatively simple machine when compared to the V3i including the wireless phones. And I did have some issues with my stock 10" coil and my wireless headphones on the V3i that Whites handled right away on the first call, I had the replacements in days including free shipment, and I was not even the original purchaser!! That is very impressive service indeed.

So all in all I would say you are moving from a sophomore machine in the GTI 2500. I would not say it is a freshman machine like a Ace 250 or other beginner detectors, but you are definitely moving to a graduate level with a detector like the V3i. It will work out of the box just fine for you, and as you learn it will get even better. Best part is your trash finds are about to take a dramatic drop so enjoy it!!

The Shark
 
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