Tesoro Compadre First Finds

[neswiper]

Hello. I have never used a metal detector in my life. Last Friday I ordered a Tesoro Compadre. Even though I had enough for the 250, I decided on the Compadre. A few hours research brought me to the decision. It will be here in a few days.
I feel like a kid 3 days from christmas even though I am 39. I was so excited about my online purchase that I went and bought a tool to practice making "plugs" in my back yard. While doing this I found something! My three your old daughter claims it's "The Key to the Treasure". I'm looking for some thoughts on what it might be. It's not very heavy.
I also decided to raid the family change jar thinking I might find some "silver". I found this 1926 Indian Head Nickel.

My Detector is not even here yet and I have found treasure by digging in the dirt and sorting coins! This is going to get interesting.

 

[Dang]

Wow! Nice Buff!
Curious looking key thing.
I hear the Compadre is a awesome little detector! I'm sure you'll dig it!
Dang

 

[Cherokeefan68]

That is a good looking key, Kinda makes you wonder what else waits for you just a few inches down.. Welcome to the hobby and the forum. Congrats.

 

[Tseeker]

Nice job finding the buffalo. Hope you enjoy your new machine.

 

[pulltab]

I knew the Compadre was good but i had no idea you could buy one and the treasure would just appear from diggin practice holes I'm doing it all wrong

 

[tvr]

Welcome aboard! Compadre works well. Once you get your Compadre, read the manual and take her for a spin, lets us know how you are doing.

Any questions feel free to ask.
tvr

 

[Gunnar of bradford MN]

you are off to a good start , it took me two years to find my second silver coin

 

[Socalal]

You are going to love the Compadre ! I own one and use it all the time. But then, like the rest of us you'll just have to buy another, then another (I've got six; two Tesoro's, three White's, and a Minelab!) Before you do that, READ YOUR MANUAL AND GET TO KNOW YOUR MACHINE ---- WHAT IT CAN AND CAN'T DO. Take your time. Go out often. Join a metal detecting club in your area.

Welcome! ---- Al

 

[tab-nabit]

The Compadre is a real nice and fun detector. It is sensitive and works well. You just don't find many negative comments on it.

 

[neswiper]

Thanks for the warm welcome and advice. I'll come back later and post some finds when I actually have a machine. Still, I had to fish through 2 gallons of coins to find that Buffalo Nickel. I've got metal fever.

 

[neswiper]

Today I went to Harbor Frieght and Picked up one of those $15 pin pointers. Works good. It sounds off 1 inch from the side of a coin and around 3 inches from bigger objects.
While I was there I noticed they had a $39 metal detector. "CHICAGO Electric Power Tools" Item 98760.. I bought it, took it home and was hunting in a few minutes. My very first find was that 1995 Quarter. Second find was that little brass? bell. Third was a memorial penny and the final find was a piece of foil. That little thing was working like a dream. This little detector has discrimination and sensitivity. I was able to discrimate the foil and still get nice beeps on coins. Very impressive. That is untul it died after 20 minutes. Now the only metal object it will beep on is the entire stove. If you shake it lightly it beeps like crazy. Thinking it might be the batteries I put in another new set. No dice, the thing is junk. It's going back soon.

There you have it, good finds with a $39 detector. If they can get this thing to work longer than 20 minutes they would have something good. The Compadre is less than 48 hours away.

 

[MatthewS]

Well? How did your first hunt go? It's been 48 hours since your last post.. I know you were outside all night with that thing! I didn't wait ten minutes to start swinging when I got my first one.. I was like ' Setup a test garden? Practice with it? PFFFT!!! I'm hitting the yard RIGHT now!! '

- Matt

 

[neswiper]

Hey thanks for your interest. You're so right, it was not even ten minutes after UPS arrived till I was in the front yard. This detector weighs about as much as a macdonald's happy meal. For the first hour all I pulled out was junk. I pulled out so much junk that I started to get a feel for the broken signals compared to the solid tones. (nail vs. washer) I was getting a bit discouraged. Then I hit my first coin. It was an 80's dime that was so far down I broke my scoop. Out of the garage came the thin spade shovel. I started hitting a coin every time in a 10 foot square area. All of them 5+ inches. Soon they were all gone and all I found was trash. I started using about 10 o'clock on the discrimination, which pretty effectively turns nails and staples in to fast clicks instead of solid tones. But, I noticed this could also be a dime on it's side. Having used the discrimination quite a bit, I don't see it as a miracle option. However, one good thing about this detector is, the sensitivity does not go down when the discrimination goes up. This happens on the Micronta clone I bought for the Mrs.

Check out this metal rock I found. It was 8+ inches down. It was a solid signal tone without the clicking on the edges. It sets off the detector better than most items in the junk tray. It does not feel heavy. It weighs less than a nickel. I tried to gently bend it with the pliers without success. It's a rock. You can try to scratch it, but, the scratch does not flake. Never seen anything like it. I don't think it's old solder.

Finally, no false beeps while carrying or setting it down. When you set it down next to the dig, you don't hear a peep out of it. In free air testing the machine will detect a pop can at 3 feet. Ground balance and sensitivity are not needed or missed.

By the end of the day I had mastered making and replacing plugs with surgical precision. Over 3 hours hard work for 29 cents and some trash. I'm hooked.

 

[marcomo]

Welcome to dirt fishing and to the forum, Nebraska.

Tesoro makes fine detectors.

The Compadre is the the least expensive detector they make, but don't let the price fool you. It's a great little unit and does an excellent job of unmasking good targets in trash.

And it has a lifetime warranty. So if it ever imitates that Chinese piece of junk from Harbor Freight you can just return it to Tesoro and they'll fix it for free.

Sounds like you are ready for a better digger.

Predator and Lesche are pretty much agreed on to be the best if you don't mind spending a little more.

If you want a cheaper alternative, I'd suggest the Ames Planters Buddy that you can get at Home Depot or Lowes - I think about 13 or 14 bucks, works very well and it has a lifetime warranty. I broke one by going crazy and using it like a crowbar on some big old something or other that didn't want to budge. I mailed it back to Ames with the receipt and they replaced it.

Happy hunting!

 

[MatthewS]

Yeah.. I remember my first time.. *snif* *snif*...

It looks like your learning fast! Thats good! But before you outgrow the Compadre too soon, here are a few tips that you may or may not have read about.

1: By now your going to start wishing you had a depth gauge. Typically a round coil will go as deep as it is wide. If you have an 8" coil, expect 7-9" on average of depth. If you sweep a target and get a solid hit, slowly raise the coil until it breaks up on you. You have probably reached the limit of depth. From this point try and gauge the height you have the coil off the ground and subtract the limit of the coil (7-9") and you have a guesstimate on your depth below the surface. Play with that for a while and learn the limits. Several factors will play a role in the depth you get in certain soils and with certain targets. Learn your detectors abilities and typical behaviors. In time your depth gauge will be automatic.

2: When it's raining, and you are jonsing for a swing or two, do some air tests.. It relieves the urge and developes your skills. Take some stuff around the house and go to town. In the end metal detection is a game of magnetizing metals. There are great information sites on the internet about how it actually works, and you can comprehend the theory well. With this information you will understand why you might discriminate out everything but coins and still get a large pop can! Doing your air tests you will learn that depth vs. size and metal density play a role in the process. Once you understand the theory behind metal detection you will understand what is going on and it's not a long read!

3: Pinpointing skills can help you determine the size of the object. An object that pinpoints narrowly at any height is very likely a small target. If your getting a hit close to the surface, it sounds very solid, and pinpoints very small, dig it and log what it is. Now try it with a broken sound, or an object that is deep, etc. You will slowly, over time develope the skills to dig 75% good stuff and 25% trash with that simple detector and few good missed targets.

4: Overlap your sweeps and double check your holes! A term you will hear often is called a 'pocket spill' so when you find one item, check the hole again!

That should keep you busy for a while. Don't forget to check back in with your family once in a while. The last thing you want to do is be out huntung and see your face on the side of a milk carton

- Matt

 

[tab-nabit]

Although the Compadre is inexpensive, your finds show how effective it is.
Good quality headphones with volume adjustment, and some time with the Compadre and you'll pick up some more character aspects in the audio = it just gets better. Your off to a good start I'd say.
The Compadre remains one of my favorites and is such a fun machine.

 

[pulltab]

matthews that was alot of good info

 

[tvr]

Does that "rock" feel heavy or is it fairly light? I have found many similar looking pieces that I am pretty sure are the results of aluminum cans thrown into a fire. If it's heavy ... ????
tvr

 

[neswiper]

Yes, The rock thing is very light like aluminum.

Speaking of aluminum, I finally figured out the strong point of this machine. It's discrimination. I've been hunting since I've owned the thing with the disc just below foil. My greed and desire for gold rings has trashed my hunting. I've been digging aluminum for days. Today I decided I have had enough of this. I set the disc on "pull tabs" and away I went. Within ten minutes I had a handfull of pennies and my first collectable coin. A wheat penny. This success triggered a new philosophy. I'll sweep all the coin out of my favorite areas and go back and battle the aluminum in the future with a high end machine. Next time out today I hit another wheat, several dimes and a buried near half roll of pennies (plastic roll). I also dug a penny out of a verified 9 inch hole in the dark. Just when I thought I needed to give up and buy a minelab, this machine suprised me with a nice bit of treasure. I have finally made the connection to this machine's true capabilities. I'm dialed in!

Tesoro Compadre - Single Tone. When you go over aluminum with the disc up you hear a faint pop of the speaker or nothing. Let me tell you how exact this machine is. I set up a test bed of the items listed on the dial settings. When you turn that dial EXACTLY to what it says it will block, it's gone at exactly that point on the dial. This is no toy. Penny, dimes & quarters at 9+ inches with disc on max. I feel like I am running with the big dogs.

 

[marcomo]

Yes, The rock thing is very light like aluminum.

Speaking of aluminum, I finally figured out the strong point of this machine. It's discrimination. I've been hunting since I've owned the thing with the disc just below foil. My greed and desire for gold rings has trashed my hunting. I've been digging aluminum for days. Today I decided I have had enough of this. I set the disc on "pull tabs" and away I went. Within ten minutes I had a handfull of pennies and my first collectable coin. A wheat penny. This success triggered a new philosophy. I'll sweep all the coin out of my favorite areas and go back and battle the aluminum in the future with a high end machine. Next time out today I hit another wheat, several dimes and a buried near half roll of pennies (plastic roll). I also dug a penny out of a verified 9 inch hole in the dark. Just when I thought I needed to give up and buy a minelab, this machine suprised me with a nice bit of treasure. I have finally made the connection to this machine's true capabilities. I'm dialed in!

Tesoro Compadre - Single Tone. When you go over aluminum with the disc up you hear a faint pop of the speaker or nothing. Let me tell you how exact this machine is. I set up a test bed of the items listed on the dial settings. When you turn that dial EXACTLY to what it says it will block, it's gone at exactly that point on the dial. This is no toy. Penny, dimes & quarters at 9+ inches with disc on max. I feel like I am running with the big dogs.

Sounds like you're doing great with that Compadre!

With it's small coil and fixed low gain circuitry the Compadre is made more for picking good stuff out of the trash rather than getting a lot of depth.

Digging a penny at 9" is AMAZING depth for a Compadre.

You mentioned you had thought about buying a Minelab.

If you have a Minelab all you have is a detector.

But if you have a Compadre you have more than a detector, you have a close friend. Si?