Tesoro: Take a good look at the replies !!!!

[Sven]

Unless you live in Canada where ID machines are far from accurate. Canadian $1 and $2 coins ring up as iron trash or tend to bounce around. So ya have to dig the junk if you want them. There are no $1 bills up here, so most people have a few or more such coins in the pockets, that seem to get lost a lot like quarters do in the US.

Any many of the other clad coins varying compositions of steel with nickel plated surface bounce all over on ID machines. And since they mimic iron, they can mask good silver and gold targets. It's a different ball game up here. That explains why some hot shot US coin hunters come up here and can't make heads or tails of what their ID machines are telling them and some leave in disgust when Canadian newbie with a low cost detector will have a pocket full of goodies. By the way I'm from the US, moved up here. I was at one time one of those hot shots. Learned my lesson. So I dig "almost" all.

As for Tesoros the beep and dig do well finding CA coins. The Deleon seems to be a favorite Tesoro ID machine up here. The inexpensive Fisher F2 does extremely well up here as an ID machine.

Guess the Canadians will have to wait for the US manufacturers to figure out US ID accuracy first before they can build a machine to accuratly ID Canadian coins.
We also have these plastic juice bottle cap liners that ID as good coins down to 5", and they sound like good targets as well.

I sure would like a nice accurate Canadian coin ID machine, after bending down and digging 100 holes, my knees revolt in the evening hours........but, one gold ring makes it worth it.

 

[dan b]

All I know from my experience is that I find more good targets when I dig than I did when I let the screen convince me not to. However, you make a good point about age. I'm looking at it from the perspective of a young 50 year old whipper-snapper. I like to crouch down and dig. I also go for 100km bike rides when I'm not detecting, so obviously, I'm still pretty fit and mobile. But if I couldn't be as mobile as I am now, then I would probably want to dig less too. Good point.

Dan

 

[dan b]

Sven makes a good point about the Canadian coins. Tesoros are killers for finding our clad. And our nickels, even old ones, don't disc out where the US ones do. So we can run the disc a little higher and not miss any coins. If we do miss the odd US nickel, well, that's a small price to pay for less trash.

Dan

 

[Southwind]

Understood Sven, but it sounds like you've had a bunch of US hunters that didn't know how to use their ID machines properly. Now on a deep coin I understand the jumpy VDI and with a good depth meter you know when you can trust the VDI and when you can't. Any coin, including CA, 6" or less should have a solid close VDI number. Only a poor ID machine will have a jumpy VDI on anything but deep coins. When my AT Pro jumps from 56 to 61 I know I probably got a pull tab. When it only move from 53 to 54 I've more than likely got a nickle or gold. It's not that hard when you have a GOOD vdi machine and use it properly to be able to accurately tell good from bad.

I shouldn't blame my health problems on just metal detecting because 40+ years of smoking has been the major issue. I quit smoking 4 years ago but too late as I have COPD and get winded fast. I used to hunt from sun up to sun down every weekend and until the sun went down after work. I did that for more than 20 years. It's been a major change in my life to have to cut my hunting down to 1-2 hours at most a trip. I must make those 1-2 hours count and that is why a good VDI machine capable of telling me good from bad is so important. Believe me we I say I have tried the best of the best looking for the best tools for the job I need. I can take the E-Trac or CTX 3030 and trust the accuracy of the VDI on the deepest coins. I can trust the AT Pro to also be accurate on coins but mostly on gold. The very best sensitivity to the low conductive stuff I've ever used. My tot lot monster. The Compadre is my backup should my AT Pro ever fail.

I fully understand those who choose to dig it all and take my hat off to your dedication, but I've been there done that for many years. Now I hunt purely for enjoyment and I no longer enjoy spending my precious hunting time recovering trash for a few keepers.