if you're hunting in the All Metal mode, or if you're working the Discriminate mode in mellower ground with little in the way of iron mineralization, as well as not much target masking problem.
The Inca worked quite well and it was the #1 detector for me when it was released. That's the model that got me hooked on Tesoro's, and I found a LOT, and I mean a <BIG><BIG>LOT</BIG></BIG> of good stuff at my favoite ghost towns and older haunts.
But, as the easier finds became less frequent, and even using the 7" concentric coil most of the time (my favorite Tesoro coil), I still knew the Inca was a great detector for many sites, but hampered a bit in dense iron-littered sites.
After the release of the Silver Sabre II & 'original' Bandido my ghost town results picked back up dramatically! I was still using the same 7" concentric coil, and reworking the very same four old townsites I had been hunting since 1969, but results were impressive.
Why? I asked myself the same thing and noted that the newer models had the Tesoro-named ED-120 discriminate circuitry. This newer circuit design has a broader range of <EM>acceptance,</EM> and at the minimum discriminate level setting they are just a little above iron nail rejection. The earlier models, such as the Inca, Royal Sabre, Golden Sabre Plus, Toltec 100, and my favorite pre-ED-120 model the <EM>'original'</EM> Eldorado, had too much rejection at the lowest setting. Since they didn't adjust lower, there was just too much bias towards, or strong rejection of, iron and such.
The ED-120 models allow the detectorist to hunt iron infested sites and have far less masking problems than experienced with earlier makes and models.
So, for some applications the Inca is still a fair performer, but in the end the newer designs have much improved discrimination, better depth, better autotuning in All Metal, better balance, better rod systems (lock-up & isolator), and so forth.
I liked the Inca and have fond memories of it. I also liked the original Eldorado and will get one for my den display when I find a choice condition/performing specimen, but while they can still do <EM><STRONG>most</STRONG></EM> typical detecting as well as what's offered today, they fall a little short in some applications.
<EM><STRONG>Monte
</STRONG>PS: If you want specific Inca info, drop me an E-mail.
