Thinking about 3300

[catdriver]

Newbie old guy (58 y.o.) just getting started an was thinking about the 3300 BH. On days when I can't fly my R/C planes I need something to do.
I live around the Lake of The Ozarks in Mo. an there are a lot of old farms an houses down here in this neck of the woods.
Wanted something light to carry, as I have asthma an get winded pretty easily. The 3300 looked like it would be a light unit to me. Any other old coots here that have one?

Catdriver

 

[Golden Silver]

At 70 I'm about an old coot as you are going to find that can provide an opinion. Mine are going to negative so perhaps they will be balanced by present owners who have something positive to say.

First, it is nice and light and if you want to make it lighter you can remove the control housing and hip-mount it. You will require an extension cable and they don't exist. I did get an extension cable from BOUNTY HUNTER for my LAND STAR and they charged me $25 but it is a custom job. Hip-mounting it will leave you only the lighter rod to swing and you'll be able to swing just the rod all day without fatigue or needing to switch arms.

Second, while the 3300 is a light unit I did have to switch arms after approx. a half-hour of swinging. Which is why I suggested hip-mounting it.

Third, when I used the 3300 in a local park on a couple of ocassions, the thing wouldn't stop squealing and it wasn't because the surface was littered with metal. I don't know what kept triggering it.

Fourth, I wanted a digit VDI (numbers) and while I was aware of 2-digit displays I selected the 3300 because it has a 3-digit display and I thought that I would get an extra refinement with the addition of a third digit. Being an old analog meter kind of guy, I also thought that the display would always default to 000 or 001 and whenever it went over metal the numbers would increase accordingly. Not so. The display was always at 199 and it would come down to whatever number correspended with the target.

Fifth, I had read reviews where it was pointed out that when you set certain parameters and you change modes or turn the unit off, those set parameters will be erased forcing you to set them again, and again, possibly many times during your hunting period.

Sixth, not a big deal but the Ground Balance knob shaft is a loose in the hole and it might never be a problem but I don't like loose knob shafts, I want them solidly inserted.

Since I sold the detector a short while after I bought it I cannot remember any other dislikes.

Now let someone chime in with their likes.

Golden Silver

 

[thompy]

the fisher f-4 is a updated 3300, much easier to use, they are light, the f-4 handles iron much better than the 3300[199] faster prosseser and easier to gb, the f-2 is the same as the f-4 minus the gb from what i understand and 200 dollars

 

[GRAY GHOST]

n/t

 

[mwilliwood]

Well lets add a positive,I loved mine!They can be had all day for around $150 or so used, I bought mine during the real cheap sale at radio shack,Has depth equal to units hundreds more, found it easy to use,I think it would make an exc. first detector.

 

[thompy]

i payed less than a 100 each for the ones i had ,and both were new, but that was a couple years ago, they are ok machines, but i had used some whites before my first 3300,guess i expected more and they were lower end Whites

 

[tenedy]

Well I have been running the 3300 for 2+ years and i can tell you, it is a great machine. I have learned as many have said the more you learn to use it the more you find. I have gone over areas the i have hunted out (3-4 trips prior) and i still find targets so either i am missing a lot or i am learning to use the unit better.

 

[catdriver]

Thanx You all, I went ahead an ordered the BH pioneer 505 instead after talking to the engineers that design BH's machines. I got lucky an the operator girl give me the wrong extension instead of the sales people....lol


Ronnie aka Catdriver