Vaquero or Cibola

[zeb]

I've never owner a Tesoro before and I'm now almost ready to order my first.

I've read and read and the more I read it seems the more confused I get.

I had at one time decided to order the Cibola but then I heard you need to get the higher pitch added feature to make it really good. How and where do you get this and how much is it?

Then someone told me I should get the Vaquero due to it's adjustable GB.

Personally, I hate messing with Ground Balance knobs. But, if that's essential--so be it.

On the other hand, if after ordering the Cibola with the higher pitch deal maybe I'd be almost up to the price of the Vaquero?

I don't know what to do. HELP!

Thanks

 

[birdman]

Zeb, I am in the exact same place. I am just wondering if a C or V will do any better then my CZ5. I am a turn on and go person so I was thinking the Cibola might be an all around deep detecting machine. Lite weight to. I hate to spend the money if it is not an up grade.

 

[Gary Of South Jersey]

wow i thought i was the only one who couldnt decide on the V or C. from what i gatherd the high pitch is just for audio (if you are hard of hearing) i dont think it does anything for depth. i am also a turn on and go person so i think im going with the C

 

[zeb]

Yes, I hear you. I'm not rich and can't afford to throw money away.

I read elsewhere that the adjustable GB Tesoro can be bad if one doesn't properly use it. That is, you can actually lose depth if you don't keep a manual GB machine properly adjusted at all times.

I've had these before and found myself constantly re-adjusting and wasting hunting time. Most of our soil here in Michigan is sandy and I rather doubt its high in mineralization.

But, then there's this thing about the Cibola needing that pitch feature added. I don't get all this??? I don't even know how one gets this added to the Cibola.

Hopefully someone will set us straight on all this soon.

 

[jsamsky]

You can generally order the low or high pitch from your dealer. The low pitch unit is the one I have, and it works great. The high pitch unit is too shrill for me, but it would come in handy if one was hard of hearing, I guess. Depths of the Cibola and Vaquero are about the same in good ground. I guess you would lose a little depth in bad ground with the Cibola, but I've never encountered that problem. You'd just have to turn the sensitivity down a little bit. It's deep as heck anyway, and blows just about any machine away. I didn't want to be dealing with ground balance controls all the time. That's the reason I got the Cibola over the Vaquero. I'm really pleased with it.

 

[zeb]

Thanks much! This is exactly what I was looking for.

I had an idea that the ajustable GB wasn't the way to go. I've been there before and back then they were a pain (1980-90's). All you have to do is move a little and forget to GB and you've missed targets.

WOW! Thanks again!

 

[DavHut]

The GB on the Vaquero is very easy to adjust and doesn't present any reason to fret. I, too, am a Turn on & GO fan and have always liked that method of detecting and have always had a unit which filled that niche. I'm a big fan of the Garrett 1350, and that's one of the reasons why.

With the Vaquero, once you adjust the GB, it doesn't vary all over and require constant re-tuning like in the "bad old days". Really, Tesoro is good at this stuff, guys. The GB is quick to perform, doesn't drift and the detector is VERY easy to use all the way around. I consider it a "quintessential Tesoro".

I have used several Tesoros over the years and they have one thing in common - smooth operation. My Vaquero is no different - I had to check it a few times at first to make sure it was on, especially with the SENS turned down to midrange! Tesoro says "Silent Search" and they mean it. They are quiet as a church until a target appears. Then you just thumb the DISC knob to work the signal.

The reports on the Vaquero are that it is VERY deep, too. I haven't taken it to extremes yet, so I won;t say. While that can be a blessing and a curse, its nice to know the capacity is there, should you need it.

I was out diggin coins from the local school today with mine, from below the 4" layer of wood chips and beyond. I didn't take my SENS off 6 and every signal was cleanly sounded - using NO SuperTuning, and of course with no PowerBoost.

There's a lot of senstitivity on tap, too. Tiny foil bits would signal, and Im sure .22 bullets, odd copper bits and small gold would do the same. Only at the highest SENS settings is there any real falsing (in the form of odd chirps and pops) and then, it's due to the presence of targets trying to discrim out. Easy to adapt to, if you insist on running your SENS cranked - which you dont need to do, most of the time.

Pinpoint is obscenely easy to use and you hardly need to use the PP button - the detector is a VERY SLOW MOTION unit and you can pinpoint in DISC. Again, common to all modern Tesoros.

The high tone you mentioned is a modification to the audio response frequency to raise the pitch, as I understand it. To some, this makes for an easier to hear response. The newer models have it, and you can specify which you want on a new order. Mine is high tone and I doubt very much if it matters very much. If it does, the factory will do it for next to nothing, if not FREE.

All in all, the Vaquero is a basic, yet very powerful detector. It is so light any easy balancing, you wont notice any physical effort. Believe me, that counts for something! This alone will make it a joy to use and thus get very good with it. Eventually, you will develop the "Tesoro Ear". Those who swing alot of Tesoro's know what I mean.

My first detector was a Tesoro Siver Sabre II and this Vaquero is everything it was and a whole lot more. I feel comfortable selling my trusted SSuMax, now. I recommend you get one. Use it and get good with it. You'll never regret it.

David

 

[DavHut]

I wouldn't make comparisons between the two. They are apples and oranges and should be each taken on their own merit. If you are good with your CZ - dont sell it. There are few like it, as you well know.

While I haven't compared the Vaq to my CZ for sheer depth in the field, I was pleased in garden testing at how well the Vaq sensed a nickle. I got the nickle at 7", with my sens at 8, which is a good setting for normal use. This was a drop Jeff, too, not a buried, haloed one.

I'll say this - the CZ will turn into a brick, quick, after swingin' the Vaquero. There just is no way to describe the feeling until you do it for awhile.

 

[DavHut]

n/t

 

[zeb]

Thanks, Dave.

I was just afraid that the Vaquero was like those old machines that required constant re-tuning. Man I hated those things!

I remember when Fisher came out with their 1260-X (remember that model?) I found more with that machine in one summer than I had with all the others I owned before it and after I made the mistake of selling it in 1985.

It wasn't the deepest machine but down to about 6 inches it was a coin killer. It was fast, mostly automatic, and easy on the arm. I found loads of Barbers, Indians, V's, Mercs, rings, etc.

How sweet she was!

 

[Monte]

or any makers "turn-on-and-go" model might work just fine.

IF:

 

[cspene]

If you GB the Vaq. and then leave it alone, that would be the same pretty much as a preset GB. The same thing could happen, as you stated, in that you could move and the GB be off and with a preset, you have no way to change it. With the Vaq and manual GB you can compensate for the change in the ground. Presets are only OK if your ground is mild and the preset is set close to your ground. If a preset is off with your ground you may be up a creek and can't GB to fine tune the machine. I think having a manual GB or an auto tracking GB is the way to go. You can adjust for most any type of ground. JMHO.

HH
Chris

 

[Dale]

I would say you are absolutely correct, furthermore if you ground balance the detector, detect a little ways and the ground changes a little and you don't readjust, you are still probably closer to correct ground balance than you would be with a preset unit.

 

[Jackpine Savage]

I'm just north of TC and the ground here is moderate to mild. The Cibola worked very well here. I had the Vaquero first and got rid of it due to the very slow sweep requirement. I know that can very from detector to detector but it was too slow to suit me. In comparison the Cibola was a little more forgiving in not missing targets when swept a bit faster. On Lake Michigan beaches where the GB can vary depending on location the Cibola was just as deep on dimes and nickels as the Vaquero and some other "top end" detectors. Just my results in my ground and may be of help in your decision.

HH Tom

Tom

 

[DavHut]

on all counts. the only challenge is to know when and if your ground conditions have changed.

dAvid

 

[zeb]

Thanks, Tom.

This is a big help since I too hunt Michigan.

 

[zeb]

WOW! I've been back and forth on this thing so many times! One minute I'm for the Vaquero and the next the Cibola.

This has been good though. Through all the interchange I'm beginning to see what's up here.

The Cibola is faster and less money but has a set GB that could be a problem if the soil conditions exceed its limits.

With the Vaquero, there's a slower swing speed but you have the advantage of adjusting the GB if necessary.

SUM: To gain a little speed you lose some adaptability.

Am I getting this right?

 

[DavHut]

...Or rather I suspect this may a subjective thing. I dont find that there is any sacrifice made if you dont ensure you have some "precise" speed. In fact, stressing over it is likely to be a bigger problem.

Look at it this way. If you are hunting a site where you suspect there is the potential for some old silver or good relics, what're you gonna do about your swing speed? That's right - slow down. Overlap your swings. Run calculated patterns. So it's a moot point.

Oh, in some test garden there may be a minor difference in results for a given speed. But out in the real world, I dont feel hampered with the Vaquero. Today, I hit the woodchips and kept up the pace, I can tell you. I was after quantity and coverage. If there was a target, I knew it. See my post down the index, "Vaquero chews up the GOLD today".

Have you seen the stuff they are turning up in England with the Vaq? If ever there was a harsh detecting environment, it's there. Iron 'scatter' galore, random pockets of mineralization, targets at all depths and lots of ground to cover - all in the same field!

With all of this, the Vaq is fast becoming the one to have over there. Some are preferring it to the Tejon as its a bit easier to use, but uses the same circuitry. That's a good endorsement to me. Get on some UK detecting sites and ask - you'll see what I mean.

I admit to being a Tesoro advocate. I dont think they make a bad detector. There can be, on the other hand, poor operators. Get the Vaquero and learn to use it, not bend it to your notions. So far in my experience, you wont be sorry.

David

P.S. If money is a problem, buy one used. I got mine, like new, with a 5.75" coil and lower rod, dust cover and 2 new batteries for $375. You do know about Tesoros warranty, dont you?? NO WORRIES

 

[Dig'n in Va.]

I know that there are performance differences among the same models of detectors in the Tesoro line, and maybe/probably among other brands also. I have used two Vaquero's and still own one and they both required a much slower sweep speed than any other Tesoro model I have ever had. The exact detection depth is relative to the soil conditions, but I'd say on average a couple inches, possibly more is lost with a fast sweep speed. Do some in ground tests and see how many and what depth targets will give a good solid signal at a slow sweep speed and then be totally silent when you speed up the sweep of the coil over it..Would be nice to hear from a lot of different Vaquero owners and see if there are fast models and slow models? How many out there can swing their's fast and not lose depth?....... Dave

 

[jsamsky]

The preset GB on my Cibola seems to be perfect here in Virginia. The one time I got into really hot ground and it started to chatter slightly, I just turned the sensitivity down to 9 and it worked fine. I don't think I lost much depth. I've never found much deeper than 8 inches anyway, even with my Fisher 1270, which is a deep mo fo.