Menu
What's new
Find's Treasure Forums

Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!

You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.

Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.

Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.

Click here to register!

Need Support Help?

Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you

Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.

What is the best "sleeper" machine?

Minelab made sleepers of their single frequency Tribune/Musketeer and Advantage machines by setting their price low and bombarding the magazines with the message that multifrequency is good and single frequency strictly the poor relation.
 
Southwind said:
Doesn't work that way. Any true sleeper will also be very popular. There are little known detectors that may impress you or a few others, but any detector that is truly a sleeper will rise to the top of popularity on its own.
Click to expand...

Well not necessarily. Eventually maybe but most of the time companies push the latest and greatest because they want your money.

Already I am hearing about machines that I have never heard of. I am assuming (and yes I know you should never assume) that these machines were/are great machines but you don't hear about them or you hear very little.

This post was to get people thinking that perhaps there are other detectors out there that are just as good if not better than what is being currently used. Just trying to open up everyones minds with this post.
 
Brian, it's been a while since I talked to him but he indicated back then that he was concentrating on the European market at the time. As far as performance at least here in very mineralized soils the Coin Select was every bit as good as the Minelab Musky's in depth and discrimination. It was a bit quieter in iron and a little hotter on smaller targets and the only problem I had with them was build quality and coil availability compared to my Minelab Advantage. The first thing I did was get rid of the cheesy rod set up on the Coin Select and mounted mine on a sturdy Whites rod. I kinda wish I would have kept mine because like the Minelab Advantage it worked well on our mineralized beaches.
 
lafatlife said:
Best bang for the buck is not what I am talking about, I want to hear about machines that a lot of people don't talk about. For instance, I find the Omega 8000 a terrific machine but you really don't hear much about them.

You hear about the ace 250 all the time. It is a great machine (I have one myself) but it is well known.

Cost is not in question here. I just want to know if people think there are machines out there that are terrific and you wonder why you don't hear about them. Even older machines can be included.

Are they a "best kept secret" or what?
Click to expand...

I got the idea. That's why I listed the QXT. Never sold well and you hardly hear anything about them compared to the XLT, Classic ID line, 6000 Pro Xl, and other Whites units. It was the black sheep of the Whites line but the deepest of them all on silver/copper coins from my experience if used properly. The depth of a Fisher with the discrimination, audio harmonics, and user friendly light construction of a Whites.

If only they would have put a numerical VDI number on the display to split hairs on targets better and offered a more variable discrimination/notch than the 8 zones. It would have been a perfect ten then. The unit is also very fast at seperation, more so than any of the other computerized detectors out there with top heavy software. Seems to be no software lag on this one. As fast as the Tesoros I've used, and that's fast. The ability to assign high/low tones to each of the 8 zones makes hunting by ear in heavy trash deadly as well. If they made a 12" double D for these lower frequency Whites that would keep this unit up with the big boys these days that are getting better depth with larger coils than the 9.5" it comes with.

As some of you know I'm no fan of the new higher frequency Whites units like the MXT or M6. Fine for gold hunting but not doing it's best at deep silver. Not that they are dogs, just wish they were a lower frequency. With the larger coils available for them they'll really get down there on coins anyway. In fact, I'm tempted to buy an M6 to add to my line up. VDI numbers, various tones, should make a good coin shooter at very good depths with the right larger coil. DFX reminds me of the XLT. Overburden with too much software and not getting the depth of some of the cheaper Whites units. Some might argue otherwise, but I'll at least say it isn't worth the money for the depth it's getting compared to other machines on the market for about the same price (Minelab).
 
I'll add that the Sovereign seems to get little press compared to the Explorer and now the Etrac. A lot of people don't realize they still make this machine and actualy came out with a new version (GT) a few years ago. Offers outstanding depth and a wide assortment of coils. They'll keep right up with the Explorer as far as depth goes and even offer a few things the Explorer doesn't. Some prefer one over the other based on their hunting style. Think about it...this is the only BBS machine on the market unless you count it's water version the Excalibur. Although FBS used on the Explorer/Etrac is newer technology BBS is still light years ahead of what other manufacturers are producing these days. There also seem to be a few quirks to BBS that offer better ability than FBS in certain situations. From what I've read it's mostly a tie depth wise depending on who you ask, but I have read of people saying the Sovereign seems to run smoother in some bad ground conditions and also seems to hit a little harder on gold. Yet, because it isn't loaded with a flashy computer screen and all the tweaking ability of the Explorer/Etrac it hardly gets any mention. People tend to spend their money on shiney new things.
 
I completely agree with UK Brian. I've just started using a Musketeer Advantage and as far as I'm concerned Minelab shot themselves in the foot with this one, when they almost doubled the price but didn't make it more ergonomic. Its the perfect relic hunting machine when mounted on a straight rod, control box under the elbow. Its extremely easy to use, gets perfect depth and seperation with the 8" coil for Civil War sites and its easy to tell the difference between iron and non iron. As far as having people talk about for relic hunting anymore, it seems to have disappeared and personally I'm not sure why that's case. I'm really looking forward to making some great finds with it this year.
 
Canewrap said:
I completely agree with UK Brian. I've just started using a Musketeer Advantage and as far as I'm concerned Minelab shot themselves in the foot with this one, when they almost doubled the price but didn't make it more ergonomic. Its the perfect relic hunting machine when mounted on a straight rod, control box under the elbow. Its extremely easy to use, gets perfect depth and seperation with the 8" coil for Civil War sites and its easy to tell the difference between iron and non iron. As far as having people talk about for relic hunting anymore, it seems to have disappeared and personally I'm not sure why that's case. I'm really looking forward to making some great finds with it this year.
Click to expand...

That's exactly why I started the Minelab Musketeers yahoo user group.
Working on a modified Musky XS
 
I know you have Sven and we appreciate it. It just seems like their ought to be more interest in what you're doing. However, that might be a good thing as things that get too much interest tend to get overhyped and abused. Again, I for one say thanks for your efforts.

Sincerely,
Bill
 
With the Coin & Relic we had the choice of the the U.S. shaft or a shaft similar to the Whites. I could never understand why shafts seem a blind spot with manufacturers. Must have taken Nautilus twenty years to offer the option of a Whites shaft which transforms the weight/handling of those machines.
 
I've always used Whites shafts through the years when I could. I mounted my fisher CZ 5/6's on Whites rods and used them with any detector that could be hip mounted also. I now use them with my Minelab Sovereign and Advantage.
 
Well laugh-at life, since you ask, I'm afraid the real "sleeper machine" around here, is old silversmith hisself :thumbup: Some good "dunkin'" cookies, half-a-glass of milk, a favorite TV show and he can nod-off in 15 seconds flat. :thumbup: Yes sir. Hummmmmmmm! That don't sound too bad right now.
Later.
 
Fisher F4 as far as well known brand names go. And for an off-brand cheap little machine that will blow your mind check out the GC1023....this machine has got a lot of users that are keeping it secret due to it being a cheap little import....(don't want to be made fun of)....

I've got one...and I'll tell you this....the target separation and recovery speed are incredible on the 1023. Plus, it has auto ground balance. I paid 59.95 for mine last year. I've got Bounty Hunters, Fishers, Teknetics, Tesoros, and Whites machines, but I still get out that 1023 in heavy trash.
 
Bloomon heck!!
Tesoro have been around since before Big G, Junior and Spook and have always been top line detectors, no question.
The only people who would call Tesoro "Sleepers" are those who are fairly new to the metal detecting game.

So for any Newbies out there, Or Oldies, give Tesoro a good long hard look at, they are well built, light weight, no nonsense excellent performing machines and are extremely good value for money. Tesoro have got all aspects of hand held hobby metal detecting well covered with a machine to suit pretty much everybody.
There, I think I should send them a bill for that advert??!!
 
White's XL Pro it is a great machine. For many years.
 
Agree with Eddie about the GC1023. Depth is mediocre, but separation and recovery speed are better than most machines that cost way more.

Build quality is flimsy, I wouldn't expect years of heavy use out of it. And the meter is nothing more than a signal strength meter so it looks like a TID machine when you first look at it but it's actually an audio only beep and dig.

But for under $60 it's a fine detector for the price.
 
I have an etrac but I would have to say the sovereign. My buddy has one and he hears alot of the same targets. Funny thing is he wants to get the new etrac but his reason is just fo the backlit display that his 10-12 year old machine does not have. Personally I would like to buy a used sovereign for a backup machine.
 
The new GT has even more depth than previous Sovereigns and will lock onto a VDI number and high tone for a deep coin better than the the older models. It almost seems like it has some kind of signal boost for real deep coins. They seem to get louder once they get deeper past a certain point, and I can hear the background "white noise" seem to amp up when it's doing this wiggling over a deep coin.

Might be pretty much equal to the Etrac in depth now like most say it is against the Explorer, and you can always go to a bigger coil like the 10x12 to perhaps beat the Etrac in depth with it's stock coil. I think it's a head to head race on all three of these machines now with whoever knows his machine best or has it tuned better having the edge. Coil selection would be more the deciding factor with all other things being equal on the three (experienced user, set at max sensitivity, etc).

Don't think I'm knocking the Etrac. I'ved seen one in action in the field and it was very impressive. Saw it hit hard and clear on two undug silver dimes at 9" that the QXT Pro and 6000 Pro XL couldn't get a response from, or a very weak bad one at the most. I'm fairly new to the GT but I might just trade it in the future to switch to the Etrac. Never cared for the Explorers but a few of the things I didn't like about them seem to be fixed with the Etrac. Weight/balance issue being just one of them that seems better on it.

There are I think a few lighted displays out for the Sovereign he could use. I think Sunray made one in the past. He could also attach one of those tiny little keychain LED flashlights to the shaft pointed at the meter's face. Battery life of some of those little LED lights in outstanding if they are using the right LED. I'd go with one that used one or two AAA batteries and then just use rechargables that you can charge back up between hunts. Lacking that you could run an LED off the Sovereign's battery by wiring it up after the on/off switch. Using one of those flashlights that straps on your head would also solve the problem.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top