What Tesoro for Western NY and...?

[rochny]

Greetings!!
I have the itch to get into metal detecting and have researched for hours upon hours the last week or so. There is something(s) about the Tesoro that I'm drawn too. I used to have a bottom end orange Radio shack detector when I was a little kid and have fond memories of the fun. Well now I'm a big boy and think I want a big boy detector. Funds are definitely NOT unlimited though. A new silver umax might be at the top of my price range (unless I get even more obsessed with this endeavor than I already am). I was close to picking up a used troy shadow x2 but I didn't pull the trigger in time because I wasn't sure about it.Then I regretted it all day after it got sold.

My primary hunting grounds will probably be yards and parks and who knows where else .Lake Ontario and Finger lakes beaches are nearby too.BUT, I am also thinking about bringing it with me when I visit California for a couple weeks on the beach. I think I will spend much more time in/on dirt though.
A question I have is:
Does anyone know what detectors are suited for the ground in my area? Are there some that will be a headache for some reason in my area? I think it's mostly clay around here but I honestly don't know how much the ground changes (mineralization-wise) over distance. I guess it only matters if I get one that does not have manual ground balance.(which might be all I can afford). It would be nice to have it work ok on the beach though, too. Would the preset ground balance units work ok for me in these areas?

It seems that if I go with a new Tesoro the choice is only between the compadre and silver umax unless, like I said, I pry the wallet open even more than I should. Next up would be the Cibola or Vaquero(unlikely due to price). I'm not against finding something used. I'm the kind of person that likes something a little one-offish and I definitely would want more than enough than end up wanting more.(within reason). For that reason I've been hesitant to accept the Compadre as the no-brainer beginner choice for me. I don't mind biting a little more off than average with this kind of stuff. I'm a technical hands on guy that doesn't mind monkeying around with something. Still, the $90 price difference is not totally insignificant.

As far as targets? Coins, relics, whatever right now. I don't even know what I'd prefer yet. I'll have to find out when I find it. I have a 200 yr. old house in mind. I live next to a bunch of parks.Of course there's my own yard etc. And like I said, a summer trip to the west coast.

I see a sidewinder currently for sale online but haven't found any good comparisons to how it rates to a new silver umax etc. for about the same price. I never would have guessed that there is so much that could be known about metal detectors. And I mean just the selection of them. Not to even mention the techniques and everything else that goes into using them. I guess there are worse obsessions.

I have a feeling the Compadre might be recommended to me based on my newness to the idea (and I am trying to keep an open mind), but you probably get what I mean about not wanted to shoot too low and wondering "what if"..

It would be great to know how the new models compare to used models that come up for similar prices.Things like depth and flexibility. So far I've seen that troy shadow x2, a sidewinder, and a used Cibola all go for between $250 and $280, which is the price of a brand new silver umax. So much info!!!!!

I like American made. I like what I've read about the Tesoro business and history and I think I can get into the philosophy of listening to the tone instead of eyeing a screen.
Any advice is welcome and thanks for providing me with such a rich source of believable info. Usually tough to find these days.
Ken in Rochester,NY

 

[thumperjones]

In my opinion, a used Vaquero is the most detector for the money when buying used. It's also a great "do anything" machine, as it will work great without a lot of fuss setting it up and using it. Having a machine with manual ground balance will ensure that the machine can be setup to work at it's best in any soil. With 15 minutes of practice ground balancing a Vaquero, it will be like second nature. A Silver Umax was my first "big boy" detector, and I still use it from time to time, and it really excels in places with a lot of dense iron scrap. I can recommend it wholeheartedly, but if you're gonna have one detector to do everything with, I'd get a Vaquero. The Vaquero can do everything the Silver Umax can , and more, and be a little deeper for about the same money if you buy used. Hard to go wrong with that! You should be able to score a clean used one for $275 or maybe less. Tesoros hardly ever seem to have any problems, so don't hesitate to buy used.

....and headphones. They are a must with Tesoros. They let you hear all the little details of the audio signal that you miss by using the speaker alone. The cheaper ones do a decent enough job until you find some you really want. The White's Royal GT sets are my favorite for a budget set. I used a pair for a couple years and they did great. I recently scored a used set of Grey Ghosts, so I cut up the Royal GTs to make a single earcup setup.

Also, save up or trade around and get a nice pinpointer, like a Garrett Propointer or White's TRX. It is an absolute game changer. It helps speed up recovery time so much that you don't mind digging those iffy targets to reduce the risk of passing up something good. Seriously, it will change your life....lol But you can certainly be just as productive without one. Just don't try one, or you will have to have one yourself!

You can't go wrong with any of the Tesoros and a set of decent headphones.

 

[rochny]

Thanks for the quick and detailed advice. I gotta say, I know it's late. I was just watching a video on the Lobo supertraq. I just LOVE the noise that thing makes. There's a used one in good shape online going for around $400. I gotta go to bed. When I start the day thinking $300 might be too much and then end up looking at one for $400, it's too late. I guess it's the equivalent to all those late night qvc impulse buys you hear of people making. But just for fun..... how do you think a $400 Lobo supertraq would suite me?? Arghhhh. GOODNIGHT
Ken

 

[jld66]

if you have 400 for a used lobo. surely you can come up with $46.25 and get a brand new vaquero. then you will have a good machine with everything you will need on it. will be under warranty with no messing around with a used one. 400 for a used lobo. send it in to tesoro for 50 dollars plus shipping it there. end up spending more than a new vaquero. you will be tripping over a dollar to pick up a dime.

 

[charlie dert]

I have a brand new (3 weeks old) unused tesoro silver umax for sale with the 8" brown donut coil. in the box with unfilled warranty card. $200. you pay shipping from NY..can text pics if interested.

 

[Sven]

I grew up in Western New York and started detecting around '69 during the heyday of detecting.
You can get by with any Tesoro machines. it is advisable to get find one with manual ground balance.
I wouldn't want to swing a Lobo ST unless it was rear mounted.
You would probably get by nicely with a used Outlaw, if you wanted more depth the Vaquaro of current models.

Older models Bandido II umax, Eldorado , Silver Sabre umax (Troy X2). These are in demand and draw some high prices.

 

[Fletch88]

There's a used Vaquero with 2 coils on here for $325. That would be my choice if you only can have 1 machine to cover all bases.

 

[Hightone]

I would go for the Silver uMax in your position. Your going to need a digger and a pinpointer (suggest Deteknix XPointer) to complete a good detecting experience. The Silver gives you what Tesoro does best. If you excel, you move up to a ground balancing and slightly deeper Outlaw. Both use the Epsilon coils, so if, during the Silver experience, you buy extra coils, they will work on the Outlaw.

Now if you run into a little extra money, I would consider a used Cibola. plus digger and XPointer. Then you could eventually move up to the Vaquero or even the Tejon using the Delta coils. The idea is to start off learning the Tesoro language, and that can be done with their less expensive units as well as their higher priced ones. But I would start off with no less than the Silver because it has all metal and interchangeable coils.

There isn't any big advantage of the 14khz over the 10khz.

 

[tabman]

Used or new, get a Tesoro that has a manual ground balance if you want a detector for different ground situations. Switching search coils on a detector sometimes needs a adjustment on the ground balance to get maximum performance. Tesoro detector don't cost much new and they don't depreciate much either.

You can't help but love a Tesoro detector once you start using one. Good Luck!

tabman

 

[B.RATNY]

Hi Ken, I'm a few hours to your east, in the albany area. Our ground is pretty high in mineralization, I have an outlaw and it can handle it just fine. It hits real hard on coins and gets plenty of depth. Great machine I highly recommend it.
HH Butch NY

 

[rochny]

Used Vaquero on the way! Eagerly anticipating it along with warmer weather. (Still in 30's here today)
Thanks everyone for your priceless advice. It all went into the bat-computer and I pulled the trigger.

Ken

 

[Sven]

Good choice...........

 

[kaolinwasher]

Vaq is a good solid machine

 

[ken ward]

I think there is getting to be a lot of KENs on here. We need to put our state behind our name so everyone can keep us straight.. That Vaquero will do a great job for you. Just take your time with it... KEN,, Ind.

 

[rochny]

Well, Ken Ward from Indiana, I took the advice of Fletch88 above and bought the Vaquero from Ken in Colorado and couldn't be more pleased. Spent 7 hours in the backyard today getting used to it. Thanks for all the suggestions and support from everyone. I think I'll post my first finds on the "todays find section".
Thanks again,
Ken from NY, son of Ken from NY

 

[Fletch88]

Good choice! If you find you like detecting I just recently bought another Silver uMax and a Cleansweep coil for parks and sports fields and I love it. I have only been able to use it for a few minutes but it sure is easy to cover the first 3-4" of ground looking for clad and jewelry in large parks and sports complexes. I wish I had bought one years ago!