Which new ?

[JMC]

Faced with loads of iron and now the property next door to include in my searches maybe it's time to look a newer machines. While I get solid hits on the Treasure Ace 100 and coins come up I'm being fooled by odd chunks or iron and other scrap. One of my clients mentioned he metal detects and uses the Tesoro Comparde , while inexpensive he claims it will run rings around my Garrett. Of course mine is circa 1996 or 7 while his is less than six months old. I've also run into a fellow metal detecting near our waterfront using a Garrett AT Pro and having decent success judging by his pouch of goodies. My question is are the new machines that much better than the Ace 100 or do I just need to spend more time relearning the old skills? The Pro Pointer added to the mix has been great so I have to figure Garrett still makes decent quality equipment. Never felt like a meter was required since I'm so used to getting a beep in both directions as a sign to dig. From watching videos on You Tube I gather many times the meters don't give the right info anyway so hearing the signal is better. I've also gotten back into the habit of checking a good signal from all sides which has helped. The Garrett used properly will nail the target spot on. I'll check nose down with the Pin Point after getting ready to dig and most of the time on shallow coin it's spot on. So for you long time experts out there. Which of the current machines would be the one to look at first? Or is there something new on the horizon and it's better to just wait and spend more time with the Ace? Thanks in advance folks. I've seen some great information available on this site so hopefully someone can provide a little guidance.

Thanks!

 

[Orion42]

One problem is rusty iron. It fools most machines into being a good target. To my knowledge, I don't know of a machine that is able to get around that problem.

John

 

[JMC]

Did not know that. I was of the hope newer technology would help in this regard. I think the coil on the Ace is an 8 inch unit, so maybe something with a smaller coil would help. Problem with the Internet at times like this is information overload. Bottom line however I need a unit that works without fanfare and gets around the trash as much as possible. In the last few weeks spending a bit of time when I get the chance my iron reject bucket is a 5 gallon pail filled to the brim with rusty stuff.

 

[mudpuppy]

Well, thats a tough one...you are right about your pals Pro...some of us have been using it in heavy iron with some success, I run mine with iron audio "off" and have done real well in some heavy iron infested sites...a couple of others like ytcoinshooter have too...I dont know about learning old skills, only been at this sport for 3 yrs or so...but I do love to hunt iron and trash heavy sites! I got this one place, a park, its built on Foundry slag, its like hunting inside a dumpster the ground is so hot! I have to drop sens and really float the coil high to keep it from overloading...but, I have pulled a lot of targets out of there and I think its because its pretty much unhuntable for most guys that know what they are doing conventionally...no the meters dont give the right readings in the iron, and the good signals arn't necessarily hitting from all angles either...so you got to hunt by tones, even if they dont repeat, you can sort of hear that tone in the iron anyway...seems a low sens is key...I also work the coil vertically instead of side to side, sort of like tapping it on the ground instead of swinging it?...seems to sharpen up targets just under the small center of the coil...imagine a pulse going straight down instead of a fan going side to side if that makes any sense?
I use the AtPro in heavy iron in the water, and I use an F70 in heavy iron on the land, both set up with DD coils.. so I think you can hunt iron with just about any similarly engineered unit though I dont know for sure..the Pro has the Iron Audio feature, and the 70 has Delta Pitch tones,..both have fast recovery...Good Luck, Merry Christmas, and welcome to the Forum!
Mud

 

[BigCatDaddy]

I've been hunting some lots the past few days that are littered with debris of all kinds using an AT Pro with the 5 x 8 DD coil. It's a beast in the junk, no doubt. Where it shines is the target seperation, it can pick out a coin laying right next to a junk target. As far as ID' ing iron, the Iron Audio feature does the trick. I get fooled on occasion, but I've never dug a good target, thinking it was a bad one. You would do well with the AT Pro, as you are used to using your ears to hunt by. I don't ever rely on the TID to tell me to dig, it's all in how it sounds.

 

[fongu]

Welcome to the forum, JMC. You are doing well with your detector and I like the At/Pro for separating the good targets out of the trash.
I had to turn the iron audio off at the river Saturday because it was driving me crazy, but it can pick a good target out of the trash. You still will dig a lot of trash, no matter what detector you use. I almost didn't dig a target at the river and it was a good find. I don't know if the sniper coil will work on your detector but it can separate a good target from a bad one in the way you use it. Scan east & west and then north & south and sometimes if you scan one way, the trash target will make you miss a good find but when you scan the other way and it will pick it up. Good luck and happy hunting.