Which Serial Numbers are for Los Banos machines, what is the cutoff?

[locusman]

I am looking at purchasing a CZ3D and would like to be able to know which range of S/N's correspond
to the ones produced in Los Banos, CA before Fisher moved to Texas. Does anyone know how to spot
a Los Banos machine versus a First Texas one based on its Serial Number? E.g. Serial Numbers less than or equal to 10000 are Los Banos,
greater than 10000 are First Texas.

Thanks in Advance,

Mark

 

[Aaron]

The Los Banos CZ-3D machines that your looking for begin with #1021. Every once in awhile someone sells one on FindMall, thats how I got mine. Sometimes you'll see one on Ebay too.

HH, Aaron

 

[Hwy 395]

^^ what Aaron said. 1021's were the first line of CZ3D's made by Fisher back before the First Texas buyout. The early 1121's were considered to be just as good as the 1021's, and were made by the original Fisher company, but the 1121's are riskier because when some of the Fisher employees heard they were being laid off, the quality of the detectors started to suffer.

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Ability to use it first comes to mind. Second either old or new Fisher there are hot and cold ones...Personally think some of these rumors may have indeed came from
disgruntled (lose their job) employees. Thats why its nice to buy a unit eyeball to eyeball where you can test to a degree as buying on classifieds auctions and the like can be a crapshoot. Nice thing about it even those so called cold ones are as deep or deeper than many of the other top of the line units from other manufactures...To me serial numbers are just that serial numbers but of course the ones with the new Fisher numbers are definetly newer.

 

[jmaryt]

the "los banos" machines have been proven to be better,because they are calibrated properly,and the depth is "stronger"
especially on a dime in an air test!

 

[Clad2Hunt]

How was it proven? Air tests are not valid as stated: It all depends on the ground matrix as to how deep it will really go. Got a new machine with #0610(hot off the assem. line)and was calibrated before it left factory. Hit 11" dimes in air tests but varies in the ground on depth. Granted they are pumping them out without proper Q.C. but can be calibrated if not as hot. I'll match my new one against an old one. In area I hunt coins dont seem to go real deep because of the red clay. 2 Standing Liberty quarters at 5" deep. I dont believe they have changed the circuit design of the units, just the testing before it leaves the Mexican plant where its made.

 

[JeffNS]

Check Tom DanKowski's site. He knows more about the CZ-3D than anybody and can attest to the fact that the Los Banos machines were tuned correctly and provided the specifications you should be able to achieve with a simple air test. If you can air test a dime at 11" using the settings he's provided it's tuned correctly. No...air tests do not have much to do with how a machine will perform in the field but it's a way to absolutely verify correct tuning according to Tom. He's the man.

In the event you do have a mis-tuned unit Tom will set it up for you. I'd trust him before I trusted Fisher...unless you can get the work done under warranty of course in which case there's little cost/risk involved. I haven't received responses to several emails I sent to Fisher support about my F4. Poor service imho.

 

[Ken in NC]

Mark,

Of course I know you are asking about the CZ-3D models, and I doubt any of the CZ-3D's have the older labels on them

When looking for a CZ-5 or CZ-6A, I always like to see this type of label on the bottom of the control box. The label takes all the guesswork out of it

Not all the CZ-5's have this label. Some have the 8 digit serial number on the white paper label. They may be every bit as good as the ones with the gold "Los Banos" label on them, but I prefer to see the "gold label"