BEST Detectors for 2007
| What is the BEST Metal Detector, the most common question I get. The Answer is.... There is NO Best Metal Detector so let Trans Bay Metal Detectors HELP you to Choose the Best Metal Detector that meets your personal Needs and Budget: Nonetheless, I get this question all the time so I've decided to add a Best Detectors page which will help all that visit my sight avoid mistakes in choices brought on by the Voluminous Amount of Information and Opinion on the Internet. I likewise have my opinions, but its based on my experience as a detectorist since 1978, and my Multi-Line Business since 1983. These are General Purpose Detectors. NOTE: Primary Line White's Dealers are not allowed to show photos of Whites Metal Detectors, please visit www.whiteselectronics.com to see photos of models listed below. Price Range to $160.00. Bounty Hunter, Junior….. MSRP $59.95
could consider it a toy, but the quality is good and it offers a limited range discriminator, battery check and sensitivity control. It was able to just hit my test dime at 6”. It is an ideal detector for those parents wanting to get the right detector for their child. I can’ t tell you how many adults return to the hobby and share their fond memories going out with Mom or Dad with the Detector. Bounty Hunter Quick Silver MSRP $159.95 Comments: Four Tones of Visual Discrimination and Audio Discrimination WITH Tone ID bring a lot to the table in terms of performance. You can’t go wrong at 159.95 since about five years ago, to match these features you’d have to put down $450.00 (White’s Classic ID). Slight lag time over the target center and lacking a pinpoint mode, doesn't really diminish the value and performance of this metal detector. Check out the less expensive Tracker Series for less. Price Range $101.00 to $350.00 ALERT: HOTTEST Value and Package leading into Christmas 2007: ********Fisher F2 $249.95****** Comment: Just out for the latter part of 2007, the Fisher F2 has so much going for it in terms of performance, selectivity and features. At this price, the F2 currently dominates, AND for a limited time only during the Christmas Season, Fisher is sending out all the F2s which are on Back Order with an extra 4” Loop and Lower Rod which tested HOT on small jewelry and 3 grain gold nugget. I’m in agreement with my friend Ralph @ Sun Ray Products, the Fisher F2 represents the BEST value in a metal detector under $300.00. The Large Digital Numerical Read Out from 0 to 99 is unmatched in any metal detector under $500.00. In addition, the F2 has on the fly 3 segment depth scale and a precise pin point depth reading. Even more impressive is the speed of target sampling which matches the Tesoro Line Up. The ability of any metal detector to respond to targets as the search head is kept in motion over the ground is important in seeing desirable targets ‘hiding’ in the trash. Tesoro Compadre: MSRP $189.00 Comments: This has been Trans Bay’s most popular seller for good reason. The Compadre’s 12 kHz circuit will see the smallest fine jewelry deeper than most any other metal detector on the market. It has the quickest fastest target response on the market today thanks to its two filter circuit and 5.75” loop size. Can even use it electronic prospecting it’s so sensitive to gold nuggets from match head size on up. Excellent audio characteristics. One knob operation and the Industry’s strongest warranty; Lifetime. Even more important is the Audio circuit… while most other metal detectors play the guessing game as to trash v good targets, the Compadre like the rest of the Tesoro line has analog Audio with a Lightning Fast Target Sampling. A Target Response that exhibits a smooth continuous tone is one worth going after. Choppy, Sputter or Harsh audio responses are almost always trash. I am so confident in the Compadre’s ability to sniff out elusive gold rings, it remains my #1 choice in a rental for lost valuables Like all Tesoros, backed up by Tesoro’s Lifetime Warranty. White’s Prizm II & III…. $249.95 and $349.95 Comments: The Prizm line up which includes the Prizm II through the Prizm V enjoy the same horsepower. You’re paying for the features which are turned on or off in the chip based on which models. Nonetheless, the Prizm II operates at 8.2 kHz which offers an improved target response over the low conductive nickels and jewelry compared to the older technology 6.59 kHz Classic Series which were replaced by the Prizm Line up in 2004. Prizm II is starting to get long in the tooth and lacking the features of others in this price range. The Prizm III adds on the fly coin depth. The Prizm IV is far more competitive but at 449.95 its out of this range. Garrett Ace 150 and 250: $179.95 and $249.95 Comments: Since 2004, the White’s Prizm were dominating the lower end of the professional Garrett Electronics came out with the Ace 250 which rivaled the White’s Prizm IV in terms of features and performance. The Ace 250 offers more sensitivity and visual discrimination resolution than the $179.95 Ace 150. My only complaint is the size of the screen… a Bit TOO Small and hard on the eyes compared to the larger screens of the Prizm and Fisher Series. It should be noted that the Ace 150 actually comes with a set of headphones… why not extend it to their more expensive 250??? How about it Garrett Electronics? Price Range from 400 to 900 White's Prizm IV and V: $449.95 and $549.95 Comments: Enjoying the same lightweight feel and balance of the Prizm II and III but with added features such as Tone ID. The Prizm Vadds 8 Tones and sports the 950 Loop for some added area coverage and about 10% more signal on deep coins but you do loose some sensitivity on smaller targets so I actually like the 8" Loop design. The Prizms also enjoy compatibility with the Jimmy Sierra Bigfoot. You can purchase a Bigfoot Loop through Trans Bay. Fisher F4: $499.95 Comments: Fisher, acquired last year by First Texas who a year prior acquired one of the Industry's BEST Engineers, Dave Johnson, has hit yet another homerun with the Fisher F4. Excellent Visual Discriminator, easy to read and lightning fast target sampling. Seems to have the same horsepower as the F2 but more bells and whistles to supplement an excellent circuit including manual or auto position ground balance and an all metal with auto tune position for prospecting. Visual Target ID Scale adorns the Top Portion of the Display with target pointer and large Digital Numbers. Comes with the F75 10" Wide Scan Loop AND the 8" Concentric for Trashy Areas. Trans Bay considers the Fisher F4 a BEST Buy and BEST Performer in its category. Garrett 1350 GTAx: $699.95 Comments: Since 2004, the Garrett 1350 GTAx came on the scene replacing the GTAx 1250 and adding a sizing feature callined Target Profiling which placed the target into one of three size categories; A, B, C. The GTAx has a well balanced feel and light enough for most folks. Digital Tone including Garrett's Bell Tone Response. Full Featured. Depth is above average as well as Garrett's Visual Discrimination and Electronic Pin Pointing. The rear Battery Compartment can pull off and Hip Mount lighting the weight on your arm. Minelab X-Terra 30, 50, 70: $399.95 and $799.95 Comments: Since 2005, the X-Terra Series have an extremely light feel and operate at a standard frequency of 7.5 kHz with an ultra quiet digital circuit. My first time out with the X-Terra 50 and first target at Montara Beach was a white gold earring at about 7" easily heard with the X-Terra's LOUD Alert Target Response and wonderful Tone ID. The Digital Number Display is about as easy as the Fisher F4s to read, although the X-Terras are not quite as quick as the Tesoros or Fishers on Target Sampling. The X-Terra 50 like the Flagship X-Terra 70 can change frequency by changing the Loops. The X-Terra 50 can switch to 18+ kHz Loop for superior audio response on small gold targets and nuggets. X-Terra 50 has manual ground balance control while the 30's ground balance point has been preset by the factory to handle most conditions. The X-Terra 70 offers a sophisticated automatic ground tracking and additional programming AND a 10" Loop that changes the frequency to 3 kHz for outstanding target response on high conductive silver targets. Tesoro Vaquero, $525.00 Tesoro's Vaquero operates at just under 15 kHz with a 3 position frequency shifter to further avoid noisy cross talk from other detectorists or powerlines. These are Umax detectors which makes them about the lightest in their performance class. The Vaquero has a manual 3 3/4 ground balance which works the all metal and discrimination mode. The Vaquero's circuit is also found in the Cibola which has its ground balance point set internally by Tesoro. Tesoro's DeLeon, Tejon, and Cortes, & Tejon, $599.95, and $850.00 All three share Tesoro's lightning fast discriminator target sampling and lifetime warranty. The DeLeon and Cortes (Top Dog in Tesoro's Line Up) have visual target ID, although a very small display in comparison to other visual discriminators. The Cortes also has a feature similar to White's Signagraph System, but again, the visual lacks resolution so Dimes, Quarters, Halves, and Dollars read as 'COINS'. Tesoro's real strong point as always been its Analog Audio Response. Smooth Targets that are coin size are always worth digging and Broken-Harsh Sounding Targets are worth avoiding. The Tesoro Tejon is Tesoro's Deepest Detector operating at a 17.5 kHz, a bit on the high side for silver hunting but reports from the field say that the Tejon is bringing in a lot of silver normally masked by trash targets and unseen by the competition. The Tejon uses a Twin Level Discriminator which can be set in a variety of ways. I set the higher level to JUST pop on a Zinc Penny so I don't have to dig them. Last time out with the Tejon, I scored a beautiful white gold wedding band in the bark. The Tesoro Tejon is one of my Associate Dealer's favorite: Larry @ Big Valley Metal Detectors. Because of its higher frequency, the Tejon is a bit more reactive over the small iron, but that can be a positive as far as seeing through the nails etc. The all metal modes on both the Vaquero and Tejon have a preset gain level so the sensitivity is really a stability gain control in the discrimination mode. White's M6 and MXT, $699.95 & $799.95 NEW MXT 300MM $899.95 Comments: With its 14.7 kHz frequency, sharing the same horsepower as MXT, the M6 adds seven tones of target ID in addition to the highest visual resolution you can find in a metal detector, 190 segments. The MXT, considered by many as the BEST hybrid for serious Electronic Prospecting, Relic Hunting or Coin and Jewelry Hunting offers additional features like Separate Programs that change the visual display. The 3rd generation Dave Johnson engineered Ground Tracking System is considered by many the best on the market. I was given the assignment to test the prototype MXT various prototype chips in cooperation with White's Technical Engineering Staff culminating in a Ground Tracking System that sets the Standard from 2004 to Date. White's MXT continues to be my most popular seller at Trans Bay Metal Detectors because of its ability to tackle virtually ever Surf and Turf situation. The only thing it isn't is submergible like some of the specialty detectors. Minelab Sovereign GT, $850.00 In 1990, Minelab, an Australian based metal detecting company specializing in Mine Detector Technology came out with the first multi-frequency detector, the Sovereign. Rather than a more traditional ground balance control, the Sovereign used BBS or Broad Band Multi-Frequencies to filter out the ground reactivity noise including hot rocks which could mimic targets. The Sovereign enjoyed improvements in the Sovereign XS, the XSII, XS2a and Sovereign Elite. 2005, the Sovereign GT was introduced which incorporated a All Metal mode with auto tune assist to extend deeper in the ground when prospecting for gold nuggets. The Sovereign GT's active frequency is approx 7 kHz and is designed like the Top of the Line Explorer to be capable of being swept ultra- slow without losing any of its maximum depth potential. A Visual 3 Digit Numerical Display is a $100.00 Option and compliments the Subtle Target Tone ID. Note: The Submergable Variant is the Excalibur 1000/II @ $1399.95. White's XLT, $899.95 Comments: The XLT operates at White's traditional 6.59 kHz for very good response on silver conductive targets and good response on most gold jewelry but not up to the performance of the MXT on the Lower Conductors. The XLT shines in its Signagraph Technology and smooth operation as it is a full filtered detector. On a dime at 8" the XLT can deliver a better target signal than the MXT or M6, but it requires a faster sweep speed to do so. The Signagraph Technology will not only read out the target ID but it will deliver 1 bar up on round targets within 6" to surface. The XLT has been in the White's Line Up for over Ten Years and was preceded by the Eagle Spectrum and Eagle Series (White's first Digital Detectors). No matter what you own, the XLT can compliment them all. PRICE Range from about $1000.00+ Fisher F75, 1199.95+ Comments: The Fisher F75 like the F4 and F2 have outstanding features and performance. Operating at over 13 kHz, and with oddles of sensitivity, it can deliver on BOTH High and Low Conductors (Silver and Gold). This detector is like a 327 Chevy Engine with a Hot Cam and just street legal due to its HIGH GAIN Circuit. Its Automatic Back Light System as for night time hunting is the BEST I've experienced. Its Depth is exceptional but requires proper tuning to ensure stable hunting. Great Lightweight and Well Balanced Feell in its category. Minelab Quattro and Explorer SE PRO $1100.00 and 1595.00 Comments: Both are known as Silver Magnets. Both use FBS Circuits or Full Band Frequencies (28 actually) for Minelab's unique way to filter out negative ground and magnetic interference. The active frequency may be about 3kHz and the other harmonics act in concert to sample and neutralize ground noise and power lines. When the noise is neutralized, your ability to hear the deeper targets is enhanced. The 3 kHz will double the signal on deep silver vs other frequencies. The Output is Digital and although it the Explorer and Quattros make it easier to hear that deep silver without having to tweak, your lower conductors, gold and nickels and other jewelry are usually ignored by most of the Explorer-Quattro users as Foil, Shards of Aluminum and Crown Caps sound a little to good where competitor's circuits chop those targets up. The Explorer has a tad bit more gain over the Quattro and a Smart Find Screen, but I really like the Quattro's Audio and visual Pin Pointing System lacking in the SE which uses a more conventional VCO pin point. My friend and fellow author, Andy Sabisch has told me that the Quattro seems to sniff out the good targets better amongst the trash. Now this was when the Top of the Line Explorer was the Explorer II, so my guess is that any advantage the Quattro enjoyed became a part of the Explorer SE which is said to do better in trashy areas over the Explorer II. The Explorer Series began with the XS in 2000, then the II several years later and toward the end of 2005, the SE. All are great Silver Shooters.
When it comes to a do it all detector, the DFX is Top Dog. Not only is it a multi-frequency detector with 3 AND 15 kHz, along with 18 other Harmonic Frequencies, you can SELECT to operate in 3 kHz for silver or 15 kHz for gold. Along with 55 Basic and Pro Options your in Total Control. The DFX like the XLT offers Signagraph Technology but in addition you can adjust the sweep speeds, filters etc. The DFX comes standard with the 950 Concentric but my advice is to buy the optional 6x10" Eclipse Wide Scan which significantly improves visual target ID in all ground conditions and improved target separation. Garrett GTI 2500, $1099.95
sophisticated as the other BIG DOG competition, it does offer Sizing Technology A through E with most coins and jewelry falling out in the B, with man hole covers in the E size along with some caches I guess. This detector actually has can be programmed to talk to you using a female voice. One poster on the forum who is a single bachelor actually puts it on voice mode and has slept with his GTI 2500... now that's love. Depth is above average and for a single frequency detector at approximately 7 kHz, last one I sold, while training the customer found a small clumped piece of tin foil at 6" so it seems sensitive enough for gold rings. Ground Tracks in the All Metal Mode. I suspect that the Discrimination mode and ground balanced point is automated in the CHIP and cannot be manually manipulated. 3/2008. Without Fanfare, Garrett has IMPROVED the circuits of their current GTI Series. Improved Signal Balance circuit means you can scan the most difficult ground without the usual OVERLOAD. When a metal detector OVERLOADS, you can pass a coin by the loop and it will not be detected. One thing about Garrett I like, they have demonstrated On-Going improvement in their models like the GTI Series and Infinium without changing the model names like some other MFGs have done in the past. |
