buying used AT Pro -what to look for?

corij

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
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66
Location
suffolk, uk
im thinking of buying a used one but wary i might get had with a faulty or even a fake one. Theres always used ones on ebay

What would you look out for? much appreciated
 
Ask how old the detector is and if it's still under warranty. I think they have a two year warranty. Makes sure they state that it's in working condition with no issues. A few scratches and scuffs are no big deal, though. Used AT Pros rarely sell for less than $350, so be suspicious of any that are less than that price.

I would also only buy from a seller with at least 100 feedbacks and 100% positive rating. You want to buy from someone who cares about their feedback and reputation. Do NOT buy from a Goodwill or pawn shop eBay seller. They probably have no idea if the detector is in working condition. Just my take on it...
 
How many fake AT pros are out there? I've never heard of a single one in 7 years, but I suppose someone could fake one? Anytime you buy used it's a gamble, I like your odds on this one though, the AT series is a solid lineup. Always check the sellers information, and shipping info. Sometimes it says it will take up to 3 days to ship. Some sellers will utilize those 3 days... Good luck and happy hunting!
 
Seems like most electronic stuff these days either works fine or not at all. I would feel safe with ebay and paypal protection. I would just try to find one that's not banged up to bad especially the face plate.
ATPro is a tough machine. Mine has been dropped many times,slid down a cliff, attacked by a puppy, and fought a ceiling fan twice and it's still going strong.
 
Seems like most electronic stuff these days either works fine or not at all. I would feel safe with ebay and paypal protection. I would just try to find one that's not banged up to bad especially the face plate.
ATPro is a tough machine. Mine has been dropped many times,slid down a cliff, attacked by a puppy, and fought a ceiling fan twice and it's still going strong.

also beware of just one picture that does not show details of the face of the detector. They should have some very clear up close pictures of the face of the detector so you can see if they have any bad scuffs or scratches on it. Minor scratches are to be expected but not major scuffs over a critical part of the display.

ask them if it breaks down completely. sometimes when used at the beach and the shaft not cleaned with fresh water the twist locks will freeze because of the concretion of salt and fine sand in the shaft twist locks. thus you cannot adjust your shaft height or break it down for travel.

look for and ask for clear closeup pictures of the coil top and bottom. ask them if it has a coil cover.

ask them does it work properly. always ask in the Ebay message channel not off channel in your and their private email. this is because if there is something wrong and they said it was ok, then the ebay customer support will see it in the history of messages and give you an immediate refund.

the more you ask the vendor, the better off you are in terms of getting what you paid for. and of course all the other suggestions on this thread are good advice. Do not buy outside of ebay or Amazon. yes amazon does have used AT Pros for sale from time to time.

the location of the seller must be in the US. also one with the 5x8" coil in addition to the stock coil is a huge benefit.
 
I see you are in the UK.

Mike Longfield (Midland Detector Centre) is advertising one for sale @ £395 in the October edition of The Searcher magazine.

I am assuming it comes with a 3 month warranty being a used one?

Nick & Laura at Detecnicks over in West Sussex always have a good selection of used machine's. I purchased a used Equinox from them a few months back to replace my Minelab Safari which I also purchased from them.

Doug.
 
My experience with build quality has been much different than Scooter Jim's'

I will say in Garrett's defense that they have corrected most of the issues that I've encountered over the years since I first got the Pro in 2011.

Personally, I would look for a unit still under warranty. Not only for the warranty, but because I believe it was sometime in 2016 when they beefed up where the control box connects to the rod. I had two boxes snap off over the years. When that happens the only way to fix other than jerry rigging is to ship to Garrett and pay to have them replace the outer part of the control box. The most recent change I've noticed is the tougher bike style handgrip which replaces the older sponge one.
 
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