Advice, Tesoro Compadre vs Gofind20 or 40

erichx

New Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2017
Messages
7
Hi. New here.
So, i want to buy one of these:
Tesoro compadre
or
Gofind 20 or gofind 40.
I give some info, maybe it helps for the right detector.
I'm a starter, and want to search for war relics (chaco war 1932-1935 Paraguay)
The place are trenches, its a deserted location, no settlements, without human disturbance. only forest / cattle ranch. Link to google maps
About the soil/ground: its salty, dry mostly all year, and really hard. from january to may it has humidity cuz rain season.
And about the fancy stuff i dont care much.
I post a picture of what is it like.

So, what do you think
 

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How much is real deep?

Depends on the soil l but don't expect much more than 6" with the small coil Compadre, an inch or two more with the 8" coil...maybe.
Under normal circumstances like here in the parks I hunt in that would work pretty well, 98% of my finds in three different states were shallow up to about that 6" mark.
Your area may need deeper but only you or someone that has dug up targets around there can say.
If everything you are looking for there is 8,9, 10" or deeper don't expect a lot of success with any detector in these low price ranges.
Also salt is a mineral, mixed with water like around beaches it can limit depth, not sure how dry conditions and salt can affect our detectors.
For sites with mineralization problems detectors with adjustable ground balance can help a lot.

Sometimes it is worth waiting and saving up more to get the right tool, the wrong tool might just be a waste of money.
Not saying these will be but you need to find out before you buy, or I would, anyway.

Don't know what the market is like down there or how long you are willing to wait but a good used Vaquero might work much better for you if you can swing it.
That one has all the basic features you might need and a lot of penetrating power and there are others.
 
Depends on the soil l but don't expect much more than 6" with the small coil Compadre, an inch or two more with the 8" coil...maybe.
Under normal circumstances like here in the parks I hunt in that would work pretty well, 98% of my finds in three different states were shallow up to about that 6" mark.
Your area may need deeper but only you or someone that has dug up targets around there can say.
If everything you are looking for there is 8,9, 10" or deeper don't expect a lot of success with any detector in these low price ranges.
Also salt is a mineral, mixed with water like around beaches it can limit depth, not sure how dry conditions and salt can affect our detectors.
For sites with mineralization problems detectors with adjustable ground balance can help a lot.

Sometimes it is worth waiting and saving up more to get the right tool, the wrong tool might just be a waste of money.
Not saying these will be but you need to find out before you buy, or I would, anyway.

Don't know what the market is like down there or how long you are willing to wait but a good used Vaquero might work much better for you if you can swing it.
That one has all the basic features you might need and a lot of penetrating power and there are others.

Appreciated. thats the case. you are right. So i was looking around other detectors, read a book about it and all.
took a look at the vaquero too.
so, what other detectors maybe worth (not expensive all, lets aprox 400 - 450$ top) for my needs. saying high mineralized areas, and max depth 20" inches maybe...
i saw those polular garret 250 - 300
the tesoros
but i cant keep searching and im a beginner so, i dont know the right choise.
thanks in advance.
 
20"...even in the best soil that is going to be pretty much a dream with most VLF normal detectors.
Even with a Vaq I have never heard if anyone getting that deep, my Fisher F70 is one of the most powerful detectors out there and I can easily get to about a foot deep in good black soil, about 3-5" deeper under perfect conditions, but even with the largest coil on the market mounted I wouldn't even have the thought of searching for targets at 20" deep.
You have a better shot with a pulse induction unit...maybe, even that type might not get that deep.
Something called a two box detector will get down that far but this type is best for finding large objects, caches, chests, boxes, large tools.
This kind won't be able to see smaller type targets at all, coins, jewelry...things like that.

Keep researching, you seem to have some specific needs that only a limited numbers of specialty type detectors can fill.
 
20"...even in the best soil that is going to be pretty much a dream with most VLF normal detectors.
Even with a Vaq I have never heard if anyone getting that deep, my Fisher F70 is one of the most powerful detectors out there and I can easily get to about a foot deep in good black soil, about 3-5" deeper under perfect conditions, but even with the largest coil on the market mounted I wouldn't even have the thought of searching for targets at 20" deep.
You have a better shot with a pulse induction unit...maybe, even that type might not get that deep.
Something called a two box detector will get down that far but this type is best for finding large objects, caches, chests, boxes, large tools.
This kind won't be able to see smaller type targets at all, coins, jewelry...things like that.

Keep researching, you seem to have some specific needs that only a limited numbers of specialty type detectors can fill.

Ok i get it. sorry for keeping bothering you.
Average soil deep is what 1 foot maybe?
i have seen again others detectors, what do you think of?
- tesoro vaquero
- minelab gofind20
- minelab gofind40
- minelab gofind60
- treasuremaster - whites
- treasurePRO - whites
- ace300 garret
- ace400i garret
and pushing my limits (i really dont want to):
- xterra705 -minelab
- MX5 - whites

have i a chance on those?
really apreciated you info.
 
Ok i get it. sorry for keeping bothering you.
Average soil deep is what 1 foot maybe?
i have seen again others detectors, what do you think of?
- tesoro vaquero
- minelab gofind20
- minelab gofind40
- minelab gofind60
- treasuremaster - whites
- treasurePRO - whites
- ace300 garret
- ace400i garret
and pushing my limits (i really dont want to):
- xterra705 -minelab
- MX5 - whites

have i a chance on those?
really apreciated you info.


No bother.
The only shot you have to get close to 1' deep on those is the Vaq and maybe the 705...the MX5 might but I don't know much about that one.
If you have access to a Teknetics Patriot that is a a well featured Fisher F70 at a discounted price.
Again it is all about the soil and yours does not sound even close to normal from what I can tell.
In great, black low mineralized dirt my F70 could do it but where I hunt now in iron oxide mineralized soil I am lucky to get to 8" with the same tool.
In reality there are only a handful of VLF detectors that can successfully hit that one foot mark with any reliability out there and that is usually under pretty good conditions.
The bulk of the hunters in this country using all kinds of machines, including types that go into the thousands of dollars, rarely talk about digging targets much past 9-10".
A few have dug deeper but that is the exception, not the rule.

A TDI Pro could probably do it or some other decent pulse induction machine like a Garrett ATX and won't be bothered by the salt but no discrimination on those types so you will dig almost everything.
This type might be your only hope for what you seem to want to do in the conditions you described.

In Australia, South Africa and other countries with difficult dirt the most popular detectors serious hunters use looking for mostly gold are pulse induction GPX Minelabs that cost $3-$5000...and there have been many that bought counterfeit models of these same types that spent $2000 or more thinking they were getting a deal.
They didn't...they just got ripped off.

Lower priced lower end detectors, even the upper end of the lower scale like most on your list if you equip them with huge coils just aren't made for tasks like these.
You can't make a cheaper car perform like a Ferrari no matter how much you want it too or how many accessories you add to it.
 
Last edited:
Ok i get it. sorry for keeping bothering you.
Average soil deep is what 1 foot maybe?
i have seen again others detectors, what do you think of?
- tesoro vaquero
- minelab gofind20
- minelab gofind40
- minelab gofind60
- treasuremaster - whites
- treasurePRO - whites
- ace300 garret
- ace400i garret
and pushing my limits (i really dont want to):
- xterra705 -minelab
- MX5 - whites

have i a chance on those?
really apreciated you info.

Well, my educated opinion is to narrow your list to these

Xterra 305, 505, 705 My reasons? I had done literal side by side comparisons with my AT PRO, having laid nails, horseshoe, coins in relation to each other etc, and the findings were very impressive.

The 305 with a NEL coil compared to my AT Pro with 5x8 coil were very close in target ID, Depth and nuances/ information one can gain from the tones.

The xterra series is VERY UNDER RATED... I have experience running an etrac and a ctx 3030 by Minelab, and the XTERRAS based on information one can get from tones alone is where they really shine.

Another forum member and I did the above tests side by side, and to say that the XTERRA 305 was slightly deeper than my at pro by about 1/2 inch, and that there was much more to the 305's tones than expected would be truthful.

Couple that with the target ID screen, and it being a Minelab I would never hesitate to suggest that machine to a new user. The information output from the 305 more than impressed me, and had I not seen it perform as well as the AT Pro, in person, I would have doubted it.

For a new user, I wouldn't suggest a beep only machine and and DO suggest one with a target ID screen. The additional information, ability to discriminate out and notch in targets, the depth, speed and tonal information the user receives is invaluable. Maybe after a new user has experience with tones I would suggest something like a Compadre, or other Tesoro, but for a new user, I wouldn't suggest that where you start. You must first understand the tones, understand discrimination and have "some" experience in the field in interpreting tones and what the machine is trying to tell you.

As for the gofind series, my only opinion is that they are not designed as a daily user metal detector...more of a scouting detector, more of a machine for kids learning, but that is my educated opinion after using and buying one for my son. He put it down after 10 minutes and told me he wanted to use my at pro "and dig numbers in the 80s" Even at 9 he understands where coins are and what machine can find them easier, for a new user, using a target ID screen coupled with the tones.

my .02
 
No bother.
The only shot you have to get close to 1' deep on those is the Vaq and maybe the 705...the MX5 might but I don't know much about that one.
If you have access to a Teknetics Patriot that is a a well featured Fisher F70 at a discounted price.
Again it is all about the soil and yours does not sound even close to normal from what I can tell.
In great, black low mineralized dirt my F70 could do it but where I hunt now in iron oxide mineralized soil I am lucky to get to 8" with the same tool.
In reality there are only a handful of VLF detectors that can successfully hit that one foot mark with any reliability out there and that is usually under pretty good conditions.
The bulk of the hunters in this country using all kinds of machines, including types that go into the thousands of dollars, rarely talk about digging targets much past 9-10".
A few have dug deeper but that is the exception, not the rule.

A TDI Pro could probably do it or some other decent pulse induction machine like a Garrett ATX and won't be bothered by the salt but no discrimination on those types so you will dig almost everything.
This type might be your only hope for what you seem to want to do in the conditions you described.

In Australia, South Africa and other countries with difficult dirt the most popular detectors serious hunters use looking for mostly gold are pulse induction GPX Minelabs that cost $3-$5000...and there have been many that bought counterfeit models of these same types that spent $2000 or more thinking they were getting a deal.
They didn't...they just got ripped off.

Lower priced lower end detectors, even the upper end of the lower scale like most on your list if you equip them with huge coils just aren't made for tasks like these.
You can't make a cheaper car perform like a Ferrari no matter how much you want it too or how many accessories you add to it.

in sumary. that i can have a chance.
tesoro vaquero
teknetics patriot?
Xterra 705
did you say Teknetics Eurotek Pro too?
and see what hapens right?

i found some soil analisys, and i got more calcium (11 - 18 C.mol.c/kg), Mg (1 -3 C.mol.c /kg) and Na ( 1- 5 c.mol.c/kg) and have more sand than silt and clay. i'm a Agronomist engineer btw.
 
Well, my educated opinion is to narrow your list to these

Xterra 305, 505, 705 My reasons? I had done literal side by side comparisons with my AT PRO, having laid nails, horseshoe, coins in relation to each other etc, and the findings were very impressive.

The 305 with a NEL coil compared to my AT Pro with 5x8 coil were very close in target ID, Depth and nuances/ information one can gain from the tones.

The xterra series is VERY UNDER RATED... I have experience running an etrac and a ctx 3030 by Minelab, and the XTERRAS based on information one can get from tones alone is where they really shine.

Another forum member and I did the above tests side by side, and to say that the XTERRA 305 was slightly deeper than my at pro by about 1/2 inch, and that there was much more to the 305's tones than expected would be truthful.

Couple that with the target ID screen, and it being a Minelab I would never hesitate to suggest that machine to a new user. The information output from the 305 more than impressed me, and had I not seen it perform as well as the AT Pro, in person, I would have doubted it.

For a new user, I wouldn't suggest a beep only machine and and DO suggest one with a target ID screen. The additional information, ability to discriminate out and notch in targets, the depth, speed and tonal information the user receives is invaluable. Maybe after a new user has experience with tones I would suggest something like a Compadre, or other Tesoro, but for a new user, I wouldn't suggest that where you start. You must first understand the tones, understand discrimination and have "some" experience in the field in interpreting tones and what the machine is trying to tell you.

As for the gofind series, my only opinion is that they are not designed as a daily user metal detector...more of a scouting detector, more of a machine for kids learning, but that is my educated opinion after using and buying one for my son. He put it down after 10 minutes and told me he wanted to use my at pro "and dig numbers in the 80s" Even at 9 he understands where coins are and what machine can find them easier, for a new user, using a target ID screen coupled with the tones.

my .02

thank you.
betwen display and beep, hard way or easy way. i dont care so much now.
my list is smaller now.
yeah, i think gofind are kinda of breakable thinks.
 
in sumary. that i can have a chance.
tesoro vaquero
teknetics patriot?
Xterra 705
did you say Teknetics Eurotek Pro too?
and see what hapens right?

i found some soil analisys, and i got more calcium (11 - 18 C.mol.c/kg), Mg (1 -3 C.mol.c /kg) and Na ( 1- 5 c.mol.c/kg) and have more sand than silt and clay. i'm a Agronomist engineer btw.

No idea, heavy salt environments aren't my area of expertise and you lost me on the chemical analysis, but the Patriot is able to balance down to salt environments in beach areas so if you are not going to go with a PI unit that would be a good choice...I guess.
 
So. narrowed the detectors, asked for price (shipping, whatever dealer stuff) and i got:
- tesoro vaquero with 9"x8": 777$
- teknetics patriot with 11": 695$

...
 
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