Looking for a New Detector

[gwtx2]

I currently own a Tesoro Conquistador which I am not to pleased with. The depth of this machine has much to be desired. I'm looking for something to mainly use in the North Alabama area (lots of red clay and chert), but could also be useful on the beach or in other soil conditions outside Northern AL. My price range is $400-$600. The fancy LCD screens are not a requirement. I'll mainly be searching for coins and relics since there probably isn't any gold where I live. Any suggestions?

[z118]

I was looking for about the same type of machine, and I wound up with the Sovereign GT. I've had it for a little over a week, and I like it so far, though with anything it is taking some getting used to. You may want to check it out as one possible option.

[TonyinCT]

The Minelab X50 or tesoro Tejon or DeLeon are all good detectors as well as the Fisher Edge and Excel.

[Rincon4x4]

I am in the same boat as you gwtx2. I own the Bounty Hunter Quick Draw II and it does OK but there is more to be desired for me. I am currently looking at the Nautilus DMC IIB model. I have read some good stuff on it and it does not have the fancy screens as other brands do. From what I have read it seems to leave the other brands in the dust when it comes to depth and relic hunting. I am trying to get some more info on it before I purchase one though. You might want to look into that as a possibilty. It is around the $500-$600 range depending on where you get it from.

I had also considered the White's MXT or Matrix M6 models but they are a little higher in price. I am just not too sure as what to go with at this point. Good luck.

[Canewrap]

This may seem like its a copy of my answer to another post, but its not.
I'm in N. Alabama, so I thought I might help some with this.
I have an MXT and relic hunt with it. Once you get used to it, the MXT will hunt almost deeper than you want to dig. Don't get too dependant on the TID display though, as it will only give its readout based on it programming and will often be inaccurate on target ID, but then TID is an inexact science anyway. The thing you need to be aware of is the weight of both the MXT and the Nautilus. They are both on the heavy side and will be tough on middle age shoulders and elbows, unless you use some kind of harness support. I also have a couple of Tesoros that I like to use to locate CW camps, where you might be swinging over a lot of ground for a lot of hours without many breaks. My favorite in that regard has become the Tesoro Eldorado (which they unfortunately don't make anymore, but used ones can be had) because you can get a 12X10 concentric coil for it, which gives even more depth. However, if you're after a new machine, the replacement for the Eldorado is the Tesoro Vaquero. I would not recommend buying a Cibola as it doesn't have ground balancing and will be handicapped in the Bama red dirt. I should know as it was the first machine I bought. Cibolas are great little machines, but you'll be wishing for an adjustable ground balance if you do a lot of hunting in Bama. Just be sure that whatever you buy has ground balancing capability. Manual ground balancing would be even better as it allows you to set the balance ever so slightly positive.

[Rincon4x4]

Is the Tesoro Tejon a worthy purchase for coin/jewelry and relic hunting such as Civil War artifacts?? I was told to look into this one as an option.

[Mr.krayola]

i currently own a tesoro verquero. i am really impressed with this machine. it is light weight and very well build. once you use a tesoro its hard to switch to another brand. id be interested to see what other type of coils people are using with this machime and the advadtages with different ones. thanks

[Canewrap]

I don't have a Tejon, but know a few people that use them and they tend to be a little noisy in bad ground, which what my MXT is like. The upside is that its a deep seeking machine and currently in production.

The reason I chose the Eldorado over the Tejon is that they have not developed a 12X10 concentric for the Tejon and in my experience the 12X10 DD coils are not so easy to pinpoint with (which is what is available for the Tejon). Also, I don't need two discriminators to work with, since when I relic hunt I use as little discrimination as possible, discrimination robs you of depth and when you're hunting a previously hunted field, depth is everything.

I was advised that using a uMax type machine with a 12X10 coil would get some incredible depth and just tonight I paired up the larger coil and the Eldorado and it acts real promising. The downside is that its strictly a low trash, max depth setup and a little heavier than the standard lightweight Tesoro setup and forget using much descrimination or you're throwing away the depth advantage. For me its the perfect relic hunting setup, but with the larger coil its a dedicated unit. However, with the standard coil its no slouch either. Sad thing is, they no longer make the Eldorado.

[TomNWMI]

Have told me that they get depth that rivals the big boys with the Fisher ID Edge in their ground.

the Minelab X50, Fisher Edge, MXT or Vaquero would all make good choices. For a bit more the ML X-70 is an excellent choice. I love the different tone options available for different hunting styles. Anytime conditions allow the sensitivity to be cranked near max its a honest deep machine.

Tom