Thoughts on a teknetics T2 (edit) or Vaquero for a beginner

T2 quesion

There are some easier detectors to learn with. Some would suggest an Ace 250 or some type of Tesoro. By the way both are great for their own reasons.
The creek hunting thig is the question. The garret AT pro is waterproof 95 percent of the time, 100 percent if read directions.It also has basic settings for learning and growing . Additionally, the stock coil is pretty nice. It can be used with smaller coils.
T2 I don't have one but I know people who really like them a lot.
With any detector there is a learning curve. I am going through one now!

Look around for an AT pro. It should be doable. Get a good pinpointer. It is almost as important as the machine. My opinion.

If the gold is big enough a t2 should detect it.

The t2 is a great machine,just not for everyone.In my opinion,your just getting started,buy a used at pro with some warrenty..with your 500 you could Definatly get one with extras like a pinpointer.
Not to shy you away from the t2,but the at pro is just as good and easier to learn.

The AT Pro can't touch the T2. The T2 isn't too bad to learn on either. The coil is waterproof but not the screen or control box though. I'd recommend doing some research and wait for something used. I picked up a 4 month old T2 classic that's mint a couple weeks ago for $325 shipped with a extra coil. It's my 4th one.

I guess the only reason I would need something waterproof would be if I fell in a deeper section and the detector got submerged. I'm thinking of water less than knee deep and just needing a waterproof coil.

VaBill said:

The AT Pro can't touch the T2. The T2 isn't too bad to learn on either. The coil is waterproof but not the screen or control box though. I'd recommend doing some research and wait for something used. I picked up a 4 month old T2 classic that's mint a couple weeks ago for $325 shipped with a extra coil. It's my 4th one.

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I'm thinking it's all preference.I agree the t2 can go a tad deeper than the at pro,but the at pro visual Id is pretty much rock solid ,the t2 is not.If I were after relics I'd go for the t2 all day,mostly coins I'd grab the at pro everyday.

I also had a t2 classic and cannot say a bad thing about it,I liked it.But for id and coins,it's the at pro in the lead.At least for me in my ground.

I

would grab a F75 for 599.00, a great machine to go with.

woodbutcher said:

I'm thinking it's all preference.I agree the t2 can go a tad deeper than the at pro,but the at pro visual Id is pretty much rock solid ,the t2 is not.If I were after relics I'd go for the t2 all day,mostly coins I'd grab the at pro everyday.

I also had a t2 classic and cannot say a bad thing about it,I liked it.But for id and coins,it's the at pro in the lead.At least for me in my ground.

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I can agree with that. I guess if your focus is coins and parks a better ID of the Pro to notch out trash would come in hamdy. In the relic field depth and separation go to the T2.

For water work the Pro...accidents happen.
I have friends that have the T2 and they love it, they don't have a lot of problems getting deep and identifying targets but in this area the soil really does matter a lot.
I have experience using the Fishers in both excellent and extremely bad soil under most conditions, clear, trash and extreme iron in both locations.
In the good stuff I rarely had any problems finding the deeper good targets at all, most were good in tone and stable in the numbers even up to the 10" level and a bit beyond...depending on the coil I used.
In the very bad stuff here things are totally different because the places I hunt severe conditions messes with the signals tremendously as you get deeper.
In order to be successful I actually had to learn a new language, behavior patterns and set of clues to find items at deeper levels but I did it, my Fisher had the settings and abilities to accomplish that...in time with much experimentation and practice.
Now I find great things in sites that have been scoured for decades and at depths that friends I hunt with and others I have talked to can't seem to reach.
To be precise most decent detectors can get fairly deep around here but those deeper signals are not normal, are skewed, jumpy and make very little sense so hunters assume they are not worth going after so they remained unrecovered.
I broke the code and figured out some things and now I can find them.
I seem to recover targets a bit deeper than friends with AT Pros, Minelabs, and Whites units among others.
Can these others do what I have done and get better clues on those deeper targets with some outside the box thinking on settings and learning new behavior patterns?
Maybe, but I don't swing those so I really don't have a clue.
What I do know is my Fisher can and does it consistently.

The classic T2 is loved by many, but that new anniversary edition F75 marketed at $599 with a ton of great features can be purchased from most dealers right now for $500.
Knowing what I know and have experienced that would probably be the one I would take aim for if I were in the market and wasn't planning on spending a lot of time in the water.

I started out this year with a T2 as my first machine! I did a lot of reading and research and I am very happy with my purchase! Good luck!

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and comments. I just ordered a used Fisher F70 from Backwoods detectors. Looking forward to receiving it in a couple of days

NCtoad said:

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and comments. I just ordered a used Fisher F70 from Backwoods detectors. Looking forward to receiving it in a couple of days

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My heater....You will be amazed at what this thing is capable of.

Ohhh Boy! here we go! Yeah the F70 is my first rig and after all these years, still my favorite...no end to how you can set it up and what it will teach you about the dirt...

This thing is the secret monster of that whole series of rigs..The Mad scientists at Fisher first built the t2, then the F75, then the F70 was frankensteined up out of left over parts, juiced up internals, and sent out to raid the villages!...

By the way, I hunted over by Kernersville once with it while on business....did just fine in that hard clay/chert soil over there...you should really like this machine..
Mud..