Sleeper, awake! F70 bargain hunting

El Cheapo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2017
Messages
140
Location
Lakewood, WA
From what I've read, the Fisher f70 is considered by many to be a 'sleeper hit' among mid-range detectors. Is was rebranded as the Teknetics Patriot awhile back and got huge price cut - $400 shipped direct from the company website.

I'm not called El Cheapo for nothing, though, and want to beat that. I've seen used and even new dead stock stock f70s going around $275-$325 lately, and wanted to get your take on what you'd consider a 'deal' price. My gut says anything under $300 shipped could be considered a victory, what say you all?
 
I bought an F70 from a club member that won it in a seeded hunt but didn't want it...for $400.
That was at the end of 2013.
Over the years it found me many hundreds of dollars in clad, so many old coin bucket listers including a silver dollar...and tons more.
Knowing what I know about this this and seeing what it can do I thought the original $650-$700+ price was remarkable, the $400 price on the Patriot still boggles my mind and anything below that would be unbelievable on a new unit with a warranty.
A used unit without a warranty would not be worth it to me with that Patriot at $400.

Mine has found me way over $1000 in target cash value counting my silver and gold jewelry at melt, triple that at least if I sold the jewelry at retail even with a big discount.
With numbers like that to me $100 or so is not enough to worry about.
 
I'm still running my Original F70 I've had for 10yrs? My very first rig...I paid full retail at @$750.... been Running it daily and hard all across the Country, from the Gulf Coast to the Mountains of Idaho....Pulled pay with it this morning even....turned it on and off thousands of times...went through 3 sets of headphones during our time together, re-wrapped the grip I dont know how many times....sawed the fins off the original 11"dd and ran the cable up inside the shaft...We have hunted in the water, snow, rain, heat...its lived in my vehicle year round even...ZERO trouble!..This one rig has taught me so much and made me so much money....

like massive money, found me my first gold/silver...stinky amounts of clad and gold/silver jewelry....we did a 10,000 coin year our second year together, Just the F70 and a screwdriver and a nail apron, no Pinpointer or kneepads or nothing else....and thats still how I hunt with it..fast steady making me money! Chasing the Human herds!

Its so fast and sharp, light and accurate and powerful...so yeah..lets do some math and
ROI on my F70...$750 initial outlay....divided by 10yrs in field...= $75 per year amortized expense...Sheeit, we can sling off $75 in a weekend in just clad with this rig!...Luckily, the thing paid for itself in its first month and then some with a big gold chain and the rest has been sheer profit!

I dont give one diddly damn what anybody says about new rigs or prices or whatnot......you simply cannot bottom out this F70, or out race it physically..its Humanly impossible....Its a really rare sleeper that gets not much press ...I love it...We are one...This machine has brought me back from the brink of death and made me one happy and healthy Guy from the time spent behind its coil!

I cant even imagine moving on to another 'Better/faster' rig until I get this one mastered...I cant keep up with it at half power...so yeah...ignore this Dave J Special monster to your peril...or ignore it altogether...I dont give one diddly damn, just saying what the F70 has done and found for me...Its so damn much fun and productive swinging this rig....The F70 makes me want to get up early and get out on the hunt!
 

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I'm still running my Original F70 I've had for 10yrs? I cant even imagine moving on to another 'Better/faster' rig until I get this one mastered...I cant keep up with it at half power...so yeah...ignore this Dave J Special monster to your peril...or ignore it altogether...I dont give one diddly damn, just saying what the F70 has done and found for me...Its so damn much fun and productive swinging this rig....The F70 makes me want to get up early and get out on the hunt!



Mud, you seem a little reserved in your praise of the F70. Was that an endorsement? I couldn’t tell, lol!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Yeah, me too. I was like I know how to write a review, but this even makes reviews seem so amateur rookie.
 
From what I've read, the Fisher f70 is considered by many to be a 'sleeper hit' among mid-range detectors. Is was rebranded as the Teknetics Patriot awhile back and got huge price cut - $400 shipped direct from the company website.

I'm not called El Cheapo for nothing, though, and want to beat that. I've seen used and even new dead stock stock f70s going around $275-$325 lately, and wanted to get your take on what you'd consider a 'deal' price. My gut says anything under $300 shipped could be considered a victory, what say you all?

I'm thinking of listing my F70 for sale...what do you think a fair price is for it, nel hunter coil, 5" DD, and stock 10" concentric all with lower rods?
 
I'm thinking of listing my F70 for sale...what do you think a fair price is for it, nel hunter coil, 5" DD, and stock 10" concentric all with lower rods?

With all those coils and rods, I'd be surprised if you couldn't get $550 for the whole shebang - but if you're willing to talk about just the detector + hunter coil, feel free to shoot me a PM :mder:
 
Heres the thing with the F70..its all about SPEED Hunting...Its a quick broom! Its perfect for running a fleet of chip/gravel/sand totters, dry sanding beaches, or sweeping up shallow dirt clad/jewelry...Why? On account of the Delta Pitch/ Proportional audio feature...

You can instantly tell audibly a Q from a D, a copper from a D or a zinc, a nickel from a tab etc and their depth!...You know the targets depth via the Proportional audio....so, 'Theres a Q at 3"' is dead on and accurate...plus, with the 11" DD, you can 'Hop coil' so you dont have to use the PP button or dink around, just stoop and stab with a screwdriver and pull the target easily....Heads up hunting, no need to look at the TIDS...all Audio hunting...Target 'Ping to Pouch' in less than 10sec...

You gotta be pulling at a 90+CPH rate, so you got no time to diddle around over a target...You can fling down a wide open beach on the towel line or Sportsfield sidelines and find the primary drop zones really quick... cutting a 12' arc...its light and fast and the batts last forever, it will run on fumes...


One big problem with the 11"dd hardware?.....You gotta cut off those coil fins or they catch wet grass, snow, sand and make the coil weigh a ton! You get rid of those fins, and buddy, talk about majorly fast!

Theres better rigs out there for finding deep old silver coins, although this one can do it if properly set up and dedicated, this F70 rigs unique strength is in its speed, lightweight, accuracy in finding targets situated in the top 5" of dirt via soft and half power settings...working around heavy iron in totters or along a chain link fence...things like this...modern sites for fast easy clad and jewelry..picking through heavy trash quickly at a festival park....

You gotta like to hunt really fast though, like really really fast...like weedwhacker speed on the stick, and worm grabbing speed on pulling the target...

No kneepads!, no pinpointer!, and no shovel!..just the F70 and a screwdriver! hop coil, and StoopNStab!


You gotta wear loose fitting trousers and get good with the 'stoopNstab screwdriver' retrieval technique or all is naught...The damn thing is a one-of-a-kind tool in our marketplace, nothing holds a candle to it........

This is a Big Planet, getting really good at shallow speed hunting is a benefit that will come in handy as the old silver runs out....you go slam clad as fast as possible, and then buy all the old silver if thats what you want....Just saying, Its a hell of a lot ROI positive to slam the clad than find the old silver..no matter what rig you run...slam the clad, buy the silver...or beer, or gas, or whatever....

The F70 is the monster money maker if you can keep up with her...which I doubt you can, since even to this day, plying her daily, I myself cannot!....:laughing:...

You dont ever have to ground balance it or nothing! The F70 stores the last program, so I feel exactly like Clint Eastwood in 'Pale Rider' where He's walking up the street in the final scene and changing to a fresh cylinder on his Rem 1858 Colt revolver without looking?...

This is exactly what I do and exactly how I feel on my way into hunting a different venue with the F70!....No looking at the screen, just turning it on and ramping the sens up or down like swapping out a cylinder...then hammering me some dirty stinky clad!...:laughing: I absolutely love this F70 rig! Its an extension of myself! Did I mention that?

I bet Clint Eastwood would run an F70!...For sure not a freaking AtPro or a Minelab!:laughing:
 

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I'm still running my Original F70 I've had for 10yrs? My very first rig...I paid full retail at @$750.... been Running it daily and hard all across the Country, from the Gulf Coast to the Mountains of Idaho....Pulled pay with it this morning even....turned it on and off thousands of times...went through 3 sets of headphones during our time together, re-wrapped the grip I dont know how many times....sawed the fins off the original 11"dd and ran the cable up inside the shaft...We have hunted in the water, snow, rain, heat...its lived in my vehicle year round even...ZERO trouble!..This one rig has taught me so much and made me so much money....

like massive money, found me my first gold/silver...stinky amounts of clad and gold/silver jewelry....we did a 10,000 coin year our second year together, Just the F70 and a screwdriver and a nail apron, no Pinpointer or kneepads or nothing else....and thats still how I hunt with it..fast steady making me money! Chasing the Human herds!

Its so fast and sharp, light and accurate and powerful...so yeah..lets do some math and
ROI on my F70...$750 initial outlay....divided by 10yrs in field...= $75 per year amortized expense...Sheeit, we can sling off $75 in a weekend in just clad with this rig!...Luckily, the thing paid for itself in its first month and then some with a big gold chain and the rest has been sheer profit!

I dont give one diddly damn what anybody says about new rigs or prices or whatnot......you simply cannot bottom out this F70, or out race it physically..its Humanly impossible....Its a really rare sleeper that gets not much press ...I love it...We are one...This machine has brought me back from the brink of death and made me one happy and healthy Guy from the time spent behind its coil!

I cant even imagine moving on to another 'Better/faster' rig until I get this one mastered...I cant keep up with it at half power...so yeah...ignore this Dave J Special monster to your peril...or ignore it altogether...I dont give one diddly damn, just saying what the F70 has done and found for me...Its so damn much fun and productive swinging this rig....The F70 makes me want to get up early and get out on the hunt!

Did you cut the pieces of plastic off the coil to make it lighter? Never seen that before!
 
Heres the thing with the F70..its all about SPEED Hunting...Its a quick broom! Its perfect for running a fleet of chip/gravel/sand totters, dry sanding beaches, or sweeping up shallow dirt clad/jewelry...Why? On account of the Delta Pitch/ Proportional audio feature...

You can instantly tell audibly a Q from a D, a copper from a D or a zinc, a nickel from a tab etc and their depth!...You know the targets depth via the Proportional audio....so, 'Theres a Q at 3"' is dead on and accurate...plus, with the 11" DD, you can 'Hop coil' so you dont have to use the PP button or dink around, just stoop and stab with a screwdriver and pull the target easily....Heads up hunting, no need to look at the TIDS...all Audio hunting...Target 'Ping to Pouch' in less than 10sec...

You gotta be pulling at a 90+CPH rate, so you got no time to diddle around over a target...You can fling down a wide open beach on the towel line or Sportsfield sidelines and find the primary drop zones really quick... cutting a 12' arc...its light and fast and the batts last forever, it will run on fumes...


One big problem with the 11"dd hardware?.....You gotta cut off those coil fins or they catch wet grass, snow, sand and make the coil weigh a ton! You get rid of those fins, and buddy, talk about majorly fast!

Theres better rigs out there for finding deep old silver coins, although this one can do it if properly set up and dedicated, this F70 rigs unique strength is in its speed, lightweight, accuracy in finding targets situated in the top 5" of dirt via soft and half power settings...working around heavy iron in totters or along a chain link fence...things like this...modern sites for fast easy clad and jewelry..picking through heavy trash quickly at a festival park....

You gotta like to hunt really fast though, like really really fast...like weedwhacker speed on the stick, and worm grabbing speed on pulling the target...

No kneepads!, no pinpointer!, and no shovel!..just the F70 and a screwdriver! hop coil, and StoopNStab!


You gotta wear loose fitting trousers and get good with the 'stoopNstab screwdriver' retrieval technique or all is naught...The damn thing is a one-of-a-kind tool in our marketplace, nothing holds a candle to it........

This is a Big Planet, getting really good at shallow speed hunting is a benefit that will come in handy as the old silver runs out....you go slam clad as fast as possible, and then buy all the old silver if thats what you want....Just saying, Its a hell of a lot ROI positive to slam the clad than find the old silver..no matter what rig you run...slam the clad, buy the silver...or beer, or gas, or whatever....

The F70 is the monster money maker if you can keep up with her...which I doubt you can, since even to this day, plying her daily, I myself cannot!....:laughing:...

You dont ever have to ground balance it or nothing! The F70 stores the last program, so I feel exactly like Clint Eastwood in 'Pale Rider' where He's walking up the street in the final scene and changing to a fresh cylinder on his Rem 1858 Colt revolver without looking?...

This is exactly what I do and exactly how I feel on my way into hunting a different venue with the F70!....No looking at the screen, just turning it on and ramping the sens up or down like swapping out a cylinder...then hammering me some dirty stinky clad!...:laughing: I absolutely love this F70 rig! Its an extension of myself! Did I mention that?

I bet Clint Eastwood would run an F70!...For sure not a freaking AtPro or a Minelab!:laughing:

Haha this was fun to read! I should have read this before I asked if you cut the plastic parts off the 11" DD coil because you answer the question here! I may have to try it!
 
I've seen used and even new dead stock stock f70s going around $275-$325 lately, and wanted to get your take on what you'd consider a 'deal' price. My gut says anything under $300 shipped could be considered a victory, what say you all?

Being in FL, I see a lot of machines for sale. Many times its because retirees move here and are no longer physically able to do the hobby. Other times, its because folks buy single-frequency machines and then find out they don't work (well) on salt water beaches. So I'm always on the lookout for a deal and machine to flip for a few extra bucks. With that said....

In early spring there was a Patriot listed in like new condition with two coils, a beach scoop, lesche, digger, and carrot P/P for $350. When I called, the seller told me he had a buyer pick it up within an hour of posting it.

Around the beginning of June I saw a CL listing for a closet queen F70 with the original box, manual and even plastic baggies. Sticker was still on the screen and the bottom of the coil didn't have a scratch. Guy was asking $275 or best. I called 15 minutes after the post and he said someone was already on the way.

Last month I saw a beat up, scratched, and abused one for $700, ha! I'll bet dollars to donuts it's still available. :laughing: Also saw another well used F75 that came with two coils and P/P for $300.

Bottom line is if you want a deal, have money ready and monitor the web sites every hour. Deals pop up, but the good ones often sell in minutes or after just a few posts.
 
... what say you all?

Few more thoughts...

Be observant of where the detector was stored and ask questions. I have arrived at a handful of seller's homes who took their detector from the trunk of a car, shed, and garage where it had obviously been stored for most of its life. The heat can play hell on many things:

1.) Plastics become brittle or crumble. Cam locks are quick to snap and break. And once the detector is put back into regular service, housings have suddenly snapped/cracked.

2.) Batteries. Even worse, some detectors were stored for months/years with alkaline batteries that leaked or exploded. A little corrosion on a battery connector can be fixed, but I've seen posts of extreme cases where the acid leaked into the housing and ate away the circuit board.

3.) Coil Wires. If not appropriately cleaned and cared for, they can become brittle and the outter insulation will crack. In one instance, I bought a closet queen machine from a guy in Wisconsin. I thought since he was in a fresh water area, the detector would be in immaculent condition. Heck, the photos looked great and he said it had only been used a couple of times on vacation. Later, when the detector arrived, I learned those vacation times were at a salt water beach and he never cleaned the machine. Although I turned it on and worked as it should, it wasn't until a week later when I took it to the beach and decided to adjust the shaft and re-wrap the coil wire that I found a tragedy. As I did that, the coil wire started cracking in my hands. Lesson learned ... always bend, twist and inspect every inch of the coil wire. And if you can't do that in person, have the seller send a video of him/her doing that before you buy.
 
Wow !! This thread is making me feel a bit "Patriotic" especially Mud's comments and pictures .I may even be able to swing getting one by selling a few heavy azz coils I have for 400 $mackers !
 
Wow !! This thread is making me feel a bit "Patriotic" especially Mud's comments and pictures .I may even be able to swing getting one by selling a few heavy azz coils I have for 400 $mackers !

I think this is the deal with the F70 Patriot..its strength is its speed and its Delta Pitch tones...a guy has to like to go really fast and hunt in Full tones to realize its full potential...but theres a problem here, if a guy cant physically stoopNstab targets as fast as the '70 finds them, then its of no use...

Theres just no way a guy can keep up with its speed and target ID accuracy, and I'm pulling well over 100 CPH rate in a good field with the damn thing, all prime value targets with little to no scrap!....

The top end is a guys own physical limitations..I would need like three butlers or French maids to do the coin pickins!..French maids preferably...young and spry and game to go!..And a golf Cart! Like "Oohlala!" :laughing:
 
I think this is the deal with the F70 Patriot..its strength is its speed and its Delta Pitch tones...a guy has to like to go really fast and hunt in Full tones to realize its full potential...but theres a problem here, if a guy cant physically stoopNstab targets as fast as the '70 finds them, then its of no use...

Theres just no way a guy can keep up with its speed and target ID accuracy, and I'm pulling well over 100 CPH rate in a good field with the damn thing, all prime value targets with little to no scrap!....

The top end is a guys own physical limitations..I would need like three butlers or French maids to do the coin pickins!..French maids preferably...young and spry and game to go!..And a golf Cart! Like "Oohlala!" :laughing:




Thanks for the added info Mud . I agree , as our old friend Harry Callahan says " A man has got to know his limitations " . Ahhhh…………. witnessing young French maidens ………. using probes and coin poppers , that would make my day !:yes:
 
Update: The plan came together and I'm the new owner of NCtoad's F70 + NEL Hunter coil (see his 'sold my F70' post in this very forum). No one would ever call my technique 'speedy', but I'm confident that I'm good for a few dozen squats per hour at least. Every day can be leg day when you're detecting!

If it's half the machine it's been made out to be, I'll be selling my Eurotek Pro in the near future and the circle of life will continue. Thanks everyone, Mud and Toad in particular, and good hunting to all!
 
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