Big Boys Hobbies

Any Go-Find feedback?

tinfoiled

tinfoiled

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Aug 2, 2012
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Just curious what others think about the Go-Finds, I didn't have a great experience with the GF60....
 
To be quite honest, and because they were made to get children into the hobby.... I'll be kind.

I thought using the 60 and 40 a horrible experience and are a huge dissapointment. Also taking into consideration the 60 is the same price as the XTerra 305 ....the 305's are leaps and bounds ahead in all ways.

I wouldn't mind betting the Android pro App messes with the phone and will have huge problems, hence why the dealers here only have the 20 and 40 on the shelves.
 
I guess I were most disappointed because I expected a shaft that did not wobble all over the place, a touch deeper unit but more importantly better discrimination. The pinpoint function is a huge let-down and I expected the pin point to be much deeper.

I appreciate the lit faceplate and ease of the touch controls,,, but the whole Bluetooth rubbish and App was such a ridiculous idea.

They would have been better served with a much more stable and sturdy fold away shaft than that flimsy thing, and a light at the back of the control panel to the coil for night hunting.
The coil design is a shocker! They could have put a six inch round concentric on it and easily made the unit more consistent and deeper and a 6" round would have been really erganomic for the kids.
And they definitely only needed one model,, not three. They really could have blown the $200 to $300 price range detectors of other brands out of the water.

So shameful to see Minelab come up with the GoFind. Wouldn't mind betting it was designed by a real hipster -dufus..... and I don't even know what a hipster dufus is...... But it sounds like someone that would design a gofind.
 
I have 2 of the 40s and other than feeling somewhat cheap. I was actually pleasantly surprised by them. The are my 11 yr old sons detectors and they really like them.. We have had no depth problems with them either. They have found a few dollars each in clad in just the one actual hunt they went with me on. I actually will be taking one with me in the backpack when I am scouting new sites...they have both had compadres and a 305 and both have said they would never want either back....
 
I have not seen one personally but I like the concept - relatively inexpensive, easy to use for newbies, screen, super portable, and ability to work with apps. I think a downfall is that they did not waterproof it. I am not saying it has to be scuba ready, but IMHO it should be able to withstand getting caught in the rain or hit with a rogue wave. (A lot of their promotional pictures show it being used in or near water.)

In this day and age I would be hesitant to purchase a machine without at least the minimal waterproofing found on models such as the AT Pro or CTX (except possibly a high end gold nugget machine if I was into that sort of thing). Metal detecting often involves being in or near the water. And even if you stay out of the water there can be morning dew in the grass, salty spray from the surf, mud puddles, and unexpected rain. And how nice it is at the end of the hunt to be able to wash your machine with a light spray of a garden hose without worrying about frying the electronics.
 
Well, let's see. Lousy recovery time. Delayed reaction to targets. Pinpointing a royal pain (I found it impossible, glad I had a pinpointer). TID display largely useless.

Oh, and all those lovely pictures of people using it on the beach sand? Forget it. Sand gets all up inside those sliding parts and turns into sandpaper.

Sorry to say to fans of Minelab, but honesty is important here, I really think they blew it on this one.
 
Smudge said:
Well, let's see. Lousy recovery time. Delayed reaction to targets. Pinpointing a royal pain (I found it impossible, glad I had a pinpointer). TID display largely useless.

Oh, and all those lovely pictures of people using it on the beach sand? Forget it. Sand gets all up inside those sliding parts and turns into sandpaper.

Sorry to say to fans of Minelab, but honesty is important here, I really think they blew it on this one.
Click to expand...

What model did you have smudge? I have two of the 40s and have been down in st. Augustine since saturday and my twin 11 yr olds are loving them. They have been used in the sand everyday. They have found a bunch of clad, some sinkers and one found a 53 wheatie. They both love them and have had no problem with pinpointing. I havent actually used one but doing airtests the recovery speed is as quick as i swing the coin back and forth and I know for sure my kids would be complaining their butts off if they were having the slightest bit of trouble. Also, all you have to do is take a credit card and slide it along the sides of the top cover and it pops off exposing the rods. I have blown them out once and not because they werent working but because I wanted to make sure they didnt start hanging up. I am going to have to pull myself away from my machine and hunt with one myself before I leave I suppose.
 

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Glad you had more fun than I did. I was testing the 40 model. Don't consider myself overly judgmental when it comes to detectors, but this one left me absolutely flat.
 
ok, just came back from actually swinging one of them for a bit...definately not the strongest feeling set up. you can feel wobble, its not completely terrible but definately feels cheap.I only had 2 targets. found an ate up penny and a sinker. I never had any delayed respone problem and the pinpoint I found worked best for me if I actually swung over the target and when the bars got to the most solid position I looked where the opening in the center bars of the coil was. If i did that and took a scoop my target was there. It is definately not a machine I would want to have to swing all the time:laughing: I will however have no problem using it as a scout machine and having it in my backpack while heading through the woods looking for spots. Like I stated earlier, both my boys resally like them and after using one, I have to agree that it is more suited towards the young ones..It is a cool concept, but I would be disappointed if I had to swing one all the time...did I mention how cheap it feels?:laughing: The only way I would recommend it is if you need the portability and even then only if you are trying to find a spot and then go back in with a better machine...
 
These will be the machines where if you get a good one, great-would be handy for quick hunts, but I believe I got an early 60.... if a target was hit both directions it soon was only one direction as I tried to x the target, if I paused a second it would hit the opposite direction,pinpoint was same tone in a good 12" circle and the bars at the top bounced from 1 low to 1 high.. a few more attempts inseveral spots and enuff was enuff. So, maybe thinking the best of the 3 wasn't a good idea and I'm curious to see how the new Fishers perform when they hit the soil...
 
tinfoiled said:
These will be the machines where if you get a good one, great-would be handy for quick hunts, but I believe I got an early 60.... if a target was hit both directions it soon was only one direction as I tried to x the target, if I paused a second it would hit the opposite direction,pinpoint was same tone in a good 12" circle and the bars at the top bounced from 1 low to 1 high.. a few more attempts inseveral spots and enuff was enuff. So, maybe thinking the best of the 3 wasn't a good idea and I'm curious to see how the new Fishers perform when they hit the soil...
Click to expand...

That is a possibility tin. I did read that the early 60s had a software issue that had to be fixed and they had the delayed signal response like we saw in those early videos. The early units that were in videos were supposedly gf60s inside the gf40 housing

I do have to say this....Here is where I stand with it and why I will be keeping both the 40s.
(Long story made short)I have tried getting them both into detecting for over a year now. I bought them both compadres to start. They went once and then I never could get them to go again. I asked them why and both told me they hated it because all the did was dig, dig and dig. They couldnt figure out what not to dig. My thinking was to turn up the disc but they simply said they wanted a screen to help them. I then sold those and got them 305s and guess what? They went once. They wouldnt even give me the chance to try and teach them the meaning of the numbers....lol. As disappointed as I am in the gf after using it for myself last night, the big thing and I mean BIG is for the last few days my little buddies cannot wait until the evening to go out detecting. They absolutely love them. That in itself is worth way more than than what I spent for the two machines. It is nice to finally not have to go detecting by myself all the time finally...lol
 
SavingThePast said:
As disappointed as I am in the gf after using it for myself last night, the big thing and I mean BIG is for the last few days my little buddies cannot wait until the evening to go out detecting. They absolutely love them. That in itself is worth way more than than what I spent for the two machines. It is nice to finally not have to go detecting by myself all the time finally...lol
Click to expand...

That IS Priceless! The time I get to spend with my 8 yr old means everything to me. He loves detecting, hiking, bottle digging etc and loves to get "geared up."

As you know, they grow up and away quickly, so we have to enjoy them while we can. Soon enough we'll be chopped liver and too 'old' to be cool...lol

Congrats on the bonding with your boys and their new machines. I bet they think those machines are the best ever, and at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.

Kudos to you dad for figuring out how to get them interested in the hobby and spending quality time with dad. Apparently, you're doing it right.:yes:
 
Kudos to both you guys, do all you can with them but know you never get old in their minds. My youngest son, now 25 and closest out of 3 boys watched me work on the street machines,raceboats,dirt bike racers..... and wanted to learn and so he did, from go-carts,mini bikes,jet skiis I gave him the knowlege and tools to make it go faster and now he works in a race shop building tuners and cars even I didn't know existed, he also builds custom bikes in his spare time, has a great wife and lving large.... lol, musta done something right. So, I think the GF tech involves the kids enough to enjoy detecting, the concept is there, whatever the case, they are with ya a lifetime!

HH
 
tinfoiled said:
Kudos to both you guys, do all you can with them but know you never get old in their minds. My youngest son, now 25 and closest out of 3 boys watched me work on the street machines,raceboats,dirt bike racers..... and wanted to learn and so he did, from go-carts,mini bikes,jet skiis I gave him the knowlege and tools to make it go faster and now he works in a race shop building tuners and cars even I didn't know existed, he also builds custom bikes in his spare time, has a great wife and lving large.... lol, musta done something right. So, I think the GF tech involves the kids enough to enjoy detecting, the concept is there, whatever the case, they are with ya a lifetime!

HH
Click to expand...


Thanks for sharing bud! You sound very proud!
 
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