Big Boys Hobbies

Tesoro Cibola - beginner's detector?

PSYS

PSYS

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Joined
Aug 8, 2010
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Glendale, AZ
Joined the forum not all that long ago and close to pullin' the trigger on a metal detector for myself. Did some research in the beginning with the help of this forum and the Internet, in general. I was convinced that the Ace 250 was the way to go (bang for the buck + numerous success stories) and at $212 + free shipping... how could you go wrong?

Then someone had the nerve to start hyping up the all-new, super-duper, Ace 350 which isn't even out yet. So I thought - OK, maybe I'll hold off and get that. But then I realized it was going for $300 - $350. (with no real definitive specs, info, etc, etc.)

So I did more browsing at metaldetectorreviews.net as well as eBay... and discovered, I can get into a completely different class of metal detector if I go up and over the magical $300 level.

So... it looks like a brand new Tesoro Cibola can be had for approx. $340... seems like it's gotten rave reviews by several people and the Tesoro brand, in general, seems extremely solid. I like the fact that it comes with a lifetime warranty and right out of the box, it seems to be very well built. I don't have a fancy TiD but as long as I can listen for tones... it doesn't sound like I really need to be looking at a screen, too.

Could I realistically get the Tesoro Cibola as a beginner's (first?) metal detector? It certainly doesn't seem that advanced but I don't want to bite off more than I chew either, so to speak.

Thoughts...?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is the perfect first time detector and it might be all you ever need. I'd only recommend against it if you know that your soil is highly mineralized like many states west of the Mississippi.

The Cibola is a beep and dig. This is not a bad thing because unlike most beep and digs, this Tesoro has very good depth. All you have to do is set your discrimination level to what makes you happy and adjust the threshold. This threshold business is explained in the literature and is not difficult to understand. That's it but for practice in the field. Read the literature fully if you are new to detectors and you'll be so far ahead of most other new users it's not funny. Makes me sad to know so many buy really bad surface detectors for their first machine and grow bored finding modern change near the surface all the time. The Cibola will have you digging into the back alleys of Peking.

For my soil in Florida, the Cibola is the deepest coin detector I've ever used. About an inch deeper than my E-Trac in tests with buried coins. I do not expect all to believe this as I would not have believed it had I not done my own tests. In other soils results could be different. But it remains the Cibola is not a toy.

OT
 
OT:

Awesome. I really appreciate the reply. Safe to say I'll be ordering the Cibula... in the meantime, I think I may take a look at the manual online and give it a read before I get started. I wanna stay ahead of the curve. ;)

Thanks again...

- SCOTT.
 
PSYS said:
OT:

Awesome. I really appreciate the reply. Safe to say I'll be ordering the Cibula... in the meantime, I think I may take a look at the manual online and give it a read before I get started. I wanna stay ahead of the curve. ;)

Thanks again...

- SCOTT.
Click to expand...

Scott, before you order anything, find out about your soil. Maybe ask other members who live near you. If you have soil issues the Vaquero is the Cibola with ground balance. (essentially) Costs a hundred dollars more but you might need it. I know nothing of your area's geology.

Ground balance, if you don't know, is the ability of a detector to adjust to interference in the ground in the form of iron mostly. The Cibola is not adjustable and is suitable for most places that are not near volcanic or mineralized ground. The Vaquero is for these tougher places. I happen to have both models but really don't need the Vaquero's ability to adjust.

Good luck, OT
 
Old Town said:
Scott, before you order anything, find out about your soil. Maybe ask other members who live near you. If you have soil issues the Vaquero is the Cibola with ground balance. (essentially) Costs a hundred dollars more but you might need it. I know nothing of your area's geology.

Ground balance, if you don't know, is the ability of a detector to adjust to interference in the ground in the form of iron mostly. The Cibola is not adjustable and is suitable for most places that are not near volcanic or mineralized ground. The Vaquero is for these tougher places. I happen to have both models but really don't need the Vaquero's ability to adjust.

Good luck, OT
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I just read about the Vaquero's ability to utilize a ground balancing feature.... I'll see if I can find some information about the soil in Wisconsin and whether or not it has mineralized features. I can't say for certain and will do so prior to placing any order for the Cibola.
 
I did a search and came across a metal detecting club in Wisconsin. The Mid-State Metal Detecting Club is located about 75 miles north and west of me. Not exactly a close club as far as proximity goes, but I figure at the very least - they should be able to offer up some information on the soil.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention, OT.

Once I get some solid information about the soil / geology here in Wisconsin, I'll place an order, accordingly after that based on what I find out.

Thank you again for the assistance!!
 
Old Town said:
For my soil in Florida, the Cibola is the deepest coin detector I've ever used. About an inch deeper than my E-Trac in tests with buried coins. I do not expect all to believe this as I would not have believed it had I not done my own tests. In other soils results could be different. But it remains the Cibola is not a toy.
OT
Click to expand...

OT - There is something to our soils. I know that I get depth on my Discovery that few would believe either compared to what theirs' got (when they had it and if they still do). There does seem to be something to the whole soil/detector (maybe frequency?) relationship that really hasn't been explored much on the forum.
 
PSYS
I was in your position last year so take your time

Here is my experience based on my albeit limited experience. A beginner detector is the one you learn on. ;) This activity like any other has a learning curve expect it work through it, Its part of the hobby. Buy the best machine you can afford and be prepared to learn how to use it;) Be prepared to research potential hunting sites (you can't consistently find good stuff if it isn't there in the first place)

Ask questions here. Consider getting some books.

Bottom line this is a challenging hobby. Keep your expectations in check I think most people here will agree that its pretty difficult to make back the initial investment detecting I know I;m no where near it but thats not the point its as much the thrill of the find as the find itself
 
Check with your county extention agent or the university in Madison may have a geology department that can tell you about the soil in your area. Good luck.
 
FelixtheCat said:
OT - There is something to our soils. I know that I get depth on my Discovery that few would believe either compared to what theirs' got (when they had it and if they still do). There does seem to be something to the whole soil/detector (maybe frequency?) relationship that really hasn't been explored much on the forum.
Click to expand...

Felix, I believe density of soil is never discussed but plays the biggest part in detector depth after mineral problems. I have zero experience in mineral areas having never detected north of Carol City in my life.

But compact even mild soil and get rid of the air spaces and this kills depth like nothing else. Most of my soil is course granular coral and limestone. It's like cornmeal. This stuff when not compacted appears pretty solid but you can detect to the full air-test of your detector. Take that same soil and put heavy foot traffic on it for decades, like at a ball field, and then it compacts like concrete. Soil that allowed 12" of detection when in a normal state, now makes detection on coin size objects past 4" a real chore.

The best example of this is a granite slab I have for a step. It's 4 inches thick and no detector I own can hear a coin through it. You have to use large iron objects for tests before you can start to detect through 4" on granite. Stone is soil compacted to the limit. No air spaces in there to allow radio waves to bounce around in.

Clay is another example of a fine powdered soil that compacts and compresses and kills detection depth.

So for me, soil density is the biggest killer of depth and it does not matter what detector you are using. Yet I never here this subject discussed.

OT
 
Old Town said:
So for me, soil density is the biggest killer of depth and it does not matter what detector you are using. Yet I never here this subject discussed.
OT
Click to expand...

YEP...that's why I mentioned it. I remember your granite story and being very surprised by it. I know that at the beach, where the sand is much less compacted, I get increased depth over the regular black dirt. Maybe when you're bored you can make it a seperate thread for discussion? It would be intersting to hear others take on this. This is why I believe some detectorts may be, for whatever the factors are (frequency, coil type, soil, etc.), more attuned to a specific area than another.
 
I think what you guys are "experiencing" is the effect of the ferrous mineralization present in the ground. It stands to reason that as the ground becomes more compacted, more ferrous minerals per unit volume are present.

This affects the magnetic field strength produced by the transmit coil at a given depth.

For the inquisitive :shock:

H = B/μ0 - M​

Where "H" is the magnetic field strength at a given point. The "M" in the above equation for the magnetic field strength is a measure of the amount of magnetic (ferrous) material present in the ground and as you can see, it subtracts from the magnetic field generated by the transmit coil, expressed as B/µo.
µ0 is the magnetic permeability of free space (which would closely approximate the conditions of detecting in "air" or very low mineralization).
 
ANY metal detector can be a beginner detector. Some of the high end and more sophisticated ones can take longer to learn , thats all. Most "beginner" detectors are called that more for their low price than anything else , that way someone can can find out if the hobby is for them without spending a whole lot. True, they are more simple and easier to use so they fit newbies in that regard too , but that dont mean you cant start out with the more advanced ones , learn the ropes and be happy with them too. Nothing says you have to start with a "beginner" detector.
 
PSYS said:
So... it looks like a brand new Tesoro Cibula can be had for approx. $340... seems like it's gotten rave reviews by several people and the Tesoro brand, in general, seems extremely solid. I like the fact that it comes with a lifetime warranty and right out of the box, it seems to be very well built. I don't have a fancy TiD but as long as I can listen for tones... it doesn't sound like I really need to be looking at a screen, too.
Click to expand...

The Cibola is *not* a tone ID detector. Tesoro's Golden uMax does have 4 different tones, but you won't get different tone frequencies depending on the object with the Cibola, or its big brother, the Vaquero. You can still get information about the object from the tone (is it steady? is it chattering?), but I just wanted to make sure you didn't think you were going to get different tone frequencies.

-- Tom
 
Rudy said:
For the inquisitive :shock:
H = B/μ0 - M
Where "H" is the magnetic field strength at a given point. The "M" in the above equation for the magnetic field strength is a measure of the amount of magnetic (ferrous) material present in the ground and as you can see, it subtracts from the magnetic field generated by the transmit coil, expressed as B/µo.
µ0 is the magnetic permeability of free space (which would closely approximate the conditions of detecting in "air" or very low mineralization).
Click to expand...

:saywhat::ehh: Alright Rudy, I think I am ready for my class in thermonuclear dynamics now! :good:
 
Rudy said:
I think what you guys are "experiencing" is the effect of the ferrous mineralization present in the ground. It stands to reason that as the ground becomes more compacted, more ferrous minerals per unit volume are present.

This affects the magnetic field strength produced by the transmit coil at a given depth.

For the inquisitive :shock:

H = B/μ0 - M​

Where "H" is the magnetic field strength at a given point. The "M" in the above equation for the magnetic field strength is a measure of the amount of magnetic (ferrous) material present in the ground and as you can see, it subtracts from the magnetic field generated by the transmit coil, expressed as B/µo.
µ0 is the magnetic permeability of free space (which would closely approximate the conditions of detecting in "air" or very low mineralization).
Click to expand...

So Rudy, are you saying that it's the "bringing together" of available minerals and the problems that causes, or the elimination of air space? or a combination of both?

If you had a soil of the lowest possible mineral (iron?) content and compacted it, wouldn't you still have a dense mass to get through? Detector waves are not magical, you can stop them by density alone. (or so I thought)

OT
 
I don't know what classifies a detector as a "beginner" but I can tell you I live in Racine and I've been using the Ace 250 for about a year with great success. Other than pull tabs, I don't believe our soil has anything special to it. As far as depth goes, I haven't found anything below 5" yet. I don't use headphones, but after reading some posts here, may consider it.
 
matmit said:
I don't know what classifies a detector as a "beginner" but I can tell you I live in Racine and I've been using the Ace 250 for about a year with great success. Other than pull tabs, I don't believe our soil has anything special to it. As far as depth goes, I haven't found anything below 5" yet. I don't use headphones, but after reading some posts here, may consider it.
Click to expand...

My Ace 250 would not detect coins past 3 inches in what has to be the easiest soil on earth. You have a superb 250 if you get to 5 inches. Headphones won't help you hear what isn't there. I think your Ace is at it's limit now.

Only twice have I literally trashed a detector. First one was the Coinmaster by White's and second was the Ace 250. I could not even justify giving those two devices away let alone reselling them. Would not have been right.

Save your money for a different machine if you want to get below 6 inches. This IS where the action is if old coins is your thing. I have not found a coin of any real age above 6 inches in many years. Not that they don't exist, they are just getting rarer and rarer.

OT
 
TopPop said:
PSYS
I was in your position last year so take your time

Here is my experience based on my albeit limited experience. A beginner detector is the one you learn on. ;) This activity like any other has a learning curve expect it work through it, Its part of the hobby. Buy the best machine you can afford and be prepared to learn how to use it;) Be prepared to research potential hunting sites (you can't consistently find good stuff if it isn't there in the first place)

Ask questions here. Consider getting some books.

Bottom line this is a challenging hobby. Keep your expectations in check I think most people here will agree that its pretty difficult to make back the initial investment detecting I know I;m no where near it but thats not the point its as much the thrill of the find as the find itself
Click to expand...


Absolutely. Excellent reply and excellent post. Thanks for that...

I think right now as it is, I've got fairly low expectations. Fall is on the horizon which means it's a great time to enjoy the cool fall weather and excellent changing color of the leaves that Mother Nature has to offer. I love Wisconsin in the Fall. :yes:

I love being outdoors, in general and I figure - if I can swing a detector at the sametime and enjoy a new hobby and the outdoors... why not? I don't have any wild delusions of getting rich and if I find something rare or worth keeping at the same time... it's a bonus.

I am anxious to get something ordered... but like everything else, I do want to take my time and learn as much as I can.
 
Metalbender said:
Check with your county extention agent or the university in Madison may have a geology department that can tell you about the soil in your area. Good luck.
Click to expand...

This is basically my next step because I did not hear back from anyone that i contacted at a couple of the local MD clubs. I do know that UW-Madison has a specific Geology Dept. so I think I'll ask the questions there.

I know that someone in a local club must have experience with the Tesoro line of detectors and whether or not they're feasible for use in Wisconsin. I've just not had anyone communicate that back to me as of yet.

I'll try UW-Madison and/or see if I can scour the Internet for some Wisconsin users.
 
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