My Tesoro Sand Shark Review - (not so favorable)

yrekadude

Elite Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2010
Messages
649
Location
Redding & Union City, CA
Tesoro Sand Shark Review - actual review on my website

Preface
I enjoyed metal detecting the Santa Cruz beaches with my White’s MXT metal detector but whenever I would get near the wet sand the MXT would chatter so much that It drove me mad, so much so that I gave up detecting the wet areas but I felt I was missing out!

I started to research which detector I should get for the wet sand and after reading many reviews on www.metaldetectorreviews.net and www.metaldetectingforum.com I decided to purchase a Tesoro Sand Shark Pulse Induction detector. My second choice in my price bracket was the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II and if I had more cash it would have been the Garrett Infinium. I chose the Sand Shark for its price (about $570) and for its controls.

The Decision
When deciding on this metal detector I was concerned about the fact that the coil and headphones are hard-wired but I figured the price and other benefits outweighed the concern. I gathered up some gold and silver rings I had found with my MXT, plus a jar of clad coins and had to add a little cash, but I bought my Tesoro Sand Shark and waited for it to arrive in the mail with childhood anticipation.

It Arrives
I was happy when I received the detector in the mail. I received free batteries, free little packets of sealing grease, documentation and all the parts needed for my detector. I carefully assembled the detector and performed a few air tests and all was well. I've used it often with good results however my mixed review is seen below.

My Evaluation
Upon further examination I probably would have chosen the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II instead had I known what I know now for a number of reasons.

The hard-wired coil and headphones turned out to be far more annoying than I had imagined. I enjoyed having different coil options on my MXT and it is easier to wrap the coil wire on the rod when it is not attached to the detector control box. Most of all I do not like the fact that I am stuck with the Piezo Headphones. I never plan to go underwater with this detector and it sure would be nice to be able to use my Grey Ghost headphones which are much more comfortable and stay on better. The lack of the option to change headphones is a big negative for me.

The 8” and 10” coils of the Sand Shark cause significant resistance to movement while in the water; this can be frustrating while in the surf. I would much prefer something like the stock coil provided with the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II, or other such coils which have far less surface area. See Illustration below:

Coil-Comparison.jpg


It is important to note that the Sand Shark coils work just fine on the beach. I would definitely recommend getting a coil cover for the bottom of the coil. Please note that I could not get a good picture of the coil so I used a picture I took of a Tesoro Piranha coil I had in the past (they are almost identical).

There are a number of other pro’s and cons about this detector that I would like to continue to spell out. I was somewhat disappointed at the appearance of my detector innards when I opened the unit to install the batteries. Being someone familiar with electronics, I was stricken by the fact that the main circuit board of the unit is very small, looks somewhat like the insides of a cheap AM radio in my opinion and the circuit board is held in with two generous globs of hot glue.

The battery pack slides into a small custom made housing that is also hot glued in with one squirt of glue. I do appreciate that the battery holder provided is standard and is something that you could easily replace for a few dollars at Fry’s Electronics, Radio Shack, Dick Smith’s or some other electronics store of your choosing. Take a look:

sand_shark_inside.jpg


Maybe it’s just me, but looking inside at this doesn’t make me feel like I got $575 worth of metal detector! Perhaps Tesoro could cover the electronics better and totally rethink using hot glue to hold things together. It looks cheap, low-tech to me. The general look of the detector gives me a retro 60’s impression which might not be a good idea for a metal detector that is supposed to be high-tech and powerful. It makes me feel like I have older technology in my hands, but I guess some people might like that?

I do have to give good mention to the stainless steel latching system that holds the control panel “Lid” onto the main brown plastic box of the detector. It seems to be very durable and well made. I have heard stories that some people have had problems with the latch getting caught on their shorts pocket while in a thrashing surf, supposedly the latch came open and the electronics were exposed to saltwater which required a $150 circuit board replacement! I personally have had no problems.

I would like to see Tesoro experiment with applying some sort of plastic protective coating on the circuit board to both protect it from leakage and make it look more presentable if this is possible.

Final Opinion
I still use the Tesoro Sand Shark and find some good things, but I am generally not impressed with the quality of the unit. Technical Support and QA also needs to be worked on at Tesoro.

Technical Support / Warranty – Bad Experience
October 29th 2011 I ordered a Tesoro Sand Shark from Shasta County Gold prospector Supply in Anderson CA. and requested that it be shipped to me in Los Gatos CA. I was excited to receive it and carefully assembled it as per the instructions.

I had only had the detector about a week and took it out twice, found a few silver rings and coins and all of a sudden one of the headphone cups popped off and would not go back on. I called Tesoro Support and they told me to ship it to them. I shipped it without the rods, just the control housing, headphones and coil (all connected permanently) and awaited news.

I received a call from Tesoro who said that somehow the person who put the headphones together forgot to install the epoxy resin they use a filler which also helps keep the headphones connected. I had mentioned also that I was getting random blips and zzzip.. noises while detecting so he checked my coil and it failed their seal tests so they replaced the coil.

When I received the detector back, I was excited again to have my machine but quickly found that the coil had an obvious defect on the bottom.. it looked like it had been melted or improperly molded? I called Tesoro and they said for me to return it. I also noticed that this coil was terrible with black sands! I decided to keep it a few weeks and stubbornly went detecting on the weekends but the coil was acting weird so I sent it back like before.

I received the detector back in the mail this past Friday 3/23/2012 and it looked good! I put it all back together and just as I went to put the coil cover on I became disappointed once more… the damned coil is warped in such a way that the coil cover will NOT stay on.. previously the coil cover snapped very firmly onto the coils, in fact it was a real pain to remove! Now it won’t stay on.. also had a scratch when I received it.. the bottom hole seems extruded…
So.. I’ve written a letter to Tesoro asking them who is in charge of their quality control and how did I get a defective produce three times… I did not get responses that I expected, instead I got excuses and a general apathy from the tech support and management! I am sorely disappointed!

Edit - I forgot to add that after I sent an email to Tesoro expressing my frustration at what happened, I got a call back from someone in their repair department talking down to me, complaining to me that "If they had to reject all the coils that were not perfect they would have to get rid of 30% of their coils. Also at one point I was told that metal detectors are not "Museum Pieces" and that your supposed to use them for metal detecting and find treasure. I was quite offended at the fact I was being lectured by someone with a tone in their voice like some teacher or parent scolding me.. so I hung up.. I did get an apology from Tesoro regarding the call I received from that individual.

In general.. I really didn't have a good experience altogether - I am absolutely sure this is a FLUKE and doesn't happen regularly.. but if it's going to happen.. usually it happens to me!

- Yrekadude

P.S. Some of you are probably going to be mad at me.. but this is my opinion and honest experience. :(

sand_shark_deformed_coil.jpg


sand-shark_warped_top.jpg


More pictures at my website link at the top or here: Goldbuddies
 
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Bummer Dude. Can't wait to hear Robert weigh in on this. I am more than a little shocked by this entire story. :no:

I expressed my dissapointment to the company via email and a week went by without any repsonse. ultimately I wrote them a printed and signed letter however I really never got any closure or genuine "We're sorry" for what happened.

I didn't write the bad review at the top of the post because of the bad tech support service I feel I got, it is my honest view of the detector.

I do have to add that the detector is very sensitive to small metal, I have found pieces of thin wire, small staples, earring backs! so I am impressed with the actual performance of the detector.. It works fine, it's the fine details that have me writing a bad review.

I forgot to add the worst part of the incident in the review. and I'll go edit it now and add it.
 
I recently acquired a Tesoro Bandido II uMax. I e-mailed Tesoro, asking how much for another arm cup. Tesoro sent me an e-mail the next day asking my address so they could just send me one.

I got one within 3 days and I am far from being the original owner!
 
Hmmm.....Interesting story......Sure want to hear how this turnouts..that coil should not have gone out like that...
..All manufacturers have things happen and hidden stories of wrong doings...You'd be surprised.....
 
Wow sorry to hear that I'm really surprised you had such a negative experience. I can't say anything about the water machine but own a few different Tesoros and anytime I had an issue they fixed it promptly. I guess it can happen with any company hopefully you won't have any more issues and get some good finds with it.
 
I recently acquired a Tesoro Bandido II uMax. I e-mailed Tesoro, asking how much for another arm cup. Tesoro sent me an e-mail the next day asking my address so they could just send me one.

I got one within 3 days and I am far from being the original owner!

Initially my experience was good also. When I got the detector back the first time they loaded me up with 8 free batteries and some more of the little grease packs. Later on they sent me a free coil cover also.

-Yrekadude
 
This sounds very unlike Tesoro to be honest. Perhaps the person you talked to had a bad day or something but it's still not an excuse for treating you that way and yes, if they have to get rid of 30% of their coils because they don't turn out just right then that is what they should do! It seems that they are at least trying to make it right with you, they are sending you replacements and apologized for the rude employee and all of that does sound like the great Tesoro company that I know. You never get a second chance to make a great first impression but I think they are renowned for quality products and customer service and I hope they continue to work with you. Good luck to you!
 
whiteseclipse6x10dd017.jpg


I'm very sorry about your Sand Shark experience. I can't help you fix that situation but I can help you get the most out of your MXT.

When you get close to the wet part of the beach where the surf is rolling in, put the TRAC in Salt and ground balance again by pumping the coil up and down like you would normally. You'll hear the detector make a "waaa-waaa-waaa-waaa" sound and then quiet down to a steady threshold or silent search, whatever your preference is. Then you can commence searching of the wet parts of the beach.

If you still get a chatty response, I suggest getting the 6x10DD, I use it on my M6 and VX3 because it does so well in the salt, you can stick the coil in the surf or any part of the wet beach and it does just fine. In my picture I included a guitar pick and a Barber dime for scale comparison.
 
I'm very sorry about your Sand Shark experience. I can't help you fix that situation but I can help you get the most out of your MXT.

When you get close to the wet part of the beach where the surf is rolling in, put the TRAC in Salt and ground balance again by pumping the coil up and down like you would normally. You'll hear the detector make a "waaa-waaa-waaa-waaa" sound and then quiet down to a steady threshold or silent search, whatever your preference is. Then you can commence searching of the wet parts of the beach.

If you still get a chatty response, I suggest getting the 6x10DD, I use it on my M6 and VX3 because it does so well in the salt, you can stick the coil in the surf or any part of the wet beach and it does just fine. In my picture I included a guitar pick and a Barber dime for scale comparison.

Thanks Nittany1,

I used to have an MXT... I made the ghastly foolish mistake of selling it since I thought that the Sand Shark would be enough for me. Now that I have experienced a few beaches where people have had bonfires and campfires.. I've gone Bat Guano crazy at times dealing with rusty nails. I pretty much avoid those areas now, but my MXT would sort through it just fine.

I'll get another MXT down the road hopefully or try something different. I miss that sweet As MXT Detector of mine (play on words from Pick of Destiny movie) :lol:

I am kinda curious how this Sand Shark will work metal detecting for nuggets since it finds such small metal.. might be worth giving a try next time I go to Redding CA
.
 
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Kind of confused. You said tesoro took care of the problems each time and you are still using the machine. Even when tesoro asked you to send it in, you still kept it and used it instead of sending it in. They gave you scuffs batteries replaced the coil 2x and you are still saying it does great with small metals.
I see Nothing but good reviews of Tesoro. You are the only person I can find that wrote something bad about Tesoro and you still say the machine is finding the small metals.
It seems to me that not everybody in the world can be satisfied and you are in the .01% of them that can never be satisfied.
Why don't you sell your Sand Shark and get the metal detector that you like.
I have heard of some companies who have asked their customers not to be their customer anymore and pawn their problem customers on other companies!
 
Kind of confused. You said tesoro took care of the problems each time and you are still using the machine. Even when tesoro asked you to send it in, you still kept it and used it instead of sending it in. They gave you scuffs batteries replaced the coil 2x and you are still saying it does great with small metals.
I see Nothing but good reviews of Tesoro. You are the only person I can find that wrote something bad about Tesoro and you still say the machine is finding the small metals.
It seems to me that not everybody in the world can be satisfied and you are in the .01% of them that can never be satisfied.
Why don't you sell your Sand Shark and get the metal detector that you like.
I have heard of some companies who have asked their customers not to be their customer anymore and pawn their problem customers on other companies!

Hmm, that's a very eyebrow raising response. Are you saying that I cannot express the good and the bad experiences I have had with Tesoro? And that if I have any complaints that I should just get rid of it and keep my mouth shut in order to protect the image of Tesoro? I know there are people here that are Tesoro evangelists but.. did not expect extremists.. It's interesting that you assume I am a problem customer for expecting quality service and returning the product when the job is repeatedly proven not to be done right.. (photos included bro)

This is the type of opinion I would expect from the Marxist types out there who try to shush all dissent about our "great" leader. (Politics left out due to board policy)

I have had mixed experience with Tesoro and I live in America and have the right (for now at least) to express my opinion. I am trying to be fair to Tesoro and the detector by noting the positives also.. But the negatives have sure been disappointing.. I don't think a few free batteries and a coil cover and excuses are going to make me feel all right. I also think I do a service sharing my experience, and sharing it truthfully.. the good and the bad..

I kept the detector a little while longer cause I had just got it back from them and I was NOT in the mood to happily plunk down another $15.00 shipping and go without my detector for another week or two.. That's MY choice :)

Just curious, did you create your account just to respond to this post of mine? You wouldn't by chance work at Tesoro?

I knew I would get a couple response like this.. fun to respond to!

Cheers :p
 
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I do not work for tesoro. I use whites too. But I am confused on how you write a bad review but you like how the machine finds the small metals. Your even going to see how it fairs nugget hunting because you are impressed with the how well it works.
Dude, really?
Your started this post on how crappy it was designed and it looks cheap to you but you like the way it finds stuff.
Left or Right not Marxism. Tjhat made me laugh too.
Your a push me pull me!
 
I do not work for tesoro. I use whites too. But I am confused on how you write a bad review but you like how the machine finds the small metals. Your even going to see how it fairs nugget hunting because you are impressed with the how well it works.
Dude, really?
Your started this post on how crappy it was designed and it looks cheap to you but you like the way it finds stuff.
Left or Right not Marxism. Tjhat made me laugh too.
Your a push me pull me!

Dude... there are Positives and negatives to this detector!! It's not Black or White man! I loved my MXT but I am sure many people complained about the fact that there is no volume control and it's loud as hell without headphones.. I'm sure people complained there was no back light.. That's probably why White's Electronics made the MXT pro and addressed some of the issues, (unfortunately not the volume I don't think).

I expressed the good and the bad.. I like lots of things about the Sand Shark, but again dislike other things.. and I'm damn well sure I'm not happy I had bad headphones, and received two deformed coils!! Some of the workmanship is lacking, other aspects are excellent!

Man.. it's like I either need to love it or hate it... life's not like that dude.. I still own the damned thing so I might as well try it on nuggets.. Also.. maybe a bounty hunter can find stuff too.. and I'm sure people complain about the workmanship of it and avoid it altogether or upgrade to something better.. Hell, I read plenty of reviews about Pinpointers!! like the Whites Bullseye how it's button keeps going bad on many people.. or the Tesoro Pinpointer that is too easy to bump the knobs and lose your settings... How would people know these things if I keep my mouth shut and be all PC about it..?

All this information is good to share! It is helpful to others to make their buying decisions... and dude... did you look at the picture of the inside of my sand shark? Hot glue holding things together? Anyone? can you deny that seems a bit shoddy?

This is simply MY experience.. I even admitted maybe other's don't have the same experience I do.. and that I could be the one unlucky guy.. but I still should tell my story! I am not making it up!

Anyways.. Happy Hunting! :lol:
 
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I do not work for tesoro. I use whites too. But I am confused on how you write a bad review but you like how the machine finds the small metals. Your even going to see how it fairs nugget hunting because you are impressed with the how well it works.
Dude, really?
Your started this post on how crappy it was designed and it looks cheap to you but you like the way it finds stuff.
Left or Right not Marxism. Tjhat made me laugh too.
Your a push me pull me!

He has a right to express whatever his experience is with the unit and the
customer service, that's what forums are for. And second his review
was not about performance, unless i missed something. It was about
build quality. I'll tell you this if i pay 500+ for a unit and i look into
the innards to see the board being held by 2 globs of glue i would be
disappointed also. He liked the performance just not the build
quality or the customer service. Don't seem to confusing to me.....
Hope you get squared away yrekadude.
 
Hey, thats all I am doing dude expressing my views. I was actually going to respond from his last post that he cleared it up for me.
I don't need the Forum police telling he has the right to say that when I have the right to say what I did.
Whats your badge number dude?
 
Hey, thats all I am doing dude expressing my views. I was actually going to respond from his last post that he cleared it up for me.
I don't need the Forum police telling he has the right to say that when I have the right to say what I did.
Whats your badge number dude?

If this isn't calling the kettle black i don't know what is.
 
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