Newbie again, looking for some advice!

Contact one of the forum sponsors surly they can help you out. To locate a sponsor of this site go to top right corner of the page and click the advertisement. Good luck and Hh. Let us know what you decide.

I can give you my 2 cents worth on the F2 and the Garrett Pro Pointer... not sure about your hunting locations and the requirements you might have in equipment choices though.

As far as I'm concerned the F2 is a pretty good machine. I've used my exclusively since last year up until just this past week when I took out my old Tesoro Tejon and started playing with it a bit. The F2 is super-easy to learn, it's very light weight, and I have found some deep coins with it in sandy/clay mix soil. The deepest for sure was a merc dime at about 9" deep.

I wouldn't necessarily call the F2 a starter machine, but it's not advanced either. I do have three coils for it, the 8" stock, the 4" sniper, and just got the 11" DD. All three do well in certain conditions. My favorite is the sniper coil and I use it on all of my trashy sites, it can't be beat. I'm just getting the hang of the DD, it's a different critter as far as pinpointing the target and takes a little getting used to. The stock coil does what it's supposed to but I hardly ever use it any more.

I use the F2 at our local lakes, the coil is submersible but you do have to keep the control box high and dry. My husband has the Ace 250, which is also a fine machine but I don't like the display and controls for whatever reason, so I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be crazy about the Ace 350 either. It's ok, but just not my favorite.

Now, pinpointers... I got my Garrett PP last year and used it hard, and it's recently started doing that falsing thing that some of them do, and now it's out of warranty of course. I haven't abused it, just used it. I didn't dig with it, bang it around, etc. Now it's to the point where it falses so often that it's useless to me. Fortunately I have been able to use my husband's as a backup. I just ordered myself an X-Pointer to replace it. There may or may not be some inherent problem with the Garretts (I think from all the comments on them that there is) so I'm just moving on to the XP and call it good.

I hope this helps, it's difficult to decide. It's too bad you can't get your paws on both machines and actually give them a little test run as that might decide it for you.

BBsGal said:

I can give you my 2 cents worth on the F2 and the Garrett Pro Pointer....

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Thank you very much! I like the idea behind the F2 and all the coils, also good to know that it can handle shallow water. I live within 5 miles of 6 fishing holes and a couple small lakes so I plan to visit those quite a bit. The guy I borrowed the 705 from also had a 350 that I used for one outing and I wasn't a big fan of it. He also had fairly negative things to say about it and was just holding onto it in case the 705 died.

Thanks for the heads up about the X-pointer, looks like a good little machine! From what I can tell, it seems like almost every pointer has problems and some are more painful than others I'll probably look into starting with the X-pointer for my budgets sake but will also pick up a Pro-pointer just for personal comparison.

Thanks again for all your advice, happy hunting!

The 705 is a coin finding beast I got mine this last week I have been out twice with it and have found 2 mercury dimes 1 barber dme and a few wheaties as well as some clad coins I run it in the factory coin mode and have (Thanks to Diggers E book) on the Minelab site learned to adjust threshold and sensitivity I love this machine the factory settings will get you coins and it is easy to tweak as you learn and feel more comfortable

PM'ed you if you can receive them. If not, I can email you a detector for sale offer via email.
My email is [email protected]

Go with the F2.

I'm a Garrett guy myself but if you want to get a decent kit put together go with the F2 make sure you get a double D coil so you can cover more ground easier. As far as pin pointer I have the Garrett and the xpointer and I leave my Garrett as a back up now, the Xpointer offers a lot and does a great job and doesn't false signal like the Garrett. It has alarm on it in case you leave it on or lose it, 4 sensitivity modes too, comes with a spring lanyard. All this should get you going and keep you happy for some time but you will eventually want to move up.

What did you like about the 705 and the Pro?
Did you look at the screen when you used them, did you notice the VDI numbers?
The 350 doesn't have them, the F2 does and if you are picking between these two that should make your decision easy.
The F2 with any coil is pretty deadly, no matter what coil you choose to use as a prime the sniper coil should be part of your arsenal.
I used that plus the 8 and 10" coil and found more than you might believe.
The DD coil is an option many love to use on the F2, also.

I have both the Propointer and the X pointer and I prefer the Garrett but both are good...the X is a bit cheaper.

Soon some will jump in here and suggest a third one to think about, the Euro Tek Pro which is the new darling of the lower end lines and it has some great features too.
Don't ever discount the value of the the F2 multiple coil packages, however, and the price of coils for this one, either.
Your choice should be between the ETP and the F2 so look hard at both.

"Your choice should be between the ETP and the F2 so look hard at both."

That's good advice.

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/compare.php?x=341&y=201


I would PM forum sponsors for better pricing than you would get just randomly buying online.

http://metaldetectingforum.com/sponsors.php

Noktrnl said:

Thank you very much! I like the idea behind the F2 and all the coils, also good to know that it can handle shallow water. I live within 5 miles of 6 fishing holes and a couple small lakes so I plan to visit those quite a bit. The guy I borrowed the 705 from also had a 350 that I used for one outing and I wasn't a big fan of it. He also had fairly negative things to say about it and was just holding onto it in case the 705 died.

Thanks for the heads up about the X-pointer, looks like a good little machine! From what I can tell, it seems like almost every pointer has problems and some are more painful than others I'll probably look into starting with the X-pointer for my budgets sake but will also pick up a Pro-pointer just for personal comparison.

Thanks again for all your advice, happy hunting!

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You are very welcome! I just got my X Pointer and took it for a spin. It's pretty comparable in style and construction to the Garret IMO, I do like that you can set it to either beep, or vibrate, or both. It also seems to have just a little more range but that's not a huge issue with me. The things I like best about it so far are that the light is actually bright enough to help see into the plug hole, and it comes with a lanyard/leash which the garrett does not. But you should be happy with any good quality pinpointer that does what it is supposed to...

For more detailed info on the F2 you might read Digger27's posts, he's the F2 guru and goes into very interesting detail on how it's worked for him. It helped me immensely when I got mine.

DIGGER27 said:

What did you like about the 705 and the Pro?
Did you look at the screen when you used them, did you notice the VDI numbers?
The 350 doesn't have them, the F2 does and if you are picking between these two that should make your decision easy.
The F2 with any coil is pretty deadly, no matter what coil you choose to use as a prime the sniper coil should be part of your arsenal.
I used that plus the 8 and 10" coil and found more than you might believe.
The DD coil is an option many love to use on the F2, also.

I have both the Propointer and the X pointer and I prefer the Garrett but both are good...the X is a bit cheaper.

Soon some will jump in here and suggest a third one to think about, the Euro Tek Pro which is the new darling of the lower end lines and it has some great features too.
Don't ever discount the value of the the F2 multiple coil packages, however, and the price of coils for this one, either.
Your choice should be between the ETP and the F2 so look hard at both.

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I did look at the screen for 90% of the time so the numbers were a huge help! I didn't even notice the 350 doesn't have those numbers, thank you for the heads up, I'll definitely scratch the 350 off my list.

An important feature that I'm looking for is the ability to search in semi-shallow water. The AT Pro being submersible up to 10' sounds like a huge bonus to me but the price is definitely a bit higher than what I should spend right now. I noticed the ETP said the coils are waterproof so I'm assuming that means just to keep the control box dry like the F2?

Thank you so much for all your info, I will definitely check out your other posts on the F2 before making any sudden decisions

Dsm_mechva said:

"Your choice should be between the ETP and the F2 so look hard at both."

That's good advice.

http://metaldetectorreviews.net/detectors/compare.php?x=341&y=201


I would PM forum sponsors for better pricing than you would get just randomly buying online.

http://metaldetectingforum.com/sponsors.php

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Thanks for the comparison page! I was using KellyCo's comparison sheets but I like this one much better. I will definitely be using one of the sites sponsors and have already received help and price quotes from a couple of them.

BBsGal said:

You are very welcome! I just got my X Pointer and took it for a spin. It's pretty comparable in style and construction to the Garret IMO, I do like that you can set it to either beep, or vibrate, or both. It also seems to have just a little more range but that's not a huge issue with me. The things I like best about it so far are that the light is actually bright enough to help see into the plug hole, and it comes with a lanyard/leash which the garrett does not. But you should be happy with any good quality pinpointer that does what it is supposed to...

For more detailed info on the F2 you might read Digger27's posts, he's the F2 guru and goes into very interesting detail on how it's worked for him. It helped me immensely when I got mine.

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I've been reading good things about the X-Pointer since you mentioned it and I think I'm leaning more towards it right now as opposed to the Garrett. Have you noticed any interference on your machine while using the X-pointer? Thanks again for your help!

Thanks everyone! I scored the day off today so I'll be doing some heavy researching and I'll look heavily into the ETP. Such a helpful community here, it's nice to not receive the obligatory "learn 2 search newb!"

Noktrnl said:

I did look at the screen for 90% of the time so the numbers were a huge help! I didn't even notice the 350 doesn't have those numbers, thank you for the heads up, I'll definitely scratch the 350 off my list.

An important feature that I'm looking for is the ability to search in semi-shallow water. The AT Pro being submersible up to 10' sounds like a huge bonus to me but the price is definitely a bit higher than what I should spend right now. I noticed the ETP said the coils are waterproof so I'm assuming that means just to keep the control box dry like the F2?

Thank you so much for all your info, I will definitely check out your other posts on the F2 before making any sudden decisions

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Lots of info here about the F2 and other stuff including what might be the longest most viewed thread on any forum, (almost 151,000 views...1375 replies) and it is all about what I went through learning it from day one and many other owners experiences too.
The ETP wasn't available at the time so I might have made a different choice if it was but considering what I wanted to spend and what I think and know now about sniper coils maybe not.
The sniper coil is one of my prime weapons for all my detectors and it is practically free with the F2 or really cheap to buy aftermarket, about $100 or more to get one for the ETP so that would have colored my decision at the time if I had the choice.
I went with the F2, learned it well and was more successful than I could have ever dreamed so I guess it was a good choice for me.

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=175136


Most of us start with one and eventually upgrade when we figure out what kind of hunter we want to be and what tool we would really enjoy to use to be the best at it.
Still, that first one is important as far as learning to enjoy the basics in the hobby and using a tool to help you learn what the hobby is all about as fast and as easy as possible.
Learning should be fun, not frustrating and a hassle and the F2 fit that bill for me as I learned.
It helps that it also seems to be able to find the great stuff we look for like coins, relics, silver and gold, also.

I'd get you a Eurotek Pro and Xpointer from Bart @ big boys or Rich @ Colonial or any sponsor really that has the xpointers.

DIGGER27 said:

Lots of info here about the F2 and other stuff including what might be the longest most viewed thread on any forum, (almost 151,000...1375 replies) and it is all about what I went through learning it from day one and many others experiences too.
The ETP wasn't available at the time so I might have made a different choice if it was but considering what I wanted to spend and what I think now about sniper coils maybe not.
The sniper coil is one of my prime weapons for all my detectors and it is practically free with the F2 or really cheap to buy aftermarket, about $100 or more to get one for the ETP so that would have colored my decision at the time if I had the choice.
I went with the F2, learned it well and was more successful than I could have ever dreamed so I guess it was a good choice for me.

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=175136


Most of us start with one and eventually upgrade when we figure out what kind of hunter we want to be and what tool we would really enjoy to use to be the best at it.
Still, that first one is important as far as learning to enjoy the basics in the hobby and using a tool to help you learn what the hobby is all about as fast and as easy as possible.
Learning should be fun, not frustrating and a hassle and the F2 fit that bill for me as I learned.
It helps that it also seems to be able to find the great stuff we look for like coins, relics, silver and gold, also.

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Wow! What a plethora of information! I've spent the majority of the day (should have done yard work ) reading through a lot of those posts and man you make a compelling argument for the F2! Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of your experience, your posts and knowledge has helped me tremendously!

Noktrnl said:

Wow! What a plethora of information! I've spent the majority of the day (should have done yard work ) reading through a lot of those posts and man you make a compelling argument for the F2! Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of your experience, your posts and knowledge has helped me tremendously!

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Like I said, the ETP wasn't available at the time.
I seem to be able to somehow get the best out of whatever I happen to be swinging, probably due to my anal way of delving deep into the learning process, so if I had made a different choice there could be a long thread about the ETP out there instead.
Many believe that thing has it all over the F2 for a couple of reasons, a big one is because of the iron audio feature which is a fantastic thing to have on a lower end unit for sure.
However, not everyone hunts predominantly iron infested sites and I still did pretty well in those kind of sites with the F2 the few times I hunted them and hunting in general with sites that had normal amounts of iron present.
I never missed what I didn't have so I guess ignorance is bliss, sometimes.

Nowadays there are more good units to choose from in the entry level price points than ever before.
The important thing is to learn whatever you pick well and you will have much fun and find great things.


One of those links doesn't work anymore, the one about gridding.
This was an eye opening read and the info in it is a big reason why I don't believe any site can ever be called hunted out.
New link...

http://www.thetreasuredepot.com/tdmag/issue5/coinshooting.htm

Always smart to listen to Digger27! The guy knows his stuff!

If you are willing to spend extra 100$ more than the F2, the Minelab 305 can be had for the same price as the Ace 350. 305 has Ground balance (f2, ace 350 do not) and the option to switch frequencies by switching coils. It's worth a look IMO

So I met up with my buddy who has the AT Pro and we went down to one of my local fishing holes to just play around and let the dogs run loose. I got a solid 30 minutes in using the ATP, about 10 of it was in the water but boy it was COLD!

I found just under $3 in clad and my buddy was about the same but with an extra pair of sunglasses and it made me realize just how badly I need a machine that is safe around water. I plan to be detecting water holes quite frequently and we are known to have sudden random downpours and I would hate for my investment to be toast because of that.

Like mentioned before, the ATP is slightly out of my budget so I'm going to work on getting the funds up as quickly as possible but my first detector purchase will definitely be the ATP. I do want to thank everyone for contributing their advice and information, all of it has been extremely helpful. I'll be sure to update when I finally pull the trigger!

The atp pro I think has the 350 built in it then go to the pro settings as you learned the machine....