~Alan~
Forum Supporter
List of unhappy Garrett Propinpointer owners
- Thread starter wisky18
- Start date
joee5
Elite Member
There are several lemons out there. Here is a post a friend sent me.
hi your spot on here is a copy of a article i did on there so called best of the best probes fell on death ears I have to say they are way over priced for a metal detector, and in short that's what the probe is, and shaped into a hand held metal detector that can only go 2 inches deep at best. taking into account that even the cheapest metal detector on a stick far less work goes into making a probe, e.g.: no search head, no control box, or wires, not even the steams to name a few. All they are very basic components, and are all metal. unlike a 30 pound detector you can buy off say eBay, that will go far more that 2 inches on a 1p coin, the probe can just about do. It may be the best however it is still not right good for 90 notes. We just have to put up with high cost low performance probes till some one pulls there finger out and does one that is very good, we are stuck with the so called best probe, and let's say none of the probes are that good anyway.
having had one taken to bits to see just what is used, they have a very small board inside and very thin wire that connects from the probe tip to main board behind the on off switch, with a 25p on off push button switch, the speaker is tiny 35p it has some fundamental flaws,1) the board does not need wires at all, as the board could just have tracks that slots into the small coil by way of a track female at its base, just like every pc has the likes of a ram board it just slides in snug fit. (2) having the speaker slot were your hand goes all dirt can and does fill the out let grooves in the out skin of the plastic probe, in time the speaker fills with dirt and the sound get quieter and quieter. Taping over the said groove does cut the amount of sound you will here. Under the rubber on off switch cover, once removed the board is open to any water or dirt. Should you end up with the specked full of dirt and getting no noise removing it will just snap the wires, as it did when we had it took apart. once you reattach the wires putting it back in is very hard indeed, point (3) the wires inside are shaped in way that when you remove it to free the dirt build up they become straitened on retuning it back inside the wires become trapped when tying to reinsert the board, when at last you can get the board to slide in pre formed slots the wire come off again, as it very flimsy indeed,
you can all see where we are going now time after time we put wires back on to have it kink yet again.
added this to the on off push button switch that now wont line up because the wires are kinking inside yet again making the on off switch Perdue to the reassess of out casing. making the on off switch almost impossible to refit, now if the board had a track on it and no wires, the board can be removed very easily and dirt removed by just about any one. The amount time spent doing this would push the cost to have dirt removed. This will far out way the cost of buying a new one. And this is what I ended up doing. So in all is it that good for 90 notes I think not.
Point 4) they give off far too many false readings, they also go off a lot when they become very dirty, so armed with this I decided to take it to an electronic expert to have his view on the so called best probe out there. He decided to take it to bits him self then the fun started. Once he had it in many pieces he said it's so basic that some on with right tools could produce this for around 15-20 pounds. He said the problem was a mould for an outer casing that would be expensive on a one unit, but mass produced as they are by Garrett he would see the cost being 25 pounds at best
Not bad for 90 notes hay!
hi your spot on here is a copy of a article i did on there so called best of the best probes fell on death ears I have to say they are way over priced for a metal detector, and in short that's what the probe is, and shaped into a hand held metal detector that can only go 2 inches deep at best. taking into account that even the cheapest metal detector on a stick far less work goes into making a probe, e.g.: no search head, no control box, or wires, not even the steams to name a few. All they are very basic components, and are all metal. unlike a 30 pound detector you can buy off say eBay, that will go far more that 2 inches on a 1p coin, the probe can just about do. It may be the best however it is still not right good for 90 notes. We just have to put up with high cost low performance probes till some one pulls there finger out and does one that is very good, we are stuck with the so called best probe, and let's say none of the probes are that good anyway.
having had one taken to bits to see just what is used, they have a very small board inside and very thin wire that connects from the probe tip to main board behind the on off switch, with a 25p on off push button switch, the speaker is tiny 35p it has some fundamental flaws,1) the board does not need wires at all, as the board could just have tracks that slots into the small coil by way of a track female at its base, just like every pc has the likes of a ram board it just slides in snug fit. (2) having the speaker slot were your hand goes all dirt can and does fill the out let grooves in the out skin of the plastic probe, in time the speaker fills with dirt and the sound get quieter and quieter. Taping over the said groove does cut the amount of sound you will here. Under the rubber on off switch cover, once removed the board is open to any water or dirt. Should you end up with the specked full of dirt and getting no noise removing it will just snap the wires, as it did when we had it took apart. once you reattach the wires putting it back in is very hard indeed, point (3) the wires inside are shaped in way that when you remove it to free the dirt build up they become straitened on retuning it back inside the wires become trapped when tying to reinsert the board, when at last you can get the board to slide in pre formed slots the wire come off again, as it very flimsy indeed,
you can all see where we are going now time after time we put wires back on to have it kink yet again.
added this to the on off push button switch that now wont line up because the wires are kinking inside yet again making the on off switch Perdue to the reassess of out casing. making the on off switch almost impossible to refit, now if the board had a track on it and no wires, the board can be removed very easily and dirt removed by just about any one. The amount time spent doing this would push the cost to have dirt removed. This will far out way the cost of buying a new one. And this is what I ended up doing. So in all is it that good for 90 notes I think not.
Point 4) they give off far too many false readings, they also go off a lot when they become very dirty, so armed with this I decided to take it to an electronic expert to have his view on the so called best probe out there. He decided to take it to bits him self then the fun started. Once he had it in many pieces he said it's so basic that some on with right tools could produce this for around 15-20 pounds. He said the problem was a mould for an outer casing that would be expensive on a one unit, but mass produced as they are by Garrett he would see the cost being 25 pounds at best
Not bad for 90 notes hay!
After about 7 months, the false beeping got so bad, it's pretty much useless. Turning off, then back on, doesn't settle it down, sometimes not even long enough to get it near the hole. It's starting to warm up some down here, should motivate me toward sending it in. Doing fine with my Centech in the meantime.
For $127.50 (x 2, if you can't hunt without one, or two backups...), you should have a tool you can depend on, not depend on having to send it back. I could accept a few units get out occasionally, but a replacement, with the same problem? For such a premium price, I expect top quality. For the $16 I spent on the Centech, I had no expectations, and realized it was going to be needing enhanced a little, which I did shortly after getting it. Didn't even wait for the switch to fail, simply didn't like holding the button down. Only problem, is the Florida summer heat, which might have been a contributing factor on the Garrett, if they used hot glue to secure anything inside.
For $127.50 (x 2, if you can't hunt without one, or two backups...), you should have a tool you can depend on, not depend on having to send it back. I could accept a few units get out occasionally, but a replacement, with the same problem? For such a premium price, I expect top quality. For the $16 I spent on the Centech, I had no expectations, and realized it was going to be needing enhanced a little, which I did shortly after getting it. Didn't even wait for the switch to fail, simply didn't like holding the button down. Only problem, is the Florida summer heat, which might have been a contributing factor on the Garrett, if they used hot glue to secure anything inside.
I will never buy another one. I expect my equipment to work. I've been through three. I still have one that is pretty much useless. Garrett has to know of the problems, but just replaces them instead of making a correction in manufacturing. When they work they are great. Unfortunately that isn't very often for me. I'll wait for the the Pro Pointer II.
wrldtrker
Forum Supporter
The pro pointers I have always worked just as advertised. I had one go bad because I was using it in wet and muddy conditions. Mud got into the the switch and that was that. Lesson learned. Sent it back to Garrett thinking I would have to pay and explained what I had done. They sent me a new one at no charge. That is excellent customer service... I have since mud and water proofed both and have had no problems with them.
DirtyNeckJesse
Elite Member
What we have learned from this thread:
1) Some folks got a bad Garrett and hate them with a passion
2) Some folks have had nothing but good luck with the Garrett and absolutely swear by them.
3) Patton has had a bunch of em and as far as we know still has 8 working GPPs.
4) THIS IS THE BIGGIE FOLKS: If ya get a bad one you have two choices...send it back and get a new one free...or put the dang thing on here and sell it 'cause somebody will take it off your hands. This frees you up to buy whatever else you can find out there on the market and you can get happy again!
It ain't rocket science folks.
1) Some folks got a bad Garrett and hate them with a passion
2) Some folks have had nothing but good luck with the Garrett and absolutely swear by them.
3) Patton has had a bunch of em and as far as we know still has 8 working GPPs.
4) THIS IS THE BIGGIE FOLKS: If ya get a bad one you have two choices...send it back and get a new one free...or put the dang thing on here and sell it 'cause somebody will take it off your hands. This frees you up to buy whatever else you can find out there on the market and you can get happy again!
It ain't rocket science folks.
kireta
Forum Supporter
I wonder how the new minelab pp compare with reliability?
scout23
Elite Member
Had mine over two years and not a single problem. I only turn mine on to pinpoint then turn it back off. Some previous threads the users were leaving them on while detecting. I think that caused alot of their problems.
Grumpysrb
Forum Supporter
I have had to return one and it was quickly replaced. I had the new one in a week. I really abused the first, and then got water into the speaker.
U.P. Detecting
Senior Member
Everyone that I know personally who have/had one, it worked good for a few months and then went to !!!!. The quality control just isn't there or something. Mine was the same way, worked amazing for about 3 months and then it just started to beep nonstop for no reason, even with a new battery. Junk I tell you, I have the Minelab Profind now and it seems much, much better. -Jay
tjr35
Elite Member
Pretty disconcerting thread as I wait for mine to show up.
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
Don't get discouraged. I bought my first one in June 2010. Bought a second a couple months later for a backup. Both are still working great to this day, and I use them a lot. If anything, my advice is to work a good deal on a backup. So far mine are still good, knock on wood. Next advice is to almost immediately drop a quarter inside the battery cap to secure the batt better, along with a fresh Duracell battery. I think those are the most prevalent fixes to new owners, besides them trying to leave the Pro Pointer on continiously. jm2c. martin
wisky18
Full Member
Amazes me how many people are happy with it, yet have a back up, why is a back up up needed?
Also I have not complained about Garrett service, only one of their products.
Also I have not complained about Garrett service, only one of their products.
wisky18
Full Member
Thanks for that advice but have tried both ideas, the problem with leaving it on all the time is that it sounds off as soon as it goes near a target and continues to sound off even if im holding it in the air, so i then have to turn it off.
wisky18
Full Member
Thanks for that info, will be looking at a Minelab also for my next one H.H
Same here no issues at all with mine...
wisky18
Full Member
What we have learned from this thread:
1) Some folks got a bad Garrett and hate them with a passion
2) Some folks have had nothing but good luck with the Garrett and absolutely swear by them.
3) Patton has had a bunch of em and as far as we know still has 8 working GPPs.
4) THIS IS THE BIGGIE FOLKS: If ya get a bad one you have two choices...send it back and get a new one free...or put the dang thing on here and sell it 'cause somebody will take it off your hands. This frees you up to buy whatever else you can find out there on the market and you can get happy again!
You got it pretty much right there, only you will notice at the begining of the thread i said they are "great when they work" and they are, but when they dont its the extreme opposite, its because they are so good that when they go haywire it is so frustrating.
When this thread started
this morning, I had a feeling it would turn south. Seems harmless enough.
Itsaring said it right. For 125+ skins we should get a better built product. Im not knocking any brand. I had two 125 dollar Whites pinpointers that both quit. One of them I had to place a penny in to make better contact. Finally gave up on it. I have no idea how many garrett sells, but the ROI must be outstanding. Looking inside a PPer, and then a 10 dollar transister radio and you won't see much more in the PPer to justify the retail.
I now own an inline PP. I can't lose it unless I lose the whole detecter. It can break, and it did. It cost nearly 100 dollars to repair it. Again I feel that that cost was unjustified for what was replaced. Bottom line, most of us use them
so it becomes a cost of doing business. I bought 3 harber freight pps once while visiting a warehouse. They had them and most everyone else at that time were placing them on backorder. I gave one to my brother who took it into his shop. He replaced the button and generally beefed it up. Never had a problem with it. 20 dollars and a little bench time. Can't beat that.
this morning, I had a feeling it would turn south. Seems harmless enough.
Itsaring said it right. For 125+ skins we should get a better built product. Im not knocking any brand. I had two 125 dollar Whites pinpointers that both quit. One of them I had to place a penny in to make better contact. Finally gave up on it. I have no idea how many garrett sells, but the ROI must be outstanding. Looking inside a PPer, and then a 10 dollar transister radio and you won't see much more in the PPer to justify the retail.
I now own an inline PP. I can't lose it unless I lose the whole detecter. It can break, and it did. It cost nearly 100 dollars to repair it. Again I feel that that cost was unjustified for what was replaced. Bottom line, most of us use them
so it becomes a cost of doing business. I bought 3 harber freight pps once while visiting a warehouse. They had them and most everyone else at that time were placing them on backorder. I gave one to my brother who took it into his shop. He replaced the button and generally beefed it up. Never had a problem with it. 20 dollars and a little bench time. Can't beat that.
wisky18
Full Member
Great info, thanks for that, I also took my first faulty one apart to see what was wrong with it and went through exactly the same problems. HH.
