What Drives Detector Sales

[maxxkatt]

Fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) is a manipulative propaganda tactic used in sales, marketing, public relations, politics, polling, and cults. FUD is generally a strategy to influence perception by disseminating negative and dubious or false information, and is a manifestation of the appeal to fear.

This was used very successfully by IBM in the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000 thru 2024 when dominating the computer sales worldwide.

And guess what, when deciding which detector to purchase we are subjected to during the pre-sales or pre-launch of a new detector, you guessed FUD. The manufacturers and their shills plant lots of fear, uncertainty and doubt in our minds with negative reviews of the competing detectors we are either using or thinking of buying.

I have have experience with mini-computer systems and PC based software sales and I know that these techniques are the most effective techniques you can use on a competitor.

Back to choosing a new detector. I was using an AT Pro and the Equinox 800 appeared on the scene. I wasn't even looking for a new detector. I was finding coins and relics with the AT Pro. But with all the hoopala with the 800 I begin to have doubts about my AT Pro. So I started looking at other detectors at the time and I feared making the wrong decision and wasting $500 - $800. I was uncertain about which new detector I should purchase. But the onslaught of the ads for the 800 and the biased detector compare reviews for the 800 pretty much convinced me that it was the superior detector. Funny it took a while to learn about broken coil brackets and leaky so called waterproof 800 detectors. Mine leaked in 13 inches of water when I foolishly laid my waterproof 800 in the river to recover a rusted fish hook.

Am I blaming Minelab. Not really, most companies engage in this sort of behavior one way or the other.

The only solution for avoiding this purchase mania is to wait 6 months until these new wonder detectors get into forum member's hands WHO ARE NOT SHILLS and see what they have to say. That is how I came to purchase my last two detectors after the 800, my CTX3030 and the XP Deus 2. When I made my purchase decisions I had the good advice of 3 experienced and trustworthy forum members. I never regretted the purchase of CTX3030 or the XP Deus 2. Sold the CTX3030 eventually due to the weight problem and my arm problem. Still have the XP Deus 2.

Happy Trails

 

[LovestheShiny!]

Well said! I've been tempted by the Nokta Legend and Score, and the Minelab Manticore. Still use my old AT Pro exclusively and it still finds 95% of what those more capable machines do, for my soil and type of hunting. Sure wish it would cool down here in Montana... temps in the 95+ range for almost 3 weeks now, no detecting for me.

 

[Dave_e]

Agreed.
Being able to identify and measure bull#$%^ has been an important skill since the dawn of time.
Some are easier tricked than others. Always have been. Always will be.

We do need to become well informed on the things in our lives, and we need to navigate thoughtfully and consider the sources of the information presented. Some people willfully and gleefully buy into nonsense without any self awareness, for A NUMBER of reasons.

 

[Cherry Picker]

My problem is I have a phobia about waiting when it comes to new detector technology. Yes, I should be smart and wait for a new detector to prove itself, but I'm running out of time. I have a city park literally loaded with old coinage waiting to be recovered. No if, no maybes, but fact. I want to be the one to get it. Call me greedy. For 40 years I've been hunting this park, and little by little as detector technology improved, I have got a 1" or so more depth and a whole lot of old coins for that 1".

All these new detectors have some really great new features, but the one I've been waiting for has yet to arrive. Or has it? lately watching videos I believe I could possibly gain another 1" with the Manticore. Unfortunately, My financial status isn't what it used to be. I can't just go out and buy what I want anymore. I'm patiently waiting for the right good used Manticore. I've seen one go for $900, and see quite a few in the $1,100 range. We're getting close.

 

[maxxkatt]

Agreed.
Being able to identify and measure bull#$%^ has been an important skill since the dawn of time.
Some are easier tricked than others. Always have been. Always will be.

We do need to become well informed on the things in our lives, and we need to navigate thoughtfully and consider the sources of the information presented. Some people willfully and gleefully buy into nonsense without any self awareness, for A NUMBER of reasons.

A lot of it has to do with a lack of critical thinking about the purchase choice at hand. In my case, I really did not even consider staying with my AT Pro which was working quite well for me. I did not consider the complexity factor of the more advanced 800 figure into my thinking. I just believed all the hype flying around that time about the 800. Then there is the unconscious bias of wanting something new to be the magical answer to the many detecting problems we face. I just knew life would be better with a new Equinox 800. After all Minelab did create the Etrac and CTX3030. So the 800 just must be superior to those two great machines.

I am not trying to pick on the 800. It is a great machine for the more experienced detectorists. But for a guy returning to detecting after using the AT Pro starting in 2010, I was not ready for all the more advanced learning about metal detecting and an advanced complex SMF detector like the 800.

I remember hunting my trashy river park and the 800 going off like a machine gun of different tones and being bewildered. Then I heard more than a few detectorist say you can learn to ID bad targets from good targets by their tones. Huh? All I was hearing in my trashy park was a rush of different tones that made no sense to me. That is why I sold the 800 and bought a new CTX3030. The CTX was not hard to learn and it had a superior target ID display. Even to this day I think the CTX display had not been matched.

Now I am using my XP Deus 2 and I am learning a whole lot more about metal detecting theory, tips and techniques from other trusted forum member. And I am really learning about all the many settings of the XP Deus 2 version 2.0 and how I can best use them on my areas that I hunt Civil War relics, jewelry and coins which are co-located with lots of iron and aluminum crap.

 

[too_pointer]

Good post guys !!
too_

 

[longbow62]

Well said! I've been tempted by the Nokta Legend and Score, and the Minelab Manticore. Still use my old AT Pro exclusively and it still finds 95% of what those more capable machines do, for my soil and type of hunting. Sure wish it would cool down here in Montana... temps in the 95+ range for almost 3 weeks now, no detecting for me.

I'm sorry but IMHO getting 95% of what those more capable machines do is really wishful thinking. I know you find a lot of silver. Actually more than I do. It really depends on where you live and the sites you get to hunt. I would love to go behind you with my Manticore or even my 800 just to see. I know for a fact you would not do well hunting the places I hunt. If you hunt clean yard permissions mostly then yeah the AT Pro will get the job done just fine.

Maxxkatt, did Minelab replace your 800? Despite Equinox's leakage problems its one of those game changer detectors. I had a Nokta Impact that in my opinion is every bit as good as an AT Pro is. I liked the Impact, but as soon as I got a Equinox 800 my finds went up drastically. Even from places I previously hunted with the Impact. I found silver hunting behind guys who wore out parks with the Etracs and CTX. I was hunting an old ball field one time with my 800 and tripled the silver found by the other two guys that hunted it. They were pulling every detector they had out trying to match me. ATpro, CTX, Etrac. None could match the 800.

I don't think the Equinox or the Manticore have been overhyped. Both at least for me have totally lived up to expectations. The same can be said for the XP Deus II and for the price the Legend.

 

[LovestheShiny!]

@ longbow62 - thank you for your comments, and yes, I pretty do much hunt clean yard permissions, front yards and curb strips w/o a lot of trash, and you are correct, that definitely helps any detectorist regardless of machine. You can check with all my detecting buds... Buellride, RainorShine, MTJosh, along with my local friends who detect with me. All of them use either the Manticore or the Equinox models, and my AT Pro keeps up with them quite nicely. As I've said before on this forum, the AT Pro has limits and I know them. The Manticore has about 1-2" of depth on my machine, the Equinox about 1" extra depth, though my machine does better in solid target ID than any of those machines. My friends are really good detectorists, yet I am called over at times to help ID or dig/no dig a target. Where the AT Pro struggles is in highly mineralized soil, then I feel like my detector is half blinded. The soil in Butte Montana, for example, (richest hill on earth) is highly mineralized, my detector ground balances at 94-95 out of a max of 99. Here in Western Montana, say, Missoula, I ground balance at 80. I do find silver / wheat cents etc in the same hole as a rusty nail, so I am able to unmask good targets at a reasonable rate. Perhaps having used my AT Pro exclusively for seven years with literally thousands of hours on that machine helps me use it to it's best advantage.

No question that your Manticore, the Deus 2, the Legend, and to some degree the various Equinox models clearly outperform my AT Pro in certain respects. As I've said on the Friendly Forum in the past, for the type of hunting I do... private front yards and curb strips, living in a semi-arid climate with the vast majority of coins 6" deep or less, and moderately mineralized soil, the AT Pro with an experienced detectorist will pretty much match the newer machines in terms of results.

 

[CacheFinder]

Very good post. Thank you all.

 

[hoser]

Well said Max. I learned long ago not to pull the trigger too quick. The reason I got rid of my E-trac, which was an outstanding detector was at 75 I found that I was having trouble with the weight of the machine after 1- or two-hours hunting. That's why I traded to the Legend. I just sat and watched what others had to say about it and that was what helped me decide. And it was in my price range too.

 

[maxxkatt]

I'm sorry but IMHO getting 95% of what those more capable machines do is really wishful thinking. I know you find a lot of silver. Actually more than I do. It really depends on where you live and the sites you get to hunt. I would love to go behind you with my Manticore or even my 800 just to see. I know for a fact you would not do well hunting the places I hunt. If you hunt clean yard permissions mostly then yeah the AT Pro will get the job done just fine.

Maxxkatt, did Minelab replace your 800? Despite Equinox's leakage problems its one of those game changer detectors. I had a Nokta Impact that in my opinion is every bit as good as an AT Pro is. I liked the Impact, but as soon as I got a Equinox 800 my finds went up drastically. Even from places I previously hunted with the Impact. I found silver hunting behind guys who wore out parks with the Etracs and CTX. I was hunting an old ball field one time with my 800 and tripled the silver found by the other two guys that hunted it. They were pulling every detector they had out trying to match me. ATpro, CTX, Etrac. None could match the 800.

I don't think the Equinox or the Manticore have been overhyped. Both at least for me have totally lived up to expectations. The same can be said for the XP Deus II and for the price the Legend.

Yes Minelab sent me a completely new control unit to replace the leaky one. What I mean was the 800 and Manticore were over hyped prior to being shipped. I did not realize that these advanced features of the 800 would be difficult for me to learn whose prior experience was limited to gold hunting with the Fisher Gold Bug 1 and AT Pro. Those were very good detectors and easy to learn. Not so with me and my 800. It was my fault, not the 800's fault. But that has taught me not to make the same mistake with my XP Deus 2. Like the 800 it has advanced features that I must really learn and understand for them to effectively be used properly. Yes the 800 was a game changer. It led the charge of the new SMF detectors with advanced features. I think the 800 was responsible for the competition upping their game with their new SMF detector offerings. And even had Minelab making improvements on the 800 with the 900 and Manticore. These improvements could not come at a better time for the hobby where a lot of us are forced to hunt over hunted trashy public parks in the larger city metro areas. Detectorists in rural areas that so far have escaped the paving over of hunt sites especially in the NE US have much better good target find rates that those of us hunting in metro big city areas, especially in Atlanta where the city metro growth since the 1960's has been non-stop. The growth in population means are parks are over used and the metallic trash is a real problem. The maintenance crews don't pick up small metallic aluminum trash. If fact they increase the numbers every time they run their mowers over tin cans, which is often.

 

[Diga]

Dreams drive detector sales.

 

[Saker]

Dreams drive detector sales.

Yes, what Diga said. And the FUD statement by maxxkatt. We see a new machine released with some new feature or intelligent sounding words and we immediately have visions of the sites we've pounded being full of silver and gold. I'm sure if you get the coil over it, it will let you know. But so will many of yesteryears detectors. I think its great that there are so many choices out there for us, but I realize a lot of it is all the same. I've been down the road thinking I need the next new machine to find more, but fact is I just needed new places to hunt.

 

[Xxray]

To answer the post title, get rich quick is what always has driven detector sales, and does today.
I think there are more lazy people these days looking for a shortcut, hoping to find some bling to turn into a new cell phone, and are not driven buy the spirit of adventure and seeking of history that drives most of us. Ok we aren't going to turn down bling, but I get a bigger genuine thrill, or at least a different sort, finding a Mercury dime than a gold ring.

So alot of new customers are IMO fair weather dectorists who are going to be disappointed and quickly jaded when they start digging 90% bottlecaps and no treasure chest, I think companies play into this facet more than anything else, they always have adverts of the great things their detectors have found - And YOU can find them too ! But they don't say anything of the legwork, time, effort, luck and often research that go into finding things worth finding ,, It takes luck, skill and persistence, you get what you put into it like most anything else.

I don't think I am very vulnerable to the propaganda which the OP speaks of, if you take heed of all negative reviews then you will never buy anything, and if they are all glowing then you ought to be suspicious. The proof is in the pudding and what works for one guy may not work for the next, and it goes without saying sale pitches are going to be made, $$ and reputation are at stake.

 

[oldkoot]

To answer the post title, get rich quick is what always has driven detector sales, and does today.
I think there are more lazy people these days looking for a shortcut, hoping to find some bling to turn into a new cell phone, and are not driven buy the spirit of adventure and seeking of history that drives most of us. Ok we aren't going to turn down bling, but I get a bigger genuine thrill, or at least a different sort, finding a Mercury dime than a gold ring.

So alot of new customers are IMO fair weather dectorists who are going to be disappointed and quickly jaded when they start digging 90% bottlecaps and no treasure chest, I think companies play into this facet more than anything else, they always have adverts of the great things their detectors have found - And YOU can find them too ! But they don't say anything of the legwork, time, effort, luck and often research that go into finding things worth finding ,, It takes luck, skill and persistence, you get what you put into it like most anything else.

I don't think I am very vulnerable to the propaganda which the OP speaks of, if you take heed of all negative reviews then you will never buy anything, and if they are all glowing then you ought to be suspicious. The proof is in the pudding and what works for one guy may not work for the next, and it goes without saying sale pitches are going to be made, $$ and reputation are at stake.

There are some that thinks they will get rich quick until reality sets in then they realize their pipe dream will never come to pass

for me personally I just like trying different detectors so I purchase new ones just to see how they compare to what I already know works for me on the ground I detect, its as much fun for me trying new detectors as it is actually going out and detecting

 

[jmaclen]

I can only speak for me.

I just really like metal detectors whether they are VLFs or PIs.

I started metal detecting as part of gold prospecting. So any hobby level VLF or PI metal detector made today that I can afford that looks like it might be capable of being a good gold prospecting detector is one that I will want to try eventually. Can it hit sub gram gold in moderate to high mineralization at all and can it give me enough ferrous or non ferrous information to help me decide to dig? I rarely ever get to hunt in dig it all situations even when gold prospecting. There is just too much human trash.

When manufacturers started to make "Swiss army knife" do it all pretty well VLF detectors back in 2017 that were also simultaneous multi frequency it was like a dream come true for me. That's how I got to know about the Equinox 600/800 and what it could really do. Many of those detectors really can do it all including gold prospecting, deep silver hunting, thick iron trash hunting, relic hunting, water hunting, micro gold jewelry and just everyday coin and jewelry detecting for recent drops or for deeper stuff and they can do that in just about any type of soil condition on just about any type or size of target and just about anyone can swing them, no problem.

I am a sucker for those kinds of detectors whether it's due to FUD or gold/silver fever or my love of getting outside and exploring or just my own addiction to these great detectors.....I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, the manufacturers finally got it right for a person like me and for lot's of other people too that have been attracted to these newer SMF detectors because they really work.

So I guess I'm saying that these latest SMFs are driving detector sales because they do what their manufacturers claim they can do and people have noticed.

 

[Xxray]

There are some that thinks they will get rich quick until reality sets in then they realize their pipe dream will never come to pass

for me personally I just like trying different detectors so I purchase new ones just to see how they compare to what I already know works for me on the ground I detect, its as much fun for me trying new detectors as it is actually going out and detecting

I'm a confirmed gadget fiend so I'm with ya, I've got many fairly costly items I only used a couple times, some still in the box. Detectors I have a history of buying and not liking/using. I use a Ace 400 and AT Pro for the water, and thats about it. Tried F-75, didn't like it and sold it. Tried a Deus [1], didn't like it and sold it. Tried a Nox 800, didn't like it and sold it. Tried a Simplex and liked it, but sold it when I got a Legend. Only used the Legend a few times in nearly 2 years, guess I just don't care to invest time learning them when I could be out finding things with my tried & true [and simple] Ace ,, Maybe that will change but thats why you won't see me in any of the convoluted iron bias, or is 40 tones better than 85 ect discussions, I really am not interested in the technical side of detectors, I just want something that dings when there is metal under the coil.

 

[oldkoot]

I'm a confirmed gadget fiend so I'm with ya, I've got many fairly costly items I only used a couple times, some still in the box. Detectors I have a history of buying and not liking/using. I use a Ace 400 and AT Pro for the water, and thats about it. Tried F-75, didn't like it and sold it. Tried a Deus [1], didn't like it and sold it. Tried a Nox 800, didn't like it and sold it. Tried a Simplex and liked it, but sold it when I got a Legend. Only used the Legend a few times in nearly 2 years, guess I just don't care to invest time learning them when I could be out finding things with my tried & true [and simple] Ace ,, Maybe that will change but thats why you won't see me in any of the convoluted iron bias, or is 40 tones better than 85 ect discussions, I really am not interested in the technical side of detectors, I just want something that dings when there is metal under the coil.

I have detectors I absolutely love and detectors I absolutely do not like, the ones I have that I love are the easiest to set up and just start detecting, they are all beep and digs the ones I do not like are all detectors that have a ton of settings, the thing I do not care for with the ones that have a ton of settings I was spending more time fiddling with the settings than I was actually detecting, and to me that just is not what detecting is supposed to be about

its not that I haven't actually learned those higher tech detectors that I own or have tried, I swung the Legend for almost 2 years before I gave up on it, its just I got tired of really just never knowing if I had the detectors like the Legend set up correctly for the ground I detect or to optimal settings for the ground I detect, the Beep and digs I actually have only been using them for less than a year, I was to the point with detectors like the Legend I just was no longer having fun detecting and it was either try something different or quit detecting all together so I decided to try something totally different and you know what for me the Beep and Digs were the ticket, I have had more fun since switching over to the Beep and Digs than I had in the previous three years

with my 5 beep and digs I just ground balance set the discrimination up to the level I want to discriminate set the Threshold up to where I can hear it but not to loud and just start swinging, and they have brought back the fun of detecting for me personally

 

[Cherry Picker]

I have detectors I absolutely love and detectors I absolutely do not like, the ones I have that I love are the easiest to set up and just start detecting, they are all beep and digs the ones I do not like are all detectors that have a ton of settings, the thing I do not care for with the ones that have a ton of settings I was spending more time fiddling with the settings than I was actually detecting, and to me that just is not what detecting is supposed to be about

its not that I haven't actually learned those higher tech detectors that I own or have tried, I swung the Legend for almost 2 years before I gave up on it, its just I got tired of really just never knowing if I had the detectors like the Legend set up correctly for the ground I detect or to optimal settings for the ground I detect, the Beep and digs I actually have only been using them for less than a year, I was to the point with detectors like the Legend I just was no longer having fun detecting and it was either try something different or quit detecting all together so I decided to try something totally different and you know what for me the Beep and Digs were the ticket, I have had more fun since switching over to the Beep and Digs than I had in the previous three years

with my 5 beep and digs I just ground balance set the discrimination up to the level I want to discriminate set the Threshold up to where I can hear it but not to loud and just start swinging, and they have brought back the fun of detecting for me personally

I agree oldkoot. I'm a techie guy, but I don't like having to spend a lot of time fiddling with detector settings just to hunt. For years presets worked just fine. Turn on your detector and start swinging. Let the detector design set the noise cancel, ground balance, iron bias, and discrimination. Sure, let me make adjustments if I need them, but in the vast majority of the places I hunt, a simple preset program will do just fine, and make my detecting trip more enjoyable.

 

[atomicbrh]

I have detectors I absolutely love and detectors I absolutely do not like, the ones I have that I love are the easiest to set up and just start detecting, they are all beep and digs the ones I do not like are all detectors that have a ton of settings, the thing I do not care for with the ones that have a ton of settings I was spending more time fiddling with the settings than I was actually detecting, and to me that just is not what detecting is supposed to be about

its not that I haven't actually learned those higher tech detectors that I own or have tried, I swung the Legend for almost 2 years before I gave up on it, its just I got tired of really just never knowing if I had the detectors like the Legend set up correctly for the ground I detect or to optimal settings for the ground I detect, the Beep and digs I actually have only been using them for less than a year, I was to the point with detectors like the Legend I just was no longer having fun detecting and it was either try something different or quit detecting all together so I decided to try something totally different and you know what for me the Beep and Digs were the ticket, I have had more fun since switching over to the Beep and Digs than I had in the previous three years

with my 5 beep and digs I just ground balance set the discrimination up to the level I want to discriminate set the Threshold up to where I can hear it but not to loud and just start swinging, and they have brought back the fun of detecting for me personally

I simply turn off or zero out many of the complicated features on complex detectors to be more like beep and digs.
Could you list the 5 beep and digs you have now?