Older units

[Hightone]

Sometimes on Ebay, I see the older Whites and Garretts go for $90 to $300. They have plenty of dials to set GB, tone, sens., etc. Other than being a heavier unit, are these detectors good at hunting? I was reading an article in the last TH magazine about that kid that had the old ADS Garrett and was doing pretty good in playgounds. The Eagle and Grand Master Hunter seem like nice machines. Also the Coinmaster series from Whites. Just wondering if these machines are any good.

[l38ranger]

The older detectors did good for that era, and still finds coins...but with new electronics...todays detectors are more advanced and lighter...thats is a plus... but that is my two cents. ..see what others say...good luck...

I still have and use my Eagle Pro and I consider it a very fine machine. As of now there are 2 great offers on the table to sell it, but that ain't gonna happen.
Mr. Silver uses a OLDDDDDDDDD machine and he does very very well with it.

It doesn't matter how old or costly a machine is. What matters is how well a person understands the one he uses.

[PABill]

I completely agree with Boobie. It is how well you learn to use and understand your machine. I had a White's Coinmaster 6000 series for many years and did very well with it. I moved up to a White's XLT simply because it is lighter weight and had some extra bells and whistles. Overall the concept is exactly the same and practicing with any of them is important. An older machine that is in good working condition would be a great way to start and you can always upgrade later. Just my opinion!

[Hightone]

It would seem that the biggest disadvantage with older detectors is the power draw and the weight. If these two things don't bother you, it would seem the best bet in starting off at a lower budget. Many people don't like analog metering, but to be truthful, I prefer analog over digital on my multimeter, as the reflex is faster than digital. The older detectors are not automatic "turn on and go", which tells me you are not at the mercy of preset electronics.

To each his/her own though.

.....one does not have to be "at the mercy of the pre-set electronics." If one buys a metal detector that is both turn on and go, as well as having the ability to adjust things such as manual ground balance, threshold, discrimination level, sensitivity, etc.

The current Tesoro machines, give you that ability of turn on and go, as well as you being the master of how the machine hunts. The most important adjustment, to my way of thinking, is the 3 1/4 turn manual ground balance potentiometer. With that feature, one can handle the vast majority of soil and hunting conditions!

Originally Posted by Hightone

It would seem that the biggest disadvantage with older detectors is the power draw and the weight. If these two things don't bother you, it would seem the best bet in starting off at a lower budget. Many people don't like analog metering, but to be truthful, I prefer analog over digital on my multimeter, as the reflex is faster than digital. The older detectors are not automatic "turn on and go", which tells me you are not at the mercy of preset electronics.

To each his/her own though.

[TonyinCT]

Basically I think it would come down to the model and the age/condition. many 6000's are great detectors at budget prices. Some others that are of older technology are not very deep , have no warranty and you are taking a chance getting one for real hunting. If you go back beyond a 6000D Then I think you would be better off getting a new detector in the lower price range.

[Hightone]

So........the Whites 4900 or 5900 with GB, disc., tone, analog depth (5900), would not be as good as an Ace 250? The frequencies are the same, and I would think 6 C cells would put out more power than 4 AA, or a 9 volt. Microprocessors do take less power to do the same function, but even in stereo systems, you need to have a good power amp when it comes time to run the speakers. It would seem then that it's not the power transmitted, it's the signal received and how it's processed.

This would be my thinking. Since the newer displays tell you the difference between a dime and a quarter, in the all metal mode, and looking for relics, how would the newer detectors be any better? If you're a "dig all" kind of guy, would the older detector miss something, especially if it has GB, over a newer machine that doesn't?

.....the ACE 250 in my last post! The older White's machines are good units, they are just old technology, large and lumbering.

I personally am not a great fan of the ACE250, although many are. It's a decent machine, but there are other, newer machines that won't break your budget, and that I believe will out perform the older Whites and the ACE250.

The number of batteries, or their extra weight, do not diectly equal the output power! There are single 9Volt Tesoros, that way out perform the output power of the older Whites!

Originally Posted by Hightone

So........the Whites 4900 or 5900 with GB, disc., tone, analog depth (5900), would not be as good as an Ace 250? The frequencies are the same, and I would think 6 C cells would put out more power than 4 AA, or a 9 volt. Microprocessors do take less power to do the same function, but even in stereo systems, you need to have a good power amp when it comes time to run the speakers. It would seem then that it's not the power transmitted, it's the signal received and how it's processed.

This would be my thinking. Since the newer displays tell you the difference between a dime and a quarter, in the all metal mode, and looking for relics, how would the newer detectors be any better? If you're a "dig all" kind of guy, would the older detector miss something, especially if it has GB, over a newer machine that doesn't?

[TonyinCT]

Not the 4900 but the 5900 is really a version of the 6000 so I would count that one in.