DetectorStuff is dedicated to providing information to hobbyists.  We are continuing to “clean up” after a server crash at our old hosting  site…some of the stories and reviews here still have “broken” picture links.  Fret not!  I’ll be slowly straightening them all out and continuing to add new stuff!  Thanks for helping to make detectorstuff.com one of the most unique metal detecting sites on the internet!

Don’t forget to drop by our NEW forums and join in the fun!  I have a poll running...”Help build a metal detector” where I want people in the hobby to vote on various aspects of a metal detector that they think are important!

-Mark

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Fisher’s World Treasure News 2009! 

Fisher was kind enough to send it our way for distribution…if our servers can take the downloads!  By the way, overlook the mediocre writer in there named “mark”

*Update* WTN is now posted for download on Fisher Labs Website…get it HERE!

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“The Heat!”

To put it bluntly, the Fisher F70 is THE HEAT! As a proud and happy owner of an F75, I caught myself thinking…”I bet the F70 will be a scaled down F75”. In some ways, I was right. A few less features than the F75, (and I LOVE the F75 trigger!…it should be illegal to build a metal detector without a trigger!) However, Fisher retained the most useful functions and made them very accessible to the user. There’s also a little something extra under the hood… more depth than the F75! Yep, you read that right! In my soil, coil-for-coil, the F70 is slightly deeper than the F75.

Speaking of coil-for-coil, if you already have an F75 you can swap coils back and forth. The new elliptical concentric coil for the F70 is great! Excellent design, construction and balance. However, slap the big F75 11” DD coil on the F70 and hang on! I’m talking SERIOUS depth here! Select the “slow” option in areas that will allow it (lengthens the sampling time on the target…if I understand it correctly) and you will be getting way, way down in the ground! (I picture moles, grubs and earthworms packing their bags and fleeing the radio waves in utter terror!) However, due to the lengthened response time, the odds of masking due to nearby trash are increased…but I love having the option to pick which way I want to hunt, depending upon site conditions.

The F70 is built very well and sports the nice graphics design seen on other new Fishers. (Whoever does graphic work at Fisher is pretty darned talented!). The rod types seen on the F75 are used here, with the exception of the handle and arm cup. The detector is extremely well balanced and feels light as a feather in actual use. The front panel uses “membrane” type buttons that are in vogue these days, and offer the benefit of water resistance.

I’m a big fan of Dave Johnson and his approach to metal detecting. I’ve been lucky to get opportunities to chat with him from time-to-time. He has made it a personal mission to improve not just detector performance, but also weight, balance and most importantly user interfaces. There’s nothing worse than a clunky interface where you can’t find stuff, or you have to drill down through multiple menu layers to change things. Like most the new Fisher machines, the menu options are very, very accessible and always visible on the screen. You’re never “wondering” how you have something set…it’s right there in front of you.

The F70 uses cool audio ID options similar to the F75. I tend to hunt most often in 4H mode, but also enjoy dp (delta pitch) mode which assigns a different pitch tone to every digit in the ID scale!

John Gardiner is the Lead Engineer on the F70, and has done an outstanding job creating what I see as a custom made old coin killer. The visual ID is in nice large LCD digits that are very visible in all sorts of conditions. I’ve used some LCD screens that were tough to read when it’s either overcast or extremely sunny…I’ve not had that issue with the F70. The confidence bar works very well, and helps cut down on the trash dug…especially when you’re in a hurry. Like any detector, the coins that are in the very extreme limits of the machines capacity will not always identify themselves accurately. It’s kinda like a weak TV or radio signal…the picture or sound can be “snowy”. That’s when the discriminator between your ears takes over… is there enough “good” seen in that 12” target that it’s worth digging? I can tell you my answer would be “YES!”.

SUMMARY

If you are looking for a detector that is light, gets ridiculously good battery life, has accurate ID, is reasonably priced…and goes DEEP, then the F70 is for you! I actually find myself picking it ahead of *gasp!* my F75 quite often! John Gardiner, Lead Engineer on the F70, outdid himself on this one! The F70 feels like a modern muscle car, and most folks who have trouble with it will do so because they keep the pedal to the metal! Even at low sensitivity settings, the F70 goes uncannily deep. One often overlooked feature is the Threshold control. I found many sites that were normally tough to hunt due to noise from power lines, electric fences, etc. By lowering the threshold, the F70 was extremely stable in those spots…and still deep! (Did I mention it’s deep?)

For more great resources, check Bill Ladd’s excellent video series on the F70 over at www.findmall.com in the Fisher forum. Also check out www.fisherlab.com for more company information and their latest products.

To download the F70 sell sheet in .pdf format, click HERE (be warned it’s pretty big)

Mark Ellington

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Mark Ellington

www.detectorstuff.com

*Review based on prototype version…subject to change!*

(click on images to zoom)

The Teknetics T2 has developed quite a cult-like following since its release! With good reason…It is powerful, lightweight and innovative. It is chock full of useful features that appeal to advanced users in this wonderful hobby.

The Teknetics name has long been synonymous with performance…and that legacy is continued with the launch of the new Teknetics Delta 4000. Lead Engineer on the Delta is John Gardiner. He has had a hand in many recent metal detector releases, including the Fisher F75 and F70. He was backed up by Jorge A. Saad (see my Fisher F5 review for more on him) who wrote the core software code. The legendary Dave Johnson designed the hardware and is overall Lead Engineer for the Teknetics line of metal detectors.

Teknetics Delta 4000 Face

The Delta will be the first of several new Metal Detectors coming to the Teknetics family…the Delta, the Gamma and the Omega. The Delta is positioned as a user friendly, yet very powerful machine!

On screen information includes:

• Mode Setting
• Menu Setting
• 99 digit target ID
• Icon target designators
• Battery life meter
• On-the-fly depth gauge

Appearance and Construction:

The Delta sports a visually appealing black and green color scheme with silver and black upper/lower rods. The display is large, clear and sharp with red overlay that contrasts the black LCD nicely. The Delta utilizes the same rod system seen on the F70/F75 (which is super light, but solid). The armcup/stand is a black ABS plastic with rugged closed cell foam in the arm cup.

Arm Cup and Stand

Foam Grip

The Handgrip is a “grippy” foam that covers the entire grip section of the rod…it allows for more grip options and less time readjusting. The handle angle (an often overlooked feature…until you feel some pain!) seems just right, and the grip material comfortable enough for hours of hunting.

The rod locking collars are nice and tight and feel very secure while swinging away…no flex is felt. One of my favorite things about these rods is the great range of adjustability. I’m around 6′ tall, and still find myself in the mid-range of available length adjustment. There seems to be plenty of room for taller and shorter hunters.

The control housing is has excellent viewing angles and is easily accessed by your thumb. I really, really like this style housing…it is light but rugged, offering a nice precise battery door fit.

Battery Door

The Delta has an internal speaker that does an excellent job in conjunction with the built-in volume control. For headphone use, there’s a 1/8th” jack AND a 1/4″ jack! This, as far as I know, is a FIRST in the industry! No matter your headphone preference, you’re covered!…as you can see in the photo, I enjoy using some lightweight Koss phones due to the internal volume control…and plenty of loudness from the circuit. However, if I want to use my old heavyweight phones, I don’t even need an adapter! Pretty durned COOL!

Power and coil:

The Teknetics Delta uses a single 9 volt battery for power! Conversations with Engineer Dave Johnson indicate one of his pet peeves is inefficient metal detector circuitry…this is very evident in his recent designs. Battery life is phenomenal given the performance observed. Expect over 20 hours from a single battery! The design evidently efficiently focuses the power where it counts.

battery

The Delta comes with an 8 inch concentric coil. This coil feels surprisingly light, contributing to the amazing overall feather-like weight of the detector. The coil fit is very precise, allowing no coil “flop” that seems to happen on some machines.

coil

Controls and Functions:

The user interface on the Tek Delta is very intuitive. There are 2 Sections on the face, with two buttons below to access each.

They are “Mode” and “Menu” …

Hunting with the Teknetics Delta

My first thought….”Man! this thing is LIGHT!” The weight and balance mean you can hunt all day long! Let me put it like this…the rest of me wears out a long time before my swinging arm does.

The Delta has no ground balance adjustment, yet it seems to handle the various soils I’ve exposed it to amazingly well (all soils are different…this is for mine)…Switching over to all metal mode, you can hear the circuitry quickly adjusting itself to the ground. From previous fixed ground balance detectors I’ve used, I expected a substantial loss of depth…that has not been the case for me. In my test garden, I’ve been able to accurately identify coins down to the 8 inch range, and “hear” a deep silver dime I have buried 8 to 10 inches (sinkage has changed it over the years). This same deep dime screams at you when hunting in all metal mode! The “ALL METALS” mode has power to spare…surprising power.

Discrimination is great…totally blanking eliminated targets. Reset speed is very impressive, which will help when using discrimination and trying to find closely co-located targets. Optimal swing speed seems to be very forgiving…I don’t seem to lose much if any depth when slowing or speeding up. Quick transitions from one soil type to another (ie; going from chip bark to the surrounding dirt) doesn’t cause any falsing, which can be the case with some preset ground balance detectors I’ve used.

Using Notches in a very simple affair. Simply pick “NOTCH” with the MENU button and begin pressing the “UP” arrow button. When you get to the target you want to “notch out” (foil for example) pause when the blinking indicator reaches it, and it will be “notched out”. You can notch out anything in the icon bar all the way through ZINC. Another cool feature is to be able to “notch in” targets. For example, you can run discriminate all the way up to ZINC, then NOTCH in 5 cent. A handy way to handle some quick “cherry picking”!

All-in-all, I’ve put around 40 plus hours on the Delta, and I am very impressed! I consider myself a top end detector junkie…I’m one of those types that always wants the high end machines. The simplicity of operation for the Delta reminded me of just how much fun the hobby of metal detecting can be when you don’t have to spend a ton of time adjusting things….it just works!..and works amazingly well. Carefree coil jockeying can go a LONG way towards stress reduction…and isn’t that what it’s really all about?

Teknetics Delta Goodies

Here are a few clad, wheat and silver Delta finds…

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That’s a goooood question! There are lots of people who have been in the hobby for many years who still try different machines on a steady basis. (I’m one of them ) There are others who have found a detector they are comfortable with, and have stuck with it, having no desire to change. That’s fine too!

If you’re a person considering getting into this great hobby, I suggest finding someone who already has a metal detector and asking them if you can try it. If they will let you, spend some time throwing coins on the ground, listening to the sounds the detector makes. If the person is REALLY generous maybe they’ll let you borrow it for a few days to make sure this hobby is really one you would like.

Now, you’ve taken the above suggestion and tried out metal detecting, and you think “This is a hobby for me!”… What next?

Well, it’s time for you to buy your own. There are lots of good metal detectors out there. The huge variety is due to different preferences and needs. Generally, there are three “financial” categories of metal detectors.

• First is the “bargain” or entry level machines. They are the least expensive, and generally offer the least number of options, or somewhat subdued performance. These usually run in the $100 to $300 range.

• Second is the “mid-level” detector. These are a middle of the road machine, usually offering higher performance or more features than the entry level, but not quite as much as the next category, the high end detector. Here you’re looking at the $350 to $600 dollar range (give or take). For the most part, these detectors have very respectable performance and offer enough to satisfy even the avid hunters.

• Last, is the “high end” detector. These are the pinnacle of current hobby detectors. They usually offer the best a company has in performance and user options. Now, I know you’re thinking “THAT’S WHAT I WANT!”, please consider that a lot of new users have bought this type right from the beginning and felt frustration when trying to learn so much at one time. Other new users have bought these and been just fine… Here you’re looking at the $700 to $1200 dollar range. That’s a lot of cash!

Ultimately the choice is yours, but my suggestion is either the mid level detector or certain entry level machines for first time hunters. Why? Well, the first thing that causes new detectorists to “fall out” of the hobby is frustration. Frustration of not understanding what the detector is “telling” you, frustration of not finding good stuff every time you dig, frustration from the weight or ergonomics of your detector.

A good entry level machine will let you do what you want….find cool stuff! The definition of “good machine” in this context is one that comes from a reputable company. (Fisher, Bounty Hunter, Garrett, White’s, Minelab, Tesoro, etc.) I, of course, have my “favorite” companies for my own detectors, but I’m not going to suggest them, because I feel that would be unfair to you as a new person to the hobby.

There are many good metal detecting sites where people in this hobby talk about their detectors…here are a few.. this one of course www.detectorstuff.com , www.findmall.com, www.thetreasuredepot.com, www.detectorx.com . Most people on these sites are polite and friendly and will be more than willing to offer suggestions and advice to new users. However, be aware, just like some folks like Chevy more than Ford (or vice-versa) there are some who will swear by a certain brand of detector. Take it all with a grain of salt, accumulate all the info. you can, and visit a local detector dealer to check out what they have. DO NOT succumb to strong sales tactics (ie: “Oh, you don’t want that cheap detector! Buy this one *they point at the most expensive one in the store* You’ll like it MUCH better!” ) You will also find detector website “sponsors” to be a good moral choice. By “moral” I mean they are the one’s who pay the websites for advertising. As such, the sites are available for reading and information due to their contributions. Without them, little to no info.

Buying used is another option. The sites I listed above will usually have a buy/trade/sell forum where hobbyists swap around detectors. Caution, of course, is advised, and be aware most companies do not allow transferable warranties.

Once you’ve found a good general purpose metal detector, and not paid a fortune for it after a while, you may think “Hmmmm, I really like this hobby! I think I’m gonna stick with it!” At this point you’re ready to “consider” buying that “high end” machine you’ve been lusting over You should know enough about the hobby by this point to understand what it is you want out of a detector. Who knows? You may find enough with that entry/mid level detector to PAY FOR that top end machine!

Welcome to one of the greatest hobbies in the world!

Mark

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The Fisher F5 is yet another weapon in Fisher’s ongoing “War on bad ergonomics and interfaces” that tends to plague the hobby industry. The absolute brilliance of the design makes me wonder “why in the world hasn’t someone already done this?” Sure…hobby detectors have used knobs in the past to control functions (like Fisher’s own venerable CZ series), but never before has there been this perfect storm of digital, software driven power combined with the ease of tactile knob control.

The F5 knob settings are instantly relayed to the user in a window in the bottom left of the display (settings). When you give the gain a tweak, the window intelligently switches to the gain setting… adjust the ground balance, it shows you that too! The same goes for Threshold, Discrimination, Tones and more. When you’re not adjusting something, the window displays the current ground “phase” setting. It’s a great concept… all adjustments can be made on the fly, and you’re instantly informed on what you’re changing (and by how much).

Each of the knobs on the F5 is strategically placed so you can “thumb” the controls. If I hear a deep target that is on the fringe of detection, I don’t have to dig through layers of menus to adjust the gain or threshold…a quick reach with the thumb of my detecting hand and I can ease the controls up quickly and efficiently! When I’m done, it’s a very simple task to “thumb” it right back to my starting point…

Speaking of gain and threshold, the F5 puts these to control knobs side-by-side for a reason. There is a very synergistic relationship that has to be seen to be believed! High gain or high threshold…which will be best for my current hunting site? The flexibility offered for adapting to all your various hunt sites and their challenges are incredible. There is a local farm that I hunt that is surrounded by an electric cattle fence. I have had to hunt this spot with ridiculously low settings on older detectors just to make it bearable. With the F5, I can adjust the Threshold control to around -1 or -2 and still get very impressive depths!… without the noise and chatter this spot usually bombards me with. Since using the F5 in this pasture, I’ve recovered several old silver coins that I just could not hear with my older detectors!

The threshold control also does something else. Have you ever hunted a site that drove you nuts due to tiny bits of foil, rusted tin, etc.? By lowering the Threshold control, you can partially eliminate the F5′s sensitivity to ‘em! As a precaution, I tested this in my coin garden to see if it would have a major impact on the depth I could get coin sized targets. Although there was a very slight loss of depth, I was still able to hear coin sized stuff within about ½ of an inch of the “zero” setting on the threshold (this was adjusting the threshold to around -2 or -3…plenty to get rid of the tiny stuff on most sites).

The audio on the F5 is amazingly descriptive. You have the option to choose single, two, three or four tones. However, there’s a lot more to the F5 audio than just the number of tones! There are some amazing tonal qualities that change according the cleanness of the signal, proximity to other targets, tone mode selected, etc. I’m reminded of a few old analog detectors I’ve owned that although 1 tone, gave me a lot of information about the target due to the “little things” you hear in the audio. In other words, there’s much more going on here than just “BEEP!” on a target.

Another super-cool feature on the F5 is the “Phase lock” button. I mentioned earlier that the F5 has a brilliant user interface. The F5 is also spectacular in another area… user information! The F5 feeds the hunter with important data in “real time”. The “Phase lock” button allows you to “grab” one of these real-time bits of information…the phase reading! Phase and ground balance are nearly synonymous (at least in practical use terms). While hunting, you can glance at the “phase” reading on the right, and if it is several numbers off from the static ground balance reading in the “Setting” window, you have two options. One is to manually tweak the GND BAL knob to match the setting, or my favorite method, a quick press of the “Phase Lock” button, and it’s set for you!

You have the usual TID (target identification) on the big, clear LCD screen, but you also have other key bits of intelligence streaming to you. One is the Fe3O4 bar on the GND DATA window on the right. This tells the user about the amount of “magnetite” in the soil, which can affect the accuracy of the target ID circuits in the F5. The other is the previously mentioned “PHASE” reading, and lastly there’s the CONFIDENCE bar. The bar tells me how “sure” is the detector that the target identified along the TID arc (Fe, Foil, Tab, 5ct, etc.) is indeed what it says it is. It is yet another piece of information for the user to add to his/her list of “evidence” when investigating a possible goody! Really deep targets, and targets partially “masked” by other junk items can fool even the best, so good practice is “when in doubt…DIG!”.

Hunting with the F5 is sheer, ecstatic joy! The weight and balance are great…the controls intuitive and useful…the ground and target information…actually practical! Minutes can turn into hours while hunting without the usual fatigue setting in…a testimony to a metal detector that has both the physical stuff right (weight, balance and ergonomics) , as well as the abstract stuff… (Can I call it “mental and emotional fatigue?). I have hunted with detectors in the past that “wore me out!” both physically and mentally due to bad physical design, constant chatter and horrible menu systems that made you have to dig through layer after layer to change something. NOT so with the F5!

F5 features:

* Tremendous battery life (I’ve gotten over 40 hours from a pair of 9 volt batteries!)
* Incredibly descriptive adjustable audio ID (1 tone, 2 tones, 2 tones or 4 tones)…tones also adjustable in All-metal mode
* Great in-ground depth performance
* Very accurate target ID at depth
* Visual target ID while in all-metal mode
* Brilliant user interface
* Tons of useful ground/target information in real time
* Nice big LCD display
* Solid construction and materials
* Great and simple NOTCH feature for eliminating (or adding) targets
* Excellent elliptical concentric coil
* Included Velcro cable and arm cup straps!
* Frequency adjustment for hunting near other detectors or electric fences, power lines, etc.

Summary

The new Fisher F5 is a metal detector that will set a benchmark for it’s incredibly well designed interface. I can see new Metal Detectorists and Veterans having a blast with it, as well as anyone who just likes the feel of knobs better than button pushing their way through menus. All the control is there for the power user…but in a whole new way! “Simple…yet intelligent” may sum up the F5 quite well! I find it quite ironic that Fisher Labs, the “Oldest name in Metal Detecting” is on the cutting edge of the newest technology! I very vigorously tip my hat to Jorge Anton Saad who was Lead Engineer on the F5 project…and well supported by the legendary Dave Johnson, John Gardiner and Mark Krieger. A job well done on what is sure to become a favorite metal detector for a lot of people!

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The subject of this particular dose of excitement was the new Fisher F4. Fisher Research Laboratories, the oldest metal detecting company in the world, was recently purchased by First Texas Products of El Paso Texas. First Texas also owns the Bounty Hunter and Teknetics brands. At first, a lot of folks in the metal detecting hobby didn’t know what to make of the Fisher purchase…would First Texas continue the long tradition of high performance/high quality metal detectors? Would the “new” Fisher be introducing new exciting models? Luckily for us, the answer to both these questions is a resounding “YES!”

I arrived home from work one afternoon to find a plain brown cardboard box lying on my front porch. I’m sure those of you who metal detect know the feeling all too well… sweaty palms, rapid heart rate and adrenaline rush! I scrambled out of my car and made my way up the steps. A quick investigation of the box convinced me my new F4 had arrived! I fished through my keys, opened the front door and stumbled my way in. A few quick swipes with my pocketknife later and I had the plain brown box opened. As I lifted the flaps to the outer box, I saw the new white Fisher box on the inside. A nice Fisher F4 logo smiled up at me as I carefully opened the end and removed the contents.

Is there any better smell than the scent of new electronics? For me, it’s kind of like “that new car smell”, but better! The F4 was securely wrapped in plastic and foam padding, particularly the upper rod and control housing. I gently removed the F4 and its rods and coils (yes… COILS! There are two of them!). Assembly is fast and easy, (make sure the rod locking collars are completely open before assembling the shaft) and fit tolerances are very precise and secure. I am struck with a wonderful feeling of familiarity when I look closely at the included rods. They are the time proven Fisher “S” rods like you find on the CZ3D and Coinstrike. These rods are known for their light weight and durability. Long time Fisher users will also be happy to see the same heavy plastic arm cup and thick foam grip from previous Fisher detectors.

The toughest decision I had to make during the assembly process was “Which coil do I use first! The 11” double-D or the 8” concentric?” I am extremely impressed that Fisher decided to include two coils with this detector! After a little internal struggling, I opt for the 11” DD due to my past wonderful experiences with a similar coil for the F-75. The mounting ears on the coil make a nice tight fit on the lower rod. The strategic use of the single rubber bushing allows the coil to be secure, but still have “just the right amount” of flex. I wrap the coil cable up the rod in typical fashion and plug the coil cable connector into the back of the detector control housing.

Like most folks, my first act after assembly of a brand spankin’ new metal detector is to take a few “test swings” across the floor. I’m blown away by the light weight and balance of this machine! I’m also very impressed by the lack of any movement or flex in the shaft, even during “vigorous” swinging… nice and tight! I finally decided it’s time to get down to business. I notice there are no batteries in the shipping box, so I assume none are included. Wrong assumption! I open the battery compartment and find two 9 volt alkaline cells installed “backwards” for shipping purposes. I carefully removed the batteries… (Be careful, they are pretty tight!) and installed them. Finally! The moment of truth!

A light press with my right thumb brings the F4 to life. The F4 makes use of membrane type buttons that offer a light “click” for feedback. Generally speaking, I’m no fan of membrane pads, but these feel more resilient and tactile that others I’ve used. The LCD display is clear and sharp with a centrally located conductivity ID number. Along the top is an arc of various common targets, ranging from iron to $1. A LCD “arrow” points to the detected target, making for quick and easy identification. The faceplate itself looks great. The red, gold and black color scheme is very “pleasing to the eye” and all the buttons are logically placed and clearly marked.

I grab a few test targets and swing them in front of the DD coil. The 4 tone audio from the internal speaker is very clear and distinct. The corresponding ID numbers, and target icons seem to be dead “on the money” (pun intended). The F4 seems to be marketed as a “mid range” metal detector, but the air testing I did was comparable to many detectors I’ve had that cost much more.

Every time I get a new detector, my first destination is my “test garden”. I’ve had it planted for over five years with a large variety of targets buried at different depths. The F4 with the double-D coil was able to correctly identify closely located targets with a precision that nearly rivals my F-75. Very impressive! Depth is much better than I expected from a mid-level machine, and I was able to run it at maximum sensitivity in my yard without any false signals. Pinpointing was a breeze with the toggle on/off style pinpoint button. Entering the pinpoint mode changes the central ID numbers into an “inches of depth” reading. The numbering combined with the great VCO audio made it very easy to size up your targets and avoid large trash items.

My next stop was a local school yard. In my opinion, school yards are the best place to learn a new metal detector. Targets are plentiful, and digging is easy. The F4 felt “custom made” for this type of hunting. The 11” DD coil cuts a wide swath allowing you to cover ground quickly without fear of missing targets. One of the beautiful things about a Double-D type coil is the great heel to toe ground coverage. I was immediately rewarded for my detecting efforts with coin after coin. The high tone audio “sang out” to me on copper pennies, dimes and quarters. Another cool thing I discovered is that the visual ID number stays locked on the last target detected, allowing you to hunt by sound, then refer to the meter afterwards.

The F4 has a very unique notching system that allows you to either choose the item you want to reject manually, or by waving a troublesome trash item in front of the coil, then hitting the “notch” button. Both methods work great and completely discriminated out the unwanted target. Another way to use “notch” is to crank up the discrimination as high as you want to go (all the way through “zinc”), then “notch” back in a desired item. This is what I opted to do for my school yard hunt. Discrimination was maxed out through zinc, and nickels “notched” back in. This made for a VERY productive coin hunt! Nickels came in the ID dead on the “30” mark, while still rejecting most pulltabs and pencil eraser bands. For the clad coin hunter on a limited time frame, this mode of hunting is outstanding. Your “coins per minute” count will undoubtedly skyrocket with the sheer volume of ground you can cover, while avoiding the trash items. I ended the school hunt with a nail apron FULL of coins of all denominations including a couple of Susan B. Anthony dollars and a Sacagawea dollar.

I’ve gained more and more respect for the F4 during the 40 hours I’ve logged on it so far. In my opinion, this detector is a great multi-purpose machine that would be an excellent addition regardless of whether you’re a “seasoned pro” or just getting started in the hobby. The F4 is incredibly “quiet” until you hit a target, and the audio feedback with 4 distinct tones is very good. All-metal depth is incredible and quite easy to ground balance.

Durability doesn’t seem to be an issue. I hate to admit it, but while hunting, I stopped to adjust my headphones, leaning the F4 against my side. Before I could catch it, it fell straight to the ground with a couple of bounces on impact. I just knew I had killed it for sure, but it never missed a beat! This tough little detector was no worse for the wear.

Coil availability is a huge plus! The F4 comes shipped with the 11″ Double-D elliptical coil, a 8″ round concentric coil, and available for purchase at a very reasonable price is a 4″, 7 1/4″, and a 10″. An incredible selection that will cover most hunting needs!

On the negative side, I wish Fisher had included Velcro cable/shaft straps like they did with the F-75. I like to be able to secure my cable. I also wish the headphone jack was facing rearward instead of its current position, facing forward. This is a personal preference due to the way I set my detector down when I dig.

My personal opinion is that the F4 is an outstanding metal detector. It is very much a “turn-on-and-go” type detector, but with enough power to satisfy even the most discerning hobbyist.

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Imagine for a moment you know very little about metal detecting. Someone… (friend or otherwise) comes up to you and says “you live in one of the oldest houses in town! can I metal detect your yard?”. You think a moment, then say “well, sure…I guess” (not really sure what that means)… The next weekend that person shows up, grabs this strange looking device out of his pickup truck, and hangs shovels and other digging implements from his belt! You’re thinking “what’s up with the digging stuff?” Next, you see this person swinging this silent weedeater around the yard, then stop, stoop over and start DIGGING! You’re thinking.. “I hope he doesn’t kill the grass!”. In a moment, the fellow stands up, rubs the dirt off his hands and starts doing a jig in the yard. You’re thinking “he must have found something good! Maybe he’ll come show it to me!”… next the fella looks cautiously over each shoulder, then subtly slides the mystery find into his pocket. You’re thinking “well, maybe he’s too busy having fun.. he’ll show it to me before he leaves”. Next the detector guy picks up his stuff, and uses his foot to sort of push the dirt he dug up in the general direction of the huge hole he made. He then stomps on the hole, and starts swinging again. You grab your binoculars, and peering out of the window see that there’s this ugly brown dirty patch where there used to be gorgeous grass! You think, “well, it’s too late now…but I’ll know better NEXT time!….there won’t be a NEXT time!” Needless to say, when the detector dude gets ready to leave, you, the homeowner, asks “Did you find anything good?” Your friend the detectorist says.. “Naw, not much. Just mainly old pieces of junk!” He volunteers to show you what is in his apron, which is pulltabs and rusty nails. However, he neglects to show what got “slid” into his pocket.

Your metal detecting friend drives off into the sunset and you look over your once lush and beautiful yard… it now looks like someone has been lobbing mortars over enemy lines. The holes that did get “filled” are just dirt depressions… You think “never again!”

Here’s an excellent how-to video by SouthCarolinaTeacher.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTDKXethwnk

Now do you see why I say it’s important to fill your holes? ….And fill them properly? We’ll have another article soon for proper recovery techniques that don’t “burn your bridges” when it comes to having hunting privileges.

Any other tips or pointers (or gripes ) on digging? Post them below in the “comments” box!

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