abenson

Personally I'd leave it the way it is. It will display nice on a shelf.

Too bad it's not higher KHz, like 40. I'd probably buy one and carry it to use to pinpoint when using a PI. Kind of like those guys you see hauling around a 6000 and gold monster. IDK maybe 19 would work OK for that.

The Garrett Vortex VX9 being $599 is almost 3 times as much as the Time Ranger Pro. Neither of the other Vortex VX5 or VX7 are out nor do we know when they will be. I've owned a few Fisher F 19's which are basically the same machine as the time TRP. That being said I can think of a few other detectors I'd rather own that the TRP or LRP similarly priced and more modern. You might want to consider looking at the Minelab Vanquish series (multi frequency) $199 to $399 price range. Minelab X-Terra Pro (single frequency) $275. The Nokta Simplex series (single frequency) $249 to $349. These are all proven detectors and some offer wireless headphones, internal rechargeable batteries and waterproof that the Bounty Hunter's don't offer.

A few months ago, I bought the Nokta Triple Score, Minelab X-Terra Elite and Garrett Vortex. I already have the Minelab Manticore and XP Deus 2. So, It’s not like I need another metal detector. But I was looking for something I could use as a backup or loaner unit and still be able to use it myself and feel like I had a capable machine. I did extensive testing both in my yard and in the field using all 3 machines and I can say that all 3 are very capable metal detectors. All 3 have very similar features like recovery speed, iron filters, multiple tone options, multiple search modes, Multi and single frequency operation, ground balance, waterproof, wireless headphones, internal rechargeable batteries, etc. Now some of the above-mentioned detectors have a wider range of options for certain features than others, so there are some differences between the three. For example, the Vortex only has 3 and 5 tone options, the Elite has 1, 2, 5, ALL and DP and the Triple Score has 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 60 and pitch. Another example is the Vortex has 5, 9, 13, 15 & 25 KHz single frequency and 2 multi frequencies, the Elite only has 15 KHz and multi to choose from and the Triple Score has 4, 15, 20 and 3 multi options. There are other differences as well that I won’t go into. Of the three, the Triple Score is without a doubt the best bang for the buck. At $499 it comes with headphones and an extra coil. The Elite for the same package costs $599 and the Vortex, well you can’t get that package as of now. The Vortex will run you $599 for just the metal detector. So, which one did I decide to keep? I kept the Minelab X-Terra Elite. Aside from the actual performance in the field between the 3 detectors (which was very close), my decision was based on keeping the one I felt most comfortable using. The X-Terra Elite just feels better to me and I like the tones better than the other 2. It uses the same VDI scale as the Manticore and can share the same headphones. The X-Terra Elite also uses the same coils as the Equinox series, and I still have a few of them lying around. So for me the X-Terra Elite made the most sense. I'm sure someone else would make a different choice. The point is, most of the metal detectors available from the major manufactures today are going to be decent choices and it really comes down to what a person feels like the best one for them is.

Why doesn't Minelab just quit playing around and put the 4500/5000 guts in a CTX body and sell us something we really want instead of resurrecting the old GPX models.

I personally got tired of waiting for a second update and sold my Vortex. All Garrett's pre-release talk and hype had me believing they had something new to offer. The fact that they released the Vortex in the condition it was in, was a huge let down. Even if they fix the Vortex target ID with a second update, it will still not compete with either the X-terra Elite or Triple Score IMO. They're both less expensive machines and have performance features that work. It's too bad Garrett is so behind the times. Yes the Vortex will find stuff, no question there, and some people will be completely satisfied for what they use it for. But for me it's a big let down. Yes it's only a $600 metal detector, but when you've got metal detectors that cost half the price offering better performance, it's hard to defend the Vortex. I personally just didn't see me using the Vortex over either the Elite or Triple Score. I hope Garrett gets things figured out. I'd really like to see an American company back on top with a high performance metal detector.

Wow nice finds! Really glad you showed those on the forum.

Where are you going to be using the metal detector? Do you need it to be waterproof? are you going to hunt for gold nuggets? Those are probably be the first questions you need to answer for yourself because there's some really good metal detectors in the $500 range that will easily compete with the 900 and are easier to use. Most everything is waterproof in the general use arena, but if you primarily want it for gold and to be waterproof that's when things get limited. Here are a couple of videos I've done recently that might help you out

I've used the Infinium for relic hunting, but it's been 7 or 8 years ago. High Low tone will be your low conductors and small iron, small buttons will usually be in this range. Low High tone will be your bullets, coins and large iron. You'll have to play with the disc but I usually ran mine up a bit to get rid of the tiny crap. In the red clay it should get better depth than your VLF will. However, the reality is if you dig all signals (iron included) with the VLF, the Infinium isn't that much much deeper. GPX is the king of bad ground for relic hunting, but they are more expensive.

Very sorry to hear of his passing. I read a lot of his posts.

Waiting for another update before I use it again, except at maybe the beach. It's fine beach hunting.

New pricing makes the Axiom a great deal for an all purpose PI.

Yes that's the sad truth Jeff. I actually had my Vanquish 340 (with 7 x 10 coil) out the other day comparing targets with the Vortex and a 8" nickel that's easily detectable with the Vanquish with a 12-13 ID the Vortex can't even touch. Nor can it hit my 9" quarter the Vanquish actually chirps on with a 30-39 up averaging ID. So imagine if I put a bigger coil on the Vanquish what it would do against the Vortex.

For the features available on the VX9, I think the Nokta Triple Score is a better comparison. Legend is a step up offering gold mode and a few other things the Triple Score and VX9 doesn't. A person can get a Triple Score with headphones and an extra coil for $499 and it's light years ahead of the Vortex in performance. I have them both and it's sad to say but Garrett has really screwed up with the VX series. Build quality, performance, and overall ergonomics on the Triple Score are superior to the Vortex in almost every way. The only thing the Vortex has going for it IMO is the easy to navigate menu.

Nice job on the half Dave. Dang I bet it was cold out there with the wind blowing like it was. It's getting tough at the beach, lake level needs to come up and move the sand around to expose some of those deeper targets. This is probably one of the last weeks you can hunt out there before it's all frozen. I had to walk away from a few targets myself the last time I was out there.