What is/was your favorite Tesoro?

All of the discussion about Tesoro's impending doom caused me to take a look at their product line from the beginning to what sadly seems to be the end. I've owned a lot of detectors but never a Tesoro. It's not because I thought they were antiquated. I've got a few "switch and knob only" classics that still see at least semi-regular use just never a Tesoro. I searched the forum for "favorite Tesoro" and came up empty. Thinking back, I remember reading a post here and there about a few classic models that really brought home the bacon. At the time, if I remember correctly, some were worth more used than they cost when they were new.

With all that in mind, what are/were your favorite Tesoro's and why? I'm curious about what individual models excelled at and where if anywhere they fell short.

HH
Chris

Pantera (circa 1990) almost 30 years old and very rare. This is Tesoros' first 2 tone,, ED-120 notch discriminator. It has a 3 way notch with adjustable tone break and 10 turn adjustable Ground Balance to handle any ground, just a lovely machine....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2018 11:38PM by Hombre.

Never was a big beep and dig fan, once I didn't have to be, but must admit I really enjoyed using a Golden Sabre 2. HH jim tn

I always thought the Bandito 2 micro max was a great little detector.----I sold the last one I had to Don.---It was absolutely "showroom"---wish now I would have kept it!

Bandido2 micromax replaced my Bandido2 big box and I couldn't believe how great it was at the time. Found me lots of great things for many years in old ghost towns and homesteads from California to colorado. Went back to a lot of them earlier places with modern machines and didn't find much. B2 micromax didn't leave much. Great little machine.

I have a Lobo ST with the ground balance adjusted inside the box which brings this detector alive and on fire thanks to Keith's video where he did this to one. I only use the 5.75" & 8" concentric coils. Even the small coil hits my 10" test dime. Has incredible separation and depth. Followed by the Tejon. Another hard to beat relic hunter.

Now if only my Equinox 800 could have a concentric coil.

Rick

My favorite Tesoro was the Bandito. It's still the detector I let friends use. It might be beep and dig but it's good in iron and very rugged. This is your post and you didn't ask, but---- my worst Tesoro was the Mayan. Its attributes were zero .

cpaman00@tctwest.net Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My favorite Tesoro was the Bandito. It's still th
> e detector I let friends use. It might be beep an
> d dig but it's good in iron and very rugged. Thi
> s is your post and you didn't ask, but---- my wors
> t Tesoro was the Mayan. Its attributes were zero
> .


What?? I have never heard of Mayan detector. Did find this about it though. Got curious.
[www.ahrps.org]

And this. [static.secure.website]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2019 12:32AM by tnsharpshooter.

Older no real order

1-Pantera

2-Original Bandido 2

3-Followed by the Bandido 2umax

Newer in order

1- Tejon

2- Lobo ST

3- Euro Sabre

You never know whats around the corner in today's detector manufacturing world someone leaves someone arrives

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Yeah Myans were not my favorite..limited low end disc

But I did like the Pillars they privately built.. LOL


Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

I have owned & used every Tesoro model except the Cortes and their water machines (Sand Shark and the Tiger Shark) and liked all of them.

Golden uMax New Tone version.

About 10-12 years ago I was on the beach in the dry sand hunting a boardwalk demolition project. They were using a backhoe to move the sand from under the boardwalk to a spot on the beach. They were spreading it out so a bunch of hunters showed up and started detecting. There was a guy using a Pantera. He cleaned up. He was finding more silver coins in the trash and iron than all of the other hunters combined.

I liked the Bandito micromax when it first came out. Wish I kept that detector.

I’ve had a Tiger Shark for years, always enjoyed using it w it’s many variants in sound. Never had a problem with it, I’ll always have it for a backup even if I get a Equinox.
My daughter really loves her Compadre, nice little machine.
Had a Cortes once, IMHO, it was very over rated and priced.

Aaron

You've gotta love Keith's "You never know whats around the corner..." comments with the little smiley guy winking at you. If he didn't seem to have his finger on the pulse of the detector industry I probably wouldn't think twice about it. As it is though.....you gotta wonder.

Most definitely the Silver Sabre line. Not the Silver...but the Silver Sabre. They were a lot like the Troy Shadow X2. I guess my all time favorite from that line was the older Silver Sabre Plus with the metal box. On the higher end the Royal Sabre was no slouch either. It had the surface blanker circuit which...believe it or not...came in handy in heavily littered new trash sites. Just my take on the question.

Charles

Bandido II big box then the Vaquero for me.

Inca with wide scan coil.

Still own 2 Tesoro based machines the Laser B1manual GB and Laser B3 fixed GB,back in the 80/90s the top machines,but they never moved with the times and basically no one uses even the latest offerings that Tesoro made,it was basically because of that they eventually died.I also own a what was a brand new UK spec Vaquero a Laser Trident11 Extreme which is basically a VAQ but on steroids,its ok i guess but more than often gets used maybe a couple of days per year,only use it with a NEL Snake coil on it for trashy roman sites,then i still dont get much enjoyment out of using it.

My favorite was the Toltec 100

I’m a big fan of the Mojave actually.
Packs easily into a suitcase and is capable
of everything from relic hunting, coin shooting
and even sniffs out sub gram nuggets!
It’s been my go to travel machine since it
was released and has paid for itself numerous
times in the last 2 years.

Favorite Lobo St
2nd Tiger Shark
3rd Vaquero
Worst detector I ever had was the "Overload Lift Coil" model



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2019 04:50PM by Jackpine.

Toltec 100 had the best meter and they all liked gold jewelry....

Toss up between the Eldorado umax and the Silver Sabre Umax.
So I picked up an older Silver Sabre II and modified it, sweet.




DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me

I really prefer any of the big-box Tesoro models running in the 12kHz or 15kHz frequency. The exception.....I like the small box (Umax) Compadre, especially with the 6" coil. Silver Sabre big box is similar in performance to of the Vista series. My GM King Cobra has been modified with Threshold and GB and is a cross between the Pantera and Golden Sabre Plus......all 15 kHz. The first version Lobo with external GB might be good, but never used one. Its the only Tesoro I know that has GB directly connected to both All-Metal and Disc mode.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2019 02:12AM by Arkansas.

I really liked my Golden Umax and the Tiger Shark

Bandido II by far... Good at iron tuff demo spots.
(not as good as the Goldmax Power)
A dynamite little beast.

TabZilla Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I’m a big fan of the Mojave actually.
> Packs easily into a suitcase and is capable
> of everything from relic hunting, coin shooting
> and even sniffs out sub gram nuggets!
> It’s been my go to travel machine since it
> was released and has paid for itself numerous
> times in the last 2 years.


2nd vote for the "mojave!"just an outrageously 'good" little
coin and jewelry sniper. the 7" concentric coil is "killer" in the junk! .mine's in the car with me all season long ,looking for "old" curb strips,and totters

(h.h.!)
j.t.

The Vaquero with the larger DD coils

I've owned only one Tesoro and it was the Tejon. It did well for the time I had it. Many bullets, a few buttons. Not too shabby for a beep and dig detector. Deepest find was a scabbard tip at least the length of the old army entrenching shovel at a Confederate trench.

XP DEUS* NAUTILUS 2B WITH WHITES ROD CONVERSION* LESCHE PIRANAH* LESCHE DIGGER* THE BOMB SHEATH* GARRETT ZLYNK PP W/ WIRELESS HEADPHONES* OLDEST COIN 1776 2 REALE*