Garrett Ace 250 Vs. Tesoro Vaquero - Comparison

Garrett Ace 250 Vs. Tesoro Vaquero

6,5 kHz     Frequency     14,2 - 14,5 - 14,7 kHz

7     Iron Discrimination   8
 

7     Target separation    9
 

8     Weight     9.5
 

9     User friendly    8
 

8     Target information     8
 

6     Depth    9
 

7.5     Best Value     9
 

7.5     Overall    9

 

Observations: Let's start by saying that comparing these machines is not fair, because the Ace 250 is more a low-end detector when comparing it with the Vaquero, which is more of a medium/high-end machine (there's also a difference in price). One of the proofs is simple, the Vaquero has a Manual-Ground-Balance function while the Ace 250 hasn't, that's why Garrett Detectors added that useful feature on their AT Pro.

But, how important is having a Ground-balance knob? and, what's the difference it makes? To better understand the difference, first we have to take into account the place we hunt, that's because every soil has a less or more amount of minerals that may cause, in case of high-mineralization, a loss of depth or target masking. Here is when the Ground-balance function gets handy, because it help us to get those finds others miss.

The conclusion is: If you are starting in the hobby, the Ace 250 has great reputation as being a nice starter. The Vaquero is made more for the intermediate or the advanced detectorist, but don't get scared, because with patience the Vaquero can be perfectly tamed by the novice, something that can be really rewarding, and let's not forget, the Tesoro's life-time warranty (only in US).


Garrett Ace 250: $249.95

Tesoro Vaquero: $525.00

Weight and Portability: Tesoro Vaquero Vs. White's MXT

This time I will consider two aspects regarding the Tesoro Vaquero and the White's MXT, those aspects are weight and portability.

So the point is, you may want a light-weight machine to hunt for several hours and regarding this topic, both machines have "pros" and "cons".

Tesoro Vaquero:

Pros:

-Lighter (only 2.2lbs.)

-Less weight by carrying spare batteries (you only need a 9V cell)

-Good portability

Cons:

-Not a so well-balanced machine, it's a bit heavy at the tip. Forget with a bigger coil than the stock 8x9con

White's MXT:

Pros:

-Very-well balanced machine

Cons:

-A bit heavy (4.4lbs.)

-Carrying spare batteries adds to the weight (it works on 8AA cells)

-Bad portability

The Conclusion: Considering what was said above, a good question would be: How are you planning to carry around your metal detector? are you planning to carry it in a car? or are you planning to carry it on your backs?. If you are planning to carry your detector in a car, the MXT should be a nice option for you, but if you are planning to carry your detector in a bag, then I think you should consider the Vaquero, or another lighter unit (depending on the distance you are planning to walk).

Let's be realistic, with the MXT you will be carrying 4.4lbs around no matter what and you will feel that weight specially when you stand up from a dig or while climbing obstacles, something that with the Vaquero is more trouble free.

Another great point is volume, The Vaquero will fit better inside of a bag than the MXT, but White's Electronics has a nice array of carrying cases specially made for their machines (link: http://whiteselectronics.com/products/accessories/carrying-cases.html), take also a look to the Tesoro accessories (link: http://tesoro.com/product/accessories/accessories.html).

Tesoro Lobo SuperTraq Vs. Tesoro Vaquero - comparison

Tesoro Lobo ST (5x10dd) Vs. Tesoro Vaquero (8x9con)

 

 17,8 kHz     Frequency     14,2 - 14,5 - 14,7 kHz

9     Iron Discrimination   8
 

9     Target separation    9
 

8     Weight     9.5
 

8     User friendly    8
 

8     Target information     8
 

8     Depth    9
 

8     Best Value     9
 

8.5     Overall    9

 

Observations: It's time to compare two very well-known Tesoro machines, the Tesoro Lobo SuperTraq (this time with the 5x10dd coil) and the Tesoro Vaquero (with its standard 8x9con coil). The comparison results between these two machines are obvious, Are you a Relic and Coin hunter? Go Vaquero!, Are you a Gold prospector? Go Lobo! and we could end up this text here, but what makes both detectors shine on their specific tasks???

Considering the Lobo, its higher 17,8 kHz frequency will make a big difference against the 14,5 kHz of the Vaquero, on practical results, with the LoboST we should be able to hit smaller and deeper nuggets than we would do with the Vaquero, adding to this, the powerful Ground-tracking system of the LoboST (that works only in all-metal mode) will make life a lot easier when hunting on very challenging ground (soils with high mineralization content).
It's said that the Vaquero would make a nice entry level machine for Gold prospecting and it's a fact that it is very sensitive to small low conductive targets (like gold or lead), but if you are thinking on using the VCO mode (all-metal) on soils with high mineralization content, you may go mad, because the threshold sound tends to become too unstable and you can't do anything about it, because you CAN'T control all-metal sensitivity/gain (don't ask me why), add some Iron Ferrite to this and you have nightmares!
The Lobo Super Traq has one minor flaw, that is the impossibility of adjusting the ground balance while working on Discriminate mode, that feature could be something to praise when you need that extra depth while Relic hunting.

The conclusion is: Use the right tool for the job, of course if you have no choice, then use what you have. For Coin/Relic hunting: the Vaquero or the LoboST with a 8x9con coil. For Gold prospecting: the LoboST or the Vaquero with a 5x10dd coil.

The Vaquero is lighter than the LoboST and it also makes life easier by working with a single 9V battery in comparison to the Lobo, which needs 8AA batteries. By the way, The LoboST is probably the lightest Gold prospecting detector currently on the market and don't forget that with both machines you get the famous Tesoro's life-time warranty (only in US).

Tesoro Lobo SuperTraq: $799.00

Tesoro Vaquero: $525.00