Comrades, for a long time I’ve been thinking about getting myself a Fisher F44, because everyone around me is running around with ICQ, and I’ve always been interested in getting some kind of alternative to the top-end ICQ — Garrett Euro ACE, and now Garrett ACE 400i. I looked closely at the F44, watched the video and read the reviews that there were, in the end I got tired of waiting and got a new metal detector from the nearest dealer and definitely with 11″ DD coil.
Actually the box itself: 
The box itself is small and does not take up much space. Significantly fewer boxes from other manufacturers. Probably done for ease of transportation and lower logistics costs. It’s logical, let’s move on.
The entire kit was neatly laid out in the box, packed in seals so as not to damage parts of the detector during transportation (also good, have you ever received a package with a large dent on the side? No? Lucky! I once received a suitcase at the airport with a large dent on the side, I demanded compensation from Lufthansa, they paid.
What was in the set? The set itself is quite meager compared to other gift sets. Everything that comes with the device is now in the photo: in fact, the detector itself and the manual with a spare seal for the coil cable and elastic bands for the coil ears.
Is this good or bad? On the one hand, I don’t use headphones when searching, I like to hear everything that’s happening next to and behind me, so I don’t see any point in overpaying for headphones that I don’t need. And if you consider that when you are quite actively engaged in coping, then one detector will not provide enough light; you will always want another detector, or even more than one, or two, all for different purposes and tasks. Therefore, I don’t see the point in overpaying, and the manufacturer and seller will always include the entire cost of accessories in the price of the kit (no one works for free, resources cost money), on the other hand, buying a cheap device, even if it’s a top-end cheap one, it’s quite possible that it will be you are the first and you will really need headphones. I’m not even talking about the cover for the detector unit (I want to preserve the aesthetic appearance of the device) and the coil protection (just as I want to protect the coil, in case I have to sell everything in a couple of years?), and also, perhaps, some kind of bonus in the form of a bag for carrying the device (a very useful thing if you don’t have one and have just started being a cop). But here everyone chooses, you can always buy more of these things, and buy what you really need, and not overpay for what you won’t use or don’t want. Still, bags for carrying detectors from manufacturers are usually not of the best quality, so it’s better to buy a special one from a third-party manufacturer or sew it yourself.
I’ll especially focus on the reel. It is light and simple, but its lightness, as I understand it, is achieved due to the fact that it does not have epoxy protection; all protection is provided by a plastic case, glued on different sides with sealant and some kind of glue.
View of the bottom of the reel, its main working surface. Such a solution has its pros and cons, but if you are a beginner and this is your first device, and you are not going to carry it to the most terrible places, but will only look in the field, then this solution should not scare you — again, why overpay for something you don’t need? Considering the price of this device, the functions it carries and the performance — You may not even pay attention to this. Another point is that if you like the device and it works for a long time, but the coil breaks in the plastic, then this will require purchasing a coil from a third-party manufacturer, which can improve the overall characteristics of the device and bring more finds. I try to look for my pros and cons in everything, there is never a balance, something is always sacrificed for some advantage.
There were no batteries included either, so keep your own at the ready, or better yet, buy batteries in advance, you only need two of them! Yes, these are not 8 or 4 AA batteries, as in other devices. Very convenient!
And then the construction set begins, a good activity for developing fine motor skills of the fingers, which develops our digging brain and will lead to more finds. 😉
I will write more data and tests on the device later, stay tuned.
I collect all the data about the Fisher F44 metal detector here. If you have your own experience using this detector, then write to us or comment on the post, other diggers will benefit from your experience!
