How often have different diggers asked me the same question at a dig — which is better: Garrett AT PRO or Minelab X-Terra 705? I spent a long time trying to find the advantages and disadvantages of these two most popular metal detectors, and it took me a lot of time to comprehend everything. I walked a lot with Garrett «Proshka» AT PRO, also walked a lot with Minelab «Terka» — X-Terra 705 and I’m thinking of sharing this with you, since you are reading this post, it means you are also asking this question and are faced with a choice. So, let’s go!
Design of metal detectors
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The devices are very similar in design — standard S-shaped rod, but the location of the detector blocks is different — The grater is held on the handle, and Proshka comes with a ready-made and screwed block on the rod. Comfortable. Regarding assembly — It’s enough to assemble the grater once, I even screwed the head of the block to the handle once and for all, but if necessary, you can transport the grater with a disassembled block, just don’t screw it in, but insert it every time. It may be a chore, but whatever you like.
A big bonus of the AT PRO is its water resistance to 3 meters. The grater will require a cover, so it is better to take care of this issue immediately after purchase. 🙂 And even more so — Do not swim with the grater in the water, you will lose the device!
Armrests
I liked the armrests on both models, I can’t say anything in particular. They can be adjusted in length and location, and the Törka has more options for customizing the armrest than the AT PRO. Advantage or disadvantage? I don’t know, I set it up once and didn’t experience any problems, but if the digger’s arms are short or too long? With a Grater you can adjust it better.
Assembling the rod
Rods are assembled differently for devices. If on the Turk you can simply screw the rod clamps all the way during assembly (don’t twist them any more), then on the AT PRO you can easily twist the clamps and break them, which will entail replacing them. It’s not very pleasant to be on the mine with a device where the rod is loose. I tightened it very carefully every time and even in the cold I did it every time with a little fear, in case it suddenly cracked?
Weight of metal detectors
The overall weight and balance of the metal detectors are quite good, but the Grater is a little heavier. The AT PRO is quite well balanced, I didn’t feel tired with it after several hours of digging, although I periodically change my hands (I am an ambidexter & #8212; free with my hands, both right and left). With a grater you start to get a little tired after a couple of hours, I think that it will be a little more difficult for a physically weaker person, a couple of hundred grams in the field make their difference.
Not a very important thing, but I will write about it in more detail. Not important because the only button that is most often required in the field and directly on the cop, when you cannot take your hand away from the device, is the «Pinpoint» mode button. On two devices it is turned on easily and conveniently with your thumb. As for the other buttons, I used one hand to adjust the AT PRO (although there is really nothing to adjust there), and used two hands to adjust the Grater (I simply held the block with the other hand, it was more convenient for me). In terms of settings, it is written below, but Turka has less chance of turning it off accidentally and due to inexperience, also the backlight button is placed separately, yes, about the backlight — Garrett simply doesn’t have it, so a cop at dusk or at night can turn into a cop only by ear. It’s also possible, but it’s better with headphones, Proshka yells very loudly. Turka has all the «tools» for working at dusk or at night. — volume control and backlight. An important plus in my opinion.
Battery life
Maybe a small thing, but very important. I noticed a rather interesting thing: when the AT PRO lost a few squares of battery charge, the device began to work more quietly and it seemed to me that I was starting to miss finds because of this silence, so I replaced the batteries with new ones and the problem was solved — the device again began to shout at the finds as it should. With Terka the situation is the opposite — batteries are used to the very end without loss of power. Who are the electronic engineers here — correct me what this effect is called and what it leads to?
Configuration and functionality of metal detectors
Modes
According to Proshka: Proshka has two modes — STD and PRO. I don’t understand why the STD mode is needed, because there is no practical benefit from it. If we position the STD mode as a mode for beginners, then I can assure you that it is better to start immediately with the PRO mode. It is not complicated at all. Set the sensitivity to full and go ahead. The discriminance can be kept at 40, although I don’t know why there are so many values for ferrous metal; I don’t collect ferrous metal. There are two factory programs and one user one, but factory programs are also unnecessary, it’s easier to set up your own once and always go with it — CUSTOM mode is retained when turned off, other modes are not.
According to Turka. There are only two global modes in Turk — coins/relics and GEO. There are no modes for complete beginners here; setting up the device is already more complicated, you will have to sit over the manual. Maybe not as long as in the case of professional devices, but the Grater needs to be studied a little longer. And this is a good indicator, because there is something to study — 4 preset factory masks (with different discrimination settings and segment cutting) and AM mode, that is «All metals». The menu on Turk is intuitive, there are no texts, which is good because it does not require translations. After several practical sessions with the device, the menu becomes easy to use, then everything is configured from memory for the task you need.
Ground Balance — Garrett’s sadness balance is set only in manual mode, Turka’s has an automatic ground tracking mode, and this is a very useful function, it will not allow the depth to drop when changing the type of ground and soil on the mine. Big plus.
GEO mode in X-Terra 705
Terka gets a serious advantage precisely with the presence of this mode. This mode is intended for prospectors who are looking for gold, and the Grater in this mode detects small objects at almost twice the standard depth! Of course, with this mode it’s difficult to run all over the field, but for pinpoint knocking out areas it’s very useful and always brings a few coins to a seemingly completely knocked out place. This is especially true for small coins — «scales», silver medieval solids and other small items.
Discrimination work
I spent a lot of time working with these two devices and, to be honest, I had the AT PRO first. On AT PRO, discrimination simply tries to drown out the sound of black metal and often it doesn’t work — Tinkling and squeaking noises are occasionally heard. This doesn’t bother the cop, naturally, but sometimes it misleads him. 🙂 The situation is better with Terka — Terka has a truncated VDI mode that is different from AT PRO, the black segment ranges from -8 to -2, and then from 2 to 48 these are color signals, and if we set the discrimination to -2, then walking across the field we will miss… silence! Sometimes you even start to think — Is the device turned on? You check the device on your boots and when you hear the sound of a colored signal, you understand that everything is working well. Of the many metal detectors I’ve used, Turka had the best discrimination performance.
Metal recognition
In general, both devices recognize metals equally well, I would not say that there is any serious difference. On Garrett, VDI segments range from 0 to 99, so sometimes with a slightly deep signal I looked at the jumping VDI and thought whether I should dig or not dig ? With the Grater, everything turned out to be easier — 42-44 and I understand that there is a large copper imperial coin there. The sound is also often clear of the metal and the object under the coil, so the preference of the sounds of the digger does not give an advantage to one or another detector. About different tests, a la nails and a coin — in the ground everything happens differently and it’s even more difficult to check, but you can easily find the tests themselves on Youtube, there are hundreds of them — fake and real. 🙂
Detection depth
The most important question and aspect — who is deeper? During my time as a cop, I picked up various finds with two instruments, but I never picked up deeper than one and a half bayonets of my Fiskar. And this is quite a lot and the object was larger than an ordinary coin with a diameter of one and a half cm. Large objects were deeper, but I was too lazy to dig them, but in vain — maybe there would be a treasure, but how many pits can you dig in one cop? Two holes and you’re already sitting on the edge tired. Therefore, although depth is important, what is more important is the determination of metal at depth, and for a normal target, both devices at greater depths will give an incorrect VDI, this is normal for all devices operating on the VLF circuit. Both devices see deep enough to bring back finds, but the Grater in GEO mode will pick up even more coins where Proshka simply won’t see it.
AT PRO always works only at one frequency; if you need a higher frequency, you will have to take another detector — AT GOLD (higher frequency) or a detector from another manufacturer with a frequency of 3 or 7 kHz. With the Grater, you can choose the frequency (3 kHz, 7.5 kHz and 18.5 kHz), especially if you buy an additional three-frequency coil, and then the device will become a whole head more functional. Each frequency has its own advantage and searching using different frequencies will always be more effective.
Comparison summary — who is better? Garrett AT PRO or X-Terra 705?
Both devices are interesting and will yield finds. If you need a good device for river and lake beaches — AT PRO will be preferable due to its water resistance up to 3 meters; you can go into water and not worry about the device; on the sea beach and in water, AT PRO will simply generate noise and be incapacitated. It will also bring finds in the field and in other places, but know that after you it will always be possible to collect more coins from the field with the device at a different frequency. If you need a device for digging in war and antiquity, if you want to work for results and do professional digging, then the Grater will be preferable, but it will require at least a cover for the unit, just in case, and you will have to buy an additional coil with three frequencies.
You can read more about these devices on my blog: on Garrett AT PRO I collect all the information here, and on Minelab X-Terra 705 here. Happy reading and good cop!
