Fisher F2
Street price $200
Number of Reviews: 29
on 3 pages.
Email this page to a friend.
Also in this price range:
Whites Classic I
Tesoro Compadre
Bounty Hunter Lone Star
Aquastar II
Minelab SD 2200v2
Fisher F2
Millard in North Carolina -
This is one of the best detectors I've ever used. I purchased it as a backup for my more expensive detector but it is quickly becoming my detector of choice. It performs like a detector cost hundreds more. I can only say Fisher has a definite winner with the F2. Just last week searching areas I've been over before I found a 1912 dime in excellent condition and a 1916 in fair condition. Depth of detecting appears to be about the same as my other more expensive detector.
Fisher F2 Metal Detector is easy to get acquainted with. It is simple to assemble and uses two (2) Alkaline 9 volt batteries. The F2 comes with a ¼ inch headphone jack conveniently located on the left side of the detector. Operating controls are as follows: Sensitivity control, Discrimination control, Pinpoint control, and Notch control. A four (4) Tone Audio System helps to identify targets along with a Depth and Target display. On the control housing you will see both a two (2) digit display and a target category readout on the top showing items from iron/foil to nickels, to dimes, quarters, etc. An arrow will illuminate under the target category and a two digit number will show specific target value that helps you identify your target. Together with the tone and digital readout this is a great detector to use and it is light enough swing all day!
The detector comes with an eight (8) inch spider type coil and a 4 ½ inch coil with an extra bottom rod. The smaller coil is excellent when working those tight or trashy areas and from what I’ve see it gets excellent depth. After you have found a target and identified it you can use the pinpoint mode to isolate its location. Press and hold the Pinpoint to activate this feature. This is a static detection; no coil motion is required to detect when pinpoint is depressed.
The Notch feature is one I especially like. This control allows you to selectively include or exclude target categories from detection. The manual is pretty good at describing how this works. By using the notch and discrimination controls you may program any combination of detected and eliminated target categories. This takes some practice but is very helpful when you find yourself working an area with junk items sometimes.
My experience with this detector has been nothing but pure delight. Now I find myself using it more than the more expensive one I own. Depth and sensitivity is equal to detectors costing hundreds more. I have to give this Fisher F2 a rating of five stars. It is excellent in all areas I feel. The F2 is a winner!!!
Apr 13, 2008
30 Yes
3 No
I Have Bought 2 Now...
Serpent in Kentucky USA -Just leaving this review in hopes it will help someone trying to make a decision. I hve been using the F2 for about 4 months now. I hadn't detected in quite a few years so I bought an F2 just to see if I still liked the hobby. Needless to say I did. The F2 did so well that I thought if I bought an even more expensive detector then it would have to be even better! Well... the newer, much more expensive detector maybe had a few more bells and whistles but the F2 is a solid machine! Let me explain: I have a buddy that originally made fun of me and my metal detecting. After he dug a few coins and a silver ring while using my F2 he was hooked! He was so hooked that he even bought his own. I then bought a Garrett GTP1350 and started using it while my buddy hunted with the F2. We would "test" each other's finds before digging and the results were always similar if not the same. I will say that the GTP1350 may have a little more depth (and I do mean a little, not a lot) and does ID just a little better but not $500 worth of better. So in summary let me recap:
1)You would be hard pressed to find another detector even close to this price range with this performance.
2)It has a 5 year warranty straight out of the box!
3)It is especially easy to use for beginners.
4)The construction seems very solid- haven't felt any wobbling.
5)At this point, it still comes with a bonus 4 inch coin coil AND shaft (usually about another $50 to purchase.)
6)Can compete with much more expensive detectors- tested and confirmed (by me, anyway.)
7)Has a GREAT pinpoint feature that is very accurate which minimizes digging time.
There are some things this detector does not have just so you know. One of the most useful things it does not have is manual ground balance. I have not found this to be a problem yet as the automatic ground balance has worked very well in my region. Also, the ID is good but can be a little tricky. It does get easier after you learn the detector itself. As always, the best thing is practise and experience with your detector so give it some time.
One last thing... even though I compare this detector to my Garett I still love my Garrett. I must admit that it is still not $500 better then my F2 though.
Mar 18, 2008
21 Yes
0 No
The F2 made a believer out of me! But not on the first try.
Hugh in Memphis - 10 -Like most TH?s, I read the reviews on a frequent basis, in hopes of learning something new. However, when reading the majority of postings that bash the Fisher F2, I now find myself shaking my head and smiling. Because I know how you feel.
I?ve owned my F2 for about 2 weeks now, and I must say, within the first hour of swinging, I started regretting I bought it! The multiple tone variations were going wild, the VDI was flipping back and forth, and the pinpointer wasn?t exactly pinpointing! This machine not only left me in utter disbelief, I was frustrated and pissed off that I had spent my money on this piece of crap.
I threw my hands up and decided to call it quits. While driving home angry and frustrated, I figured if I listed it on Ebay today, I should sell it by the end of next week. I powered up my computer and instead of going directly to Ebay, I checked some of the MD forums, in search of a plausible answer to my disappointing experience. I found some suggestions from other F2 owners, and decided to give it a shot. The outcome was much better. Here?s what I learned about having a successful hunt with the F2:
1. Turn down the sensitivity. (between 1 ? 3 bars)
2. Use the 4? coil in trashy areas, like parks, baseball fields, etc.
3. The F2?s multiple response is super fast, but you can make the machine mellow down by slowing your forward pace and shortening your swing arc.
4. Use the pinpointer sparingly. (swing over your target while closing the swing gap)
5. Don?t pay so much attention to the VDI. They all lie. Focus on the sound!
6. Remember and respect the learning curve? (30 - 50hrs hands-on)
The next day, I took the F2 out behind a school yard and found a pair of old brass keys, a silver ring, and $3.10 in clad, during a two-hour swing. Of course, now the F2?s my new best friend.
My only dislike with the F2 is the slight pauses when pinpointing or resetting the notch discriminator. For some reason, my VDI pauses for about 5 seconds, and then it?s good to go.
Listen guys, I?m no expert. But these tips helped me to better understand the F2 and thereby appreciate the potential this MD has. Like all of you, I live to hunt. But let?s face it, you got to put in the required work. Thanks to all the Fisher F2 posters at Findmall.com. Happy hunting.
Mar 17, 2008
28 Yes
0 No
An honest openion
West Coast Hunter in Portland Metro area -I used the F4 for a couple weeks and was impressed. Extreme target to target recovery speed. Discrimination and target ID right on down to about 6 inches. Below that the machine tended to drop down a notch toward Iron. I liked the F4 but I thought it was about $100 over priced.....Enter the F2. The speed is still there. Super Light. I get that extra 4" coil and lower rod. Simple to operate. The depth seems to be the same as the F4 in Disc Mode. Love the 4 tone ID. I don't even look at the VDI until I hear what I am looking for. NICE LARGE VDI NUMBERS. Quick on the fly adjustments...And the price is JUST RIGHT. The only problem I saw with the F2 was the high tone target ID is just beyond the limit of my hearing disability without headphones. With H/F it is fine as I can crank up the volume. I do not understand why anyone could find the faults some of the earlier testers found. I have ran this machine for over 60 hours. It has held up fine. No breaks or loosening up at all. I have dug all kinds of coins. Max depth so far has been about 5 inches. I just don't think the coins are any deeper in this area. I would like to got to an older place and see what it will do. I have so far hunted in Parks, Playgrounds, school yards and a older but not real old church yard. In my book, the F2 is a great little machine. I highly recomend it.
Mar 03, 2008
18 Yes
0 No
Junk at a Walmart price
DioMan in NE,Pa -
The unit airtests well...trouble is most coins are 4" deep or more. Once you get to the 4" mark the unit ID's good targets as junk. Do yourself a favor and buy the Ace 250. The bell tones are somewhat annoying but overall a vastly superior machine. First Texas looks to have run another good company into the ground
Feb 27, 2008
6 Yes
25 No
Better than the Aces and White's Classics too
Anonymous in Anytown, AT 55555 -I had the pleasure of testing a new Fisher F-2 a few weeks ago. I found the detector to be lightweight, very selective and with superior discriminating abilities matching the abilities and speed of retune of the Tesoro line of detectors. It had a very quick self-adjusting threshold. I read an air depth test of 8'-11" depending on which coin I tested, from pennies up through US quarters. Most detectors in the mid- priced range achieve these same results.
In the ground it got roughly the same depth as most middle-priced detectors, including the F-4. In fairly bad soil and on Oregon salt/high black sand beaches using a low level of discrimination, it matched the depth of an
MXT,
a White's 6000 di Pro,
a Minelab Sovereign Elite Pro,
and Explorer SE.
It beat the Ace 250 and 150 by 1" to 2" in depth both inland and at the beaches. It also beat my White's Classic III by bout 1/2". It did not make all the noises the Aces did in high black sand soils. Of course, as many people already know, the Garrett Aces are not recommended by Garrett to be used for beach hunting, it even says this in their own charts.
A lack of manual ground balance did not cause it to get any less depth than it's big brother the F-4
Most detectors have trouble finding coins deeper than 5 inches inland and 6 inches on our beaches, and the F-2 and the other aforementioned were no different. There were other detectors that I tested against the above and they were the Compass Goldscanner and Relic & Coin, a Whites DFX, and my Fisher cz-70. These detectors only found coins 1/2" to 1" deeper than all the others.
One thing I didn't like about the F-2 and the F-4; Niether of them would find a BB sized nugget deeper than 2" in the air and even less than that in the ground. This however, was also true of the low-end White's, the Sovereign, and the 6000 di Pro.
Finally, the F-2 and F-4 unlike the Aces, the Sovs, and the Explorers, and the 6000 di Pro, AND the cz-70, would give a signal on ALL 5 pennies I placed on the ground in a row at 3 inches apart, no matter which way I checked, left, or right. Only the F-2 and F-4 and a Tejon and a Silver and Golden Saber could achieve this great target separation. The others couldn't quite cut it, and only gave one signal each way, never five like the Tesoros and F-2 and F-4 could.
Jan 25, 2008
26 Yes
6 No
Worst $100+ detector ever
Bob Smalley in Dover, Deleware -I talked my brother into getting two of these detectors for his sons, based on reviews from the Fisher forums I had read. I had previously bought a Discovery 2200 from Radio Shack for $49, and knew, according to the forums, that the F2 would easily surpass it. What a surprise to all of us when the F2 wouldn't locate any coins at depth without identifying them as iron. The discrimination circuitry is pathetic, and the general depth on any item is poor. Like the F75, build quality is totally Bounty Hunter, meaning cheap junk. And it sucks up 9 volt batteries like they were bon bons. I've owned many Fishers and have been thrilled with all of them (1266, CZ3D, 1270). But this machine is not a Fisher you've come to know and love. This is First Texas garbage, like just about everything they've ever built. This machine would sell well in Walmart for $59 or so. If you want a good $200 or so machine, get an Ace 250 or a Tesoro Compadre or Silver Umax. They don't come with the free extra 4 inch coil, a coil that makes this machine even more shallow in its already pathetic depth. Would make a good walking stick or brush whacker though.
Jan 12, 2008
25 Yes
28 No
The F-2 Needs a LOT of Work!
MB in Michigan -I already posted a review here for the F-2 but due to a server crash it was lost.
I was asked to post my review again.
I had very high hopes for the F-2. I?ve been into this hobby since it?s earliest days and have since the 60?s been a user of Fisher detectors.
To cut to the chase, I found my F-2 to have very serious shortcomings.
1. Very poor depth ? 4 inches maximum on a wheat penny with zero discrimination and maximum sensitivity (w/8-inch coil).
2. Target ID is way off on buried coins. I got a 06 IRON reading on the wheat penny at 4 inches deep.
In air tests the machine ID's nearly perfectly so I know it's not defective.
After testing the machine I discovered it was not worth returning to the company and it was useless for my types of hunting. I traded my F-2 for another model Fisher detector.
So, maybe the F-4 or F-75 but definitely not the F-2.
Jan 12, 2008
10 Yes
13 No
Fisher F2
Skillet in USA -My hunting bud and I just bought two of the new, Fisher F2 detectors... at about $200, extra 4" coil and lower shaft included, it seemed like a heck of a deal.
(We both own several different makes/models and are both familiar with using TID machines).
Posters on the forums were giving them great reviews as well, seemed like a no-brainer!
I fully expected it to shoot my 250 right out of the saddle!
I was soon to find, however, that this wouldn't be the case..
The first alarming issue was the fact that the stock 8" coil was a dud, dead in the water. Machine wouldn't power-up at all with the big coil. Worked just fine with the 4", however, and I had a spare 8" BH coil that worked just fine on the machine as well... time to do some hunting!
Second issue: the arm rest on my machine was mounted off-level. This resulted from the mounting holes being drilled off-plane. Mostly cosmetic, I could correct for this while hunting, still it doesn't speak too well for quality control.
Third issue: I quickly found that the coin-depth readout was not accurate at all. Coins were reading 1-2" deep in pinpoint mode when they were actually much deeper.
I tried it on targets in my test plot, all items buried 3-5" deep. It would indicate a depth of 2" on the deeper targets. My other machines with depth-indications are dead-on on reading depths on the same targets.
Fourth Issue: The VDI readout is so 'twitchy' and jumpy, that it is all but useless, especially on any target deeper than about 3"
Fifth Issue: Poor depth, In a nearby park, I have a dime buried at 5.5" deep in clean ground. The F2 couldn't hit the coin at all with the 4" coil. With the 8" coil it would hit it, but the audio ID would register like iron, and the visual displays would jump all over the scale without a good 'lock-in'.
Out of 11 different machines on my rack, this machine is the only one that wouldn't give-up a diggable coin signal on this dime. My 250 will hit it solid even with a 4.5" coil.
Fisher, to their credit, has sent me a replacement 8" coil. It works no better than the BH coil did, so I know that it's not an issue with the first coil I tested.
My hunting bud's observations mirrored mine, except that he didn't get a bad first coil and his armrest wasn't crooked.
Sad to report, but this new F2 is for sale as I can't see myself getting much hunting time in with it.
I have to give it 1 star... zero stars if that's allowed.
When my bud and I posted our observations about the F2 on a Fisher forum (we were not rude, this is a machine I tried very hard to like!) the moderator quickly deleted the string... sad.
I'm not a brand-loyal 'basher'... I own Garretts, White's, Tesoros, an Explorer etc. and use the heck out of them all.
My impression of the F2, I feel compelled to report, is not favorable at all.
Jan 11, 2008
56 Yes
19 No