Fisher F44
Price: $400
Avg. Score: 
3.5
Based on 8 reviews
3.5Based on 8 reviews
Avg. Durability:
3.88
Avg. Ease of use:
4.75
Rained/malfunction
August 31, 2016
Had this detector just over a month. I've used it maybe 5 times now. Today,
it started raining when I was on site. Didn't take long for it to start
malfunctioning. Initially it turned off so I figured the batteries where
bad even though it stated 2/3 bars. Replaced those, then It wouldn't turn
back on. Waited awhile in my truck and tried again, it worked with the
power button but that was the last time the power button would work.
Instrument panel went haywire. All functions were malfunctioning and power button no longer worked. Had to take batteries out to turn off and vise versa to turn on.
The only thing I can think of was the rain causing it to brake. This detector is suppose to be rain proof and coil submersible. Perhaps not. Would not purchase another based on my experience with it.
Max Depth: 8 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
No, not really.
Jim from
Kansas City
155
Good price. i had problems with mine
April 27, 2016
What can I say. I have used it for 7 weeks after purchasing it. I really
wanted to like the F44. First. It stopped working. I traveled 10 miles to a
search location. Turned it on and the screen menu items all showed in black
on the screen. Stupid me for not taking my trusty Tesoro as a backup. I
have had several Whites and Tesoros. Never had a problem with any of them.
One Whites detector is over 30 years old and my Tesoro is over 12 years
old. They still work as good as the day I purchased them.
I sent the Fisher F44 back. Good thing it has a 5 year warranty. I wanted to try a digital machine. It is fun, however, I think any good metal detectorist does not need the numbers. With my Tesoro I can tell if it is a coin or junk.
Bottom line is: If I am going to spent money on a machine, I want the Lifetime Warranty that Tesoro has to offer. Bottom Line: "Keep it Simple" and learn your machine. My new machine is going to be the Tesoro Outlaw.
F-44 Observations.
Pros: Weather Proof. Low Price. Quiet. If it chatters, just lower the sensitivity. I found mine to be pretty stable. (They are all different)
Cons: Besides only lasting 7 weeks before a break down.
Low Volume. Earphones are a must. Not a deep detector. Coil seems heavy to me. My Tesoro seems light in comparison and has a smoother swing. Up and Down arrows on the left side of the receiver are way to small.
Please keep in mind that Fisher does make good machines. My F44 was not-so-good. I am going to stick with Tesoro.
Max Depth: 8 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
No, not really.
Jim from Spokane from
Spokane
1110
Fisher f44
March 28, 2016
Honestly I love this detector. I am very new to metal detecting. I think it
is a great detector :D
Max Depth: 8 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Agenthobo from
Tt
48
Good for the price with one annoying trait
December 14, 2015
I've owned an F44 for almost a year now. It's light, easy to set up,
decently deep and has a fast recovery speed. It has many interesting
features for the price like back light, volume control (I love the freedom
of detecting with no headphones at times) and is weatherproof. I've
detected in the rain a few times with absolutely no worries and no issues.
I have found many good things with it which for some is all that really matters. It seems like the perfect detector for the price but it's not. This thing chatters like there is no tomorrow. There is a good reason why Fisher set the sensitivity at 12 stock (out of 20). Raise it and get annoyed at the constant false signals. Even when perfectly ground phased, it won't shut up. This is really a turn off for me as I like to hunt with a high sensitivity setting. I hunted in the jewelry (deeper than coin) preset until I heard somebody (a very experienced detectorist) hinting that custom was the only way to go to attenuate the constant chattering. It works up to a certain extent.
So in custom mode and with sensitivity at 16 or less, it gets the job done for cheap. It's my go to machine when the weather is iffy only. I would never buy it as my only machine as it would eventually drive me bonkers. I much prefer my F5. I can run it at 90 sens, thresh at 0 and disc at 15 and it will be almost dead silent until it actually finds something.
I would recommend the F44 to someone who wants a maximum of features for a good price and doesn't mind noise. Not many detectors are weatherproof at this price point.
Max Depth: 9 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
I have no clue...
Mike from
Canada
126
Fisher f-44
November 15, 2015
I recently bought the F-44 to see if it was as good as I'd heard. I've been
detecting for over 30 years and have owned many brands of detectors, so I
know a little about detecting. This detector is the best one to come along
in a while! Light weight, simple to use, goes deep and the price is very
good. I currently have 9 detectors of various makes and model and the F-44
is the one I grab when I go. It's weather proof and a lot of fun. Thanks
Fisher, It's a winner!!
Max Depth: 10 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Billy Sinclair from
North Florida
224
Great bang for the buck
November 13, 2015
I own many detectors, some that cost thousands, and I think this is likely
the best bang for a buck I've seen. The price point is pretty low for a
machine that does this much. In the all metal mode, this machine will pick
up fine placer gold! The recovery speed is great. It is very easy to use
and highly recommended for anybody who wants a good machine for a
reasonable price.
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Jim johnson from
Denver, Co
214
Fisher f44-great detector for the money
July 25, 2015
The F44 provides a lot of performance for a machine a little over $300. No
other machine on the market has near the features of the F44 for the money.
The custom mode, where tones can be assigned to each category, is an
industry first that I'm sure many others will copy. Depth is very good for
a low priced machine, and separation is decent.
Fisher advertises it as weatherproof, but I've found that if you're water hunting and happen to drop it, it won't leak. I wouldn't intentionally submerge it though. The build quality is good and light. Just because it doesn't weigh five pounds and made of steel doesn't mean it's not durable. Fisher machines are a lot tougher than they look.
This would be a very good beginner machine, as it's not too complicated. But I've got over 40 years in the hobby and don't feel at a disadvantage using it.
Max Depth: 11 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
John Samsky from
Manassas, Va.
365
Ok for a low end unit
June 20, 2015
It has some nice features but like most things, you get what you pay for.
Do not expect to get the same performance from this detector as you would a
higher end one. It does ok on the high conductors but seems to struggle on
the low conductors like a lot of the fisher, teknetics, bounty hunters do.
One good this is the coils between this and some of the other units
interchange. I would say it would be OK for a beginner or someone not
wanting to pay a lot of money for one.
Max Depth: 7 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
No, not really.
John Moddy from
NY
1833