Tesoro Cibola
Street Price $450 - Coin, relic
Number of Reviews: 45
on 5 pages.
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My First Detector
Dan in Denver, CO -I chose to purchase the Tesoro Cibola after conducting extensive research within the that price line. I've owned the Cibola for about 3 months now and I couldn't be happier.
The only thing I would like to acquire on my next detector will be some sort of ground balance. My current finds consist of a 14k gold bangle bracelet, two sterling silver rings, 1947 Netherland 10 cent (6 inches deep) a few wheat penny's and last a nice assortment of relics.
It consistently rings out nicely down as deep as 8 inches. It has taken me a few months to figure out the language of the detector but I can now easily and fairly consistently call my coins prior to digging them up. The most valuable thing I have learned about this detector over the last 3 months with regards to finding the deeper and older finds is this. Sweep slow, 2 seconds a swing. Run you sensitivity at the top of the red, it seems to chatter to much when set to the highest point. I set my threshold at about the 2 o'clock position and adjust up to increase my volume level when need be.
When set to a slight hum it gives me a nice reading on how deep the object may be. And last, I listen for those nice sharp edge tones. It won't take long to figure out the difference between likely trash and good targets. Of course I typically dig everything anyway.
So to summarize, for someone who has just recently had the fortune of getting into this hobby, I would say that this is a great reasonable price detector with the power to find items like a much more expensive unit.
Yes, it may not have the bells and whistles, but I get just as much of a kick out of listing to my detector talk to me and successfully understanding what it has told me. Old school and very cool!!
Jan 27, 2010
6 Yes
1 No
The pinpointing machine
JACK in PAWHUSKA OK -I've owned my cibola for about 1 1/2 years.
I love it. Its light, operates with 1, 9 volt bat. last about 2 good hunts about 10 to 12 hours.
I can out pinpoint anybody I've hunted with.
I never use the pinpoint button that it has. You cross it twice over the target and your digging. That is no exageration. My buddy uses a whites prisum. I'll dig 3 targets to his 1. No brag just fact. If you run it on max descrimination youll find everything you want except gold. I had the tesoro deleon got rid of it because it chatteres all the time. When I turn on the cibola there is no noise what so ever till I hit a target. I keep the threshold and sen in the middle, if I pick up a light signal or quick chatter I'll kick them both to max and go over it again. I've got some deep targets doing that. I have picked up silver at 10 inches. A small necklace charm the size of a pencil eraser 10 inches deep. I have nothing bad to say its a great machine for beginner or expert. I started this in the 70's and got out for a long time and started back with this cibola. Greattttttttttt machine!
Dec 16, 2009
17 Yes
2 No
Tesoro Cibola
Coinman in ohio -
I have used the cibola for 2 months now and have found an indian head cent, silver ring, wheat pennies and tons of clad, a 18k gold bracelet that I took to the pawn shop and received 45 dollars for it. This machine is a quarter killer, if you can tell the difference in the tone you can find some good stuff, good beginners machine, the slower you move with this machine the deeper it will pick up. I bought mine like new from a pawn shop for 230 dollar a good investment that is paying for its self!!
Dec 10, 2009
10 Yes
2 No
I WAS COMPLETLEY SUPRISED!! AWESOME!
Louisianaman in New Orleans -The first Tesoro that I bought was a Tesoro Tejon and that thing just layed on the ground and made freaky noises while I was digging a target. I had it about 2 weeks and I just could not control it. I called the dealer and he didn't want to take it back so I called Vince at Tesoro and he just could not be of much help xcept send it in and we will take a look. The basic company cr*p! So the dealer takes the Tejon back and I get the high tone Cibola. You definetly want the HIGH TONE Cibola.
So I take it out and a listen to the detector and I read the manual and read darn near everything on the internet and I decide that I am going to dig evry target the detector beeps at and I dig a pull tab and then I dig a rusty piece of iron and so on until I hit a Carnival token and this time there is no beep but a sharp tone that smacks the earphones LOUD, I dig & learn that the detector is more than a beep and dig machine. This is a fun machine and it's stable as hell! I had to turn the sensitivity all the way up and the threshold all the way up and still it doesn't freak out. That's the way you supertune the Cibola. It really goes deep, and I know all the people say that but I dug an old fish lure out of 18 inches of river sand! So the Cibola is a detector that I would put up against all the detectors out there and I can hear any target they can hear. Guranteed. If you live in places with a lot of minerals, get the Vaquero. The Vaquero is just a Ciola with a ground balance. Enjoy hunting!
Sep 12, 2009
24 Yes
7 No
Tesoro cibola
stasys in lithuania -
I have cibola for three month and found coins and garbage too, but with experience I am starting to learn that cibola is not so great like its souns, firstly in former USSR area Lithuania, we have milions and bilions aluminium trash and cibola loves aluminium and makes clear signal, like it would be coins, on air test aluminium goes deaper than silver- this is not very useful if you hunt for something older than 100 years. Threshold maximum sensitivity 10 and discrimination iron, or iron -minimum. What is the point in the three nobs? If I chainge only discrimination, keeping sensitivity 10 and threshold max. and pin point nob is useless its so easy to pinpoint without knob. I dig rusted metal in diferent shape too often. If you colect rusted bubliks and rusted past slaves chains and diferent other objects go for cibola. But in the end I will say I am looking for other detector, but still not desiding what it would be. Reviews are very helpful but infested by diferent companys interest----be careful. Stasys plus I open cibola box and found some chanegible bug with name cibola 1? maybe its posible to chaige cibola to cibola 2 or tejon?, by chaineging this small part?
Jun 11, 2009
10 Yes
22 No
Good starter machine
aaron from NY in NY -I have been using the Cibola, my 1st detector, for 2 years now. Although I have found a lot of good stuff, I have dug a lot of garbage.
It is a light, turn and go and easy to swing, but it is impossible to tell the difference between aluminum and desirable signals.
This machine loves aluminum. If you are willing to dig most everything, the goods are there. If you'd rather dig better targets, I don't think this is the right machine 4 u.
Recently I did an air test with a silver coin. Yes, I could sense it at 6 or 7" but there was no difference in the sound of a pull tab at this depth. Loves iron too. Can't get away from it.
After the air test, I realized my disc. was below iron and my sens. was peaked. This meant in order to find silver at that depth, I would need to dig all faint sounds and LISTEN to every trashy sound.
By the days end, my friend with the Minelab had 4 silvers and 2 large coppers. Before he dug them, he had me run my machine over the signal. It was a broken, barely audible sound. A non digger to me.
Hard to believe that I still think this machine is ok. It will find clad. I have found dozens of silvers, wheat's, jewelry, even some gold jewelry, but I want to be able to tell the difference between the good and trash at least 1/2 the time.
Guess what I am buying? A minelab.
May 28, 2009
13 Yes
20 No
Still learning
twofast in TN -Got my Cibola last week, had it out a couple of times, found 2 Mercury dimes and Buffalo nickle in the same hole today, so I'm impressed so far.
Mar 26, 2009
6 Yes
5 No
All I can say is WOW!
Greg in Kenton, TN -I do a great deal of civil war relic hunting whenever I can and own a Fisher 1265x that I used frequently with my Father-in-Law. Now don't get me wrong, I have found some great and wonderful finds with that machine, however my Father-in-Law had bought him a Cibola and was able to find alot more relics and digging alot less trash than I was. What I found so amazing was he was able to bring in DEEPER Targets with a loud sound that my poor Fisher would not even register. Needless to say I went out and bought one of my own and have not regretted it since. Within 2 hours of first time testing the machine in the same field that has been hunted to death I found a Civil War 3-ringer Minnie Ball, 2 buttons, and a piece of a knapsack hook in the same area I had went over 100+ times with my Fisher 1265x. Not to mention it is so much lighter to swing and I'm less tired from not having to dig up quite as much trash.
WOW Tesoro, you have made a believer out of me and a lifetime customer!
If your looking for a quality detector at an affordable price, this is definitely going to be one of the greats! Folks will be talking about this little Deep Seeking Monster for a long time! :)
Mar 10, 2009
12 Yes
3 No
Minelab needs Tesoros Tech!
Vinny D in Salem, OR -I have propsectied with the best (people and detectors) using the latest ML GP'S. The when I no longer had gold close by I purchased a ML Xterra 70 and at the same time a Tesoro Cibola. Never had used one before. The ML is a nice functional machine but to be honest the Cibola kicks it's but in general terms. Who would have figured? The Cibola gives a better authority (response) to deep targets even comparing side by side. The ML cannot SEE a good target when it's close to or over a descriminated target. The Cibola trustingly sounds off as if the trash were not there. I bought this for my budding detector buddy (my son). But what he doesn't know won't hurt him! I'll be borrowing it! BTW, the ML will go deeper, way deeper! IN PROSPECTING MODE! But then you loose the whole reason for having all the programming features. The Tesoro does look a little cheep....But....
Well done Tesoro. I won't be judging based on looks anymore!
Dec 02, 2008
16 Yes
3 No
4 stars because i'm new to this
The New Guy in Cocoa Beach -I bought the cibola based on the reviews on this forum and it seemed to be the best for the price. 340 on amazon. I've only been able to use this on the east coast of florida. I've been to the beach about five times with it. I discriminate out nickels and tabs and end up with coins for the most part. probably getting good coin signals from the surface to 7 inches in the sand. It appears to only have one tone and sounds like a higher pitched squeal. Not as annoying as is sounds.
Now this detector is capable of going deep, sometimes to my frustration. I have hit several pop cans at 2 feet plus. I've been able to predict many of the things that the coil targets (cans, tabs, iron, foil). However it usually a good idea to dig even if you think you are hearing a can. One time the signal was widespread and difficult to pinpoint. I thought it was a can for sure. Started digging and found a bunch of coins scattered in the same spot. I turned the discriminator down and was able to get several nickels and tabs. So if you find coins grouped in one spot be sure to turn the discriminator down and you will more than likely find other goodies.
Found 2 rings already. Nothing valuable. One was a super hero ring. The other looks like tin. Rings make a nice loud sound on the cibola. Thought one was a can and dug a crater. Found it 2 feet down. I was amazed and wish i had my camera to take a picture of the depth.
I gave the Cibola 4 stars because i haven't used anything else and i'm sure other detectors can do just as well and have additional features.
Tesora Cibola. So far so good. looking forward to the weekend to go out again. Perfect detector for me, the beginning treasure hunter.
Nov 25, 2008
14 Yes
4 No