Tesoro Cibola
Price: $450
Avg. Score: 
4.73
Based on 81 reviews
4.73Based on 81 reviews
Avg. Durability:
5.00
Avg. Ease of use:
5.00
Tesoro cibola
June 11, 2009
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?
Overall Rating
Stasys from
Lithuania
1440
Good starter machine
May 28, 2009
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.
Overall Rating
Aaron from NY from
NY
2234
Still learning
March 26, 2009
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.
Overall Rating
Twofast from
TN
77
All I can say is WOW!
March 10, 2009
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! :)
Overall Rating
Greg from
Kenton, TN
245
Minelab needs Tesoros Tech!
December 02, 2008
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!
Overall Rating
Vinny D from
Salem, OR
244
4 stars because i'm new to this
November 25, 2008
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.
Overall Rating
The New Guy from
Cocoa Beach
185
Battlefields here I come!
November 17, 2008
After A few years of XP and 1 year of ACE 250 I've finally found wat I
need. Got my Tesoro Cibola SE 2 months ago and it's a keeper.The Sibola SE was introduced in Germany with even grater and accurate discrimination. As a battlefield relic hunter a must.
After a few trips to the Ardennes in Blegium and the Hurtgenwald in Germany the real test came on one of Flaenders fields, a WW1 site.
Littered with shell fragments you really need to know you detector and when to dig and when not. After a few weeks of practice I figured my Cibola was up for it...and it was, Picking up a button just 1 centimeter from a shell fragment without a problem. It is unbelievable how you can tune the discrimination on this machine. A buckle from 50 cm and and a german doppel-fuse from a good 55 cm deep. I'm hooked. In a couple of months I'll get the eliptical disk for even greater accuracy. For now, it works great
Overall Rating
Erik Lambooy from
The Hague, Netherlands, Europe
175
Coin hunters delight
September 19, 2008
I am popping silver out of the ground like crazy. Having to get used to the
threshold hum coming through my head phones as I have used the silver umax
silent search disc. for some time now. More experience with this machine
and I will be better in plenty of time. Tesoro makes fine uncomplicated
machines.
Overall Rating
Glenn from
Tennessee usa
123
THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE GREATS !!!!!
September 16, 2008
I am an intermediate level coin/ treasure hunter, and have spent about a
week testing the Cibola. It is finding alot of coins that another detector
I have had missed,, (and it aint no slouch),, The target seperation, and
depth are super in the dry central Texas soil. I am positive the CIBOLA
will pay for itself in a very short time. RUN to your nearest Tesoro dealer
and get you one!!!!!!
Overall Rating
Crackbadger from
Texas
112
Best garage sale find...and my best detector!
September 10, 2008
I bought my like new Cibola last summer at a garage sale. The woman who
sold it to me was really bitter at her ex husband who had left her for a
much younger woman. She said he had used the detector one time and since
then it had gathered dust in the garage and he didn't take it when he moved
out. You don't care about this and I really didn't either, but I let the
woman vent and wound up getting this amazing detector (and accessories
including a bag, digger, pouch and apron) for $50!I've been detecting for a little over 3 years now, and it's a rare week when I don't get in at least 10 hours. I don't claim to be an expert, but I feel like I'm getting pretty good at this.
When I bought my Cibola, my original intention was to use it a couple times to check it out and then sell it for a nice profit. New Cibolas go for over $300 so I knew I'd come out well. At the time I bought this I had 3 other detectors (and had sold off 2 others) and I couldn't imagine using a detector without a visual ID.
But a funny thing happened the first time I used the Cibola. I found some really good stuff and was having some major fun. Without a screen to look at I discovered sounds and the more I use the Cibola the more I learn about its nuances. I've gotten to where before I dig (or don't dig) I can call a pulltab of either type as well as a bottle cap or screw cap. With the Cibola, coins hit hard and make an unmistakable sound. It's also a ring magnet - I've found 9 rings with it in about a year compared to 4 that I had found in the two years before with other detectors.
I've used Garrett, Minelab, and White's as main detectors. I've found good stuff with them and they all had their good points, but since I invariably kept going to the Cibola and I'm not a wealthy person I went ahead and sold my other units a couple months ago and bought a small coil for my Cibola. I haven't regretted my decision.
The Cibola is the lightest detector I've ever used. On those occasions when I'm able to get out for a full 8-10 hour day with my best buddy and hunting partner the lightness and ease of use is really appreciated. My buddy uses a Garrett GTI 2500 which is Garrett's top of the line and a very good machine with tons of bells and whistles. Before I got the Cibola I considered getting one but at almost a thousand dollars the cost was prohibitive. He always found significantly more than I did until I got the Cibola and since then I'm actually slightly ahead of him!
The Cibola has the best trash separation and pinpointing of any detector I've ever used. I have the 8X9 stock coil and recently added the little 5.75 concentric coil which is not as deep as the stock but is absolutely amazing in trashy areas and tot lots.
As I've gotten more experienced with this unit, I've become more proficient at running the unit "hot" in older areas I detect with the sensitivity turned up to 10 or higher and the threshold turned way up too. This gives me a lot more chatter, but it also seriously increases the depth of this unit. If the area is too trashy or the ground too mineralized, I still have to turn it down. But in moderate to lightly trashy areas I crank it up. Doing it this way last weekend I made my deepest find yet. With the sensitivity just past 10 and the threshold most of the way up I got a light but repeatable signal that wouldn't discriminate out. I supertuned the Cibola (turned the sensitivity and threshold all the way up) and the signal got stronger. As I kept digging deeper I kept prodding with my pinpointer and not getting any signal but when I waved my detector over the hole the signal stayed strong. When I got to about 9 inches I pushed down into the soft ground with the pinpointer and finally got a vibration. As I carefully kept digging I pulled out a 1928 Mercury dime at a measured and unexaggerated 10 inches! Although I got a quarter before with my Xterra at 10 inches, the Cibola is the only machine that has gotten me deeper than 8 inches on any coin smaller than a quarter. Admittedly, we had several inches of rain the week before so I'm sure that helped the Cibola get deeper. But a dime at 10 inches is impressive and says a whole lot about the surpringly deep power of this machine.
I would highly recommend this machine to anyone - newbie or experienced. They call detectors like this without an ID display "beep and dig" but that's really a misnomer. This machine should be called a "beep and dig or don't dig" machine because once you learn what this machine is telling you, you won't be digging much trash unless you want to remove junk that is possibly masking good targets.
One more thing I love about this machine. I like to use a fast sweep speed and this machine handles that perfectly without missing anything. It has lightning fast recovery time.
I try to never say never, but short of another garage sale bargain for resale, I don't see myself buying another detector for a long long time.
Overall Rating
Eddie from
Belleville, IL
773