Tesoro Vaquero
Price: $550
Avg. Score: 
4.39
Based on 77 reviews
4.39Based on 77 reviews
Avg. Durability:
3.84
Avg. Ease of use:
4.28
Amazing metal detector!
November 03, 2010
OK so my first day out with my new Vaquero was a bit of a surprise. First
I spent some time at home passing coins in front of the coil and rotating
the discrimination and identifying where they fell. I found ground
balancing a breeze, and the almost staccato like tone when swept over a
target was perfect. I have to say with every beep of the Vaquero, I found my confidence growing in what was worth digging. This little gem was right on target, and I found I knew what to dig and what not to dig very quickly after digging a few coins. I was also able to identify each coin before I dug, simply by rotating the discrimination up, until the beep stopped.
Before I dug, I compared a few targets with my Etrac and to be honest, I found I preferred the Vaquero. Don't get me wrong, the Etrac is an amazing MD, and I love it, but based on ease of use and confidence in target ID, the Vaquero gets my vote.
It became almost too easy finding coins and with each beep, and a turn of the discrimination knob. It seems, the more complicated the MD, the more difficult in what you have below the coil. I get the feeling this little gem will be with me on all my future hunts, yea, it puts a lot of fun in metal detecting!
Overall Rating
Mike from
New Jersey
421
Best all around machine!
August 24, 2010
I did a review a few years ago. I had not had this machine very long and
wanted to piggyback off that review. At the time I had not found any gold
with the V but about a week went by and I found a 14k ring. I have hunted
with the big boys many times and have found the same amount of stuff or
even more. Just because you pay $1000.00 dollars for a detector don't mean
that it is better.If you want programs and bells then the vaquero is not for you. I have dug several rings(two class rings), buttons, hundreds of coins(some very deep) with this machine. Many people will use the vaquero before the tejon. For the money, performance and life time warranty this is a 5 star machine!!
Overall Rating
Trent Nunley from
Kunsan AFB
400
Doug from NJ
July 26, 2010
I bougt a vaquero two years ago on ebay. Since that time I have sold my
fisher 1266, garrett gti 1000 and garrett sea hunter mark 2, and use the
vaquero constantly. Just like all the other reviews say, light, great
depth and hits good on gold. So far I set the ground balance once and have been all over new jersey including the dry sand of the beach with great results. Great detector, thanks.
Overall Rating
Doug from
New jersey, usa
290
High performance, simple to use.
March 20, 2010
I've owned a Tesoro Vaquero for a year. In that year I've found an
assortment of coins including Indian Head pennies, a V Nickel, Barber
dime, Standing Liberty Quarter, Walking Liberty Half, Mercury Dimes,
Buffalo Nickels, and Wheat Pennies. I also dug up over $100 in modern coins
and a nice assortment of jewelry. I don't think that's bad for a rookie.
The strong points of the Vaquero are:
* The Vaquero is one of the lightest high performing detectors available (about 2.2 lbs.) This means that it doesn't break your arm after swinging it for hours at a time.
* The Vaquero is easy to operate. Levels of complicated menus aren't needed to set the machine up and makes for an easy turn on and go machine. As you gain more experience, you can see the benefits of thinking for the machine opposed to having the machine think for you.
* After passing over a junk target, the Tesoro has an outstanding quick recovery time. This means that the junk will not mask the detection of desirable targets. Norfolk Wolf of Regton Detectors has a series of field tests on YouTube of several name brand detectors. You can see an example of the recovery time when Norfolk does a field test of the Trident II (the European version of the Vaquero). He places a piece of iron and a cut half British coin on a plank and swings the coil over both targets. The Vaquero recovers when the targets are within a couple inches of each other. Other, premium detectors can take up to a foot or more to recover. I'm talking about Minelabs and Whites detectors here with all of the bells and whistles. The more complicated detectors require more processing time to evaluate the targets. This could lead to lost targets that the Vaquero would pick up. Get on YouTube and see for yourself. This is where the simplicity of the Vaquero enhances its performance.
* The Vaquero has great depth in detecting targets.
* The Vaquero likes nickels. Even though the Nickels overlap the pull tabs in their conductivity, the Tesoro seems to pick the nickels out. Maybe it has something to do with the frequency of the machine (about 14 kHz). I also heard that the higher frequencies are better for prospecting gold.
* Pinpointing is easy. Just "X" the coil over the target and center on the loudest beep. I rather do pinpointing in discriminate mode than using the pinpoint button. The pinpoint button switches the Vaquero into all metal mode and pinpointing is determined by the loudness of the hum. When super-tuned, the Vaquero pinpoints better in discriminate mode.
* Manual Ground balancing on the Vaquero gives a little more depth in normal conditions. In mineralized soil, ground balancing is a necessity.
* The Vaquero uses a single 9 volt battery. The battery life seems to be decent but it's nicer to carry a single 9 volt as a backup opposed to carrying a pocket full of AA batteries.
* All Tesoro's have a lifetime warrantee and their service is second to none.
How I set up the Vaquero to detect:
Make sure the connector between the control box and the coil is screwed in tight (yea, I learned from experience that it makes a difference). Turn on the machine and set sensitivity at minimum and the threshold down to a barely audible hum. Pump the coil up and down to adjust the ground balance until you have the same tone and loudness raising the coil as you do lowering it. Turn the discriminate level knob clockwise until it clicks. I prefer to set the level just below the nickel setting. Now turn the threshold all the way up and the sensitivity up into the red area. If you get some chatter. you may have to back it off a little. You are now in super tune mode.
When swinging the coil, overlap the swings for better coverage. Swinging slowly is not critical because of the fast recovery time but I believe that slowing you swing does help some. When getting a beep, turn up the discriminate level until the beep goes from a solid beep to a clipped one. This should give you an idea as to what the target is. The loudness of the beep should give you an idea how deep the target is. The best targets will not sound as loud (depth) and have a solid beep when the discriminate level is turned all the way up (indicating copper or silver). The Vaquero is capable of finding deep targets in this mode. I have picked up coin sized targets at about 8 inches. Beyond that, the targets tend to be large trash targets (iron or cans). These targets have been found up to 12 inches deep. So if it goes deeper than 7-8 inches, I tend to leave it.
I've heard that the Vaquero is a fine relic hunter as well as a gold prospecting machine. I would recommend this machine to anyone looking for one of the best simple to use, all round detectors available.
Overall Rating
Rick from
Michigan
766
JUST PLAIN SHOCKED!
February 07, 2010
I hunted civil war relics for 20 years I've used all the Whites machines
accept the v3.i used the fisher 1266x and the f70 even a Minelab extera 70.
I hunted a field for years which was a confederate camp just before
Gettysburg. All last year I went out about once a week and found nothing!
Hunted out I said to myself.Then a vaquero came up on ebay so I purchased it. Since this place was close to home I decided to give it a try. I read the book on how to super tune it. Going over the ground I would get these faint but strong unbroken signals which I got none with the other detectors, I almost left them go thinking it was deep iron. But decided to dig. At elbow deep I saw something green. As I cleaned it off I was shocked a confederate block I button at around 16 inches! Shocked I dug everyone of those sounds and ended the day with 5 gardners 3 enfields a block I and 2 flat buttons! What a machine!
Overall Rating
STEVE HOBBS from
FAYETTVILLE PA
543
This is my first and the last detector.
September 27, 2009
Why?Because it is very simple to operate, in the field you don't need a very diffcult displays and electronics like in passenger Jumbo Jet.
The only disantwages is a very loud speaker witch no volume knob, so you must have used a headphones .I bought my Tesoro in USA where I have a family, but I use it in Poland where we have a lots of relics including Germans WW 2
Best Regards and sorry for my language but I hope everybody understud me.
Thanks Peter
Overall Rating
Peter from
Poland
455
This is for sure the do anything machine
July 15, 2009
I'm very pleased with this machine very light weight, have found that sweet
spot on finding nickels before I dig, took a while to get use to that
manual ground balance but love it now. Very deep, will find bb sized stuff
in dry sand at 11" in dry sand using all metal mode, have found lots of
coins using the 5.75" coil and will go real deep using the DD 12 x 10 coil,
I like this machine better than the Tejon I had, once you learn this
machine there is no problem keeping up with thousand dollar machines.
Overall Rating
Brandon Moore from
Newry Maine
435
Treasure cowboy
April 11, 2009
I just fell in love with this detector and I own a garrett GTAX 550,
garrett ace 250, and a whites dfx but the vaquero destroyed them all ;) I
went back to my old detecting spots like the park and beach hear in avila
beach,CA and got results. I found a mens superbowl(raiders) ring at 15"
inches deep with a clear noise. To make the story short I did returned the
ring and I got a reward of 200 dollars for it because I believe I did the
right decision. Besides the ring had the name of the original owner. This
detector is so good it will want to make you scream YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAW!
Overall Rating
Mike from
Grover Beach, Ca USA
5110
Does it all!
April 04, 2009
Coins, relic's and I bet Gold hunting next however, that is to be seen yet
as I have not tried it in the Gold fields. I love the small box with lots
of power and the simple controls knobs (I hate touch pads and Lcd that you
cannot see very well and do not last long). This detector does it all so
far. Heading for the Gold fields next. We will see.
Overall Rating
Jeff from
Homeless and happy
207
Beep and Dig Cowboy
April 01, 2009
The Vaquero is one of the best beep and dig machines around. My buddy has
the Tejon and he is impressed that I can stay with him on the hunt!The more you use it the more you learn, ground balance must be set properly, if you move the sensitivety knob reset the ground! When all is set up, run it hot by winding the threshold all the way up, pin point facility will be unusable at this level but hey exing your target is no problem. I use the big DD coil 10"x12" for ploughed and the standard web for the more trashy sites. Good all round performance with the big coil if a little twitchy on discrim a small price to pay for the superior ground coverage. All in all my favourite all rounder and is as good as anything else out there, many good finds and many good times ahead!! Let the good times roll.
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Cscope 400
Cscope 650 D
Cscope minidisc
Cscope 990C
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Silver Sabre plus
Golden sabre 2
1266 Pro
1270 Anniversary
Eurosabre
Vaquero
Overall Rating
Royston Woodhatch from
Thetford, Norfolk, United Kingdom
367