Bounty Hunter Land Star
Price: $300
Avg. Score: 
4.38
Based on 24 reviews
4.38Based on 24 reviews
Avg. Durability:
4.50
Avg. Ease of use:
4.50
Surprised.
June 20, 2016
Some say its ugly. I say its functional. Some say its flimsy. I say its
lightweight. It has good response time. It has decent depth about 8in on a
quarter. It's not my goto machine anymore but it is the machine I give
people that have never metal detected. Seems to get them interested enough
to buy their own MD. Sometimes even the landstar model. Still have one of
my top five best finds with it. 14kt gold chain and big 14k ring about 7
inch down on a baseball field. 1200 bucks later I was thinking why I hadn't
tried this sooner. If it beeps there is metal under there. HH
Max Depth: 8 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Brock from
Southeast pa
71
Bounty hunter land star
October 13, 2015
I have had my Land Star for over 5 years. It took a little reading to
understand the full capabilities to memorize them so when I am out hunting
if I need to reset ground or something I wouldn't have to carry
instructions. Once I got that fine tuned, I have had a lot of good clad
finds. I love the low price for a good machine that depth and target
identification is easily read and accurate. I own Garrett 250 and a BH
Tacker 2. I enjoy the Land Star best at this time.
Max Depth: 10 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Lonny K. Hagen from
Minnesota
131
Simple and solid
August 23, 2015
I too bought a Radio Shack clone of the Land Star about 2 months ago. The
only thing that is not a Land Star is the face decal. All the components
are 100 percent Bounty Hunter.
It is an amazing machine, and I have found a silver locket, a WW1 brass army button and tons of coins... The oldest so far being 1932. I have used it on fresh and salt water beaches. It does better of fresh water, but I was able to pull coins out of Manitou Beach, which is about as salty as The Dead Sea. I always use the headphones, because using the speaker will kill the batteries a lot faster. I get about 15-20 hours out of 2 9v batteries. The depth I get is amazing. It has detected coins as much as 12 inches, but I average about 6-8 inches.
If you can find a used one on ebay or at a garage sale, snap it up. New they are about 375.00 now... Bounty Hunter has caught on to how much this model is in demand and jacked up the price.
Max Depth: 13 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Pinpointer999 from
Saskatchewan, Canada
94
Darn good detector
May 10, 2015
I bought a used, Radio Shack Brand clone of the BH Land Star from a young
lady I just happened to run into last year. I shelled out a whopping 25
bucks for it so I couldn't turn down the deal. I figured even if it didn't
perform well there was no way I could lose at that price. It was owned by
her grandfather who used it for hunting for jewelry on beaches. It found
him enough to pay for an upgrade to a much higher end machine, or so I'm
told.
As it turns out, it was the best 25 bucks I ever spent. If you're not opposed to used equipment and are willing to hunt around you can still find Land Star units at really good prices. When it comes to used detectors, Craigslist and Ebay are your friends. At the time my land Star showed up, I already owned two other Bounty Hunter units, a Tracker IV and a Pioneer 202. The Land Star turned out to be be the best of the bunch by far.
It has a relatively easy learning curve, (especially if you're already familiar with the older style BH units) a user friendly interface and very good discrimination, notch, target ID and depth indication.
As with most machines, disc and depth indication seems to work the most accurately with flat lying coins. Vertical coins, asymmetrical and more "trashy" targets are less accurate, as they are with almost any machine. Any detector can only make a "best guess" given the ground and target conditions. The best and only truly reliable discrimination is ultimately the operator's two eyes. You have to dig up and look at your target to KNOW what it is for certain.
What really sets the Land Star apart from the lower end BH units (which are also decent machines IMHO) is it's all metal mode with manual ground balance. This allows greater versatility than a preset machine. It also hits very deep in this mode but keep in mind you'll need to be willing to dig everything because there is no discrimination in all metal mode. The Land Star hits pretty deep in disc and notch modes and the ground balance feature makes pinpointing a piece of cake. All you need to do is switch to all metal and detune the ground balance to zero in directly over your target. It takes a little practice but once you get the "feel" of it it's incredibly easy and consistent.
The Land Star runs on two 9V batteries which will give you a solid 8-10 hours of use and even longer if you use headphones (which I almost never do because I find them to be too cumbersome.
Overall, I consider the Land Star to be a solid, reliable machine that performs very well given the level of technology it incorporates. That being said, I would be lying if I said their aren't better units than this in it's price range because there are. Detector technology has come a long way since the Land Star was developed. Bounty Hunter has really stepped up their game with their newer generation of machines but the old Land Star is still one of the best of the old style IMHO. But if you're used to the older BH machines and have an affinity for them, the Land Star is still a great unit that WILL find you treasure. It may not find every single thing that's there but it will definitely keep you busy.
If you love digging clad, this is definitely a machine for you. This machine kills the clad and really likes silver as well. I found my three oldest coins ever with my Land Star, an 1814 Large US cent about 8 inches down in red clay soil, as well as an old, penny sized 1863 civil war token and an 1881 Indian Head penny, both about 6-7 inches down in dry soil.
One helpful hint with this machine and any BH machine with a push on connector is, if you ever start getting too many false signals on a regular basis, make sure that your coil connector plug is clean and snug. Once in a while dirt can get caked in there and interfere with performance by interrupting the signal between the coil and the box and causing it to sometimes false. They can also become loose over time. Just don't over tighten the connector when you put it back together because it's plastic and can crack under too much pressure. The good news is, it's an incredibly easy fix that takes about 5 minutes if you do a really good job.
Disassemble the connection, spray it out really well with contact cleaner or alcohol, put the screws back in, PLUG it BACK IN FIRST and then snug the screws and you'll be on your way. Snugging it after plugging it in will keep it perfectly centered.
Regardless of what some may have to say negatively about Bounty Hunter detectors, for what they are and the technology they incorporate, they're very capable units that will find plenty of loot for anyone willing to READ THE MANUAL THOROUGHLY FIRST, learn the LANGUAGE of the machine and do the work required to recover the goods. Although I personally don't use my Land Star much anymore, I ALWAYS have it handy as a backup unit or for any friends who come along on a hunt.
One kid I take hunting LOVES it. He prefers it over even my higher end Teknetics unit and has done very well with it. It's solid, reliable and has yet to let me down. So if you love the earlier style Bounty Hunter units, the Land Star is definitely one of their best. It does what it's supposed to do and does it consistently. Overall, a darn good detector.
Max Depth: 7 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Rj from
Granite, Md
103
Nice detector
December 22, 2012
I live in Florida and have been detecting since the early 70's. I hunt
mostly the Gulf beaches with top detectors like Fisher CZ 21, Whites DF,
and Pi Pro. Two days ago the family and myself stopped at a local thrift store (GW), and there was the BH Land Star brand new w/batteries for $25. Long story short the detector was taken to the beach after reading the directions over and over. (I think too many people fail to follow instructions then call their detector junk. )
In 3 hours of hunting the Gulf beach wet sand. I found myself finding coins without any problems at 7 inches and a beautiful ladies white gold and garnet ring. The secret to detecting over salt wet sand conditions was to pay attention to a good level sweep and lower sensitivity to reduce falseing and only dig repeating signals like directions read.
I found this detector to be a good dependable detector that I would feel would not miss much when out detecting. This detector is a not a toy and can find the loot in the right hands. The only reason I give this detector 4 stars instead of 5 stars because I'm used to detectors like the Fisher Cz 21 that's built like a tank and the Land Star looks and feels a little flimsy but on the plus side it's much lighter then my other detectors.
Overall Rating
Herb Lorenzo from
United States
135
Great value
July 08, 2012
If you want a real bargain for a very good mid-level machine pick up a Land
Star. The prices for a used one on ebay are incredibly cheap and usually
come with multiple coils and headphones. Not to be mistaken with the lower
model Lone Star. I bought the Land Star as an advanced starter unit that I would not out grow for a while. 10 years later I am finally thinking of getting a top end machine. I will probably keep this as a backup or to introduce new people to the activity. My detecting partners use a Garrett 250 and Fisher F2 and my older model Land Star still outperforms them consistently.
75 percent of my detecting is freshwater beaches and 25 percent old schools and parks. So if you intend on saltwater beaches my info is only good on the dry sand.
Reading some of the other reviews to minimize false readings keep the cord wrapped tight on the shaft. Try one rubber band near the shaft adjuster button and never bang the coil if possible.
Copper: This machine is deadly accurate if it repeat signals on quarter/dime or copper/penny or Half.. . dig.
Zinc: Decent at zinc pennies but this reading will often turn out to be aluminum at great depth like a crushed can at 7". Take the aluminum and combine it for a trip to the scrap metal center.
Iron: Great blocking ability, It will find every piece or discriminate it all out.. . your choice (although my greatest find was 3 different Iron cannon balls
Gold: I have found 2 rings and several small chains but would recommend a smaller coil than the standard 8", possibly the 4" Gold Nugget coil
Depth: Typically reads deeper than actual by about 1. 5 inches
Favorite Setting: Disc mode, Sensitivity 2:00 and Descriminate out a 2. 5" nail placed on the ground.
First timer watch the 20 minute Land Star set-up video on youtube before attempting the owner's manual. Or just use Auto Notch
Overall Rating
Marty G from
Michigan
191
Love my Landstar
December 09, 2011
In June of this year I bought a Radio Shack Version of a Bounty Hunter
Landstar metal detector on ebay for $117.00.As of today, (December 9th) I have found two silver rings, five silver coins, four silver charms, a silver chain, fifteen wheat pennies and
$135.00 in clad coins. I have also found several pieces of costume jewelry, a civil war button, several matchbox cars,
and an old horseshoe.
After having spent a great deal of time with this detector, I thought that I would write a review based on my personal experience.
You won't be very interested in this thread unless you have a Landstar, or are thinking about purchasing one.
In this review I will give you some insight into the modes that I most commonly use, and some advice that will help you optimize its performance
that you might not find in the operator's manual.
General:
The detector has a no motion "all metal" mode that sounds a single tone for all metals. A three tone "motion" discriminate mode, a three tone
"notch" mode, and a three tone "auto notch" mode.
It is light, and two 9V batteries will last me about 10 hours of hunting before they require replacement (using headphones).
There are three coils available for this detector. The standard 7" coil, the 4" coil, and the 10" coil.
I most commonly use the 7" coil, and only use the 4" coil in excessively trashy areas.
In all modes I generally hunt with the sensitivity knob between the 2:00 and 4:00 positions.
Hunting in the all metal mode:
The "all metal" mode is the deepest mode that is also the only mode that utilizes the manual ground balance knob.
I generally hunt in this mode when I am in an area that I suspect may have deeper targets and not a ton of trash.
To optimize the sensitivity in this mode I set the ground balance knob to the 12:00 position, hold the coil about 2" above the ground and
press the "ground track" button a few times until I no longer get false signals.
If I find that the detector becomes too noisy, I turn the ground balance slightly clockwise and then press the "ground track" button a few
times again. Note that when you make any changes to the sensitivity or ground balance, you must press the "ground track" button a few times
or you will not be detecting very deep at all.
Conversely, if I want the detector to be a bit more sensitive I follow the same procedure turning the ground balance knob further counter clockwise.
Note that the manual will tell you to start with the ground balance knob in the fully clockwise position, but in my experience you will be losing a lot
of depth if you follow that advice.
Another thing that I should mention is using the "all metal" mode this way will make your target separation really stink, so setting up the detector to go deep like this
has a draw back.
In this mode I hit quarters at depths of 7-8" routinely and sometimes deeper if I am in an area where I can crank up the sensitivity.
With my version of the Landstar the target ID and depth displays still work in the all metal mode. I understand that newer Landstars will not display
target ID and depth while in the "all metal" mode.
I find that the target ID is accurate down to about 5-6". For targets deeper than that the accuracy of the target ID gets kind of sketchy.
Hunting in the Auto Notch Mode:
The "auto notch" mode is a three tone motion mode that I like to use when hunting trashy areas or areas where I am trying to rake in a lot of shallow clad.
It is nice because this mode will discriminate out the iron and foil, but still allow you to pull nickels.
In this mode the detector will sound a low tone for nickels, a medium pitch tone for zinc pennies, and high pitched tones for copper pennies, dimes,
quarters, and silver.
For things that are discriminated out, you will still hear a click in your headphones in this and the other motion modes, and although you do not hear a tone
the target ID and its depth will still be displayed.
To eliminate a lot of the trash in this mode, I only dig signals that give me repeatable tones if the depth is displayed between the surface and 6".
Targets deeper than that will tend to bounce around a bit both tone and target ID wise, so you might want to dig those deeper targets just to be on
the safe side.
Generally twist off beer bottle caps will give a high tone in one direction, and a low tone in the other.
Screw caps that come off of two liter bottles, and rusty beer bottle caps tend to sound and ID like quarters.
Copper pennies will some times jump around between medium pitched and high pitched tones.
You will also hear a little squeal in the tone for coins that are near the surface which helps out a lot in determining wheter I grab my coin probe
or pull out my trowel to recover the target.
Pinpointing in the all metal mode:
The most accurate way to pinpoint a target with this detector is to put it into the all metal mode and then detune the detector to increase its accuracy.
To do this, move the coil over the target until it justs starts to give a weak signal. With the coil stationary in this position, press the "ground track" button a few times.
This will effectively reduce the sensitivity of the detector and allow you to get a much tigher fix on the target.
This method is very accurate for pinpointing with this detector.
The only other advice that I can think of regarding the use of this detector is that keeping the coil cable tight to the shaft of the detector will help eliminate
a lot of falsing. I use velcro wraps to secure the coil cable to the shaft and it seems to work pretty well. Also swinging at a slower pace will help eliminate a lot of falsing.
You will also get false signals if the coil is bumped on this detector.
All in all, I really enjoy this detector. It has the capability of going pretty deep if you optimize its set up, and the target ID and depth are right on the money for
most targets. Its only drawback is the target separation/recovery time isn't that great.
I have used my buddie's Ace 250, and in my opinion the Landstar blows it away.
Hope that this was helpful.
Thanks,
Ken
Overall Rating
Ken Lehocky from
New Lenox, IL
862
I love my Land Star
March 01, 2011
I got a Land Star a few months ago. I've been out maybe a dozen times to a
few local salt water beaches. It's winter here so there is a lot of sand on top of all the goodies left from people last year.
I have found a lot of change at 8"+. The depth of the land star is quite impressive.
I found my first GOLD RING this past weekend. It was around 6" down in the damp sand.
The Land Star is great on the dry sand and does not false at all. Once you start hitting the wet you have to hunt in notch mode or lower the sensitivity if you are in all metal mode or you will false. At least in my area.
I hunt in all metal mode most of the time.
I would absolutely recommend the Land Star to any new hunters. It's easy to learn and you will have a blast with it.
Overall Rating
Sean from
Manchester, NH
413
Swear by it!
May 24, 2010
I have owned my bh land star for 7 years now. I have found civil wars belt
buckles, mini balls, new coins, old coins, and I am not sure if its where
these other people are looking or what but have found tons of silver
coinage, and even raw silver nuggets. I used to own a compass and it was a
decent detector but wanted to upgrade to something with a discriminator on
it. Yes like any other disc detector if it reads a nickel there is a chance
that its a pop top. The real treasure that you find with this machine is that you pay less than 200 dollars and it works just as well or better than 1000 dollar white's machine. With anything it takes practice. Read the manual and understand it and you'll be fine. I hope this helps you save a little money and makes your hunting enjoyable.
Overall Rating
James from
Madison, SD USA
385
For $200 is one of the best for the money
March 19, 2010
I got this from Costco for $200 (now, as of 03/20/2010 they have a newer
Bounty Hunter for $159!!) and was very pleased with it. I think if you want
to get a taste of metal detecting hobby you can't go wrong with this. I
used it primarily at the beach (not water) and found plenty of coins in the
10 hours I used it there. I also went to the local school field and found 3
coins in 30 minutes.This thing loves the depth range of 4 to 6 inches. Most targets I found were in that depth range, both on normal ground and beach sand. Ground Tracking works great once you read the manual twice and understand all features.
And if you find you need to upgrade, you can get most of your money back for this one, as they sell between 140-180 used on ebay now. I just upgraded (as I'm sure you will too) to a used Minelab XS 2 for more depth at the beach.
Overall Rating
Moderntimber from
Huntington Beach CA
202