10 reasons why I like the AT Pro

[kingman mikey]

You guys that have the ATP, maybe try writing to Garret about the connector problem, if enough people voice their grievance maybe they will redesign that connector, it's worth a shot. When my Fisher dies & is no longer feasible to repair I am considering one of these AT pro's or AT gold.

 

[graybeard]

I purchased the Nox for a break from swinging the CTX3030 with the 17 at the Salt Water Beaches why , mostly because it's light, bought the 15 inch coil for it, so we will see how close to the CTX3030- 17 it will come without the weight , being i beach hunt with a 125 lb Chessie budgie- to my shoulder's , the lightness helps out, by the way , i consider the 800 to be closer to high end 900.00, plugger CF rod 105.00, Steve's CF lower rods 60.00, 15 inch 239.00, 6 inch 179.00 add it up , all with the ability to run Multi Frequency at a Salt Water beach , if it wasn't for the Kid's wanting Ace 150-250s, the boys wanting the ATpro's , and the good- AT orange Carrot , Garrett would be out of business today, nothing special in the last ten year's , if it wasn't for the above , they would be joining Tesoro on the end of the road .

You can NOT count the cost of a detector and lower rods and coils, to say it is a high end detector. If you can count everything purchased for a detector my DFX is a high end detector.

 

[Surf Master]

Equinox 800

Costs more than a mid grade machine out wright , good in salt water, multi freq., in a class of its own , agree on the extra
Equipment however the smart coils cost more than standard , that cost shouldn't be left out, when buying a Equinox , you will want the extra's , now compare the coil prices between the Atpro & equinox ,do the coils cost the same , even if you own the 600, same coils, 6 inch 179 , 15 inch 239 , maybe not for you, but i consider the accessories with the detector as high end, just like the Deus , closing the Atpro i had a chance 5 years ago to pick one up for 325, after hearing the tones on hits, and the small id screen without judging its performance , i handed it back to him , and said i will pass, 1st , and only impression , i didn't like it, not saying its a bad detector in performance , happy hunting.

 

[bukhtr1]

My dear wife just gave me an AT Pro for Christmas - Best Day ever!! I am putting my, always reliable, Ace400 as a secondary machine!

 

[woodbutcher]

My dear wife just gave me an AT Pro for Christmas - Best Day ever!! I am putting my, always reliable, Ace400 as a secondary machine!

Congrats on the new machine,your gonna love it! Keep us posted

 

[marcomo]

Excellent analysis and thread Wood, nice to see the AT Pro get a bit of love. It's taken a good bit of bashing (or maybe I should say cala-bashing) from the metal detecting elites in recent years.

I've had an AT Pro since May, 2011. For a couple years I had two, one with the 5X8 coil mounted and one with the stock 8X11. I've put in way more hours with the AT Pro than any other detector.

Employing a negative ground balance and a fast wiggle over an iffy target are two ways to increase usable depth, and I've found that AT Pro depth matches its price point: mid-level.

Where the Pro truly excels is the audio. That lovely, amazingly descriptive audio. When your ears become educated to the nuances, you dig very little ferrous and trash. If a fast wiggle solidifies a deep iffy, dig it and usually be rewarded.

Deep in my moderate soil with the 5X8 coil is 7". The deepest small coin I've found with that coil was a Mercury dime at a measured 7.5" Add an inch for deep with the larger stock coil. The 5X8 coil is what stays on my AT Pro now. I use a deeper detector for areas where the ground is less busy.

The first couple years I had multiple coils I made the mistake of not doing a factory reset when switching coils. Per Garrett, that syncs the detector to the new coil you are putting on and is needed for optimum performance.

 

[maxxkatt]

1.)I don’t need to baby this machine,I can be as brutal with it as I want and it never breaks.No screen to get dented,that’s a big issue for so many machines.A few at pro users have snapped the control box off the shaft,and that’s a easy $1 prevention with two conduit braces sold at your local hardware store,and minutes to put on.
2.)No endless menus to get wrong.Just turn it on,ground balance and go.
3.)Great audio,Definitely tell junk from treasure.Good targets stand out.
4.)One of the best customer service in the U.S.A,,And also made here is a big plus.
5.)Good depth and seperation.Ive never felt I was leaving anything behind,too busy finding what I can.
6.)Coil selection is probably the best out there vs any machine made,and not breaking the bank.Heck,any accessory imaginable for this machine is out there at affordable prices.
7.)Solid Visual ID,one of the best I have used..High or low conductors,it don’t matter,it locks on and gives a steady visual ID
8.)Price wise it’s affordable for anyone.And even used they not only hold they’re value but don’t take long to sell if need be.
9.)No charging.I honestly hate that and I know it’s a strong word but I hate machines and headphones that need charged.Just a big nuisance and waste of time to me..I like the fact I can at anytime pop some fresh batteries in it and go.
10.)Its Just a well thought out,well made machine that’s capable of finding everything from gold to silver,relics,whatever.Proven time and time again to be a solid machine.

To each they’re own,these are just my reasons why I prefer the at pro,,Its just better for me.

and it is not an Equinox 800. Huge learning curve going from the AT Pro to the Equinox 800. Love the 800, but also loved the AT Pro. I would not recommend a newbie to metal detecting get an Equinox 800 for their first detector. For I think they might give up after 2 weeks of frustration.

 

[maxxkatt]

changing coils was a !!!!!

not having keyed connectors was a huge mistake. What did Garrett save .0003 of a penny for not having it keyed?

Lots of fumbling getting those pins lined up and one time bent one of them.

My only complaint of the AT Pro.

 

[ToySoldier]

not having keyed connectors was a huge mistake. What did Garrett save .0003 of a penny for not having it keyed?

Lots of fumbling getting those pins lined up and one time bent one of them.

My only complaint of the AT Pro.

I read about the connectors before buying mine, and was worried about it. I haven't had any issues and I disconnect mine occasionally when I charge my wireless receiver.

My two complaints about the AT Pro are with the display. For one, I would like the display to be angled up a bit. I'm tall and if there's any glare at all I have to either lean down or lift my arm to get a clear look. I'm thinking about putting a shim or something under the control box to alter the angle. Second, there should be backlight that turns on by holding down button, and stays on with a quick double press.

 

[Rigoler012]

Love my AT Pro also!

 

[cellrdwellr]

It doesnt matter what new machines come out wood, the AT series will always have there followers. I prefer the gold over the AT pro as you know, but I ran both units for many years. Maybe its not the deepest machine on the market, but in 90% of my sites, I dont need depth. In fact, most of the old coins I find are within reach of my bounty hunter. I don't use my Garrett to deep coinshoot parks, though it can be done, There's better tools for that job. The AT line is tough to beat for general hunting. There's a reason they are still being purchased, general consensus is: THEY STILL ROCK!!!

 

[REDOC]

I have found more nickel's with this machine.

 

[pryan67]

I couldn't agree more about the coil and headphone connections....that's such a simple change and an obvious need, I don't know why they didn't fix that

 

[ColoradoMike]

I really like my AT Pro but I was just explaining to my wife about the tones of the AT Pro and how it sets off my tinnitus, especially the quarter sound. I'm used to it so no biggie but the tones from it makes the tinnitus worse. I can turn the volume on the headphones down a lot but it still makes the ringing in my head take off. What can I say, I'm just ringy : )

The AT Pro is a great coin shooter machine.

 

[ToySoldier]

I really like my AT Pro but I was just explaining to my wife about the tones of the AT Pro and how it sets off my tinnitus, especially the quarter sound.

Agreed. I'm really good about wearing ear plugs when I use power tools and attend concerts. After some long hunts I started to notice how hard metal detecting is on my ears. I usually only notice my tinnitus in a quiet room, but I could hear it over low office sounds or quiet TV volume.

So, I have to remind myself to adjust the volume down. If I'm on a new (to me) house site clearing out high tone surface targets there's no need to have the volume cranked up anyway. It only takes a few minutes to adjust to the lower volume.

Similarly, loud, deep iron signals aren't great either. If I'm on an all day hunt in a noisy area I'll turn up the iron discrim and switch on and off the iron audio to give my ears a break.

I've considered wearing low NRR ear plugs to take the edge off the abrupt high and low tones without losing detail.