Fisher F22 Review – Buyer Guide Ratings And Price
The Fisher F22 is what the company used to upgrade from the F2.
The F2 experienced a great deal of popularity for being a truly remarkable entry level metal detector.
The F22 boasts lots of new features that helps it move away from being entry level and firmly place it in the mid-range.
So, when critiqued in its own right, does the F22 prove to be a formidable machine?
Keep reading to find out:
[amazon box=”B011L90T9U” template=”horizontal”]Design and Appearance of Fisher F22
When being compared to the F2, the F22 has undergone a serious makeover.
It is very easy to tell, from the control housing alone, that the F22 is more technologically advanced.
The other difference that you are most like to notice is regarding the coil. It has a nine inch, triangulated elliptical concentric coil.
The narrow coil can be utilized to make greater distinctions in areas where good targets mingle with trash. The coil is completely waterproof and can be submersed.
Now, one of the calling cards of the F22 is that it claims to be completely weatherproof.
While the coil and the bottom-most portion of the stem can be submerged, the same cannot be done with the rest of the detector, including the control housing.
The control box and the detector is made to withstand less than perfect weather but cannot be wholly placed in water for long periods of time.
There are many aspects of the detector that make it well-suited to different types of weather.
For instance, the headphone jack comes with a rubber jack cover to prevent and water or debris from getting in.
The F22 comes disassembled and must be put together before you can use it.
All of the pieces are included as well as step by step instructions. Unlike with Garrett or Bounty Hunter, however, the F22 comes in several more components. Therefore, it may take a little longer than usual to set up.
The F22 is quite comfortable to use, weighing in at around 3lbs. This combined with the cushioned armrest and grip mean that it is quite easy to carry around and use the detector for hours on end.
Buttons and Modes of Fisher F22
The buttons on the Fisher F22 are fairly minimalistic. You only have to contend with Power, Menu, Pinpoint, Mode, and buttons to help select settings.
The Menu allows you to access Sensitivity, Notch, and Volume settings. The Mode helps you to scroll through and select your desired mode.
There are four preset modes on this metal detector. They are:
- Jewelry Mode: This mode allows you to ignore objects that are largely constructed from iron.
- Coin Mode: In addition to the iron, this mode also rejects items that are constructed from aluminum or foil.
- Artifact Mode: the metal detector does not reject anything, instead all of the target categories present in this model are enabled.
- Custom Mode: this is a mode where the user can choose the precise tone settings that they would like to use. Depending on which material you wish to seek out, you can assign any tone accordingly.
The target categories are indicated at the top of the display screen.
They are separated into FE and numbers from 2 to 9.
These are highlighted or “vanished” depending on whether the material is chosen or has been notched. Each of the categories are indicative of a different range of metals.
The Sensitivity on the Fisher F22 can be regulated between 1 and 10.
The Pinpoint capability on the F22 gives you a greater amount of information on the position as well as the size of the target.
The center of the object is indicated when the highest and loudest pitch is sounded. This makes for a more accurate discovery.
Features and Performance of the Fisher F22
There is no denying that F22 is miles ahead of the F2.
The only real metal detector that can outshine it is the F44 from the Fisher brand.
Even when compared to the Garrett Ace 250, the F22 actually comes out on top.
This is not just because the Fisher model is weatherproof but also because it has an improved processing time as well.
As mentioned, there are nine target ID categories.
Altogether, however, they are able to identify 99 different types of target. 1 to 19 are all ferrous objects, 20 to 29 are aluminum, 30 to 39 indicates US nickels, etc. This allows for a more precise identification of targets. This is not just regarding materials but also in terms of size.
This is further improved by the accurate identification of objects made from gold, silver, and iron. When these are detected, the border surrounding these categories flashes.
This is a great tool for treasure hunters.
Rounding out the visual output, there is also audio feedback with the F22.
There are four tones – bass, low, medium, and high.
When used in conjunction with the display, there is a greater understanding of precisely what it is you are detecting.
There is minimal ground balance with the F22. Therefore, if you are hunting in soils with high levels of mineralization, there is bound to be some interference. You may have trouble detecting in salt water beaches and soils with iron oxides.
Pros and Cons of Fisher F22
Pros:
- Good processing speed
- Lightweight
- 0 – 99 Target ID
- Weatherproof
- Mid-range price
Cons:
- Minimal ground balance
The Final Verdict
The Fisher F22 performs much better than you may expect it to, especially for its price category.
It has a number of modes, high levels of discrimination, and increased sensitivity.
When added to its pinpointing capabilities as well as the audio and visual feedback, the F22 proves to be quite potent indeed.
That is not to say that it is not without its faults. One of the main hindrances of the F22 is its diminished ground balancing abilities. As this is something that many detectors in this price range carry, it can be a bit of a turn-off.
However, if you tend to spend most of your time on normal soils, this will not prove to be an issue. One of the best parts of the F22, conversely, is the weatherproof characteristics.
This will allow you to go out hunting regardless of what the weather is like outside.
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