All 3 of those are excellent machines.
The three biggest arguments in favor of the Garrett AT-Pro are:
1) lowest price
2) weight (or rather lack of weight)
3) ability to use different coils for different jobs
Balancing that---the biggest drawback of the Garrett AT-Pro is it limited range in the water. Remember 10 ft is the MAXIMUM depth, so if you plan on using it in the water a whole lot or you plan on taking it snorkeling or diving, you probably want to go with one of the two Tesoros. And while the Garrett AT-Pro is not a "gold" machine, it operates well within the range recommended for finding small gold nuggets.
The Tesoro Sand Shark is a PI (Pulse Induction) machine. As such it has the following going for it (besides the outstanding warranty):
1) DEPTH......PI's are known for being deep seekers
2) PI's tend to be really good for small gold (nuggets) and fine gold (delicate rings).
3) It is a true water mention designed for use in water (and capable of going most places recreational divers might want to go).
On the other hand, that depth and the being good at finding small gold comes at a price. PI's are all metal machines. That means you can't discriminate out foil, pop-tops, etc. If it beeps, you dig it (which is how a lot of us hunt anyway). If you use a PI, especially if you are using it in a picnic type area or a fishing hole, you can expect to dig up a lot of pop-tops, fishing weights, and gum wrappers.
The Tesoro Tiger Shark is a VLF (Very Low Frequency) machine. This means you CAN discriminate out foil, pop-tops, etc IF you want to. That really handy if you are searching a trashy area and don't mind if you miss a possible ring (which aren't as common in a lot of areas away from the beach anyway). This is also a detector that is designed for extended use in and under the water. It has the same type of warranty as does the Tesoro. In "normal" mode, except for the weight issues, it should be a great producer on land (it uses the same circuitry as other Tesoros.....and they are excellent land machines). The frequency this machine operates at makes it a really good gold hunter, too. So that wouldn't be an issue.
Personally, living in Arizona and only occasionally visiting Florida or Hawaii, I'd probably opt for the AT Pro. On the other hand if I lived in Florida and occasionally visited Arizona, Colorado, or Montana, I'd probably opt for the Tesoro Tiger Shark---But those are my personal preferences.
BA
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