2 of 5 people found this review helpful:

Review by: Billy Mixon

User Experience: Newbie

Submitted on: Mar 26, 2008

User Rating:

---

Since my favorite detector wasn't listed under Fisher, I had to choose one to get this site to accept my entry. I know this will probably disqualify me, but I wanted to tell you about it since I bought the detector from you all over twenty years ago. It's in my closet now. So even if my entry isn't accepted, here's my story.

Although my all-time favorite metal detector doesn't appear on the list of Fisher models, I'm going to tell you about it anyway. It was the second metal detector I've owned, a 1260x and was bought from KellyCo back in the 80’s. A motion detector, it was very easy to use, with no ground balance and each control had pre-set markings so I could just turn it on and go. It had dual modes, in other words, you could switch from one side to the other by pulling a toggle switch to the rear. You might have the disc set high on one side and low on the other to help determine if you had a good target or not.

It was easy to take-down, and on my off days I would put it in my Suzuki saddlebags and me and my detector would take off for parts unknown, as long as there was the promise of a coin with just a little age on it.

I found my first gold ring with that 1260, and my first 19th century coin, an 1898 Barber dime, and then, just a week later, seventy five miles from that first one, another 1898 Barber dime. If you don't think that will get you hooked you have no imagination. My finds with it range from Indian head cents to Walking Liberty halves, Barber dimes and 1 solitary Barber quarter, and many, many wheat cents, the favorite of which is a 1909 vdb (sorry, no S on this one).

On a coin-hunting trip to a city park in Jacksonville, Florida, I ran over the battery compartment cover and ruined it. It now has a cover made from electrical tape but it still works. It has been relegated to "standby" status now, and my primary detector now is a Fisher CZ5. Although the CZ cost over twice as much, it will never take the place of the 1260x. It will always be my favorite detector, and the memories I have of the treasures I found will always be with me.

I'm 65 years old now and don't get out as much as I used to, but I still enjoy it enough to put up with sore, stiff thighs and knees the next day. I wish everyone could experience the joy I've found in coin hunting.

Thanks, KellyCo, for selling me that detector.

Did you find this metal detector review helpful?

16 of 17 people found this review helpful:

Review by: Tom Kamrowski

User Experience: 7+ years

Submitted on: Apr 9, 2008

User Rating:

---

I have used a Fisher 1236 X2 for over four years, and find it to be a very versatile and easy-to-use detector. I mainly use my 1236 X2 at the beach and in the surf of Lake Michigan and around other freshwater lakes in my local area, but occasionally use it for "dry-land" hunting too. The metal detector has the same basic controls found on most analog detectors (volume, sensitivity, discrimination, no-motion pinpointing) but there are three features available on a 1236 X2 that sets it apart from many detectors.

The first is found on the Discrimination control and is referred to as iron preset. By turning the discrimination knob all the way to the left the detector will enter this mode of operation, which cancels out iron targets only. This is a valuable tool when hunting for coins and jewelry on the beach. The second feature of the 1236 X2 is a variable frequency knob. This knob varies the 1236 X2's frequency between 5.5 KHz and 5.9 KHz, which helps reduce "cross-talk" between detectors in close proximity to one another operating in the same frequency range, a valuable tool for competition hunting. The last feature of the 1236 X2 is a Silencer toggle switch. When the silencer is used, many snaps, pops, and other background noise is eliminated, allowing for more quiet hunting. He control housing of the 1236 X2 is detachable from the shaft for belt or chest mounting and is powered by 2 9-volt batteries that will allow the 1236 X2 to operate 35 to 50 hours with headphones. The 1236 X2 comes with a stock 8-inch spider coil. I highly recommend purchasing a coil cover to protect the coil from wear during use.

In the field, I have found the 1236 X2 a very reliable deep-seeking machine and it has enabled me to make a large number of good finds and has been great for general-purpose coin shooting, beach hunting, and competition hunts. This is an excellent machine that I would highly recommend as suitable for the beginner and intermediate detectorist.

Did you find this metal detector review helpful?

15 of 17 people found this review helpful:

Review by: Ivan Dragan

User Experience: 6 months to 2 years

Submitted on: Apr 25, 2008

User Rating:

---

You'll hit the nail on the head if you choose this detector because it does its best in most situations. The Fisher 1236-X2 is constructed with quality materials. The gold anodized shaft looks nice. The controls are solid and have a smooth action. The box can be removed and hip mounted.

Two 9V batteries are enough for 40 hours of work. I strongly recommend Energizers. They do not swell when exhausted.

The older Fishers have a reputation for finding unwanted iron but with this machine you can still hear it but you know what it is. It is head and shoulders above in separating targets. I even dug a 1719 "piatack" (Russian 5 cents) and a horseshoe from the same hole. In this sense, it is second to none and a happy owner of the Fisher 1236-X2 easily surpasses owners of Explorer.

The Fisher 1236-X2 is brilliant on contaminated old sites (18-th century and earlier), great performer for ghost towns. I like its "sharp" response on the beaches too. Pinpoint is also worth mentioning. This one is a VCO type and very, very accurate.

It is a lightweight unit (less than 3 lb) and very comfortable in use. You can hunt with it the whole day. Even the most expensive detector holds no joy when it's heavy like an elephant! Do not disregard heaviness of your future detector!

And finally what I've found since June 2007.
1 silver ring (17-th century).
1 big silver dagger (18-th century)
1 copper solid. 1657 year. (1 cent of Poland)
5 coins of Peter the Great (the first russian emperor 1682-1725; dealers gave me 550 USD for them but I refused).
17 coins of Katherine the Great (1762-1796).
About half a hundred copper and silver coins Alexander I (1800-1825), Nickolas I (1825-1855) and Nicholas the Blood-Stained (he was overthrown by Lenin and Stalin in 1917).
Dozens of square nails, medieval horseshoes, bullets (WWII) and modern coins.

And, of course, I had a lot of fun!!!! And now my son is an A in History since he got hooked on hobby of his dad.

Did you find this metal detector review helpful?

7 of 7 people found this review helpful:

Review by: Sandman

User Experience: 7+ years

Submitted on: Sep 23, 2008

User Rating:

---

I've been detecting for +30 years on land and water diving and wading. I have experience with many different detectors from most of the manufactures.

This 1236-X2 is an upgrade from the older 1235-X and it is very easy to use. It is light weight and is hip mountable if you want even less weight on the arm. It can be used at the beach wading with a neck harness as the coil has a 7 foot cable. It is quite deep too and it is a snap to turn on and go. It excels at using it around many other detectors like at a coin shooting hunt as you just turn the Frequency knob to tune them out and keep hunting.

This detector has a very fast response and will locate a coin almost on top of a rejected item. It is very good for trashy parks and the addition of a small coil helps even more. Many other coils are available for this 1236-X2.

Did you find this metal detector review helpful?

8 of 11 people found this review helpful:

Review by: Ralph Mira

User Experience: 7+ years

Submitted on: Mar 18, 2008

User Rating:

---

I started detecting about twenty five years ago with a Whites middle of the line machine; a unit that served me well as a novice. It had good depth and worked well where I did most of my detecting; the beaches of south Florida. It even worked well in the wet sand, which plays havoc with most machines designed for the land. This is because salt and minerals often act as a partial conductor and cause false signals. Experience with trial and error taught me all I had to do was lower the discrimination to just start to reject pull tabs. Then, I would lower the sensitivity, and it would only false occasionally. It usually made good target recovery possible in the end. Quarters were recoverable at six inches and silver and gold rings at four to five.

Well, detector technology has come a long way since then. About six years ago I bought a Fisher 1236-X2, another middle of the line machine. This is a combo coin/relic detector that I soon learned, could perform great for just about any kind of detecting. It's a fun; “turn on and go” machine. It also has features that allow the more experienced detectorist tweak its performance, on a range of different environments. The Fisher 1236-X2 has a fixed ground balance, full motion-based discrimination, and a pinpoint VCO button. Tones will vary in intensity and the tone producing precise pinpointing of the target easier. Also, the volume adjust will compensate for the sensitivity variances of various brands of headphones, and a unique feature called "silencer." This is a switchable circuit that adds another layer of discrimination, useful when you're hunting in a park or area where there's a thick below-surface layer of trash. The feature reduces the masking effect of a trash target close to a good one. It effectively silences the chattering of multiple targets. Adjusted properly, you can increase the number of good recoverable finds. The 1236-X2 also has an adjustable output frequency, which is useful when a power line or nearby detectorist causes interference with your detector.

The key to getting the most from this machine is learning to adjust it properly. As a turn-on-and-go detector, it's a gem of a design and a solid performer with excellent depth. Also, properly adjusted, the 1236 can outperform machines costing twice as much. Trust me, I know, I've used many over the years.

I've found quarters in the dry sand at ten inches, and a gold earring the size of a grain of wheat at five inches. Additionally, the Fisher 1236 X2 has fast recovery, meaning it will reset the tone fast enough to respond to a good target. That's close to several bad ones, so it isn't blurring one signal response with another on the same swing. Also, targets that are on edge and at an angle in the ground (that might slip by other machines,) are caught by the 1236.

The Fisher 1236-X2 is the most fun, “bang for the buck,” detector I've ever used. It's as light as any detector on the market, and uses just two 9V batteries that last a remarkably long time. This is a machine that is built to last.

It's only con is that the discriminator is sometimes fooled by bottle caps, but I've never found that to be too annoying. It’s sensitivity and depth more than make up for the little extra digging. I use it at the beach mostly, keeping the discriminator set to the "iron preset" level, which is a good overall position for general detecting. This accepts pull tabs, something you want to do if you want to recover gold rings. I just set the sensitivity at "8,” then I leave the silencer off most of the time. Once that’s done, I just hunt the wet salt and back down the sensitivity to "6". This eliminates most of the falsing, and still gives me about six to seven inches of depth on coins and rings. I recommend the 1236-X2 Fisher to anyone, whether novice or veteran. It's a class act.

Did you find this metal detector review helpful?