Detector Hype and Confusion ....

[larryk56]

I been reading the posts, looking at videos on some of the
latest detectors and technology. The more I read and watch
the more choices lead to more confusion.

For Example - you have the Dues which is said to be easy to use
but they sell a book and even boot camps to learn more? Then,
I guess its not all that easy!

Then you have the equinox which is too new and not proven.
Then other good detectors look way confusing?

I just hunt coin and jewelry.... and I am thinking that perhaps I should
just go back and consider the White M6.

Money is not the object but simplicity rules and just want a good
detector that is easy to use and does great with jewelry but I don't want
just a beep and dig machine.

Problem is, the M6 is heavier and wish it was lighter.

 

[OregonGregg]

Money is not the object but simplicity rules .

I agree with you, it seems the new fad is multi this and that and now machines that have non-removable batteries etc. I too just try to keep it simple and fun and I still find stuff. I approach detecting as a fun hobby, a thing to do to get away from it all. Just me and my dogs in a remote ghost town and no one around to bother ya. I use the Makro Racer, Racer 2 and Fors Core. They are my primary machines, fun to use, simple to set up and highly effective......that's all I need to get the job done

gregg

 

[larryk56]

Thanks! - I will look at the Racer

 

[sprchng]

I personally like used if I can find detectors that have enough warranty left that I can tell whether they're good ones or not and still have a little safety. With the depreciation these days you can probably buy two for the price of a new one. Warranty does not transfer on First Texas unless specified. Deus batteries can be an issue and the warranty on the Equinox battery is only six months , so an alternate power source or a service call is built into the future of every Nox owner at some point.

Your M6 is the most modern version of the MXT that is famous for it's effectiveness in just the type of detecting you're doing so you may be correct in standing pat at least until more info on the Equinox becomes available. Who knows what other companies may come forward in the near future with new detectors to make it "obsolete" as well,,,,,,then THEIR fan boys can do all the hype.

 

[vlad]

its getting a lot of good reviews. Ty Brook (did write the Tek Talk column, WET) told it really has much to offer.

 

[KindManTall]

The Nokta FORS Relic is a very simple detector and has a very good VDI #'s separation .. using 4 AA batteries .. stable .. Easy for the eyes to setup .. very simple settings ..backlight .. flashlight .. great coil selections ..19 KHz .. I think it is a better coin / jewelry / gold machine

The Nokta FORS CoRe is a very simple detector ..wish it had better VDI #'s separation .. using 4 AA batteries .. stable .. Easy for the eyes to setup .. very simple settings ..backlight .. flashlight .. great coil selections ..15 KHz .. I think it is more of a Relic machine .. To many targets fall in the 82 -85 #'s

 

[slingshot]

If you're unable to visit a dealer- like me-just go by gut instinct. I looked at FEATURES, past history. Then I searched my soul and asked, "What kind of hunting and site types will I encounter?" Then eye appeal and detector design. The White's MX5 just stood out for me(cousin to the M6) without any outside encouragement and I'm absolutely glad I did it that way.

 

[kevinnc]

These new detectors aren't showing me that they can do anything my old Minelab Explorer or Fisher CZ5 can't do better.

 

[dan b]

Any decent machine that you stick with and thoroughly learn is going to do just as well as these new machines in the hands of people who are constantly buying and selling machines in their quest for the perfect machine. It's been said that there is no perfect detector. I would argue that that's not true. The perfect detector is the one you know very well and have fun using. Don't worry about what you think you missed, that's just an unhealthy obsession. Be happy about what you do find. And have fun. That's the point of this hobby.
Just my opinion of course, but it works for me.

 

[Monte]

I just hunt coin and jewelry.... and I am thinking that perhaps I should just go back and consider the White M6.

If you're just into Coin & Jewelry Hunting and working the typical urban sites, then you are mainly going to be dealing with a lot of modern trash. Modern trash includes a good amount of smaller foil, larger foil, older ring-pull type tabs and modern rectangular pry-tabs, and all sorts of other non-ferrous debris. There will be some iron discards to deal with, but nothing on the level that an avid Relic Hunter is going to encounter. There have been and are now many detectors that are fully capable of providing very good performance for both Coin Hunting as well as Relic Hunting, and the White's M6 is just one of them. It can be very efficient especially if using the smaller 6" Concentric coil that works well in and around metal structures, fences, meter boxes and the like. And for most 'average' urban Coin Hunting applications you will still get ample detection depth.

Money is not the object but simplicity rules and just want a good detector that is easy to use and does great with jewelry but I don't want just a beep and dig machine.

There are three things that I have always taken into consideration when buying a detector, and I have held fast to this rule most of the time since 1971. That is this: I like to keep things 'Simple' and have controls and features that are 'Functional' but not excessive and confusing, and at the same time a detector and coil combination that provides me the level of 'Performance' I need to hunt a variety of challenging sites.

I currently have thirteen detectors in my Regular-Use Detector Team. All of them, including the trusty White's XLT and the 'modern' selectable-frequency Nokta Impact and Makro Multi-Kruzer, are 'Simple.' There are two non-Target ID, non-Tone ID Tesoro's, and my other single-frequency TID/Tone-ID Nokta CoRe and Relic, Makro Racer 2, White's MXT All-Pro and MX-7's. Every one of these are 'Simple' to use, and easy to set up with basic 'Functional' features and not a lot of fluff. All of them are proven to me to provide ample 'Performance' in the various sites I feel they are a good pick to handle the conditions.

Problem is, the M6 is heavier and wish it was lighter.

It seems you're kind of partial to White's metal detectors, and I can't fault you for that. I liked the M6 and used one quite a bit, but felt the 'balance' wasn't as comfortable as the MXT Pro with the different rod/grip/box location designs they had. I did, however, quickly take to the MX-5 when it was released and found that it got slightly better depth than the M-6, rivaled my MXT Pro for all-around versatility, and was much more comfortable and better balanced for me.

I have a number of physical health issues and my mobility stinks. I have had a cane to help me get around since March of '93 so I am finishing a quarter-century of impaired detecting mobility.... but I still tough it out as best I can. To do so, it's important for me to be attentive of the detectors weight and balance. It's aided by using smaller-than-stock search coils, but that's no issue for me. I have been using small to mid-sized search coils on factory-produced detectors 95% of the time since about '71 or '72.

The MX-5 is a favorite detector for many avid hobbyists and I know several Forum posters on here also like the MX-5, and they are affordable, too. I've seen choice condition/as-new MX-5's for sale for under $300 on Findmall and elsewhere, and that's is a killer price on a very decent performing detector. Lighter and better balanced than the M-6 with more modes and functions, yet 'simple.'

Monte

 

[doc holiday232]

These new detectors aren't showing me that they can do anything my old Minelab Explorer or Fisher CZ5 can't do better.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN.

 

[GroundScanner]

Also, all your coils that work on your M6 will work with the Mx5. GS .

If you're unable to visit a dealer- like me-just go by gut instinct. I looked at FEATURES, past history. Then I searched my soul and asked, "What kind of hunting and site types will I encounter?" Then eye appeal and detector design. The White's MX5 just stood out for me(cousin to the M6) without any outside encouragement and I'm absolutely glad I did it that way.

 

[John-Edmonton]

The release of the Minelab Equinox will go through the same cycles as all the other "new" releases of the past 40 years. It will be tested, complimented, disgraced and again, the hype will simmer down. Many will stick with the Equinox, many will go back to the machine(s) they are familiar with and know inside out.

When multi frequency metal detectors first arrived on the market in the late 1980's., many thought, that this will obsolete all other brands. Well fast forward it to 2018. All the top major manufacturers have produced multiple new models, and have done quite well at that. What the new machines can do, the old ones can do also. Sure, a few bells and whistles, different pricing, but at the end of the day, everyone with their existing machine can still go out and find desired targets.And, new manufacturer's have also entered the market and have also competed well.

So, welcome the hype. It's all about advertising! Welcome the new metal detectors with their upgrades. Raising the bar for price and improvements is a good thing. I look forward to Garrett, Fisher, Tesoro, Whites and all the other new "guys" getting into the metal detector manufacturing arena introducing new machines soon.

So, as this cycle of a new release continues, don't believe that your previous detectors are now totally obsolete. Hang on to them for the moment. You just might regret selling them.

 

[vlad]

A new machine has to be learned, and one of the things that entails is digging questionable targets, from your lack of experience with it. That might be why we find something missed before.
The same targets are probably there to be seen with your old machine, but you trust the i.d. maybe more than you should, considering the fact that targets may be averaged together,
or iron might be somewhat masking a good target. You need to take the time to dig targets that you have ignored in the past, maybe some that are at the edge of a notch, or other reasons.
In the days of beep/dig I found many more good targets because I dug more (including trash.)
Cherry picking is very efficient in more treasure to trash, but you just leave too many good targets. (Zincs can be Indian Heads, or large gold rings.) Take more chances.
In an area with old coins I use a CZ or F-75 (among many) and dig all those above iron and below 3" (except also digging high value coins shallower), a modified beep/dig.
I still use 34 year old Tek Mk-1 w/10" wafer at times; believe me that vintage detector still finds vintage coins.
Changing your attitude may be a bigger factor in finding more goodies than changing your detector.

 

[Miser67]

It does feel like a lot of companies just tweak their units and then advertise them as the latest and greatest. I know some very good detectorists with complicated machines that use them to their fullest possible capacity and have the results to prove it. Others with high end machines I have seen doing poorly. So it just depends.

As for myself, I do like simplicity, but that works for the environments where I hunt, like parks.

The biggest question one has to ask is always the first: what do I intend to use this for and where am I planning to hunt?

 

[Nauti]

Great thread and one that echoes my sentiments about new technology......most of it is totally pointless.I used an m6 over here in England for years and had some brilliant results with it both inland and on the beaches.I now do mostly beach hunting (since i moved to the coast) with a beach hunter.....another really simple machine but unbeatable on the wet sand.......it outperforms my explorer on the wet sand hands down.
The only people that these new technological innovations do any good for are the marketing people.
Detectors like the m6 are as relevant today as they were when they first hit the market.

 

[Electricfrontporch]

Until they come out with some amazing new alien tech, nothing will find things that aren't there!
Research and most any capable machine that you are comfortable and relatively competent using will still get the goods!

The 3 R's still win! Research, research, research

 

[IDXMonster]

Any decent machine that you stick with and thoroughly learn is going to do just as well as these new machines in the hands of people who are constantly buying and selling machines in their quest for the perfect machine. It's been said that there is no perfect detector. I would argue that that's not true. The perfect detector is the one you know very well and have fun using. Don't worry about what you think you missed, that's just an unhealthy obsession. Be happy about what you do find. And have fun. That's the point of this hobby.
Just my opinion of course, but it works for me.

I couldn’t have said it better...well done Dan.