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MINELAB?

J

Josey Wales

New member
Hey everyone, recently i have been thinking about purchasing a new detector. I have been a White's user for about 20 years with probably 10 years with the XLT. Have been hearing really good things about the Minlab's and was thinking about the explorer or the e-trac. Can you guys tell me a little about the differences between the two and what I'm missing by swinging the xlt. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
 
Josey
I can't comment on the E-trac and I hardly qualify to comment on the Explorer SE since I've only had it about a month. Like you I've swung an XLT for years. I love the SE, its my go to machine now, I've had several good finds already from previously hunted sites. Those broken tones we hear on our XLT are now accompanied by a jumping cursor on the smart find display, just more info for those dig / no dig decisions. It has to be worked a little slower, and the slight increase in weight I got used to quickly- a non issue.
Just like the XLT look for consistent and repeatable signals- the Explorer will produce.
Good luck with your decision
 
Going from an XLT to any Minelab, you will initially HATE Minelab. Some of the sounds you have trained your ear to reject, using the XLT, will in fact be GOOD signals on the Minelabs, and vice-versa. And you will probably be used to swinging fast with the XLT (the faster you swing, the deeper you go, with the XLT, right?) But with the minelabs, you can slow to a small crawl/wiggle. And the tones will initially drive you nuts.

The best thing I can suggest is, to go out with a proficient minelab/Explorer user (not just a sand-box hunter, but someone who routinely comes in with the old coins), and have him flag deep coin signals for you to cross check. Also have him and you flag and cross-check signals that he would say to skip, and try to find out why. Ie.: how they differ from the sounds he would chase. Watch the way he swings/criss-crosses over the signals, listen in from his headphones and listen to what he's trying to isolate. To buddy up with a proficient user is about the only way, since the Explorer (and sovereign, etc...) are so tone/sound specific. And there is no way, in printed text, to explain tones and sounds. They have to be heard/shown.
 
Tom_in_CA said:
Going from an XLT to any Minelab, you will initially HATE Minelab. Some of the sounds you have trained your ear to reject, using the XLT, will in fact be GOOD signals on the Minelabs, and vice-versa. And you will probably be used to swinging fast with the XLT (the faster you swing, the deeper you go, with the XLT, right?) But with the minelabs, you can slow to a small crawl/wiggle. And the tones will initially drive you nuts.

The best thing I can suggest is, to go out with a proficient minelab/Explorer user (not just a sand-box hunter, but someone who routinely comes in with the old coins), and have him flag deep coin signals for you to cross check. Also have him and you flag and cross-check signals that he would say to skip, and try to find out why. Ie.: how they differ from the sounds he would chase. Watch the way he swings/criss-crosses over the signals, listen in from his headphones and listen to what he's trying to isolate. To buddy up with a proficient user is about the only way, since the Explorer (and sovereign, etc...) are so tone/sound specific. And there is no way, in printed text, to explain tones and sounds. They have to be heard/shown.
Click to expand...
Well put!!Follow this mans advice and u cannot Lose.I use the Se myself.Ive had it about 2 years or so.I have many many great finds that i missed with my other detector.It goes very deep and its great to sort thru iron.I am upgrading to the E-trac soon as i can aford it.If u are gonna spend $1200 on an Se ,id spend the extra 200 or 300 bucks and get The E-Trac.Good luck with your choice and happy hunting!
 
Thank you all for the replies. I have heard of the depth the Minlab's can detect, that sounds pretty cool to get deep and really slow your swing down to a crawl. Also heard the explorer is a silver magnet, is the e-trac just have a few more bells and whistles? Thanks again.
 
I have used both and really have to say that the Minelab is way better. Even if you are using it wrong it will still beat out the XLT. The ability to ID at greater depths and be accurate is the real selling point of the machine. The xlt measures VDI numbers that measure connductivity, well Minelab does that and has another axis that meastures the iron level in the target, so right there you are going to be 2X as accurate with the minelab than the xlt. the tone id is correct at depths far beyond the xlt. mineabs are heavy and will kill your arm but with a harness they are lighter than a whites
 
I feel either one would be a good choice.
The learning curve is really not as bad as some make it seem.
A little different than the xlt but once you adjust to the different sounds you will be okay.
I haven't used an etrac but have done okay on beaches with my SE....and I am a former 5900 DI Whites user.
Now if I can only try some land hunting.
 
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