White's Forums have been some of the slowest, least active forums for quite a while. Kind of sad and I wish they would pick up, especially with more questions and discussions about current models, not older, out-of-date and what ought to be out-of-service models that don't perform up to modern-era standards.
Example, it is 3:35 PM Pacific Time here in Oregon and this, I believe, is the first post made here today.
Barber Bill posted this thread initially back on January 2nd. I responded to his most on January 3rd about the MX5 audio. Now, over 3 months later we see it resurface. I can state that I am not 100% "brand loyal," but I do have my favorite models from those manufacturers I favor. And I favor them, and specific models, because they provide me the build quality I want and need, couple with very functional in-the-field performance that I have to have for the challenging sites I hunt.
During several months last year I bought and evaluated several newer detectors, to include two Teknetics Euro-Tec Pro's and two Fisher F19's. I used them with their standard search coils and with accessory search coils. I liked one of them more than the other, but for my types of hunting sites, the Tesoro Bandido II µMAX and White's MXT All-Pro were easier to operate, very functional, and provided me better performance [size=small](and results)[/size] and remained in my personal detector battery, the MXT All-Pro stilly main-use unit. The new kids on the block were sold or traded.
Since January 3rd I have had had the opportunity, and pleasure, to evaluate a could more detectors and, as usual, I pit them against my known-performance preferences. This time, however, working a wide range of search coils on my Tesoro and White's, and selecting challenging test scenarios and visiting trashy old barns, homesteads and a few other such sites, the two newer, foreign-build detectors easily surpassed the performance I had been relying on. Surpassed them to the point that my two older favorites are still favorite, but occupy by 'secondary' or 'back-up' models, and I now have three newer detectors as my Primary-Use units. I will shop for a good deal on one more detector I like that will also serve as a 'back-up' model that will do quite well as a 'loaner unit', too, when needed.
Now, to your two recent posts in this thread.:
Shenandoah Digger said:
Monte tests machines inside and out and knows more than I'll ever think about knowing.
No, we can ALL "
think about knowing," and all I do is get a grip on as many detector handles as possible for over five decades to learn all I can. You can do the same thing.
Shenandoah Digger said:
But I have two machines I'll never part with- the Omega and the MX5, and I've parted with many, many machines over the years, some regretfully.
We are in agreement with part of your statement ... "
I've parted with many, many machines over the years, some regretfully" ... , but I have also parted with many, many more that were total failures, close-to-failures, terribly physically packaged, too heavy, lacked adequate search coils, ate batteries, had poor headphone jack locations, didn't have sufficient controls, didn't have practical or functional controls, .. or a combination of these.
As for the Teknetics Omega and White's MX5, I like them both for some day-to-day urban Coin Hunting, and I feel that are very good units and satisfactory for many who like their features and performance for their hunting needs.. That said, I currently have neither of them. In the near future, unless something new comes along that interests me more, I do plan to put another Omega back into my personal detector arsenal.
Why the Omega and not the MX5? Because I prefer having an automated GB that is 'locked' or 'lockable,' and I also like the Omega's manual GB option. I also prefer a variable Discrimination adjustment over a segmented or notch-type Discrimination. The MX5 does work better in a dense iron nail infested site than the Omega [size=small](such as taking on my Nail Board Performance Test)[/size], but I did finally encounter a few sites at some heavily iron littered ghost towns and such that caused some issues with the MX5 due to the constant Auto-Trac circuitry that couldn't be 'locked.'
Why in the world White's didn't incorporate a 'Lock Track' option on the MX5 when it is on the Prizm 6T and Coin GT left me wondering why they did that? Was it because someone up-the-line put a "hurry-up" on it to get it into production as it was? Those kinds of things have, and do, happen through the years and it's a shame when an important feature isn't included in a new detector design. Of the two, I think the Omega would make a better 'loaner' for me to have on-hand for friends, family and land-owners when I want to offer them a detector to use when trying to gain access to their property.
Shenandoah Digger said:
The MX5 just works and is built much better than other machines that look similar. When you pick it up, you know you're holding White's quality, and I'm generally not a White's fan.
I AM
generally a White's fan, especially when it comes to build quality. I do acknowledge when there are poor designs, however, such as a headphone jack on the right side of the control housing. So many quality models with a rear-mounted headphone jack, to include the lower-cost/very efficient Classic series they had and never should have quit making, and they had to goof up on a six-hundred dollar model.
Still, the MX5 IS a very good detector, but for some people or some applications, it does fall a little short. It all depends upon what we like to do, but is a quality unit for those who need it and like it.
Shenandoah Digger said:
It's got more features that I need over the MXT, is balanced better, and its depth is similar.
I like the separate Target Volume control, and I like the 2-Tone mode, but the MXT Pro has that in the Relic mode. Generally I like the MX5 for casual, urban type Coin Hunting, but
for me and
the types of sites I hunt and
features I want/need, the MXT Pro [size=small](or MXT All-Pro, the same detector)[/size] is the more versatile and better-performing of the two.
For Me.
Shenandoah Digger said:
I use the 5x10 coil mainly, and while it's not as deep as the bigger coils, it covers a lot of ground and can be worked in the nastiest areas without hanging up.
Of all the DD coils White's makes for the MXT 'family' of detectors, the 6X10 [size=small](which I think measures closer to 5½X10 if memory is working right)[/size] would be the one and only DD coil I would use on the MXT Pro. I have and use only two coils on the MXT Pro, the 9" Spider Concentric for more open, sparse-target sites, and the 6½" Concentric [size=small](the 5.3 Eclipse)[/size] for everything else. I have worked the 6½" Concentric and 6X10 DD coils side-by-side in many different types of sites and I got slightly better depth and overall better performance dense iron littered sites with the 6½", so I settled on it.
Shenandoah Digger said:
But it will dig dimes at 8 inches in pretty hot ground, which is generally more than enough, and it separates well.
Yep, ample depth of detection for most any site.
Shenandoah Digger said:
Ah the poor Omega and MX5 got thrown out of the backseat for the new girls in school.
If your reference is about the Nokta FORS CoRe and Makro Racer, you are correct. I have been thinning out a lot of detectors in my inventory the past 6 to 8 months and was content with my MXT Pro as the Primary-Use detector. I kind of loaned out the Omega I had, when I had too many detectors, and sold it to a friend figuring I'd replace it with a new Version 6. I'll replace that when I sell my XLT and Outlaw, the last two I have to part with, and then I'll be comfortable with my stable of detectors.
The MXT Pro, which I personally feel is the best all-purpose model in White's current line-up, will stay a part of my detector arsenal. I doubt they have anything on the horizon to replace it, but if they come out with something new I will give it an evaluation, as well, and see if it makes a good fit for me. It will take a new a improved design to best the MXT Pro. For the types of sites I hunt and for comfort for me and my impaired health, the FORS and Racer met that challenge.
To be honest, I think these two models, with similar modes and adjustment features, and with the excellent search coil design to complement the circuitry design, make a great example of what White's engineering stay ought to be working on competing with. White's took a wrong turn, in my opinion, going to the Spectra series and moving on to more higher-cost detectors. The industry, as a whole, has been trending more to better low-end offerings, and more top-end performers that have been in the $650 to $900 price range. The FORS CoRe and Racer are two great examples, and we can also look at offerings like the AT Pro and AT Gold or Omega. Other versatile detectors that are more competitively priced.
So, Yes, the MX5 is a good detector, has good performance, and I liked it and used it a lot. But I only have room for so many detec tors on my back seat or in ,my back-up reserve. It lost out.
Monte
I suggest going to Youtube and look up these detectors you have questions about. Some of the videos show the guy detecting without headphones and you can hear exactly what the unit sounds like.
