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gvanvekoven

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My incentive for joining this forum is to get information that can't be obtained "without bias" from a metal detector dealership.
Now don't get me wrong. I believe dealers are honest folk and try to satisfy the customers. But in many cases they are limited
in what they are able to provide from what can come off their own shelves. But lets face it my brothers and sisters - it's a world that has turned
more and more toward the love of money instead of the desire to help people who are in need. Now - my dear friends - I am in need.
Not in the form of money (which in itself I do not feel is evil - rather - the love of money that is). I would like you to consider my question
based on your knowledge of metal detectors and to give me your honest opinions. I am not out to pit one metal detectorist against
another by asking - I just would like your opinion on something. I will be receiving a nice little pay bonus in the next few weeks of
approx. 1200.00. It's my intention to upgrade my metal detector with this money and I have been researching quite a bit. I can easily
find feature comparison charts from each manufacturer - that detail different features between it's own brand model numbers. Nothing however
in the way of comparing different manufacturer detectors between one another that fall somewhat within the same price range. Currently - I feel I
have narrowed the field down to the Whites DFX, Minelab Explorer SE, and Garrett 2500. So - my fellow detectorist - I put the question to
you. If you had 1200.00 to spend on a new detector - which of these three detectors would you spend the money on?
Is this too much to ask?
 
Good dilema to have! I dont have a high end detector, like most of those would be. If I were to lean toward anyone of them, I would do so to the SE. But, I also have heard that it is the most difficult to master. I believe that we have people that use those three detectors that frequent this page, so hopefully they can give you some good insight! Best of luck on your decision!

J.
 
I would buy the Explorer. I own a Garrett, a Whites and a Fisher, all good machines but if I could start over I would buy the Explorer because it is probably one of the best all purpose detectors on the market.
 
I know by experience that the Explorer SE will out perform and will do some things that others can't! The iron mask alone is an awesome feature. I often pick up coins that are underneath trash. Most detectors will hear that as trash only. I also know several guys who have switched from the other machines you have mentioned to the Explorer. It is an extremely deep seeking machine. Since the Explorer came out there are many so called hunted out parks that now have given up tons of older deeper coins. I am proof, ask any question you want! :)

God bless and welcome to the forum! Merry Christmas too!
 
I appreciate your response. If you read the thread so far - 5 responses and only one that is not specific. Minelab looks like the winner so far. I don't get money like this often falling from the sky - so want to spend it wisely. I currently also am using a mid to low range detector. It's my second - a Whites prism III. I found it to to be not much better than the old bounty hunter I was using (the quick draw II). In fact, I found more with the bounty hunter than I have with the Whites. Being the very cautious person that I am - I feel I may have fallen for the old name game thing - and that is why I am checking a bit more closely this time. The thing that I am getting a bit worried about is one of the posts on the line demonstrates how much can be lost when a detector is set to discriminate out pull tabs and screw tops. Man - I thought discriminate would still allow a detector to pick up the valuable stuff. Do you think this is a glitch with his (minelab) machine - or is this something common with all detectors. I have bad knees as a result of military service (not on disability or anything like that). I really kind of chicken out leaving the discriminate turned off - especially where I have been digging - as they all contain lots of pull tabs and screw caps. The prism also does not seem to get down very deep - even with a fresh set of 9 volts installed every time before I go out. What do you think?
 
Thanks Sir - I can tell by your post that you are an experienced detecorist. If you read back to my other response - you will find that I have some concerns about turning off discriminate functions. This is not a real big deal to me, but after reading the post of a minelab owner concerning discriminating out pull tabs and screw tops - I wonder if it's the machine, his particular machine, or if it is something inherent to all detectors with a discriminate feature. Even my mid level detector instructions say - if you discriminate out pop-tops/pull tabs, you may also loose nickles, old pennies, and possibly gold rings. What say you? I guess when they invent a detector that will bounce up a down and speak "HERE IS A GOLD DOUBLE EAGLE" in the middle of a garbage dump, the technology will have been perfected.

Again - looks like the minelab Explorer SE is taking all the votes. I am surprised nobody had any praises for the DFX or the talking Garrett. All are about in the same price range right now.

One additional question for you - Right now companies seem to be in a little price war (Christmas and all). Is it your experience these companies will come out with a new and improved model right after Christmas is over? I always wonder if they are unloading as many of the current or older model machines they can around Christmas time. Kind of like buying a computer on sale at Christmas and going back to the store two weeks later to find the same machine even cheaper because the manufacturer just introduced a "new" model. If Minelab typically comes out with a newer "gee wiz" machine just after Christmas - I can wait to spend my bonus.
 
I was a die hard Garrett guy for some time. Had the top of the line Garrett 2500. One time I went detecting with a guy in our detecting club. He had the explorer. At a home site I started a grid up next to the driveway. Back and forth. After about 4 passes he went to where I had been and pulled a silver Washington. OK I missed that one I thought. A few minutes latter he said. Hey come over and listen to this. This also was where I had searched. He pointed out where the target is and I ran my 2500 over the spot. After going east and west I turned north and south. I was only getting a "beep" about 25% or less of the time. I stepped back and he undid his headphones and could get a tone every time no mater what direction. I then watched him dig up a 1909 wheat. really doesn
 
...............................gvanvekoven,what do you need most? discremination,depth, ergomomics? looks like you want the best disc/target seperation available?
 
I own the Whites XLT and the DFX. I like them both and have found many a find with them. I have not tried any other detectors, other than in a store demonstrations. I like the function of the Whites to be able to set up your own programs for what you want to detect. I have a silver program and a gold program that work well. The stock programs that come with the units work great and I have never had a problem with them. I am able to find treasures among the trash and after a few outings was able to know exactly what was under the coil before digging. Well that is my two cents worth. I wish you well on picking a new detector.
 
Bother, I have owned a Explorer XS, MXT and Garrett 2500, I found them all to work very well. I have been with others when they found things that my minelab did not. I found the MXT and Garrett 2500 very easy to learn. I enjoyed them both. This will be my 5th year with the XS a lot harder machine to learn, but worth it. I think there is some real truth in that it is how well you learn the machine you have. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those. My guess is that the Garrett would be the easiest to learn.
 
I don't currently own any of those machines. They are all fine companies (Whites, Garrett and Minelab). I did early this year upgrade from Garrett detectors and have a used Minelab Explorer II that I am more than happy with and it was cheaper than buying a new Minelab SE. For what I paid for the detector, the X-1 probe and the 4 coils and bag it all came with I spent maybe just a little more than I would have for the stock and new Minelab SE.

Having had the spring, summer and fall to use it I am not the least bit sorry about buying it. It has produced some silver coins, lots of wheat pennies, an 1898 V nickel, some gold rings and some cool tokens to mention some of the better finds with this machine. Took some getting used to and still will take more to become better with it.

I know nothing about the other detectors you mentioned. Instead of a new machine you might think about a used one and get the extra coils and pinpointer like I did. Just a suggestion.

Welcome to the forum and a Merry Christmas to you and yours
 
I was the one pointing out what could be lost when using the discrimination. Those red dots - the good targets- fall in the same range no matter what machine or manufacturer of a machine is. That is just where they are and they happen to fall in the range of pull tabs, screw tops and crown caps (bottle caps).

One has to determine what he is willing to pass up. If you only have a half hour for a hunt, you may decide that you want to grab the silver and clad that you can get easily and not spend that half hour detecting pull tabs, etc.

If later you had a whole day to detect and wanted to really get down to the really good stuff you might want to turn off the discriminate for pull tabs and screw tops. (And that depends on what your area holds for trash.) Example, I have a ball field that was used when bottle caps were prevalent. They are all over the place. I have found one pull tab (since they were not made during the time the kids played ball in this field that is not my trash problem - probably the guy who cuts the grass there had a can of soda (pop) with him and it is his. Ran into only a couple of screw tops there.

What would I benefit by using the discriminate for pull tabs? I would lose all those coins in the pull tab range.
SInce only crown caps (bottle caps) are prevalent, I'd discriminate that out if I only had a short time to detect and also discriminate out the nails. I would lose very little that way. But if I had the whole day...those bottle caps are coming out of the ground....they may be hiding something good under them.

Taking my time, using proper coils, having the right settings is very important. As Mike from MI mentioned the Iron Mask feature on the Minelab is great. There is a lot of iron in that field that the Minelab will ignore and let me detect the good finds.

Mike from MI is probably the best informed detectorist that I know of - next to another guy who is not on this forum - who sells detectors and has years and years of knowledge...and who I trust to tell me the truth.
So if a machine will discriminate out pull tabs it does it in a certain range and other items also fall in that range...just nature of the beast.

There will always be someone coming behind you and finding something you missed. May not be a better machine, may not be any settings you had or a thousand other things...just happens. But like Greg in MI mentioned when you take an actual machine and test it on the spot next to another machine and one hears the coin and the other does not...time to think of why and make some changes.

Hope that helps a little more on why I mentioned the discrimination. Don't use discrimination of pull tabs if you have no problem with them in the area you are hunting. Don't discriminate screw tops if there are none there and same with bottle caps. If you discrimate trash you are not encountering you are losing the opportunity to discover the goodies.

Happy Hunting and a Merry Christmas to you and yours
 
After 3 years with the Exp II, I'd have to say I'd go with an SE. Heck, you could save some money and go with a used ExpII with a sunray x-1 probe (an absolute must have). I know for sure that I've been able to find things in areas that have been pounded by other machines, even with my "skill" level. I wouldn't hesitate for an instant to recommend the Minelab. A truly awesome machine and very versatile It just takes time and patience to learn and use to it's potential but it's worth it.

Joe
 
Steve in AZ digs everything. (quote: "the best discriminator is your digger") Check out the amount of coins / gold / silver he digs. But the Exp II has some great discrimination features if you choose to use them. While detectors lose depth when more discrimination is used, the Exp II still goes deep. At a factory set sensitivity (fairly low) using iron mask or even a pattern to find just coins (heavy disc), I can hear a quarter at 8" as ckear as a bell. (test garden in my backyard). A guy I hunt with that uses an MXT is going to buy a used explorer because he's seen his machine can't hear targets that the Exp can.
 
I wasn't sure how long you had your Explorer but all around I knew Mike had a lot of knowledge. Didn't mean any disrespect my Brother. I suggest a used machine as well and was thinking Minelab with extra items such as a coil or two and of course the probe.
 
For sure if you disc out pull tabs, foil, pop tops etc... you will miss gold! I personally always take in consideration of the site I am at. If I am at a local park that is loaded with pull tabs, but has a slim chance of gold I might not dig aa the tabs, but if I am at the beach where gold is very possible I will dig every target I hear. When I relic hunt I dig all targets, knowing that gold is not likely but I do not want to miss a good CW button either. Those who disc out will always miss goodies. When in doubt dig it all! :)

I know some who have had truobles with the filter ing of the DFX, and with the 2500 imaging, many will miss out on goodies because they will only dig coin size items.

As for the Christmas specials, I think it is a way that they boost their year end. I would warn against the big mail order places (K-##) that promise a bunch of extra junk to get the sale. They often sell re-packs. If you need an honest dealer with fair pricing let me know and I will send you in the right direction.

Merry Christmas!

Mike
 
n/t
 
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