thinking about the Explorer SE

[parrothead]

Hello I am new here so please bear with me.
I would like to start metal detecting , what do you all think about starting out with the SE ? I have a habit of not doing/buying thing half way.
Would I be getting in way over my head? Plan on joining the club here in St Louis, so maybe I could get help there with the learning curve.
An thoughts etc would be great.
Thanks Matt

 

[monindou]

Hi Matt,

I migrated to the SE after using the White's DFX for many years so I'm not exactly in your shoes but I did ponder for many months whether to make the move or not. I haven't regretted getting the SE. Now with that said, I hunt an certain area where another hunts and he uses the Explorer 2 and makes great finds. Also, there are a few folks on this board who have the Explorer 2 ,transitioned to the SE, and decided that the Explorer 2 was as good of a machine as the SE in that there was little or no difference in how the machines work and their ability to make great finds.

Now that I've kind of twisted you up, I think that if I had taken a different path, asked more questions, maybe not gotten convinced that I needed a "new generation of machine" I very well may have sought out and purchased a new, or used but near new Explorer 2 and saved some change. To be brutally honest, if I could afford a backup machine (I gave my DFX to my son) I'd get a Explorer 2 in the drop of a hat.

I guess to summarize, you can't go wrong with the Minelab Explorer, no matter if it's the SE or the Explorer 2.

As for getting in over your head... only you can be the judge of that. Metal detecting and making good finds is a matter of several dependencies such as taking the time to detect, doing research at times, being patient, looking back through old posts on the chat boards for information, and asking questions on the chat boards especially in the beginning. But once you learn your area and your machine you'll have a ton of fun. I know that when I first started out I hit the obvious places like school yards because I knew I could at least dig some clad change; and that I did and it gave me confidence in myself and my machine. I did the exact same thing when I went to the SE, and then I asked a ton of questions. Now with all of this said, you could always start with a lower cost machine and see if you "have the fever", if you don't you're not out $$$. I'm telling you this because over the years I've read tens of "for sale" adds on the boards and eBay where the seller says, "Bought it, used it twice, didn't have the time to put into learning, it's been sitting in the close for a year, the wife's screaming at me to sell it!"

I hope I didn't ramble along too much. If you know you're going to give your all, go for an Explorer. Chocolate? Or vanilla? : )


Take care,
Doug

 

[minelab locust]

monindou just told you the whole story in a nut shell......i cant improve on it at all.....good luck with what ever you get

 

[dewcon4414]

My suggestion would be go to the minelab website and down load the manual and read as many posts as possible. Also, this is one heavy machine to swing all day. There are cheaper machines which are turn on and go as well. Ive been detecting for awhile and id have to say the settings arent the issue its learning how to use the smart screen for me. Check out your local dealer and have you give a few a go. Nothing wrong with used detectors because buyers remorse is a B...

 

[dsw08]

Jump right in. I did. No regrets. Look for wot coil tips for deep stuff and hunt all metal mode. Consider a used unit

 

[axxeman]

My first detector was an SE. I figured that if I was to learn a machine from scratch, it was to be on a good machine. I had predetermined that if I was going to shell the cash, I was going to keep it for a long time. Just play with it!

 

[jeff & Maria]

Whether it be the SE, the Explorer II or the older Explorer XS. They are all powerful machines and have proven themselves as such. There are many deals to be had on used II's or XS's. I have always bought used units from fellow detectorists and never been disappointed. I like the II over the XS because of the dual number (Ferrous/Conductive) screen. The only downside to the Explorers to some older users who lack muscle is that the Explorers are a bit heavier than most detectors. Using the Explorer requires that you move SLOW!, not like the guys you see at the beach swinging wildly like they are swatting flies. Move too quick with an Explorer and you may miss the target. There is ALWAYS the "which detector goes the deepest?" question when looking for a detector. This should NOT be the only factor to consider. The Explorers are no doubt capable of finding targets at sometimes incredible depths but you will probably find most of your targets at the 6-7 inch range depending on where in the country you live. Here in central NJ the soil is a clay/shale composition so unless there was fill added at some point my finds never exceed 7 inches. The area I live in was established 1640 by the Dutch. The oldest coins I have found which by age should be the deepest consist of King George coppers, Reales, and just this year two NJ Coppers a 1786 and 1787. All of which were not deep at all. If you have a less dense soil then your old finds will be deeper. Another detector to consider if weight is an issue is the X Terra 70, I have used mine with the same success as the Explorer, I like it because I can move QUICK which is how I hunt the woods and fields. It is also better in "disturbed" ground, meaning rocky areas, plowed fields, taller grass. The Explorer coil really does need to be scrubbing the ground because of the FBS. It does not like too much of an air gap between the coil and the ground. I wouldn't worry too much about the dreaded "learing curve" that you hear so much about with the Explorers, it really is ready to use out of the box. There are other brand detectors that you would no doubt be very happy with which many of us own as well, however I won't get into the pros and cons regarding those since you were asking about the Explorer. Don't worry to much about your first one, if you are like the rest of us you will wind up having 2 or 3 to fit you different detecting mood or area of search. Good luck!

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[North Georgia Relics]

I have found that if you have not used other detectors then the Explorer is actually easier to learn. You will not always be comparing it to how the other machines reacted. Minelab recommends that you use the Explorer with most of the factory settings for three battery charges before you start making a lot of changes. You might also consider getting an 8 inch coil for the machine. I think this actually makes it easier to learn. Whatever you decide the Minelab machines are excellent detectors.

 

[scayton]

I've had my new SE for about 5 days now. It's the first metal detector I've ever even touched in my life, no exaggeration. I feel exactly like you, I didn't want to wish later on that I had gotten a better unit, so I did my research and found very quickly that the Se is just about as good as they get. I learn more and more about it every time I take it out. There were some things that Ron Coen, (excellent guy to buy from), told me about the machine that I had NO clue what he was talking about, but he said, "Just write this stuff down, you'll get it after a while". And he was right as rain. I reread almost the whole owner's manual about every day, and things are falling into place..... no problem.

 

[ellis]

if you have many thoughts about back up or go ahead my suggestion would be get in touch with the guys at the club you mentioned-as i have learned metal detectorists are a great bunch of people and eager to help newbies--maybe someone in the club will let you with him and offer good pointers--and who knows,maybe let you detect while he watches.that way you at least will hear whats in the ground..lol