I have been detecting for about 4 years now and have stuck to White's machines. Started with a Quantum II, then Eagle Spectrum, XLT and now a DFX. I have had great success with the DFX but I like what I have been reading on this forum about the XL Pro. My search area is not that big and I have pounded some sites, but they have seemed to be dry (I know, no site is hunted out). I thought I might give the XL a try just to have another machine and maybe try a different style of hunting. Have any of you guys had a DFX and then bought an XL? I realize an analog machine is going to be different as I hunt mostly by Tone ID, but there is something about that needle that intrigues me. I hear that White's is no longer selling the XL, so I am looking for a good used unit with maybe some warranty left. What should I expect to pay for one that is a year or two old and where is the best place to look? Thanks in advance for any help or advice. Ron
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want to go analog
- Thread starter RonNH
- Start date
Low-Boy/LCPM
Active member
I don't know if you are going to find more with the XL but I love it and sold my DFX to get it. IT goes deeper and is not as churpy and the meter doesn't jump all over the place like the numbers do on the DFX. I have found more gold with the XL but has to dig a ton of trash.
Good luck maybe white's will make a DFXII and do it right this time.
Good luck maybe white's will make a DFXII and do it right this time.
going from an LCD readout to an analog meter display. Most of us know and appreciate the excellent performance we can get from the XL Pro (and former series) analog meters. But the best part of the XL Pro is that it is just a simple, raw performance, manually contrrolled gutsy detector. And by eliminating the frills that too many hobbyists become dependant on, and here I am especially referring to the audio Tone ID, you will end up finding and recovering a lot of good targets you would otherwise bypass.
I recall when the DFX ws first released. It's introduction got a lot of peopel interested in it, like most new entries do, and it is not uncommon for a typical dealer to get the latest and greatest to use, personally. Most dealers are little guys and gals dealing out of their home or place of business or they do a show now and then or ???. Most dealers do not make all that many sales like the big volume dealers, and I know tnhat many of them tend to promote and sell the higher-end models simpoly because they make more on each sale.
Sadly, too many dealers do not really get out detecting all that often, but fortunatley there are some who do. These more 'avid dealers' are the ones I like to associate with because they keep a finger on the pulse of the interests and trends in their areas. I hunted with a few dealers who went from their 6000 Pro XL and XLT units to the DFX. Remember here, I am referring to avid, active detecting dealers who had a lot of XLT experience.
I hunted with them (or against them depending upon your point of view) in a variety of hunting scenarios. Sometimes I used my XLT, but most of the time I used my Classic III, Classic IDX or 6000 Pro XL. After perhaps 6-9 months we all noticed an interesting trend among the dealers, and it carried over to some of their 'regular' customers who were also very devoted detectorists.
What ws observed was that a few of them went from the DFX back to their XLT's because they had better performance that they couldn't program the DFX to match or to satisfy them. Even more interesting was the fact that most of these dealers, and I am referring to 8 out of 10 of them, went FROM the DFX and XLT back TO the 6000 Pro XL!
What many of them learned, after spending time afield with me and some others who hunting without Tone ID was that a problem the XLT & DFX have, among others, is that while they might do a fairly good job of processing a higher-pitched audio tone for a higher-conductive target, they do NOT do well on the lower-conductive targets such as nickels and glod rings, etc.
Before anyone jumps on that statement let me clarify. I am referring to getting a good initial 'hit' on a target during regular detecting activities. I am not referring to those tiome swhen you stop and make multiple sweeps to analyze a target. There IS a difference!
For those with an XLT or DFX who use Tone ID, hunt a site for an hour or so and listen to the initial hit you get as you walk upon a target during a search. If it is a lower-conductive targvet, that initial 'hit' might not even sound good enough to want to investigate! Next, turn Tone ID 'Off' using a Hot Key so you can go back and forth and walk up on that same target w/o Tone ID and you'll usually notice a much better initial 'hit.'
The XL Pro and all the former cousins to it have excellent audio response that is bold and solid. They do not have Tone ID and you get a very decent first-sweep response on a nickel or small gold ring than with an XLT or DFX using the same coils size and similar settings, when they are using Tone ID.
Are they the 'perfect' detector? No, but they are very good at doing hat they do and will satisfy many hobbyists who want good, gutsy performance with easy-to-adjust knobs and no scrolling, with exceptional meter display.
Just some thoughts.
Monte
I recall when the DFX ws first released. It's introduction got a lot of peopel interested in it, like most new entries do, and it is not uncommon for a typical dealer to get the latest and greatest to use, personally. Most dealers are little guys and gals dealing out of their home or place of business or they do a show now and then or ???. Most dealers do not make all that many sales like the big volume dealers, and I know tnhat many of them tend to promote and sell the higher-end models simpoly because they make more on each sale.
Sadly, too many dealers do not really get out detecting all that often, but fortunatley there are some who do. These more 'avid dealers' are the ones I like to associate with because they keep a finger on the pulse of the interests and trends in their areas. I hunted with a few dealers who went from their 6000 Pro XL and XLT units to the DFX. Remember here, I am referring to avid, active detecting dealers who had a lot of XLT experience.
I hunted with them (or against them depending upon your point of view) in a variety of hunting scenarios. Sometimes I used my XLT, but most of the time I used my Classic III, Classic IDX or 6000 Pro XL. After perhaps 6-9 months we all noticed an interesting trend among the dealers, and it carried over to some of their 'regular' customers who were also very devoted detectorists.
What ws observed was that a few of them went from the DFX back to their XLT's because they had better performance that they couldn't program the DFX to match or to satisfy them. Even more interesting was the fact that most of these dealers, and I am referring to 8 out of 10 of them, went FROM the DFX and XLT back TO the 6000 Pro XL!
What many of them learned, after spending time afield with me and some others who hunting without Tone ID was that a problem the XLT & DFX have, among others, is that while they might do a fairly good job of processing a higher-pitched audio tone for a higher-conductive target, they do NOT do well on the lower-conductive targets such as nickels and glod rings, etc.
Before anyone jumps on that statement let me clarify. I am referring to getting a good initial 'hit' on a target during regular detecting activities. I am not referring to those tiome swhen you stop and make multiple sweeps to analyze a target. There IS a difference!
For those with an XLT or DFX who use Tone ID, hunt a site for an hour or so and listen to the initial hit you get as you walk upon a target during a search. If it is a lower-conductive targvet, that initial 'hit' might not even sound good enough to want to investigate! Next, turn Tone ID 'Off' using a Hot Key so you can go back and forth and walk up on that same target w/o Tone ID and you'll usually notice a much better initial 'hit.'
The XL Pro and all the former cousins to it have excellent audio response that is bold and solid. They do not have Tone ID and you get a very decent first-sweep response on a nickel or small gold ring than with an XLT or DFX using the same coils size and similar settings, when they are using Tone ID.
Are they the 'perfect' detector? No, but they are very good at doing hat they do and will satisfy many hobbyists who want good, gutsy performance with easy-to-adjust knobs and no scrolling, with exceptional meter display.
Just some thoughts.
Monte
They were all positive as I expected. I know I'm in for a different kind of detector and I do remember hunting without Tone ID with the Eagle Spectrum. I'll never forget that first Seated dime hit at the picnic grove I hunted many , many times and will hit again if I get the XL. I will keep my eyes and ears open and by Spring, I expect to find one and I'm sure to be a regular on this Forum. Thanks again, Ron
Joe Patrick
New member
made a mistake by dropping the XL Pro! What a great analog 'machine' it is! No doubt, the 6000 series and in particular, the XL Pro, are some of the best analog ID metal detectors ever designed and manufactured. I sure hope White's has another analog detector in the works to replace it ... but I doubt it, as analog metal detectors are expensive to build. 'Real' switches, controls, knobs and analog meters cost much more than membrane-switch keypads and digital displays. Plus, too many detectorists today know nothing about the 'pros' of a good analog detector ... so demand is probably low.
I like both analog and digital detectors. Each type has its pros and cons and following of loyal users. Perhaps the demise of the XL Pro has more to do with 'bottom line' accounting and/or low sales demand due to too many detectorists believing that analog is an old, outdated and dead technology. Those of us with years of experience know better and hate to see one of the best analog detectors ever, being 'killed'. Please White's ... reconsider. Keep the XL Pro or give us one that is even better!
Joe
I like both analog and digital detectors. Each type has its pros and cons and following of loyal users. Perhaps the demise of the XL Pro has more to do with 'bottom line' accounting and/or low sales demand due to too many detectorists believing that analog is an old, outdated and dead technology. Those of us with years of experience know better and hate to see one of the best analog detectors ever, being 'killed'. Please White's ... reconsider. Keep the XL Pro or give us one that is even better!
Joe
Joe Patrick
New member
For those who may want to read my July, 2000 Lost Treasure magazine field test report of the White's 6000 XL Pro, here is the link:
http://www.losttreasure.com/fieldtests/ArchiveView.cfm?ID=lt20000744
Nearly six years have past since then and I still feel the same about this great 'machine'!
Joe
http://www.losttreasure.com/fieldtests/ArchiveView.cfm?ID=lt20000744
Nearly six years have past since then and I still feel the same about this great 'machine'!
Joe
Kelley (Texas)
New member
fill the void? Many years ago, the Ruger gun folks took a gamble and started making a single shot rifle and found out that folks would still buy one. Kelley (Texas) 
Joe Patrick
New member
Kelley,
That could be a possibility, as I believe that analog-metered metal detector's days are numbered. It will most likely become a niche market, custom or build-to-order product over the next 5-10 years, at which point it will probably disappear forever as a stocked product by any company. Soon, only used analog's will be available, with nothing new viable.
It takes a lot of money and a big investment to make a 'production run' of metal detectors. Just imagine what the cost is to make 500-1000 metal detectors at a time. A large company like White's cannot simply 'crank out' a few at a time. They must build them in high volume. So, if their sales/marketing people feel there is no longer a viable market, there is no way they are going to tie up their time and money sitting on inventory that may not sell (turn) for years to come. This is most likely why the XL Pro was discontinued.
On the other hand, a small 'mom & pop' type manufacturing operation can usually make a few detectors at a time (profitably) but those units usually sell for much more money as they are time consuming to build and parts costs are much higher as they are not purchased in high-volume, discounted prices.
As a side note, there is an interesting detector that is a combination of both analog and digital technology that holds hope of becoming an almost perfect metal detector ... especially for coinshooting ... at least in my opinion.
The Tesoro Cortes as it currently is, is an impressive metal detector. I love its small size and light weight. It has a good combination of features and performs well. I believe that the Cortes could be a great, even fantastic metal detector though. Even though it is not an analog-metered unit, the 'real' switches and control knobs give it the feel of an analog unit. Here's what I would do, if I were to redesign it:
1) It would use Tesoro's new HOT technology.
2) It would have a trigger mode/pinpointing switch like on the Tejon.
3) It would have tone ID in the Disc mode with at least 3 to 5 tones covering a WIDE highly-discernable audio range. The tone ID would have a panel switch to enable or disable - so the detector could be used in single-tone mode or tone-ID mode.
4) It would have a panel switch to select either VCO or non-motion modulated audio in the pinpoint mode.
5) The display should be larger.
6) The standard coil should be a 7-8" size. Their current 7" coil is awesome for most detecting.
7) The ID meter should work in both disc and all metal modes.
It MUST have a manual ground balance in the disc mode or some type of automatic ground balance and tracking.
I like the quick and easy notch-setting feature of the Cortes. It should be kept as is. The digital ID meter information is also very good with its combination of ID number, bars, and labels.
I know these refinements sound like a lot to ask, but I do not believe they are. I think that these changes would make the Cortes a very 'hot' metal detector with much demand. I know that I would be one of the first in line to buy it!
Oh well ... I've rambled enough.
Joe
That could be a possibility, as I believe that analog-metered metal detector's days are numbered. It will most likely become a niche market, custom or build-to-order product over the next 5-10 years, at which point it will probably disappear forever as a stocked product by any company. Soon, only used analog's will be available, with nothing new viable.
It takes a lot of money and a big investment to make a 'production run' of metal detectors. Just imagine what the cost is to make 500-1000 metal detectors at a time. A large company like White's cannot simply 'crank out' a few at a time. They must build them in high volume. So, if their sales/marketing people feel there is no longer a viable market, there is no way they are going to tie up their time and money sitting on inventory that may not sell (turn) for years to come. This is most likely why the XL Pro was discontinued.
On the other hand, a small 'mom & pop' type manufacturing operation can usually make a few detectors at a time (profitably) but those units usually sell for much more money as they are time consuming to build and parts costs are much higher as they are not purchased in high-volume, discounted prices.
As a side note, there is an interesting detector that is a combination of both analog and digital technology that holds hope of becoming an almost perfect metal detector ... especially for coinshooting ... at least in my opinion.
The Tesoro Cortes as it currently is, is an impressive metal detector. I love its small size and light weight. It has a good combination of features and performs well. I believe that the Cortes could be a great, even fantastic metal detector though. Even though it is not an analog-metered unit, the 'real' switches and control knobs give it the feel of an analog unit. Here's what I would do, if I were to redesign it:
1) It would use Tesoro's new HOT technology.
2) It would have a trigger mode/pinpointing switch like on the Tejon.
3) It would have tone ID in the Disc mode with at least 3 to 5 tones covering a WIDE highly-discernable audio range. The tone ID would have a panel switch to enable or disable - so the detector could be used in single-tone mode or tone-ID mode.
4) It would have a panel switch to select either VCO or non-motion modulated audio in the pinpoint mode.
5) The display should be larger.
6) The standard coil should be a 7-8" size. Their current 7" coil is awesome for most detecting.
7) The ID meter should work in both disc and all metal modes.
It MUST have a manual ground balance in the disc mode or some type of automatic ground balance and tracking.I like the quick and easy notch-setting feature of the Cortes. It should be kept as is. The digital ID meter information is also very good with its combination of ID number, bars, and labels.
I know these refinements sound like a lot to ask, but I do not believe they are. I think that these changes would make the Cortes a very 'hot' metal detector with much demand. I know that I would be one of the first in line to buy it!
Oh well ... I've rambled enough.
Joe
Joe Patrick
New member
crazyman,
Mostly in packaging.
Over the past 25 years of detecting, I have used and owned well over 50 brands and models of various metal detectors. Of all of them, I find the designs such as the Garrett GTA, White's Prizm, Tesoro Umax's, Shadow X-series and such to be the most ergonomically correct, comfortable and pleasing to use. The control housing pod, controls and display are all located precisely were they need to be for quick access and optimum 'viewability'.
So, although much of the XL Pro packaging is good, I do not like the controls and switches beneath my forearm as I detect. This is not good placement and would be much improved if the XL Pro could be redesigned to be in more of a Prizm type configuration. Even if it were slightly larger than the Prizm.
Even if White's had to use a membrane or XLT type keypad to do this, I think it would improve the XL Pro design. Keep the trigger pinpoint/mode switch however. Its placement and 'feel' is the best there is!
Joe
Mostly in packaging.
Over the past 25 years of detecting, I have used and owned well over 50 brands and models of various metal detectors. Of all of them, I find the designs such as the Garrett GTA, White's Prizm, Tesoro Umax's, Shadow X-series and such to be the most ergonomically correct, comfortable and pleasing to use. The control housing pod, controls and display are all located precisely were they need to be for quick access and optimum 'viewability'.
So, although much of the XL Pro packaging is good, I do not like the controls and switches beneath my forearm as I detect. This is not good placement and would be much improved if the XL Pro could be redesigned to be in more of a Prizm type configuration. Even if it were slightly larger than the Prizm.
Even if White's had to use a membrane or XLT type keypad to do this, I think it would improve the XL Pro design. Keep the trigger pinpoint/mode switch however. Its placement and 'feel' is the best there is!
Joe
from what I've been reading lately there is some trouble on the homefront. My Gold Scanner Pro is my second favorite detector. I've never cared for the rod and mounting configuration so my Gold Scanner Pro is hip or chest mounted in a minelab bag using a Whites rod. Great detector with analog meter and performance similar to my old 5900 SL. Hotter on nickles and small gold though.
Jackpine Savage
Active member
More bread and butter than most and an enjoyable read too! 
Joe Patrick
New member
Jackpine,
Thank you very much for the kind remarks.
It's always a challenge for me to present a comprehensive field test within the 1500 word limitation we field testers are allocated by the magazine.
I try my best to be honest and thorough, while making the report enjoyable to read.
The White's Pro XL (XL Pro as I like to call it) was one of the more memorable detectors and tests that I conducted. Regrettably, it was one of the detectors that I decided to sell when I was raising money to finance my Patriot meter project. Someday, I WILL own another XL Pro though, as it is a fantastic metal detector!
Joe
Thank you very much for the kind remarks.
It's always a challenge for me to present a comprehensive field test within the 1500 word limitation we field testers are allocated by the magazine.
I try my best to be honest and thorough, while making the report enjoyable to read.
The White's Pro XL (XL Pro as I like to call it) was one of the more memorable detectors and tests that I conducted. Regrettably, it was one of the detectors that I decided to sell when I was raising money to finance my Patriot meter project. Someday, I WILL own another XL Pro though, as it is a fantastic metal detector!
Joe