the best detector you would buy used in the $500 range?UPDATE: found my baby!!

[snowdogg70]

im looking to upgrade my current md is a bounty hunter 2200 ( i have 2 of them) but i want to see a vdi reading rather than an arrow pointing at what the detector thinks it sees,
i am watchtin this minelab on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Minelab-X-Te...item1c221465b3
do you think this would be a good upgrade for someone who has decided they are addicted to this hobby? or do you have a different suggestion?

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[Frankn]

The Whites XLT is probably the best general purpose detector ever made. You can pick one up for $400 to$450 on the net. Search Whites XLT. It's turn on and go or set everything, your choice. I am on my second one. Lost the first in a fire. It can compete with any general purpose detector out there. Frank
Facts: The largest gold hoard ever found in England was found with an old Whites XLT!
: In one yard in a small town in MD this past summer I found targets worth many times the cost of my XLT. Seeing is believing, just look, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[dhearn]

check out the Fisher F70. I think you may be able to find one used at that price. I had one and loved it, i to lost mine to a fire. , i bought the F75 and love it even more.

[j.dean]

I had a whites dfx and v3 and I can say I like my Garrett AT-PRO just as well, if not better than those and it cost a third of what I payed for them! Plus its waterproof. For the price it is very hard to beat!

[kuger]

Whites MXT or Tesoro Tejon,hands down

[Cool Hand Fluke]

Try and find a used CZ6, CZ6a, or a CZ5 on ebay. Used ones run around $350.00 tops. These older analog Los Banos Fishers still can compete with the best digitals, even after almost 20 years after their introduction.

[fistfulladirt]

Find a used Minelab Explorer 2 or similar. It uses a smartfind feature with a cursor that bounces around on the screen. VDI #'s are a pain, I used Whites before, (good machines). I'll never go back to VDI's.

[ezzz1]

The At Pro the best value for the money. It win no contest to it

[kuger]

Find a used Minelab Explorer 2 or similar. It uses a smartfind feature with a cursor that bounces around on the screen. VDI #'s are a pain, I used Whites before, (good machines). I'll never go back to VDI's.

I personally have seen a ML EXP 2 wrapped around a tree.....seems a long learning curve?
There is absolutly no reason to even look at the screen of a VDI machine.......I sure as heck dont!!!

[Silver Searcher]

Find a used Minelab Explorer 2 or similar. It uses a smartfind feature with a cursor that bounces around on the screen. VDI #'s are a pain, I used Whites before, (good machines). I'll never go back to VDI's.

I personally have seen a ML EXP 2 wrapped around a tree.....seems a long learning curve?
There is absolutly no reason to even look at the screen of a VDI machine.......I sure as heck dont!!!

A Minelab2 is a good machine, but like kuger said a long learning curve, but then again most good machines are. I don't know why people rant on about detectors with ID read out, it's just a case of being confident with the detector, and the sounds coming through the H phones. For your budget may I suggest a Tesoro Lobo Supertraq.

SS

[snowdogg70]

thanks for all the replies but im still undecided lol.
i have been watching a few youtube vids on various models, some say Tesoro go real deep some say theare annoying in all metal mode, some say fisher f75 is the best whites .. i just dont know ??
i might add that i would want a water proof one as i do the beach alot but it is fresh water not salt water and i am canada and i have heard some machines are made for US coins and that a european ont might be better suited for our change.
the more imput i get from you guys the better as i feel most of you are very knowledgeable in this field and ultimately i am making my choice base mostly on your comments
thanks again

[fistfulladirt]

Good luck with your detector purchase, read as many reviews as you can, I wish I would have, before I'd bought a detector hyped on a TV commercial.

[snowdogg70]

im starting to think about the garrett at pro, what are your thoughts?

[kuger]

The Tejon is one of the deepest machines out there,but for a begining hunter,I dunno.Anybody can say what they want about Whites but the XLT and the MXT are damn hard to beat....and as I said you dont need to ever look at the screen(VDI)unless you want to,and with time,if you do,you get an idea what it telling you.I dont use the VDI,I use my ears and shovel

[Sheldon J]

Kellyco had the 550 just before Christmas for one heck of a deal....

[gleaner1]

Ask an unanswerable question, get an unanswer.

[George (MN)]

I really, really like my Garrett AT Pro. The ID # is a little small & hard to read, but very accurate at depth as well as the tones.

It weighs about 3lbs, uses 4 AA batteries, has 8.5x11.5" DD coil that can separate closely spaced targets. It can pick up small nuggets & jewelry & very good for the usual stuff.

I set mine up for easy use, STD mode, iron completely rejected, coins program, sensitivity 7 out of 8, & did manual ground balance. After I started using the manual ground balance, I started digging deep coins.

Very quiet & stable set up the way I did it. Then I get a loud beep, the detector gives repeated high tone & the ID #s 80-85 which is the range for a (US) dime. Down in 7" of hard dry dirt I find a clad dime. Probably sat there for 20-30 years in a park that's been detected 100s of times.

No worries if it starts to rain & can go under water to 10 feet. Best place to find rings is in waist deep water, fingers shrivel up & rings slide off.

In the Pro mode, the detector is a little more noisy & unstable but separates even better coins amongst or under rusty nails with a little iron accepted. Iron ID (low beeping noises) can be on or off. The deepest coins only whisper in this mode.

If you buy one of these used, be sure to get one that has the cam locks. These are new production or ones updated by the factory. Some of the early units had problems. Best wishes, George (MN)

[HUNTER12]

I like two md's, Minelab xterra 505, Doe's the job great, easy learning curve. quality, 3 yr warranty. first minelab i'v had. I mostly used tesoro products, great value, easy to learn, life time warranty.I love my minelab, but i think i would stick with a tesoro product.

[dnuggett]

im starting to think about the garrett at pro, what are your thoughts?

I think that is a wise choice. You kind of sealed it when you said you waned to go water and land hunting.

[Cleetus]

USED? The MXT is a contender. When you say used, I assume you mean a detector that is going to keep running good and/or easy to get repairs done on. You can get good conditioned MXT's all day long on fleabay for 500. Lots of detectors fall in that price range but are they good detectors to put your money into when they are 10 years old? They're built like tanks.