I AM FED UP!!! Time to upgrade!!! ***please read and give me your opinion***

[gregl01]

You're bound to get a hundred different opinions about what to buy, so here goes.....

If you don't need target ID Tesoro machines are #1 hands down......

If you need target ID you have a ton of choices..... Whites, Fisher, Garrett, and Tesoro all produce fine machines in their own right. It all comes down to what options you really need and how many dollars you want to spend. I started out with a cheapo BH unit and it found stuff but was not the best, I then bought a Garrett ACE250- much improved and it also found lots of stuff. I then bought a Tesoro Cibola cause I was afraid I wasn't getting deep enough, and it has found lots of stuff. I just bought a Whites M6 (haven't got it yet) and I'll report on it later, but I'm sure it will find stuff too!!!!

If you can get to a dealer that carries different brands pick em up, play with them and see what YOU like, not what we may think. I might say that x is the best, but if you don't like it then what does my opinion matter?

Good luck my friend, get a machine that you can grow into and enjoy!!!!!!


Greg

 

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[Mirage]

Re: I AM FED UP!!! Time to upgrade!!! ***please read and give me your opinion**

Don't hit me flyer...

But it sounds like everything is normal...

#1 - The deaper the targets the "iffier" the signal usually are.
#2 - Don't believe everything you read from others...
#3 - You're prolly not finding silver because there IS no silver there.

People over estimate depth sometimes...

The only reason you should have to mistrust the machine is if yer partner had a different machine and was finding everything you passed up, and, side by side comparisons were done "in field conditions" showing you that your machine sucks.

Maybe there is no silver where you hunt, so - you don't find any? Just because someone had money, or even kids, will never mean that they lost money all over the yard. Or lost anything for that matter.

Maybe you have a lemon... I dunno. My 505 finds the tiniest gold & silver of all sizes, old and new coins, large and small trash. Deciding what to dig remains my biggest delema... and I know my machine well. Everything will not, I say again... everything WILL NOT read in the nice & neat pre-packaged scales on the display like it's "suppossed" to. NO machine is THAT accurate! Some may define the object better than others, but if it beeps, it's a target, and it sounds like you are digging plenty!

IMHO

Good reply Jim. I will add a few things....

I have a coin garden in which I test my detectors. In brief - a 5 to 6 inch dime is hard to hit with any detector unless you turn down the discrimination until you get iron too. This bears out in the field too. Of coarse this is in my Ohio soil conditions but is very close to what I have experienced in other states (TX, NY, NC, WV). NY had the most favorable conditions for getting depth. Yes, we dig dimes down to about 6 inches but I doubt much further. And all those dimes that are below 4 inches - the signals are pretty iffy. Now Quarters - we dig to 10 inches.

Depth can be overrated but a lot depends on the site.

Remember that after a good rain if you hit a site loaded with iron, the rain tends to amplify the iron increasing masking potential. I have gone to sites in the spring that I can't find anything and the machine runs wacky only to return in the "dry" summer and find stuff.

The MXT is a nice machine. I borrow my buddies now and then. For many sites it's a lot more fun to use than my Minelab. I would look for one used - maybe $500?

Bob

 

[Born2Dtect]

Go for it. Explorer II or SE. Proven deeper. I am also impressed with the Troy Shadow X-5 for relic hunting.

Ed D.

 

[Montana Jim]

Go for it. Explorer II or SE. Proven deeper. I am also impressed with the Troy Shadow X-5 for relic hunting.

Ed D.

I will speak to this...

I know a guy who does and always has pulled more and better stuff from the same ground I hunt - he uses a Troy Shadow X-5.

This has proved out over a period of YEARS... It's the only true comparison I can can offer comparing two machines that are wielded by very knowledgable detectorists with machines they swear by.

It's hard to admit... because I dig a LOT of great stuff... enough where I have not chosen another detector, but he either has crazy skills (which he does) or his detector has an edge... I'd go with the detector.

 

[rockhound]

I have been where you are. Finding only clad coins and a few wheats 4-5 inches deep. I became
frustrated, just as you are. I was just starting out and thought I should be finding silver everytime
out. I read the magazine articles where the field testers always found silver when they tested new
detectors. Don't believe all that you read,or hear. I kept detecting in the same places and found some silver. I decided I needed a deeper detector to clean out the silver. I bought one of the deepest
detectors made. I found out that there was no more silver there, or at least I didn't find it. I talked to
an old man who told me that late 1800's to 1920's, and even into the depression that no one had much silver to loose. And if they did loose a dime, they searched for it for months. It represented
a fairly large amount since he only made a penny a day in the 1920's. It kind of puts it in perspective
why I didn't find more. I hope you do,whatever you decide to get.

 

[bootybay]

look at me...ms. dfx... if its not under the coil..ya ain't gonna find it... what have I found thats been great? Not much.. so also think about that one... not trying to burst your bubble or anything, but I am just telling ya the truth on my end.. and lack of know how to figure out old sites...the good ole research junk you need to know..

 

[Montana Fireball]

Upgrade the selection of your hunt sites! The targets are there, but they read very low or not at all due to depth while hunting thru undistrubed ground.

 

[midwest hillbilly]

my ace 250 dances alot between signals mainly on trash and we all know the deeper it is it's harder for the detector to determine what it is! i haven't used many detectors but i do have a friend that has a bh or did have till we went hunting together his total 8cents all Penny's were i had to go back to the car and dump my pocket out (was full) thought maybe it was just his bad luck so we switched detectors (maybe 15 min) were i gave up couldn't find nothing not even a penny so i sat and watched my buddy find coin after coin with the ace he now owns the ace 250, maybe not the best detector on the market but i have never not once found a coin that was a bouncy signal like you have mentioned it may bounce but always in the coin range never foil,iron,etc even nickels say nickel with no bounce,all bouncy signals like you have mentioned were trash!!! but i also would like to upgrade but i think all i need is a sniper coil and the big 9x12 although i really like the Garrett gti 1500. p.s get one that fits your needs and hit those spots again i bet you'll find more!!! and maybe not so frustrated!!! cause honestly if i didn't trade detectors with my friend that would've been the last time he would've ever been detecting he was madder than h@*!

 

[DFX-SCOTT]

THE BEST METAL DETECTOR HAS NOT BEEN MADE YET!!!!
DFX-SCOTT

 

[Argentium]

Ashleyflyer, Great thread you've got us on here. I think that if i were in your shoes , I'd begin some

experimentation by borrowing a detector from a friend for a few days , or better have a friend come to

some places you've hunted with poor results. This way you can clearly determine weather your problem

is machine based or user based. If you find that the BH is not delivering the goods, I can report solid

performance from the MXT. I'm not going to sit here and say it's God's favorite detector, but i have

seen an impressive number of MXT users hitting the forums in the last year. Gregory, Santa Fe.

 

[sniffer]

Tom, vet to a vet, I have a DFX and a BH time Ranger. while the BH is a decent enough machine it doesn't have the depth of the DFX.
I've found a dime at 8 inches, a quarter at 7inches, a gem safety clean razor from 1917, and a medallion from 1908 at about 6 inches, but, all of this was found with my DFX. I would look for a DFX. BTW the DFX 300 and the MXT 300 are the same as the old ones, basically just new paint and 12 coil, the price difference is adding the 12 and dropping the 9 1/2 coils

Sniffer

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

Hello Tom,
I've used a few detectors, not many. Started out with a Discovery 1100, used an ACE 250 and even gave a Discovery 2200 a spin. I read your post and it appears that you'd like a machine that is able to identify the target at greater depths. Every one has their preferences toward brand, etc. My 250 could read clearly up to about 4 inches, after that, I had the same issues you had. This is where I'll bring up the Explorer.........not only does it read and sound correctly on coins, even those that are down to 7 or 8 inches, but you can actually tell the difference between a penny, dime or even between a clad dime and silver dime. I don't set my audio up to be able to determine those differences by sound, but I can tell easily in the screen when a textbook silver dime is coming in. The crosshairs go beyond a position that a clad dime would not register in. The Minelab Explorer in my opinion is a monster of a machine that I brought for its reputation as a silver coin machine. It lives up to it in every way buddy, trust me. You'll find silver coins if they are there with the Explorer. I got mine used (Explorer XS) on Ebay for $476. The Explorer will give you sound, numbers and the additional smartfind screen, which in my opinion is even better than the numbers. I'll say that the machine is a tad heavier than most, and the pin-pointing sucks.....it takes alot of practice to get okay results, but it is all worth it. Before getting a used DFX, you may want to shoot DFX Gregg here a PM to talk about the differences. He's transitioned between both. The M6 is a good machine, but I still believe you'll get the superior silver coin hound in an Explorer. If I had money to buy another detector, I'd get a second Explorer.

A disclaimer so I don't get bashed on the 7 to 8 inch ID'ing accuracy of the Explorer: Not every dime or coin is going to ID correctly at that range. In my experience, the Explorer does it well. I've dug deep, on edge and mixed in with trash silver coins that only faintly hinted their identity.

Best,
Ricardo

 

[Digger]

I've never owned the M6 or MXT, but I currently own a DFX and Minelab SE.

I think the DFX's strong points over the other 2 would be the dual frequency. I attribute many of my good find that was missed by others to this new technology. My DFX is a gold finding machine.

The DFX's ID is very accurate as well down to about 6". Beyond that I have yet to see a detector very accurate. Now I have had my DFX lock on down to 8", but that is the exception and not the rule. It mostly depends on ground conditions.

The DFX is a very user friendly detector as well, that you can learn from and grow with.

 

[doctorbb]

Will you be selling the BH? I use a DFX and have had a BH in the past. I found just as much with it as the DFX, just not as deep. BUT, the DFX is only about 1/2" to 1" deeper on most coins.

 

[ashleysflyr]

Thanks a lot everyone, just about decision time!!!

~Tom

 

[Massbaycolonist]

Re: I AM FED UP!!! Time to upgrade!!! ***please read and give me your opinion**

MXT 300.

 

[pjroo33]

If you are looking for depth, I recommend a Minelab. I use the Sovereign GT and the depth is great. Sometimes it actually gets frustrating how deep it goes. I've dug pulltabs at 8-10 inches. I know some people over state the depth they get from their machines but I've had my Lesche digger all the way under the ground only to find a pull tab. That can be quite frustrating. Most of my good finds are usually near the surface to 4 inches deep anyways.

 

[cosmic]

Either the M-6 or the MXT are great machines.. I perfer the M-6's seven tones.. If the MXT had that I'd buy one .. But they both will thrill you the more you use them.. I suggest the M-6 and use the extra money for a coil.. 6x10 or Super 12... Trashy sites a 5.3.. I'm definitely happy with mine..
Ray

 

[Gilligan]

I enjoy my new Minelab Sovereign GT but am still learning it. Deep and sensitive with mulit-pitched tones. Personally, I would stear away from Bounty Hunter, my opinion only. I had a White's Spectrum for years and did well with it, but when you have a meter, you can learn to depend on it too much and miss alot of good stuff.

 

[extractor]

MXT It's Grrrrrrrrrrrreat! I don't leave home with out it.