Better of the 2 ?

[Rebel73153]

So which do you all think is the better detector for gold nuggets as well as coins and relics and why. The Gold Bug Pro or the Whites MXT? I have a Gold Bug with both the 5" round DD and the 5"x10" DD but i am thinking i might see if i can trade it to someone for an MXT. Yes-no-maybe. What do you folks that have used both think? Thanks for nay help and info.

 

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[Hard Prospector]

I believe if you want to find gold, have a machine that was primarily designed for it and match it with the coil that fits its purpose . For coins and relics, the same holds true. Multi-purpose machines are OK for most everything but excel nothing.

 

[Rebel73153]

I know that no One detector can do it all but what i want is one i can use for both. And the choice is between the 2 i mentioned. But thanks for your input.

 

[goldchaser3]

Well I've never used a Goldbug Pro but I did own a MXT300. I loved that machine.
Hard Prospector is right in the sense that the reason I sold my MXT was to get a TDI because none of the VLFs do very well in highly mineralized ground with lots of hot rocks. I'm in northern California and I would presume Oregon may be similar but I do not know for sure. Our rivers and creeks seem to have tons of them, and they will drive you nuts.
I just went to the GoldBug website and they state, "hot rocks will disappear" - I think this is very misleading. Of course you can raise your discrimination high enough to eliminate hot rocks, but you could also lose small gold. Plus, most detectors' discrimination functions (i.e. not "all metal" mode) reduce the depth slightly.
Sorry for the long-winded answer, but if I could only have one machine to do everything you are wanting to do, I would get the MXT. It even has three different modes already built in for coins, relics and gold prospecting.

If the choice was limited to the two I would get the MXT.

 

[63bkpkr]

What to Do, Oh what to do

Rebel73153, Hard Prospector has brought up a good point.

I have never used either of the two machines, I do own the GMT along with all the coils made for it by White's. The MXT and the GMT share some similar electronics when you are talking about the gold detecting section of the MXT and that ought to be a plus. The MXT does find gold but is it as good as the dedicated GMT? I've read that it is close but not quite as good.

When I decided that I wanted to look for gold with a detector I knew I wanted nothing but a machine built totally for being out in gold country looking for gold. I'd already tried my coin shooting machine in gold country and it was a no go. I'd owned the original Gold Bug and wanted nothing that was similar to it. I went to Whites as I've dealt with the company and have always been treated well by them and their machines have worked for me in the past.

I do not get out that often so I am not "skilled" in the use of my GMT however I've worked with it enough to be able to find gold with it in the same exact country I'd had the Gold Bug in and found nothing. Finding gold with a detector is an amazing experience. Using a gold detector in ways that augment other types of mining/prospecting so work is reduced and gold is insured is just a superb off shoot of a dedicated machine and that is what I've been able to do with my GMT. Took a little thinking out of the box but once I had achieved this ability I was totally sold. When you can confirm that a 5 gallon bucket of raw sample does not have a detectable quantity of gold in it then the labor on that bucket of dirt stops. That little trick can save a person at least an hour of additional hard work for nothing or very little if there are some really small fines in the sample that are not detectable.

I found this with my dedicated GMT using both the stock 6 x 10 & the 4 x 6 coils -

It is possible that a coin & gold detector could have found this as well but a dedicated machine certainly did. So the ~ 1/4 oz of gold nuggets is worth about $350 depending on spot prices and whether you can sell the nuggets for people to look at or melt down. $350 is about half the cost of the GMT.

Now, gold is Difficult to find! Don't think just because you've a dedicated machine that it is easy as it is not. The owner of the machine has to take on the responsibility to Learn how to use the machine and honestly I have not done a good job of becoming knowledgeable with mine. Likely that is why it took me 3 years to find gold with it. BUT, and here it comes, now I know enough about it to know that IF I put myself in an area where there is gold that this machine can and will find it. That is the other thing that the owner of a machine must do, put themselves in an area where there is gold. So, learn the machine regardless of it being dedicated or multi-tasking And put yourself where you are standing on top of gold. Without these two in place, stick to detecting in the city for gold rings. If you like the looks of my gold on top of the U.S. fifty cent piece then follow the two Must Do's above.

The best of success to you on your choice of equipment, it is a difficult choice to make. Regards.......................63bkpkr

P.S. - also do not expect to make a living with a detector but you will see a lot of beautiful country while looking for gold. For me it is the adventure I'm after and the gold just makes it more adventuresome.

There is Gold near Roseburg Oregon

 

[Rebel73153]

Thanks. Yep, we have an abundance of hot rocks around here too. Supposedly with the GB if you get a signal and then hit the Ground Grab button and balance the machine over the target and if it is a hot rock it will balance out to no signal. Not sure how the MXT handles them?

 

[Rebel73153]

Thank you too 63bkpkr. I have thought about getting a Dedicated gold machine but i actually spend more time in park and schools than the mountains. But i would like a machine that will give me the best chance of finding gold if i do get out for it and still be able to use for the rest of the time. Hope this made some sense.

 

[63bkpkr]

Thank you too 63bkpkr. I have thought about getting a Dedicated gold machine but i actually spend more time in park and schools than the mountains. But i would like a machine that will give me the best chance of finding gold if i do get out for it and still be able to use for the rest of the time. Hope this made some sense.

Yes it does, knowing how you intend to use the machine most of the time is important.

I've used the grab button on the GMT over a rock that was interfering with the signal, waved the coil again and the interference was gone and the gold signal came right through. I like that!

Ask your question in the "Brands Section" and see what folks there have to say. A good machine, good headphones and time are good companions! I like the "looks" of Oregon.

Oh, what is wrong with the coin shooting machines you currently have?

 

[Rebel73153]

The Gold Bug is the only machine i now have. I sold my Eagle Spectrum so i could get the GB.

 

[Hoser John]

Smart move-get the big 10" coil as no loss of smaller gold and that spider coil ROCKS-John

 

[Rebel73153]

I have the 5"x10" DD on it now. Is the 10" Spider any better?

 

[nuggetshooter323]

If I could only have one of the two, I would go for the MXT. It's considered to do everything very well, it has a bigger coil selection, and Sunray makes an inline probe for the MXT. And when I say a bigger coil selection there's not only Whites, but there's EXcelerator, older Jimmy Sierra coils, and others I can't remember.

 

[trinityau]

Rebel73153, if you went with the GB Pro then I think you made the better decision. Compact, light, and will do the job. The ten inch eliptical coil is all I have been using since I tested the coil. On the subject of hot rocks, every location is different but take a known hot rock in your area and ground balance the unit, go over the hot rock and see what meter number you get. Here in the Redding area I get about 72 to 82 on our hot rocks. Check yours out and see what numbers come up most of the time on your hot rocks. I have tried to make my GB Pro lie to me but it has not done it yet. To be clear we are talking about hot rocks, not a piece of hematite or ironstone. These will give their own signal and the Ferrous Bars will also go way up as the meter number will drop way below forty and to the left. I detect using many different approaches but lately I have been detecting in a lot of high trash areas and the following is what I do. Once detecting after proper ground balance the only signals I dig are those that stay right of forty on the meter, have two to no ferrous bars, the graph number goes down to 3 , 8, 12 somewhere in that range. By doing this I am eliminating lots of trash targets and concentrating on the better ones.

A friend and I hit a high trash area the other day and did alright using this approach... I posted this on another forum that I frequent.



POST
I took a few hours today and went detecting with my friend George. We left about 1330 and headed to some private property that I have permission to hunt on. Everything found goes to the owner and when we fill up a good size bottle we make a 50/50 split. She gets to pick the pieces she wants and I get the rest. We started down in the canyon along the creek bed and were using our GB Pro's. After about twenty minutes as I was walking up the gut I got a nice mellow signal and looked down to see a bright and shiny nuggie lying right out in the open. The first piece was a gnarly little one. I moved on up a ways and was not getting any other signals so I moved up onto a mined out flat that runs along the canyon side. George was on the upper end detecting and had not got anything yet. After talking a few minutes I started up a low slope hunting as I went. No sooner did I hit the top of the slope and George hollered he got one. I went down the slope and looked at George's piece. It was also a gnarly piece and had been lying among some small rocks. His piece is the long thin one in the pictures. We went back to hunting and within ten minutes I hollered at George and told him I had found an earring piece. I continued working the rocky area I was at and within a few minutes I had another one. This target was a real solid signal and I had to dig down about ten inches to find it lying right on bedrock. This piece was rough on one side and smooth on the other, typical pocket gold for this area.

Neither one of us brought scales so we don’t know what the total weights were. Two smaller ones and two nice ones. We were happy and headed up the hill to the rig. After taking some pictures we took the gold to the landowner and made her day. She was very happy and we were glad to have made her smile as she has had a rough time just recently losing her husband of fifty years. TRINITYAU/RAYMILLS

 

[Rebel73153]

Nice gold you got there Ray. I sure wish i had someone i know close enough to get together with that knows nugget hunting so i could have a good teacher. Sounds like this Gold Bug i got will do the job then, all i need to do is get it over some gold.

 

[63bkpkr]

Ray, thank you for the posting, a great read. Really super arrangement you have going with the land owner and it sounds like she really needs some honest people to see her through some tough times. She may need help with selling her half. Great looking gold, always good for the heart and mind to see some good finds like that............................63bkpkr

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

2 months ago i would agree 100% with ray, but now.. Its the GMT all the way..

but as for your best option, I would say the GB Pro..

 

[Rebel73153]

Thank ya kindly. I am setting up a test garden to try to learn it. I have a zinc penny at 6", a .22 brass case at 2.5", and .380 auto case at 3.5" and a .5 gram lead nugget at 4". I am going to bring some hot rocks back from the river and get used to those to. Now i just need a small gold nugget to learn the sound. Guess i will have to buy one on e-bay unless one of you folks has a small .4gram or larger piece they would sell me?

P.S. Ausgoldhunter, i see you have both the GB Pro and the SE. Do you notice any difference between the two. I have the SE model.

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

Thank ya kindly. I am setting up a test garden to try to learn it. I have a zinc penny at 6", a .22 brass case at 2.5", and .380 auto case at 3.5" and a .5 gram lead nugget at 4". I am going to bring some hot rocks back from the river and get used to those to. Now i just need a small gold nugget to learn the sound. Guess i will have to buy one on e-bay unless one of you folks has a small .4gram or larger piece they would sell me?

P.S. Ausgoldhunter, i see you have both the GB Pro and the SE. Do you notice any difference between the two. I have the SE model.

Difference, well the pro is a tad more sensitive, and handles really hot ground a little better than the SE... Though to be honest, they are both pretty bad around any sort of iron stone etc... Noise city....
I'll say this, for the price, I would consider the SE over the Pro.

Pro is a better machine, but not by much..

 

[Rebel73153]

Thanks for the info. I am trying to decide whether i should keep the GB i have or see if i can trade it to someone for an MXT. I thought maybe with the 2 coils i have that i could find someone with an MXT with even 1 coil that might trade. Be nice if they had either the 3"x6" of 6"x10" for it.