Minelab's Eureka Gold or White's GMT?

[Brian93436]

I am interested in purchasing a gold metal detector. Unfortunately I cannot afford the top of the line Minelab detector. My dilemma is which detector (under $1000.00) would be the best value. I have a White's XLT which I have had good success with and no complaints and I have heard nothing but good things about Minelab detectors. I am considering the Minelab Eureka Gold or the White's GMT. I was hoping for some insight/preferences from some of you who have used one or the other detectors or better yet both of them.

Thanks for your time... Brian

[El Cooter]

Well Brian, I wouldnt give up my GMT for the world. I dont know anything about the Eureka Gold but someone will chime in on it Im sure..




Cooter

[LVSPARKY]

BRIAN,
1ST DO A LITTLE RESEARCH, WHITES IS MD ARE VERY GOOD, I USE MXT HERE IN NV, I DO OK FINDING GOLD, LIKE I SAID DO YOUR HOME WORK 1ST

[Brian93436]

The GMT is on its way...

Thanks, Brian

[Rifleman]

Check out the Minelab X-Terra 70. It's a great gold sniffer with the 5 X 10" 18.75 DD coil. You can get them right now with the standard coil and the DD coil for around $800. shipped. It's a great all around detector. I found my first gold nugget with mine two days ago. I also have a Minelab SD2100 V-2 and the X-Terra is more sensitive to small gold than the PI machine. While I was out, I ran into a guy with a bunch of small nuggets. The X-Terra picked them up from a good distance. It's great for coin and relics. Check it out before you buy a gold only machine. The other nice feature is in prospecting mode, you can notch out iron. This saves untold amount of digging time. The notches go in strength from 1 to 20. Keeping the level at around 2 or 3 keeps you from digging every small piece of wire in the desert and you still won't miss the gold. Mionelab has a real winner on it's hands with this machine.

John K

[Jim Hemmingway]

Rifleman...does the XT-70 have a motion true all metal mode for prospecting? Thanks...Jim.

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Jim,

The X-Terra 70 has an excellent all metal prospecting mode. Mated up with an 18.75 kHz coil it is a good prospecting unit.

Steve Herschbach

[Jim Hemmingway]

Steve... you didn't mention whether X-Terra has a true motion all metal mode, or is it non-motion only? I recently read the manual, and did not see any reference about it. Enjoyed your White's PI comments on the other forum, appreciate your contributions. Keep up the good work. Jim.

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Jim,

Yup, full blown motion prospecting mode. As good as anything I've used in that regard. The manual barely mentions it but it is one of the best features of the machine. Both manual or automatic ground balancing.

Steve Herschbach

[extractor]

I hunt with several friends that use a GMT. They always do good. It will find very fine targets .The GMT is a great detector, you will be glad you got it . Check out Whites home page / videos / GMT , watch them all it"ll save ya lot's of time getting use to the detector. I plan on getting one myself with in the next few months. The oldest coin I found was in Lompoc , 1921 wheat.

[Brian93436]

I received the GMT last month and got to try it out up at Keysville. I didn't find any nuggets, but did find tons of bullets on a hillside covered with old gold mines. Seems the locals liked to plink in the area quite a bit. I am looking forward to going back up this weekend and doing some panning and detecting in the same general area. I will take your advice (extractor) and read up on the GMT as much as I can. I did enjoy using it and found many relics (spikes, square nails, tools, Etc.) along with the bullets and found it to be rather easy to use just like my old standby (XLT). I can't wait to get off the beaten path a bit and really put it to use as there has been good snow in the higher elevations.

HH, Brian

[Dave45]

Steve I see you own both the x70 and the gmt which is more sensitive to gold.
Thanks
Dave

[EARTHLING]

the EUREKA GOLD is a great detector for all sizes of gold but you have to know how to set it up properly..... the xterra and the GMT are not as sensitive to small gold as the eureka is and even with lager coils it is still sensitive to the small stuff BELOW 1 GRAM which is more of what people find

[nuggetshooter323]

the EUREKA GOLD is a great detector for all sizes of gold but you have to know how to set it up properly..... the xterra and the GMT are not as sensitive to small gold as the eureka is and even with lager coils it is still sensitive to the small stuff BELOW 1 GRAM which is more of what people find

Earthling,

I have never seen any actual users in the field say anything good about the Eureka Gold, much less claim that the X-terra and the GMT are not as sensitive to small gold. I'm not saying this because of brand loyalty, I use what works. I own three different brands, and I'll be getting a fourth at some point. I hear the X-terra does pretty good, but I don't own one. I do own a GMT. I just got it and I only have about 45 hours on it right now, but the test nugget that I got with it is about the size of a big flea, and in the gold fields I can bury that test nugget about 2" and the signal comes through loud and clear with the proper settings. The GMT is probably one of the most widely used VLF's on the market, along with the Gold Bug 2 and the Lobo Super Traq. If I could get a Eureka for a decent price, like from a pawn shop, I wouldn't mind seeing what it can do, but If I had $900 to spend on another gold detecter, I would get a Gold Bug 2 and the extra coils for the same price. If your bucking the trend and doing well with it, good for you.

[EARTHLING]

the EUREKA GOLD is a great detector for all sizes of gold but you have to know how to set it up properly..... the xterra and the GMT are not as sensitive to small gold as the eureka is and even with lager coils it is still sensitive to the small stuff BELOW 1 GRAM which is more of what people find

Earthling,

I have never seen any actual users in the field say anything good about the Eureka Gold, much less claim that the X-terra and the GMT are not as sensitive to small gold. I'm not saying this because of brand loyalty, I use what works. I own three different brands, and I'll be getting a fourth at some point. I hear the X-terra does pretty good, but I don't own one. I do own a GMT. I just got it and I only have about 45 hours on it right now, but the test nugget that I got with it is about the size of a big flea, and in the gold fields I can bury that test nugget about 2" and the signal comes through loud and clear with the proper settings. The GMT is probably one of the most widely used VLF's on the market, along with the Gold Bug 2 and the Lobo Super Traq. If I could get a Eureka for a decent price, like from a pawn shop, I wouldn't mind seeing what it can do, but If I had $900 to spend on another gold detecter, I would get a Gold Bug 2 and the extra coils for the same price. If your bucking the trend and doing well with it, good for you.

i dont know if you are trying to ask me a question or if you are just making a statement but seeing that you are a cop; cant remember if the uniform you are wearing is state or local you will know what i am talking about but......... i used to live in COLO SPRINGS off of constitution between powers and academy on a street called villa loma for a few yrs.... i really enjoyed it.... especially going up off gold camp road and quite a few other nearby places... i miss it a lot.... found a lot of gold flakes and nuggets up in that area.... i liked the GMT it was decent and i use the COILTEK WOT coil on my eureka but i am getting ready to get a GOLDSCAN 5C and keep the eureka as a backup... do you ever go to the red rocks area outside of woodland park or up to the lake area that is past there ( about 6 -7 miles ) and when you get past that little store on the right you make a left onto a narrow dirt road that winds up to the lake ( cant remember the road names or numbers)??...... i know some very good hot spots all through there..... do you ever hunt near the are called the BIG UGLY or down along the river bank at the bottom i have done a lot of panning and detecting there

[seabum]

I have a GMT, Eureka gold, and a Ace 250. All are less then 3 yrs. old. Gmt used almost every day,Ace 250 is back up, Eureka Gold makes a fair coat rack

[63bkpkr]

Hi Brian,
I've owned a GMT for several years but have never done much with it till this summer. I started in mid July and that's the take in the first picture. I would wet wash/sift a bucket of mixed river dirt, pour out the heavies (larger rocks) in one pile and the fines (silt, dirt, rocks no larger than 3/32") in another pile. I would then wave my GMT over each pile, when the machine beeped I'd pan the pile. I learned about making vast adjustments in Gain and VSat, even set the machine to blank out signals in the ground but it would still read my "target sample" (piece of trashed gold ring glued to a poker chip, in picture #3). I found it important to carefully read the manual about using Gain and VSat and that the VSat really has some unusual processing characteristics as you go above a setting of 6.
, ,

Sifting out the mixed materials takes an inordinate amount of time, energy and can result in some solid back pain IF I fill the bucket over half full. My "site" location is along a river bank in the flood stage zone, therefore lots of boulders making it nearly impossible to detect the bank itself so I must dig first and test as above. As the area was paying off I returned in August (picture #2) but did not bring the detector, wet washed/sifted and panned as I was into a good area. The third trip (picture #3) I've just completed but used an A52 sluice box with good results however, the site is no longer producing 'much' above the water line.

So in general I found the GMT to be very useful and correct as when it beeped there was gold. I did need to learn some unique adjustments through trial and error but that is how one learns about a lot of things in life.

Good Luck in your search for the yellow metal! Regards, 63bkpkr

This picture is of me with a 500' waterfall over my Left shoulder on the July trip and the type of country I get out into, its awesome!