Upgrade to the AT Pro, new White’s MX-7, or just keep the Coinmaster GT?

[robmenn]

Hello all! I was hoping to get some good advice here. So I bought my first detector, a White’s Coinmaster GT, about three years ago. I have really enjoyed my time this far with it, but I’m now considering an upgrade. I enjoy mainly finding old coins. The majority of coins I’ve dug with the CMGT have been no deeper than 6 inches. Then recently I dug a really faint and iffy signal at about 10 inches. It turned out to be a silver quarter. I’m worried I’m missing these type of targets now and I’m looking to get more depth. However, after some research and YouTube watching it appears that other mid-level detectors also struggle at times at 10 inches.
My initial idea was to buy a used AT Pro on EBay. But then I went hunting with a friend who has an AT pro and had him run over some of my iffy signals. They sounded just as iffy on his machine. That day I ended up finding my first barber dime and V nickel in the same hole! That wasn’t even my best find. I also found my first reale!!! I was over the moon! My partner found nothing with the At pro. I guess it was just my day, however none of those coins were deeper than about 4-5 inches. Now I’m thinking, is there really gonna be a difference with the At pro? I’m not interested in taking my detector underwater so that aspect of the At pro doesn’t interest me. Then I was looking at the new White’s MX-7, which appears to me and PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong, to be essentially the same machine as the MX-Sport, with a different coil and not water proof, just a couple hundred bucks cheaper. There seems to be very little feedback so far on the MX7 and a little more on the MX-Sport which some are claiming gets great depth. Im wondering if the MX7 works the same on land, maybe this could be a good fit for me? Maybe stick with CMGT for a while longer, I don’t know I’m confused. I don’t want to make this investment to upgrade if the results will be only marginal at best. Any advice, especially feedback on the MX7 would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

 

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[cudamark]

I completely agree, but don't often get any repeatable signal at that depth. As Ive said, just about all my finds have been at 6" or less. I think there is more out there that Im missing because the detector I have usually is not picking up coins at over 6". However from what Ive seen on Youtube, it seems that many detectors start to struggle at 10". I would like to find a detector that is not "iffy" and sporadic on a silver quarter at 10" but hits solid and most of the time.

Most of the higher end detectors will hit solid on a silver quarter at 10" if you're in mild ground. It's when you get into highly mineralized ground where it can get iffy. YMMV, Depending on the degree of your mineralization.

 

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[lookingharder]

This is just my two cents, I'm also not interested in detecting in rivers and waste deep water at the beach, but I did go with one that was water proof because I didn't want a trip wasted by rain. I used to have to put my coinmaster in a plastic bag when it started to rain. I do a lot of civil war camps and will search a creek bank if available and didn't want to worry if I accidentally dropped it into the water.One think you may want to consider is adding a bigger coil to what you already have, seem like your having good success but just want more depth.

 

[pescadore]

Okay, here's my 2 zincolns. I have owned an Etrac, Explorers, Xterra 705's, XP Deus, Fisher F70, CZ 5's, High End Tesoro's, numerous White's detectors including MXT, DFX, 6T, Treasure Pro, Garrett 1500, I used an AT Pro for a couple of weeks that belonged to a friend so I can speak with experience on these machines. The depth you are going to get on these machines is influenced by so many variables that it would be very hard to say that any of these machines would hit 10" plus signals consistently with a correct ID. They might give you a signal that you would say, "I'm gonna dig that" but not likely to be consistently accurate. Again, those variables come into play. Is the target masked?, what kind of soil am I hunting in, is the target on edge, etc. To go out and put some coins in mild ground and remove all the masking signals, and get a detector to hit a 10" quarter and claim that's it will do that consistently is pretty far fetched. There are some very good detectors out there that will give you a lot of information but the best detector is the one that you know how to use and feel confident in. My Etrac probably had the best ID at depth of all the detectors that I have owned the problem is that I have arthritis and it hurt me to swing it for long periods of time and I hated using a harness. The Deus has some real raw power and would go deep but was erratic. The MXT was also a very deep machine. I found several deep coins with the DFX. The F70 did not meet up with my expectations because it would airtest really good but mine didn't do that well in the dirt, The AT Pro couldn't correctly ID targets consistently at depth. I am 64 years old and have no desire to be out digging 10-12" holes to find a silver coin that is more than likely gonna be valued at melt because dug coins do not fare well when it comes to coin grading (with a few exceptions). I prefer a detector that gives me good, consistent ID at the 6-8 inch range. If I miss a silver or two because I don't dig an iffy signal at 10 inches then so be it. My oldest US Coin that I have found was about 4 inches deep. The detector you own is basically the same as the Prizm 6T that was one of my favorite machines that I have owned. I found several wheats and silvers at substantial depths (8 inches plus) with it. Were the ID's iffy, yes but they were good enough for me to dig them. If you want to ID targets deep then my advice to you is to get a multiple frequency machine like the Etrac or a Whites V3i and not look back. You will need to work it slow and you will have a pretty considerable learning curve but you can be pretty confident that you have a capable machine. You can find these machines second hand if you watch for a good deal. It is just up to you to decide whether spending the money for a deeper machine is worth it. With all that said the biggest variable to finding older silver coins is location, location, location. I don't care what machine you are using, you more than likely are not going to find silver in areas that were not frequently used prior to 1965. Try to locate some older private property, get permission, and you will probably find some of that silver that you are looking for and you won't have to buy a more expensive machine. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Pesc

 

[robmenn]

Okay, here's my 2 zincolns. I have owned an Etrac, Explorers, Xterra 705's, XP Deus, Fisher F70, CZ 5's, High End Tesoro's, numerous White's detectors including MXT, DFX, 6T, Treasure Pro, Garrett 1500, I used an AT Pro for a couple of weeks that belonged to a friend so I can speak with experience on these machines. The depth you are going to get on these machines is influenced by so many variables that it would be very hard to say that any of these machines would hit 10" plus signals consistently with a correct ID. They might give you a signal that you would say, "I'm gonna dig that" but not likely to be consistently accurate. Again, those variables come into play. Is the target masked?, what kind of soil am I hunting in, is the target on edge, etc. To go out and put some coins in mild ground and remove all the masking signals, and get a detector to hit a 10" quarter and claim that's it will do that consistently is pretty far fetched. There are some very good detectors out there that will give you a lot of information but the best detector is the one that you know how to use and feel confident in. My Etrac probably had the best ID at depth of all the detectors that I have owned the problem is that I have arthritis and it hurt me to swing it for long periods of time and I hated using a harness. The Deus has some real raw power and would go deep but was erratic. The MXT was also a very deep machine. I found several deep coins with the DFX. The F70 did not meet up with my expectations because it would airtest really good but mine didn't do that well in the dirt, The AT Pro couldn't correctly ID targets consistently at depth. I am 64 years old and have no desire to be out digging 10-12" holes to find a silver coin that is more than likely gonna be valued at melt because dug coins do not fare well when it comes to coin grading (with a few exceptions). I prefer a detector that gives me good, consistent ID at the 6-8 inch range. If I miss a silver or two because I don't dig an iffy signal at 10 inches then so be it. My oldest US Coin that I have found was about 4 inches deep. The detector you own is basically the same as the Prizm 6T that was one of my favorite machines that I have owned. I found several wheats and silvers at substantial depths (8 inches plus) with it. Were the ID's iffy, yes but they were good enough for me to dig them. If you want to ID targets deep then my advice to you is to get a multiple frequency machine like the Etrac or a Whites V3i and not look back. You will need to work it slow and you will have a pretty considerable learning curve but you can be pretty confident that you have a capable machine. You can find these machines second hand if you watch for a good deal. It is just up to you to decide whether spending the money for a deeper machine is worth it. With all that said the biggest variable to finding older silver coins is location, location, location. I don't care what machine you are using, you more than likely are not going to find silver in areas that were not frequently used prior to 1965. Try to locate some older private property, get permission, and you will probably find some of that silver that you are looking for and you won't have to buy a more expensive machine. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Pesc

Thank you very much for your perspective. It’s nice to hear from someone with the experience of all those different machines. I was just looking a the new Minelab Equinox 600. It’s multi frequency, waterproof, lightweight and will retail for 650. There’s not to much field test info to chew on yet. But this looks like it might be a great option.....

 

[Drew32215]

I almost purchased AT Pro but after doing my research it isnt designed to work on wet beach. My Garrett GTAx does have salt illumination feature but it’s an old machine that badly needs calibration service. I need a good machine to replace my GTAx and I’ve just purchase the Whites M6, because it can do anything my GTAx can do. I was considering a Whites MX5 but I see it is no longer on the Whites product list, but the M6 still is and that must mean it’s still a great machine. There’s not much to have to mess with an M6 machine just turn on and put on recommended settings and hunt. Also, got to consider the machine frequency rating. The M6 operates at single 15Khz which in my opinion for the money that you pay for a mid range detector is hard to beat, plus it works on wet beach. If you don’t need a beach detector then something like a Treasure Pro for coin shooting is one I definitely considered. Take your time and decide what will meet your needs for your type of hunting, carefully do your home work on the machine your buying, and just buy it. Personally, if money is no objection I’d buy the top of the line machine regardless if I didn’t need the capabilities it would be nice to know you’ve got it when you do need it. From my research the best mid range Whites detectors are the M6 and next up MXT All Pro.

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi robmenn, I've not read through all the responses but just in case, have you visited the whites detector blog for information on using your current machine? At times there are some very informative "how to use various models" of the whites machines that could include yours, I think it would be likely. They might help you with settings and other detailed Whites specific information as well as the best Whites and possibly other brand coils (Nel) that may work so much better than the stock coils. Also on TNET there is the "Brands" info section that may be of help. In the past I've found the White's blog info to be quite helpful. Best of luck with your search!..................63bkpkr

 

[dsdigger]

The MX Sport is a good machine and works fine. I had hopes of it being better at the beach but I will need to worry about that later. As far as using in the rain, yes, the Sport is waterproof to 10 feet as long as it has had the White's repair for those with the defective housing that they saw. My 2011 Coinmaster has a raincover that works fine for light rain and if it is pouring, both myself and my pinpointer are going to go in as we will need to stay dry. Me for health reasons, pinpointer as it is not waterproof. I believe that you have several that have given great advice and pescadore and 63bkpkr both had some interesting things to check along with everyone else who has commented. Best just to be sure before spending the money when you may already have what you need.

 

[A2coins]

I have minelabs and the AT PRO The Minelab does not go any deeper. If you know how to balance the AT PRO The separation is great both good machines the key is getting over the target . The AT PRO is much more simple it all depends on how and what your looking for!!!!!!!

 

[against the wind]

Save your money and consider purchasing an Equinox.
You can keep your current machine or sell it to defray the costs of the Equinox.
Good luck on your decision.

 

[robmenn]

Save your money and consider purchasing an Equinox.
You can keep your current machine or sell it to defray the costs of the Equinox.
Good luck on your decision.

I think this may be the way I end up going. I’m going to at least wait until the reviews start coming to get some more specific feedback on the Equinox 600.

 

[robmenn]

Thank you to all for your advice. You gave me a lot to think about, really helped me do my research. Well I just wanted to let you know my final decision....I ended up going with the Minelab Equinox 600. I was fortunate enough to get one yesterday from Cabela’s before they sold out. Paid a great price, 617.48, taxes and shipping included. I should have it by next week! Now I’ve got to study the manual. I think there’s definitely going to be a bit of a learning curve as the CMGT was so easy to use. But I really think the Equinox is a good fit for me and will
go a long way in helping me step up my game in this great hobby. Thanks again for all the input and I’m sure I’ll be seeking it again soon!
Rob

 

[devldog]

Best of Luck to you with the new Equinox.

 

[Ogre1190]

The Dark Side welcomes another Acolyte. 😈

 

[HighVDI]

Congrats and good luck!