Trying to choose between a Minelab Explorer II and a Whites DFX or XLT

[Bhinton]

I am rather new to the hobby. I have gone round in round in circles trying to choose a detector. At one time I was chasing a Garrett 2500, but have decided that it is overpriced and not in the same category as those listed above.

I am trying to decide between used units; either a Minelab Explorer II or S, a Whites DFX or a Whites XLT. I will be using it primarily in South Texas to do coin, jewelry or relic hunting. I might take it to the beach occasionally, but that is not my primary focus. I doubt I will ever go prospecting. I would prefer a digital display.

Based on reading a ton, I have reached the conclusion that the Minelab Explorer is superior machine, but extremely difficult to learn. It looks like I can get a used Explorer actually cheaper than a used DFX or XLT. I am relatively computer/technology literate, but I am not a gadget geek or engineering type.

My questions are:

1. Should be afraid of the learning curve for the explorer?
2. Do you agree that this is a better machine than the White's?
3. Any suggestion regarding if you would recommend one of these machines over the other?

Thanks a lot.

Byron.

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

the explorer is the deeper seeking machine, hands down. But the tooty-fluty sounds will make no sense, unless someone, who's already proficient, is there to show you some side-by-side signal comparisions. So yes, a long learning curve, but in the end, in the hands of someone who's unraveled the fluty toons, it's deadly

 

[relikhunter]

Personally i would go with the dfx.The explorer has a longer learning curve,and is slow motion detecting.I don't believe they will go that much deeper than the dfx.I myself have dug ih's betwen 9-10"in a area that has been hunted 100's of times.But when it all comes down to it,it what's down to it whatever makes you happy.. Hope this helps there both great machines......rh

 

[The Beep Goes On]

I have the DFX and the SE...I wrote this article...it might help, although I myself find the choice very difficult...

http://www.thebeepgoeson.com/display.asp?page=DFXvsSE_1

HH!
TBGO

 

[rayray3]

I was in the exact same situation as you. Started looking at the Garrett 2500 and then went between the DFX and the EX2.
I researched every day for months. I made my decision on several factors.

1. Everywhere I read, users said that the EX2 was deeper.
2. Same as above but the DFX was faster.
3. I liked that there were more buttons on the EX2 instead of scrolling around with the DFX.
4. I like the grid screen on the EX2 and you also get the VDI scale as well but i usually use the grid.
5. I like the fact that the wire is inside the shaft of the EX2
6. I like the double D coil on the EX2.

Ive had my EX2 for a year and love it. I had a really hard decision between the two. I have been thinking of buying a DFX as well just to try it out. I think i would like the easy pinpoint switch on the DFX.

Good luck, i don't think you can go wrong on either one.

 

[goldencoin]

Minelabs kicked my arse silver-wise, but i killed them on clad. It all depends on whatcha looking for (dfx is best round detector), How deep are coins there (minelab goes deeper but can't pinpoint), and how quickly you wanna learn it (i hardly read the manual and went out to find a wheat in my first hole).

HH
-GC

 

[Highwater]

I have used an xlt for many years. It is one heck of a unit and if set up properly can do almost anything. Even with the 10 inch open coil the target seperation is unbeliveable and pinpointing has never been a problem. My 8 inch coil went bad, so I have just stayed with the 10 inch.
The down side is that it takes time to scroll through the menu and make adjustments. There are some short cuts you can use to get to certain features, but you have to learn them and remember how to use them. One great feature is that you can start with a factory preloaded program, modify it and save it. The XLT is really a great machine and it really never has tired me out, even using it in the deep woods.
I also have a MXT. I am very impressed with it. One thing that I really like is that it has switches and dials that I can access to make quick changes. I have not used it enough to give a good summary, but overall I am very impressed. The down side is that the dials and switches are sitting on top of the box and would have to be protected if hunting in rain or around the beach. (I hate having to wrap a detector in a plastic bag) The MXT works very well on a wet salt beach, but I am afraid if sand got into any of the controls it would cause a problem. They make a cover for it, but I don't know how much protection on the controls it would be since I have never seen one, but at least it would keep the display and box looking nice.
For an all around detector you would never go wrong with either of these machines. The XLT does take a learning curve if you want to depart from the preset programs, but there is a world of after market info and programs available to speed up the process and it really isn't too difficult to learn. The screen gives you a lot of information to help determine to dig or not. The sound is also very good at giving clues and would be suficient even without the screen.
I have had many different detectors over the years and really like the White's. Their machines are built very well and they have a great service dept in case anything ever goes wrong, which can happen no matter who built the unit.

 

[EasyMoney]

I would go with the DFX. Explorers, XLT's and DFX's have the same exact depth when used side-by-side and in the ground. My personal experiences have shown me that the DFX and Explorers are no deeper than the XLT's.

I read and hear a lot of claims about one Minelab or one DFX being deeper than each other, but in real life I've found differently, they are so identical that it's a bit silly (for at least me) to say otherwise.. Additionally, they are not of the same type either. The XLT will be lots easier to use than either of the other mentioned detectors but the DFX has more toys. The Explorer is slower to set up and use than either of the aforementioned detectors. The White's Eagle SL and Eagle Spectrum are the DEEPEST of the White's and a tiny bit deeper than Minelab Expl II's, Quantums, and SE's. 1/2" to 1" is not worth worrying about though, because 1/2" equals almost zero success.

Mathematically, if detectors find 90% of all coins within the first 5 inches (which they do), then 1/2" extra depth will only find 1/24th of the next two feet of soil beneath it, and that will likely produce just about zip out of only 10% of all coins, etc., as in less than a 1% increase of finds.

1/24th X 10% (of what's left to find) equals = .04% increase of finds.

And if it goes an extra inch, that equals .08% average increase in finds. Not much to get excited about.

Get the DFX, it will be more fun, and have fewer problems too. It's a bit faster retune too. There are more than 4 times as many used Explorers for sale on eBay than used DFX's. Guess why?

Nope, not that, more (new) DFX's are sold than Explorers. Why aren't DFX users selling their unwanted machines as fast as Explorer users? Good question, huh?

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Hmmmm...EasyMoney, you're from the town where White's is located (Sweet Home, OR). Do you work for them? They are a great company. I love my DFX, however, I DO see a difference in depth...SE is deeper (with stock coils on each), at least in my experience. Now, if I put my 18" Excelerator on my DFX, well...you get the picture. I just use whichever one is best for a particular environment. I agree that you simply can't go wrong with a DFX, but I use my SE on the beach and when hunting deep coins, or when hunting under power lines. Just my humble opinion.

HH!
TBGO

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Hmmmm...EasyMoney, you're from the town where White's is located (Sweet Home, OR). Do you work for them? They are a great company. I love my DFX, however, I DO see a difference in depth...SE is deeper (with stock coils on each), at least in my experience. Now, if I put my 18" Excelerator on my DFX, well...you get the picture. I just use whichever one is best for a particular environment. I agree that you simply can't go wrong with a DFX, but I use my SE on the beach and when hunting deep coins, or when hunting under power lines. Just my humble opinion.

HH!
TBGO

Tbgo... I have read your comparisions...very interesting... I am more than happy with my dfx cladwise...but silverwise another story...I am not going to tell this person to pick one or the other but instead...if you don't mind a question for you.... I used your vdi normalization chart when i first got my dfx...what a tremendous piece of work...I operate using tone id and I can pick a coin from junk probably 90% of the time...but back to depth...what do you consider standard depth for the stock coil of the Explorer and dfx ...how deep do you think each should go...or on average..my dfx air tests poorly...garden tests poorly...and depth wise I get more depth from my Eclipse 5.3 coil than the stock...Whites said to send the coil back...just wondering...about what you consider standard depth with the stock coil... I see alot of people pushing one or the other...I know for coins 5.5 or less the dfx is deadly and pinpointing a dream...but what depth should I be getting with a good stock coil...using dc phase I have been checking soil conditions lately seems areas I hunt have been coming in at -81, -33..., -64 to -88,...but is there a standard depth say at least..... what we dfx users should expect...I ask all the time on different forums and always end up with a run around...

 

[EasyMoney]

Again it is necessary to separate apples and oranges.

No, I don't work for White's. And yes, the stock 9.5" White's coil is an all-around coil and has some troubles with certain soils.

And yes, the Explorer handles interference a bit better than the DFX, but not in all cases, and not with ALL intereferences.

And in severe high magnetite or salt soil the Minelab will have an easier and smoother time of it, but will normally NOT go as deep as the DFX. My ancient Compass Relic and Coin goes deeper on Oregon beaches than an Explorer II or Sovereign does, both in all-metal AND discriminate. The Explorer does run smoother though.

The general rule of of thumb for all detectors is that some work better in some soils and some works better in other soils. There is no constant. But the differences in depth in that respect are minimal and insignificant. It's a simple math problem.

In medium -to-light mineralized soil White's vlf's and Minelab vlf's will get roughly the same depth in the ground, but a different coil will cause things to dramatically change. DD coils are sure proof to that in high iron soil, and so are small concentrics or "stacked" co-planer coils when trying to cherry pick. If I threw a 5 or 7" coil on my Tejon it would certainly have better manners with the real bad soil, but it would certainly get less depth too. WOT coils usually behave better on White's and Minelabs than do Excellerator coils.

The fully automatic circuit on Minelabs causes it to handle high salt and high iron beaches better than just about anything else, but that only makes it run smoother, not deeper. After all, Minelabs DO NOT USE ALL FREQUENCIES AT THE SAME TIME!, regardless of some people's folleys. They operate just like we humans do, we chose one thought that works for us best at a particular given moment, not all of them all at once. Just as with us, the detector could not operate all those frequencies at the same time without going absolutely nutz. .

My cz-70 actually gets a bit better depth on Oregon beaches than an Explorer II but it also makes a bit more noise. Additionally, the Explorer and Sovereign will miss targets on the same beach if swung too fast, where the cz-70, Compasses or DFX or DFX's, and some Tesoros will not miss it at all. The Compass though, will go deeper the faster I swing it, but only up to a certain point.

The rule of thumb for ALL detectors:

Detectors get roughly half their air test depth in fairly bad soil but worse if it is extreme, and 3/4 the air test depth in light soil. In air they get what they get, but even in sawdust there is a 10% or so reduction in depth. Minerals do play a role. In the worst soil here a Sovereign or Explorer gets about 5 inches depth max, although in some of it a VLF will not work at all. A DFX or XLT gets the same depth in the same soil too. So does a Compass or a Tesoro. Garretts have a real bitch of a time with this soil, even with their new add-on chip for bad ground. Tejons and Vaqueros have trouble here too and neither are really worth mentioning here.

In (rare) really gentle soil here around Newberg, Oregon the DFX's, XLT's, and Sovs, Explorers get as high as 10-11 inches in the ground, and there is little or zero difference in performance too. There should be a near exact depth capacity with a DFX against an Explorer under normal, average conditions, because that is how those two detectors are both designed, for optimim performance under average conditions. If otherwise, someone's detector needs to be retuned at the factory. Besides that, there are federal laws regulating the power, radiation and resulting depth potentials of all detectors sold in the USA.

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Thanks DFX-Gregg. Because depth is so subjective, I have never really done a rigorous depth analysis. I have read many depth analyses and it is apparent that there is no way to do one that is globally relevant. My comments come from personal experience with both units (in my area). I think EasyMoney is correct on a lot of points - he has obviously done his homework. I was hunting a soccer field this morning and was thinking, "absolutely nothing beats a DFX/DX-1/Bigfoot combo on a sports field". There's no way I would use the SE in the same situation. The DFX has three times the resolution of the SE regarding the conductivity scale making it easy to determine what coin is in the ground, whereas the SE can't tell the difference between the more conductive coins. The DFX is also fast with a two second sweep compared to the SE's four second sweep. The bottom line for me, as I have stated, is that I choose the best tool for the job based on my personal experience...and I have found that the DFX has advantages in some environments as does the SE. In the end, whatever someone else tries to tell you beyond generalities is meaningless. A person just has to get out there and find out for themselves how a detector, a coil, your style and your environment work out.

HH!
TBGO

 

[TonyinCT]

I would go with the Explorer SE and not stop at the II. Let me know if I can help you with your purchase.

 

[Ocean7]

get a Minelab Explorer II - there is little difference between II and the SE.
Once setup - the Explorer is not hard to use. It works well in any soil conditions and at the beach. It uses 24 frequencies and leaves others in it's wake. It definitely goes deeper than the DFX (IMO) based on being out in the field with DFX users. It has one drawback over the DFX - it is heavier. Most users of the EX are willing to overlook that fact due to it's depth capabilities in any soil conditions.

The DFX is an excellent machine and so is XLT. Any of these machines in the hands of a experienced user will produce very good results. The XLT is easier to use and has a simpler display.

I personally think a new user should start out with a lower end machine or mid-range machine before investing big $$$ in what may become a dust collector
in the closet. Good luck on your decision!

 

[999slvrfx]

I have had Bounty Hunters, Garretts, Teknetics T2 and now a DFX with a Sunray pinpointer.
I liked the DFX so well I bought a second one for a back up detector.
In NW Ohio clay dirt they all went about the same depth, 6 inches, 8 to 10 in the sand pits.
The DFX is a good all around machine.

 

[johnnyboy25]

get a later model used explorer xs (the letters sep appear briefly on screen right after minelab logo when you fire it up. these were made after they corrected weak housing problem. i read this on a forum,contacted minelab and they verified info was correct) you'll spend half the cash and have a deeper detector. i got my xs with sunray probe for under $500. i've owned an xlt and my explorer blew it away. sold the xlt. also look around for a minelab sovereign series.these are super detectors and can be had for around $300-350 range... good luck

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

I'll relate my experience with the Explorer. I purchased a used Explorer XS on Ebay for about $486 based on its reputation alone, and it lives up to it in every way. Regarding the learning curve, I took it out on its maiden hunt with the factory presets on and was digging quarters and dimes on the spot. Certainly there are quite a few settings that can be changed, and like every detector, there is alot to learn as to what information it is giving you, but as far as being able to start nailing coins down to 6", the Explorer is no science and in factory preset mode, it is a turn on and go machine in my opinion. It's a matter of passing a quarter/dime/penny under the coil to hear the high pitch and remember it. As a back-up, you can check your numbers or cursor position to verify. The real learning curve of the Explorer is for those looking to flex the real power of the machine. I will also point out the machine I moved up from was a beeping ACE 250.

 

[mickfin]

HighWater I have a Whites Beach Hunter ID I Love it, No worrys around the water,
Thou it has no volume so i wered in my Sun Ray Golds with a Vol, Check one out??
MickFin

 

[Mike Silver -gold]

I agree with easy money, My old Eagle xlt was the deepest ground detector I have ever owned. I have and like my DFX, but it does,nt get the depth of my old Eagle. In the water now my Whites PI 1000 gets scary depth. I have got gold rings at 2 ' many times. I hunt with it clicking slowly , if I hear it click 1 beat faster,I start digging. When it is beating super fast you are on the target. Very tireing . Mike.

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

I agree with easy money, My old Eagle xlt was the deepest ground detector I have ever owned. I have and like my DFX, but it does,nt get the depth of my old Eagle. In the water now my Whites PI 1000 gets scary depth. I have got gold rings at 2 ' many times. I hunt with it clicking slowly , if I hear it click 1 beat faster,I start digging. When it is beating super fast you are on the target. Very tireing . Mike.

Mike I bet digging two feet is tiring...