I have lost my mind!!!!!!!!!

[BISHOP]

I cant quit thinking and researching what MD. to get. I have thought that I have had my mind made up so many times I don't know what to think anymore. I eat, sleep, and dream about what MD I should get. The question on witch one to get has almost consumed me. It's just about warm enough to get out and start diggin'. Anyways enough about my mental state. OK... About 12 times I have decided that I want a Sov. GT. but i hear its only good at the beach... Then I think I want a X-70 but then I don't really care for the all digital stuff and really don't need a screen to tell me whats in the ground when alot of the times its not right anyway. Then I think i want an MXT but then the vid thing comes up again and I have heard people say their pretty cattery and that they are 15 kHz. so their not as sensitive to silver as I need a MD. to be. Well today I think I want the Sov GT. I like the no VID. and I hear that the TID is excellent on the GT. and the multiple freq. is a big plus. I have never owned a minelab and I don't under stand how the iron mask works... If you have the disc. set above iron wouldn't it disc. out the iron Anyway... I'll be mainly hunting old farms, home sites,old schools, etc.... I will only hunt a saltwater beach once every two or three years. so another question : Is the Sov GT. effective at a moderately trashy home site in where mineralization is really not an issue??

Please help me before i go insane!!!!

P.S. Not to be rude. Because I appreciate any and all the help I can get. But If your going to tell me one brand of MD over the other just because you would take a bullet to the heart before you used any other brand of MD and that any other brand is junk because its not the brand you use. Don't bother because I think that's the reason I'm in the situation I'm in.

 

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[BamaBill]

If you're primarily going to be a relic hunter, I'll offer you this. For relic hunting you want a machine that will give you good depth and give you some idea if your target is iron-based or non-ferrous, much discrimination beyond this will rob you of depth and is really not necessary as you will be digging most targets. If you're also going to be coin hunting you will need some better level of discrimination. However, if you're going to be beach hunting you almost need a different machine, because not a lot of detectors can handle wet salt sand. I think most people will tell you that you may need more than one machine to accomplish what you propose.

Myself, I have a Whites MXT and its not as noisy as you stated in your post. Using it in a mixed mode (discrimination and all metal can be heard at the same time) with the appropriate level of gain (also called sensitiviy) it actually is pretty tame. The Target ID feature is most useful when you're hunting for coins in reasonably good ground, up to about 6". Deeper than that you need to dig a lot of targets. In comparison to a lot of machines, it is a deep machine, even in bad ground. Its a good all round machine, with great depth in good ground and better than average depth in bad ground. It does take some getting used to and tweaking to get the full value of this machine, but most high-end units do. The main con I have with the Whites is the weight, but I've learned to deal with that. I just wouldn't consider this a good machine for a newby to start with.

I also have a couple of Tesoros and for lightweight turn-on and go they can't be beat. In fact, I started with a Tesoro Cibola and that machine is simple enough it will teach you a lot of fundamentals and its resale is excellent. The Tesoro Vaquero would be a great all-round machine that would work great for relic hunting or coinshooting (lack of weight is a big plus when swinging for long periods), has an easy, easy learning curve, can be ground balanced which makes it more useful in moderate to bad ground, achieves a respectable depth and Tesoros have the best (IMHO) warranty in the business. I have never tried one at the beach, so I cannot speak to its performance in wet sand (any detector will work in dry sand, just have to have some cover on it against flying salt spray/moisture and flying sand particles). If I were recommending a detector to a friend that was just starting out and I were balancing price, customer service (warranty), user friendliness of the detector, availability of accessories, and overall performance (tight pinpoint, depth etc.) I would choose the Tesoro Vaquero.

 

[Highwater]

Outlaw,
If you are fortunate enough to have a multi line dealer in your area you should make a visit and try out all the detectors you have in mind. Or, if they don't have all the different detectors then you may have to look for more than one dealer. You can usually find dealers in your area that are not in the phone book by going to the mfg website and look on their dealer page. When you find the detector that will fit your needs then buy from your local dealer. They will have a competitive price and will usually throw in a few extra goodies with the deal. They will also be there to help with questions and are handy to get more equipment in the future.
If there are no dealers in your area then you may be able to find other TN members nearby that would be glad to demonstrate their detector.
If you are going to do mostly relic hunting then you won't need a display, but if you are to hunt in a trashy area then it helps a lot to have one. They may not always be accurate, but all the information you can glean in a trashy area is worth while.
At this time I am having a love affair with my MXT. It will also work well on the beach. The threshold does chatter a little when I lay the unit down to dig, but it is sure an easy unit to master the controls which are very handy to get at. If you don't want to use the display then just don't look at it and go by the sound.
Good luck with whatever unit you end up with. HH Highwater
BTW, I have been doing just fine at finding old silver with the MXT. Silver is great, but you don't want to limit yourself to the ability to find gold also, which the MXT can do very well at.

 

[BISHOP]

Thanks for the help so far. Well we don't have a multi-line dealer in my area. We have a Garrett dealer here and he's a super nice guy but I haven't seen much in the Garrett line that appeals to me, or I have just concentrated on Minelab and Whites too much. There is a Whites dealer close and I have talked to him the other day and I asked him about the MXT and he said a few people have bought them from him but he mainly sells the DFX. He shot me a deal on a new DFX at $925.00. I'm sure I could make some good finds with one, and they sound like a good machine but I feel that I wouldn't get the Best performance out of it when you have to scroll through the menu to change settings. The Whites dealer told me it wasn't as difficult as I'm thinking it is.... I probably have read too much trying to make my mind up without actually having any hands on... See I'm still confused...

 

[guzz1]

I have a sov Gt ,,,,, GREAT detector at the beach and inland got a nickel 15 inches in depth
at the beach ,,, Guzz1

 

[Highwater]

Outlaw,
I have an XLT which is similar in use with a DFX. My idea is this. KISS> Keep it simple. Although the XLT and DFX are great units and not overly difficult to learn, the more simple you can keep it the better.
Guzz is having a love affair with his SOV GT and is doing well with it, as are many others. You don't need to pay for all the extra whistles and bells if you don't think you will need them.
Also, it is ok to have more than one or two, or three different detectors, all makes and models. You can always pick up good deals on slightly used equipment and instead of just buying one new top end detector you may be able to use your purchasing power to buy a couple really good used machines. Highwater

 

[doctorbb]

I've used turn on and go machines such as the Classic III and top ends such as the DFX. I like all the customizing that can be done to the DFX but like you said, it's not like just turning a knob on my Classic. Scrolling through menus is a pain, but once you learn which settings are in each menu it kind of speeds things up, and you can recall the last option without scrolling through the whole library. I haven't used the MXT but it sounds like it may be a good compromise, all the depth (probably more) than the DFX and the simplicity of knobs. The only other machine I've used that wasn't a Whites is a Bounty Hunter and for the price and what it's designed for it's a good detector. Another thing to remember is that a machine may have a lot a bells and whistles that you don't use and will work fine as a turn on and go detector but it's nice to have the option to decide. Sometimes I just hunt in a preset program and go. Other times I tinker with settings the entire hunt.

 

[Highwater]

On the XLT and DFX there are shortcuts to get to some of the most used features without having to scroll through a menu.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Outlaw, the choice has to be made by you, there are many good detectors out there.

Just my opinion, but you may be over analyzing it. Detectors are really like golf clubs, different ones work better for different circumstances and situations. Decide what you plan to hunt most of the time and buy for that now, get your feet wet, start hunting. You can always pick up or trade for another detector later on and play with it too.

******* BE FOREWARNED, IT CAN BE A VERY ADDICTIVED HOBBY!!!! ********


There are always good used detectors out there you can pick up when you want or need them. A good thing about buying a good used detector is you can always get most of your money back if you sell it or trade it. I recently sold one of my used Excal's for $700, I got over 87% of what I paid for it back, and that is not counting the gold and silver and clad I found with it. It basically paid for my water proofed Sov GT I picked up.


You are mistaken if you think the Sov GT is only good on the beach though, ask Michigan Badger.

Good luck, and good hunting soon.............

 

[Shortstack]

Write down the name of each detector that you think is a good candidate onto a slip of paper; fold each one; put them into a bowl; and draw out one slip. THAT'S THE ONE TO BUY. If you can't make that final decision, let "fate" do it for you.

 

[BISHOP]

Oh I'm sure the Sov. GT would be excellent in places other than the beach... I was just stating what I have heard from others. I have been swingin' a detector since I was 8 ( an old orange Radio Shack ) I did find some good stuff. I have had an old Whites that was a Ted Williams edition from Sears. It was a silver killer. I currently have a Treasure Ace 300 which I had outgrown before I got it. If Michigan Badger gives me the thumbs up on the Sov GT. theres no doubt I'll get it. The Ace 300 is the only detector I have had with a Vid and I never use it. Thanks for all your help It's nice that everyone would take time and be willing to help so much.. Thanks again!!!

 

[Jcdebeach]

I own a minelab excal 2 a fisher cz3d and a garrett ace 250 and i also belong to a local md club and from my own experience and talking with other club members the fisher cz3d and the minelab explorer are among the best in mding

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Locally the Sovereign GT is very highly thought of - and we're 160 miles from a saltwater beach. It was a toss-up between one of those and the F-75 I eventually went with. If you have heavy mineralization the Minelab may be the best (Sovereign or Explorer).

There is no one machine that does it all best. We'd all own that one if it existed.

I will say the F-75 is great in trashy sites as it is fast and the VDI is easy to interpret. It has bar graphs for depth, "confidence" and Fe02 mineralization as well as the numeric relative conductivity. If you're getting bouncy, confused VDI #'s it's likely trash. Coins and rings read very consistantly. That's the one area a numeric display really is a blessing: trashy sites.

It's also nice to see what you have notched in or out right there on the display and be able to reset it in three seconds to no notch at all if you want to see and hear it all.

Good luck whatever you decide on.

 

[Felinepeachy]

I say, get whatever you want the most. If you don't like it or you change your mind, you can always sell it. That's the good thing about metal detectors, they seem to be fairly easy to sell. None of them are worth stressing about.

 

[BISHOP]

You know what I just had a revelation..... I seem to of forgot Metal Detecting is supposed to be fun ... I have stressed about this whole deal most of the winter and here it is almost time to get out and start hunting when I could of been learning a new machine. It's almost seems silly now that I think about it when all it took was someone to tell me to get what I want and if you don't like it sell it..... I feel retarded now that I couldn't think of that on my own.... Thanks for the advice.

 

[Highwater]

Outlaw,
Don't feel too bad about what you have been going through. Early on in my detecting hobby I would consider dropping a bundle on a new detector a big investment choice. As time went on I realized that A: You need more than one machine to do more than one kind of hunting. B: It is ok to have all the detectors you want and need. C: If you don't like one of them, want to trade up, need the cash or whatever, sell the unit and move on.
Always keep your favorite one and one good backup unit. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open for other choices. You don't have to be loyal to any one mfg, just be loyal to yourself. Get whatever looks and sounds like a good unit. If you buy used it makes it more affordable to have more units and it also keep the investment at a fairly fixed level. You can usually get most or all of your money back if you need to. If you buy new, just like the new car market, the value of your new unit is now fixed at a used unit price the minute you leave the showroom.
Watch craigslist, ebay, TN and your local classifieds. It makes you feel good when you run across a great buy on a used unit. I found my MXT on craigslist for a great deal, like new.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

. . . to get what I want and if you don't like it sell it . . .

I would add that the person who has used one detector for 20 days in 10 different locations knows much more than the person who has used 20 detectors for one day each in the same one or two spots.

And there seems to be a bunch of the latter if you read the review sites.

Give yourself months to learn a detector before you exchange it or you'll likely be shortchanging yourself AND the detector.  Any of the top models of any manufacturer are pretty darned good nowadays.  The hard part is getting the one you like that fills the niche you need it to.  The best beach detector may not be the best relic may not be the best old coin machine.  Life is just full of compromises.

 

[Weasel_Loader]

I feel the pain myself. I'm in the same boat. I really like the Sovereign GT, X-70, MXT and F75. Over the past few weeks, I've narrowed it down to Sov GT and X-70 and I've pretty much decided on the X-70 now. I'm still trying to figure out what my main focus of MD will be. I'm close to desert gold country (my back door), but I'd also love to hit old home sites, parks and occasional beach trips. This is the reason I've chosen the X-70 and the great reviews it's not getting for prospecting. I like the large display and ability to change frequencies with different coils.

If I get addicted to nugget hunting and I find a better detector for just that, I can always use the X-70 as a great back up machine.

My previous dectector was a Tesoro Sidewinder that I used solely for relic hunting in Germany. Awesome detector for just that. Super lightweight, but I just want to try something different. Always thought the Tesoros were ugly, but obviously that never affected their performance.

Whites are nice but slightly on the heavy side. Never knew anyone with a Garrett, and they don't seem to have a good do-all machine (relic, beach, coins, prospecting).

The best thing of all is that this new hobby I'm getting back into is sooooo much cheaper than my previous, so I'm not on too tight of a buget to purchase my new detector. Gotta love that!!!

 

[doctorbb]

Oh I'm sure the Sov. GT would be excellent in places other than the beach... I was just stating what I have heard from others. I have been swingin' a detector since I was 8 ( an old orange Radio Shack ) I did find some good stuff. I have had an old Whites that was a Ted Williams edition from Sears. It was a silver killer. I currently have a Treasure Ace 300 which I had outgrown before I got it. If Michigan Badger gives me the thumbs up on the Sov GT. theres no doubt I'll get it. The Ace 300 is the only detector I have had with a Vid and I never use it. Thanks for all your help It's nice that everyone would take time and be willing to help so much.. Thanks again!!!

My first detector was a Ted Williams from Sears. Yep, made by White's. Same as a Coimmaster.