? about relic detectors

[JoeinMemphis]

I have recently gotten bitten by the relic bug, and am looking for a top notch detector to hunt with. I have recently updated my underwater detector to an Excal2, so will be selling a Tigershark and also probably my GTP 1350. The Excal2 impresses me, so I was wondering what you relic guys think about the Explorer SE Pro, VS MXT, GMT, and any other metered high end machines you can think of. I will be hitting a 150 acre site that has a home on it used as a Civil War hospital, and I want a machine that if used properly won't miss the deep stuff. I will have plenty of time to grid it and do it right. Thank you for your help and HH! Joe

 

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[BamaBill]

Joe, I would recommend the MXT. I've been using one for over a year and if you shorten the shaft to where it has a good balance for you, it doesn't feel so heavy. And, if the ground isn't too bad around Memphis that 12" coil will give you plenty of depth. Its a very durable machine that's fairly easy to learn.

 

[JoeinMemphis]

Thank you, I will download the manual and give it a serious look!!! HH Joe

 

[sniper19612003]

I agree with Bill. I researched the MXT for a year and a half and bought one. I've used it now for the past two months and found it to be a very good machine. It's easy to learn and will find alot of coins and relics that you are looking for. Of course,( with any detector) the more you use it, the more you will get better with it. To sum it up, I think it's GREAT!

Sniper

 

[ReidMan]

Fisher F75, Whites MXT, Fisher F5

 

[kuger]

The Explorer is a fantastic coin machine and the GMT is a gold machine,which will find metal of course but it is very sensitive and no discrimination,it would drive you nuts looking for relics.The MXT is by far the choice for relics.....I have two of em!!

 

[SwampHunter]

What about the Minelab X-70?

 

[BamaBill]

I have actually picked up an Xterra 70 since I answered this post and so far I'm impressed. But, up to now all I've done is coinshooting. Its great for that, but the largest coil available is the 10.5" and its a DD coil. My ex-relic hunting partner used one for relic hunting to great effect. But, be warned, you'll probably have to replace the lower rod right off-the-bat (unless you're over 6' tall) and it can be a little nose heavy with that bigger coil. Otherwise its a surprisingly effective detector that has oodles of versatility, pinpoints well and gets good depth. If this keeps up I just might be selling my MXT down the road a bit. I've been looking for a lighter detector that does everything the MXT does and its starting to look like the Xterra 70 fits the bill. I just wonder why more people don't recommend it. I'm not a shill for the company, but I like this detector. I went coin hunting last weekend and it was the easiest thing to use and I brought home more goodies than I have in a long time. I'm probably going to get deleted for saying this, but I wouldn't recommend the Fishers that were mentioned earlier in this thread (if you want to know why PM me).

 

[SwampHunter]

Bill,
Thanks for the reply. I wasn't trying to hijack Joe's thread. Actually I was asking him what about an X-70 since I didn't see that on his list, but glad you replied. I am getting closer and closer to buying the X-70. I want something with a very good target ID, used coin shooting in the parks and on the old house places full of iron, that is also a deep seeker and is lightweight. From what I have read the X-70 does this.

 

[BamaBill]

SH, I think open and frank discussion helps everybody and IMHO what you asked was relevant. I still think the MXT is a great relic hunting machine, but now that I've been using the XT-70 I'm starting to prefer it, at least to do a lot of the open field or large area searching I do. It didn't leave my right shoulder sore like the MXT does when I try to do the 3 or 4 hours of swinging with it. I have never really liked to do coinshooting with the MXT because of the weight thing, but the XT-70 worked real well for that. One of the things the XT-70 has over the MXT (besides weight) is the ability to have tones while using it in all metal. However, the MXT with the Super 12 coil has the edge over the XT-70 in the depth category and right now its the ONLY reason I haven't sold the MXT.

 

[SwampHunter]

So how much depth are you getting with the X-70? How much more depth does the super 12 give you on the MXT?

 

[BamaBill]

If you don't mind my explanation has a little more info (based on my experiences) in case our original poster is reading this as well:

In my experience so far, with the Xterra 70 you can see a penny at about 8-9" with the stock coil. That's in moderate ground. In better ground its slightly deeper. The MXT will see a penny at 10-11" with the Super 12 coil. Also, this is if the coin is flat. If the coin is on edge all bets are off (sees a much smaller target). These depths are estimates based on my experience in my ground, your depth may vary. I haven't had a chance to relic hunt with the Xterra 70 yet, but I do know that my ex-hunting partner was pulling pistol balls at 10-11" using the prospecting mode, but he had years of hard won experience with his machine and I know it will be quite some time before I can repeat that kind of performance. You won't go wrong with either machine. You just have to consider a couple of factors and which is more acceptable to you once you figure out your preferences. An all digital machine (like Xterra 70) is going to be lighter (3.2lbs with the stock coil vs. the MXTs 4.9lbs with the Super 12), however the Analog machine (like the MXT) is going to have a variable pitch threshold that can be used to eek out a little more depth on relics, by listening for the slight rise in threshold. It doesn't work that way with digital machines. The Analog machine is going to be more of a turn-on and go machine without all the menus that a digital machine is going to have. However, my experience with digital machines has shown that most of those machines have more features, like a variable amount of tones, easier notching, programs that can be preprogrammed for different types of hunting, etc. So, if you like a feature rich machine that will make it easier to cherry pick, then perhaps a digital machine is for you. But, if you're more of a beep and dig type that's worried about missing good stuff, then you'd probably be better off with an Analog machine (A lot of the Whites machines, Tesoros, some Minelab etc.).

Whatever you choose, good luck and HH.

 

[SwampHunter]

Thanks for taking the time to write up that reply.

Right now I have the Ace250 for my coin shooter. I want to upgrade this to a metered machine with some good depth to it. I have a Silver uMax with the 10x12 coil for my relic machine in the swamps and fields. We hunt alot of old house places and the iron is normally heavy. Some of our CW sites are located on or around these old house places. I think this is where the X-70 would come in handy for plucking the good stuff from the nails.
Our ground here is very stable as far as I can tell. I can run the sensitivity wide open in most places.
A light machine is a must. Basically what I am looking for is a good machine that will not pick up the nails, has an accurate meter, has some good depth and is fairly easy to use. From what I have read the X-70 seems to be what I need. I just need a bit more coaxing. $700.00 for a machine is quite a bit of money for me.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Analog machines for relics are the Only way to go. You should consider a Nautilus or Fisher 1266. Nautilus will beat any Whites machine out there on depth. Fisher 1265 and Compass machines still hang with the Big Dogs. They are both relic hunting legends...but they are hard to find--and a Compass with the Keith W. modifications done to it can't be beat.

A relic hunter here did a modification on an Ace 250 so that it would run on threshold-only--and he dug many fine relics with it here.


If you have any electronics knowledge, and your soil type isn't bad, then that's an option as well.



It really comes down to whether or not you're going to try and cherrypick a site for lead and brass, or whether you're gonna just dig the heck out of it or not. For those who don't relic hunt--a relic hunter's approach takes some time to perfect--and it WILL help your coin hunting. If you beach hunt right now, you probably beep/dig already (in order to find all types of small gold). These are things to consider when you cross over to the "relic side."


Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[SwampHunter]

I have a relic machine and just sold the Fisher 1265 to my dad so it didn't go too far. Just looking for an ID coin machine for some of our older parks, churches and house sites. Something that I can use to cherrypick with but still use it for relics. Kinda like I use the Ace for but want to upgrade to something with more of what I need.
There are alot of sites around here that are good for cherrypicking and this is where I want an ID machine. There are some sites that do need everything pulled from the ground. I don't have any beaches to hunt. Closest thing we have to beaches are sandbars on a small river.
I love the Ace250, but need something with a bit more punch and accuracy to go with the punch.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I have a relic machine and just sold the Fisher 1265 to my dad so it didn't go too far. Just looking for an ID coin machine for some of our older parks, churches and house sites. Something that I can use to cherrypick with but still use it for relics. Kinda like I use the Ace for but want to upgrade to something with more of what I need.
There are alot of sites around here that are good for cherrypicking and this is where I want an ID machine. There are some sites that do need everything pulled from the ground. I don't have any beaches to hunt. Closest thing we have to beaches are sandbars on a small river.
I love the Ace250, but need something with a bit more punch and accuracy to go with the punch.

I've got a friend who has an Ace and uses it to relic hunt. He does almost as well with it as I do. But the kid is a prodigy, and knows the Ace like the back of his hand. I've seen him dig deep bullets with it, and have been rather impressed with the machine for what it is. I'd say that the Tesoro DeLeon would be a good choice for a relic machine. It can be hypertuned, and it has a meter--which works similarly to the meter on your Ace (which you're already used to). For the money, that's probably your best purchase out there.

-Buckles

 

[BamaBill]

I love the Ace250, but need something with a bit more punch and accuracy to go with the punch.

Then I think you'll find the Xterra is ideally suited to what you want to do with it. Its what I wound up with for the same purpose. Initially, I tried the F75, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Bill

 

[kuger]

SH, I think open and frank discussion helps everybody and IMHO what you asked was relevant. I still think the MXT is a great relic hunting machine, but now that I've been using the XT-70 I'm starting to prefer it, at least to do a lot of the open field or large area searching I do. It didn't leave my right shoulder sore like the MXT does when I try to do the 3 or 4 hours of swinging with it. I have never really liked to do coinshooting with the MXT because of the weight thing, but the XT-70 worked real well for that. One of the things the XT-70 has over the MXT (besides weight) is the ability to have tones while using it in all metal. However, the MXT with the Super 12 coil has the edge over the XT-70 in the depth category and right now its the ONLY reason I haven't sold the MXT.

The MXT does have tones in the all metal mode.....Relic Mode??It was a little hard to get used to but thats all I hunt in now.

 

[BamaBill]

That's not a true all metal mode for the MXT. I'm pretty sure that there is still some iron disc. built in, even in the mixed mode. If you turn the discrimination down to 0 you lose the iron grunt (my experience anyway). What I was pointing out was that the XT-70 has all the tone capability in all metal that it has in a discrimination mode (more than 2 tones). I won't argue that the MXT is probably the better relic machine for raw depth.

 

[SwampHunter]

I've got a friend who has an Ace and uses it to relic hunt. He does almost as well with it as I do. But the kid is a prodigy, and knows the Ace like the back of his hand. I've seen him dig deep bullets with it, and have been rather impressed with the machine for what it is. I'd say that the Tesoro DeLeon would be a good choice for a relic machine. It can be hypertuned, and it has a meter--which works similarly to the meter on your Ace (which you're already used to). For the money, that's probably your best purchase out there.

-Buckles

Thanks for the replies.
For awhile the Ace250 was the best machine I had to use. It was my relic hunting machine to start with. I found several bullets and buttons with it as well as plenty of other great stuff. It is really a great machine especially coupled with the 9x12 coil. I still want something with a bit more power.
I looked at the Deleon and the Cortes as well. I love Tesoro machines and the warranty can't be beat. I would also be able to use the mix and match the coils from either one with the Silver. Already have the 10x12 and have been thinking about getting the 3x18.
I heard to wait to see what Tesoro is coming out with.
Right now I am still shopping but leaning heavy towards the X-70. Just trying to get enough info to make an informed purchase and I appreciate it.


Bill,
Thanks for the replies. I appreciate all the info I can get.