Best small gold coil for MXT? MXT vs. Fisher Gold Bug 2 for small gold.

[bobinyelm]

Hopefully I am in the right forum for this question, but being new to the forum I may have chosen poorly, but that said...

I've owned an MXT (original) for quite a while but have very little time actually using it. It came with the standard 9.5" concentric coil ("950 Coil") which from lots of reading was an odd choice since I read the MXT was designed around the 6X10 DD coil and DD coils in general and work much better with them. I did some searches here and on other detecting forums, and read perhaps a hundred or more posts, but cannot say I got any definite answers.

I've used the 9.5 for coins and stuff, and it was fine, but I recently moved to Arizona and plan to spend time with a friend looking for small gold (tiny flakes or fine gold perhaps 1/4th of a rice grain), mostly in crevices and around boulders in dry stream beds where my friend does well with the Gold Bug.

We tried my MXT/9.5" on some test objects he made up and uses to calibrate his machines, and the MXT was VERY disappointing in comparison to his favored Fisher Gold Bug 2 on the small stuff. The MXT was only usable on the small stuff if I used the samples to fine tune everything and even then I suspect if I was in the field I'm doubtful the response would catch my attention enough that I would ID and dig them as they were subtle to say the least, where as his Gold Bug was sharp and very obvious.

The MXT/9.5 was obviously head-and-shoulders better on other things (both desired and undesired), like a thin 1/2" steel brad 4" deep in the test area the Gold Bug couldn't even "see," but of course that isn't the point for the use I intend. I read that the MXT and the "right" coil is half-decent for gold, though not sure what "half-decent" will get me (vs the Gold Bug).

First question: For small gold, even with the "best" coil is the MXT worth spending the money for such a coil?

Second question: What coil would be the best one at giving the MXT a shot at being "useful," and with such a coil would it be in the same league (meaning possibly inferior, but not so inferior as to be not worth using, as I see the 9.5 Concentric to be)?

The coils I have read about being useful are the 5.3 Concentric Eclipse, the 4X6 DD and the 6X10DD. Obviously smaller is easier to maneuver around obstructions but better performance on small gold would be paramount considering the MXT is probably marginal as a gold machine to begin with.

My friend suggested I keep the MXT as-is and reserve it for coin/relic hunting and find a used Gold Bug 2 (not the Gold Bug 1, or the Gold Bug Pro for some reason). I won't know how well the MXT will work with a better coil and either does he), so it's hard to know whether my money would be better spent on the MXT Coil, or a used GB 2.

Thanks-
Bob

 

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[Goodwood]

Hopefully I am in the right forum for this question, but being new to the forum I may have chosen poorly, but that said...

I've owned an MXT (original) for quite a while but have very little time actually using it. It came with the standard 9.5" concentric coil ("950 Coil") which from lots of reading was an odd choice since I read the MXT was designed around the 6X10 DD coil and DD coils in general and work much better with them. I did some searches here and on other detecting forums, and read perhaps a hundred or more posts, but cannot say I got any definite answers.

I've used the 9.5 for coins and stuff, and it was fine, but I recently moved to Arizona and plan to spend time with a friend looking for small gold (tiny flakes or fine gold perhaps 1/4th of a rice grain), mostly in crevices and around boulders in dry stream beds where my friend does well with the Gold Bug.

We tried my MXT/9.5" on some test objects he made up and uses to calibrate his machines, and the MXT was VERY disappointing in comparison to his favored Fisher Gold Bug 2 on the small stuff. The MXT was only usable on the small stuff if I used the samples to fine tune everything and even then I suspect if I was in the field I'm doubtful the response would catch my attention enough that I would ID and dig them as they were subtle to say the least, where as his Gold Bug was sharp and very obvious.

The MXT/9.5 was obviously head-and-shoulders better on other things (both desired and undesired), like a thin 1/2" steel brad 4" deep in the test area the Gold Bug couldn't even "see," but of course that isn't the point for the use I intend. I read that the MXT and the "right" coil is half-decent for gold, though not sure what "half-decent" will get me (vs the Gold Bug).

First question: For small gold, even with the "best" coil is the MXT worth spending the money for such a coil?

Second question: What coil would be the best one at giving the MXT a shot at being "useful," and with such a coil would it be in the same league (meaning possibly inferior, but not so inferior as to be not worth using, as I see the 9.5 Concentric to be)?

The coils I have read about being useful are the 5.3 Concentric Eclipse, the 4X6 DD and the 6X10DD. Obviously smaller is easier to maneuver around obstructions but better performance on small gold would be paramount considering the MXT is probably marginal as a gold machine to begin with.

My friend suggested I keep the MXT as-is and reserve it for coin/relic hunting and find a used Gold Bug 2 (not the Gold Bug 1, or the Gold Bug Pro for some reason). I won't know how well the MXT will work with a better coil and either does he), so it's hard to know whether my money would be better spent on the MXT Coil, or a used GB 2.

Thanks-
Bob

GB2 is in a different league then the mxt 71khz vs. 14khz. I know the gb2 has been updated with a digital display with target ID. The gb2 is still the sweetheart of many professional prospectors seeking small nuggets. Gb2 is ultra ultra sensitive. The mxt has found a lot of gold to. The Cors snake coils are great if you can find them for a mxt. Any small elliptical coil is nice. Cors/Mars was made in Ukraine but I see them all over eBay and Amazon still. Not sure if they are still making them.

 

[bobinyelm]

GB2 is in a different league then the mxt 71khz vs. 14khz. I know the gb2 has been updated with a digital display with target ID. The gb2 is still the sweetheart of many professional prospectors seeking small nuggets. Gb2 is ultra ultra sensitive. The mxt has found a lot of gold to. The Cors snake coils are great if you can find them for a mxt. Any small elliptical coil is nice. Cors/Mars was made in Ukraine but I see them all over eBay and Amazon still. Not sure if they are still making them.

Thanks for the reply!

I kept reading and saw many kudos for the Whites 4X6 Eclipse DD coil and snagged a like-new one on ebay at a reasonable price (should have uiit next week). Some liked the 5.3 round as well, but I couldn't justify both.

I was not aware of the Cors/Mars coils, and most sellers were vague what coil would fit what MD and work (frequency and impedance matching).

I've been reading a lot about the Nokta Makro Legend, and being a multifrequency detector (you can choose how many freqs you wish to run at once, from single freq to 2 or all even).

If memory serves, it has 6k to 40k frequencies and is reportedly great for gold. It COULD be all hype for all I know, of course. https://tinyurl.com/vsvh4kcb

I plan to spend time with my friend here in AZ, me w/ the MXT and 2 coils, and him with his Tesoro Vaquero and Gold Bug 2 to see how they work. A discontinued, but new in box GB 2 still costs $700-800, so they must be well thought of still. https://tinyurl.com/4wt2u8ar

My friend does well on crevices (high power 18v vacuum to suck anything that sounds good on his GB 2) , so I am eager to see him work to see if it's worth the "investment." He and his friends get a relatively decent amount of gold from several sources, have their own home-made "stamp mill," (large super hard ball bearings in a reinforced cement mixer and process the concentrate at their place.

It will be an education for sure.

Most of the gold is quite fine hereabouts, so I'm not sure if any MD is a practical method, but knowing my MXT w/ the 950 concentric coil was pretty much useless, $100 for one of the better thought of coils seemed like a reasonable Hail Mary, and it can always be resold on ebay.

If it's too intense, I'll just go looking for the usual stuff here (coins/lost jewelry, etc).

 

[1637]

the gold bug 2 seems to be the best for the price range. i have a mxt and have done the same test as you and was also dsappointed. i brought a gmt but wish i would have got the gold bug, there should lots of used one because allot of people are get the monster 1000. good luck brad

 

[bobinyelm]

the gold bug 2 seems to be the best for the price range. i have a mxt and have done the same test as you and was also dsappointed. i brought a gmt but wish i would have got the gold bug, there should lots of used one because allot of people are get the monster 1000. good luck brad

Thanks-

What coil did you try w/ the MXT? Same 4X6 DD? Just curious.

I have not checked the local places (Let Go, Craigs List , FB Marketplace) for a GB 2-just looked on ebay where except for now ones, I saw no used ones. I know my friend LOVES his old GB 2 and wouldn't let it go he says. He has about 4 other detectors leaning against a wall (didn't look to see what they were, but I suspect most serious detectorists own a collection.

Looked up your location and it's a famous gold district. Some formerly great spots nearby in AZ, but I suspect the easy stuff is very long gone. One of my friend's friends does well with a Minelab PI and finds a good number of rice sized nuggets in the steep vertical sides of banks well away from the main washes, but I doubt the MXT or even GB 2 would even see them several inches in.

 

[Nevada Prospector]

I have both the MXT and Gold Bug II. They are both great detectors but for small gold the GB II is the most sensitive. I use a 4X6 on the MXT when searching for gold or in ghost towns with tons of nails. I also have the 5.3 concentric and like it a lot but the 4X6 is best for fine gold. Great luck to you while hunting.