Dumping the VX3 in favor of the AT Pro?

[Juice in the hole]

Is this crazy? I've had the VX3 for a bit over 2 years now and have used it extensively. I've read the book forwards and backwards many times as well as altered my programs in favor of what the experts on the Spectra machines are using. I've also read the message boards looking for tricks with this machine as well as watching videos on youtube. So yeah, I think I've become one with the machine. Yet still I can't help but be disappointed with it (I'm minding what I say as I know the White's fans will pick this post apart). I find plenty of iron from farming, scrap metal and other assorted junk, but rarely anything good. My best finds to date are a colonial era flat button, gilded button, an advertising plate from the late 1800's, minie ball and a 1914 wheat penny. Oh I've found tons of clad and I've found bullets as deep as 13 inches, but no silver or really old coins. She goes deep, but discerning between a coin and a can seems to challenge the machine.

So my next issue is the quality, or lack there of in the build. This was a very expensive detector and I expected it to last. With that said, I'm now using my third D2 coil and I'm hoping it doesn't get whacky like the other 2 did before (and if) I decide to sell the VX3. Sure, White's customer service is wonderful, but they don't pay shipping and these trips back are putting a dent into my love affair with the VX3. At $35 a pop, these coil exchanges are starting to add up! The money notwithstanding, I'm out a detector for a week as well. Sure I could use the 950, but I find far more stuff with the D2. Pinpointing and discrimination are much easier and more accurate with the D2 as well. I honestly don't know why they make the 950 or at least why they saddle a high performance/high dollar machine with it.

So that's it in a nutshell. I'm looking at the AT Pro and besides being able to tinker around with the programs, it looks like an equivalent machine. Much cheaper to boot.

Thoughts and recommendations?

ETA: when I mentioned build quality of the VX3 I'm talking about the D2 coils failing and nothing else. The unit itself is very well built overall and I believe it will last through many years of hard use. Other than a lack of waterproofing and weight, I have no other complaints about the VX3 in general.

 

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[fella]

I had a Vx3 and loved it. I actually traded an Etrac that I didn't care for for it and I had several coils too. The 5.3, 950, D2 & 6x10! I did quite well w/it too.

I pretty much stopped using it once I got my AT Pro. I felt the AT Pro had much better audio response and the VDI was more consistent w/less jumping. The Vx3 was probably a little deeper for raw depth but confidence in those deep signals just wasn't there. It got to the point where I was no longer trusting the Vx3 and was always wishing I had my AT Pro. (When left at home)

Quality however is a whole other subject. The ATP isn't the best built machine and the plug design is just plain STUPID! I always felt the Vx3 was a very well built unit and really liked that about it. Cam locks on the ATP seem a little cheap too. One thing I had to keep reminding myself re: quality when comparing to higher end machines was it ONLY HALF THE PRICE! So Garrett made a machine that will perform with high end detectors but only cost half to one third as much. I'll take the quality trade off every time. (within reason)
Don't get me wrong it's not junk built, just not up to Whites Spectra or E-Series standards IMO.

Here are a couple of threads you may want to check out. It shows my transformation from not being impressed with the ATP to it becoming my favorite detector. (to that point)
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garrett/356743-patiently-awaiting-new-pro.html
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garrett/359921-my-new-favorite-detector.html

Now the ATP is not everyones cup of tea. Some users just don't like it and it has it's haters for sure. A lot of them have never even used one or they watched a friend fail with it or they used one for a half hour and didn't find Cortés treasure so it automatically sucks.
But the simple truth is, it's a great performing detector.

I'm sure there will be plenty of people tell you how crazy it would be to "downgrade" because a detector that cost half as much cannot possibly work as well.

Try one, decide for yourself!

 

[wingmaster]

Magic's program

The V3i is a very adjustable detector and very capable as well in the right hands tones recovery speed freq shift it goes on and on, there are all kinds of so called experts on any detector, however I detected with a guy who was a tester for the whites V3i and had it in his hands well before they were out on the market. He does know the V3i that's for sure, have either you or Fella tried a program from a guy that goes by the name of Magic on the whites forum? Now even he says you will have to tweek the program some for your ground as he lives here in Indiana, but its a real good starting point. I've detected with him several times he can get dimes at 10"+ all day with some being at 12" before and yes that's even in trashy area's ( real old parks still in use ). That being said my MXT with the right coil and knowing the detector very well I can match those depths, he for about the first four times we detected would mark a real deep whisper target and call me over thinking I wouldn't be able to detect it and I did every time but there's a lot you can do with that detector that I can't with my MXT to help in certain situations like freq shift among a ton of others and with my MXT I have what I have all I can do with high EMI area's is turn down my gain or change coils either way I lose depth. I know the MXT will match the depth of the E-trac as well with the right coil of course as some will make a depth comparison between this or that detector with coils not in the same league. Some people even some of those so called experts on the MXT will tell you that its not capable of that depth but I know for a fact they don't know their detector as well as they think, on the V3i you should know what every setting is and what it does as some changes to one setting may require changes to one or more others to get the performance your trying to get. Theres a lot of people that don't want to learn all that or can't understand settings and how it may affect other settings and for people like that the V3i isn't for them for sure as your just not going to get what the V3i has to offer by starting out with factory programs and just tweeking them a little. You have to figure whites has to set these programs up for people just starting out not knowing what any of the settings do know even though whites claims its a turn on and go machine their not going to tell you that your not going to get the most out of it unless you know how to adjust it. If your looking for anything close to a turn on and go machine then I would say right off definitely don't go with the V3i or if you don't want to learn what every setting does and how it affects others. Myself I like not having to scroll through the settings to make changes but once set up properly your not going to have to change much, myself though I don't even like having to go through a menu for adjusting the discrimination as I just want to detect right away and make changes on the fly and keep detecting. I will say he never detects with the preloaded programs at all and if some of the most often used major adjustments were knobs on the V3i or any detector as capable/adaptable then I might go that way but for now I'm fine. I've came out with more old coins/silver more than my share of times with people using the E-trac/V3i and never feel outgunned. I know the VX3 isn't the V3i and not sure what all you can change but I would try and copy that program as much as you could to your VX3 and detect with it a while before jumping to the ATpro for sure, as I know some people will never get the full potential of their V3i. HH

 

[cadman20]

Is it an issue with the detector or where you are hunting? Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the VX3 and are able to find deep stuff, but, if there is no silver in the hunting spot, it doesn't matter what detector you will use.

As far as the D2 coils, the earlier ones were known to have issues. The one that came with my V3i was bad out of the box, Whites replaced it with a good one, no issues since.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

 

[RobRieman]

Hi Juice, I own the V3i and the ATPro. The AT is a very good "turn on and go" detector that for its price range has good depth and the VDI's are normally real close if you are trusting your detecting to the numbers. It's a very easy detector to learn and use. The V3i like the VX3 is one of the most versatile and accurate detectors you can buy if your willing to put in the time to learn it. If you detect a couple times a month it's probably not the machine to use as the learning curve can be very steep. But that being said, it is twice the detector for twice the money in almost every aspect from build quality to performance. I still use my AT often if it's wet, snow covered, in the water, etc and have found some great things with it but when I fire up the V the rest of the time there is definitely a wow factor that the AT cannot match. If you are obsessed with detecting, learn the V, if it's more of a hobby I think you would like the ATPro very much as it is very simple to use. Good luck!

 

[Juice in the hole]

Theres a lot of people that don't want to learn all that or can't understand settings and how it may affect other settings and for people like that the V3i isn't for them for sure as your just not going to get what the V3i has to offer by starting out with factory programs and just tweeking them a little.

You have to figure whites has to set these programs up for people just starting out not knowing what any of the settings do know even though whites claims its a turn on and go machine their not going to tell you that your not going to get the most out of it unless you know how to adjust it. If your looking for anything close to a turn on and go machine then I would say right off definitely don't go with the V3i or if you don't want to learn what every setting does and how it affects others.

Myself I like not having to scroll through the settings to make changes but once set up properly your not going to have to change much, myself though I don't even like having to go through a menu for adjusting the discrimination as I just want to detect right away and make changes on the fly and keep detecting. I will say he never detects with the preloaded programs at all and if some of the most often used major adjustments were knobs on the V3i or any detector as capable/adaptable then I might go that way but for now I'm fine.

not sure what all you can change but I would try and copy that program as much as you could to your VX3 and detect with it a while before jumping to the ATpro for sure, as I know some people will never get the full potential of their V3i. HH

I snipped your post and highlighted some pertinent points.

When I started researching metal detectors, I wanted a turn on and go machine. The more research I did, I found the opinion of many was that you needed a high dollar machine that you could cater to your exact situation and targets to get the most out of the hobby. Whether that's absolutely true or not, I simply accepted it and threw myself down that rabbit hole with reckless abandon. I did choose the VX3 over some other options because many said it had a smaller learning curve and required less tinkering. So much for that, unless you like digging junk on or near the surface.

The stock programs are pretty weak with the exception of Relic, Deep Silver and Hi Pro. All of those really need tweeked to truly go deep.

To be honest, I'm tired of tinkering with this machine as well, which is why I'm seriously considering a simpler, yet still capable machine. I read a post on here yesterday that said something to the effect that the Spectra series greatest liability is in its ability to be so flexible. As in small changes in the wrong direction may in fact harm performance rather than enhance. Bottom line is that I want to be the best at metal detecting, not the best at adjusting and troubleshooting small electronics.

I printed the "Magic Pro" program off a few days back and I've been looking it over. It's set up for a V3i and yes there are adjustments I cannot make. I'm not sure if it will work properly or not on the VX3, but I'd love to try it out. Maybe the designer or someone who has tried it will chime in with some advice?

 

[Rookster]

I've got the AT Pro and the M6. Both are very capable for the money. I'm more in to turn on and go. Both do that. I was really surprised with the M6 in that I bought it for a back up more or less but it will go deep with the correct turn of the settings and very well made. Good luck to all.

 

[Juice in the hole]

Is it an issue with the detector or where you are hunting? Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on the VX3 and are able to find deep stuff, but, if there is no silver in the hunting spot, it doesn't matter what detector you will use.

As far as the D2 coils, the earlier ones were known to have issues. The one that came with my V3i was bad out of the box, Whites replaced it with a good one, no issues since.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

I may not have the very best or most "historic" places to hunt, like our friends on TV, but I think mine are pretty good. My detection area covers 3 farms in 3 states, encompassing almost 700 acres of land.

One farm location is in Ohio and has a large restored Victorian home built in the 1870's by a prominent farmer and early landowner. His father and grandfather also farmed this land back to 1815. There are several old homesite cabin remnants on this farm as well as an old abandoned county road and also remnants of covered bridges crossing 2 separate waterways. Native American tribes were very active here as well as an early militia encampment.

Another farm is in the mountains of West Virginia. This site is very rugged, but the old homestead was built in the late 1800's and has turned up some nice finds. There are also several old mountain cabin remnants which I haven't explored yet.

My last farm and the one that I call home is here in eastern NC. There is one 1920's home, a 1940's homes, 5 early tobacco barns that predate the 1920's home, remnants of 3 early cabins (one that seems to have been used back to the late 1700's), an early road that shows up on a 1906 map and a early road with several intersections dating back to the mid 1700's.

So I have some decent places to hunt and I'm hunting where I think people were most active. I've done the research, have the maps and overlays and have recreated the settings in my mind. Not sure what else I can do. Any one location that I mentioned stand out to you as a prime place to hunt?

My first D2 coil went bad within weeks. The second after a year. Still hoping the third wont go bad, but I only have a few hours on it.

 

[cadman20]

I may not have the very best or most "historic" places to hunt, like our friends on TV, but I think mine are pretty good. My detection area covers 3 farms in 3 states, encompassing almost 700 acres of land.

One farm location is in Ohio and has a large restored Victorian home built in the 1870's by a prominent farmer and early landowner. His father and grandfather also farmed this land back to 1815. There are several old homesite cabin remnants on this farm as well as an old abandoned county road and also remnants of covered bridges crossing 2 separate waterways. Native American tribes were very active here as well as an early militia encampment.

Another farm is in the mountains of West Virginia. This site is very rugged, but the old homestead was built in the late 1800's and has turned up some nice finds. There are also several old mountain cabin remnants which I haven't explored yet.

My last farm and the one that I call home is here in eastern NC. There is one 1920's home, a 1940's homes, 5 early tobacco barns that predate the 1920's home, remnants of 3 early cabins (one that seems to have been used back to the late 1700's), an early road that shows up on a 1906 map and a early road with several intersections dating back to the mid 1700's.

So I have some decent places to hunt and I'm hunting where I think people were most active. I've done the research, have the maps and overlays and have recreated the settings in my mind. Not sure what else I can do. Any one location that I mentioned stand out to you as a prime place to hunt?

My first D2 coil went bad within weeks. The second after a year. Still hoping the third wont go bad, but I only have a few hours on it.

Well, you certainly have some good spots to hunt. Have you tried a smaller coil like the Eclipse DD 6 x 10"? The places you describe sound like they would hold a lot of old iron, smaller coil might help and is cheaper than buying a new detector.

 

[Juice in the hole]

Well, you certainly have some good spots to hunt. Have you tried a smaller coil like the Eclipse DD 6 x 10"? The places you describe sound like they would hold a lot of old iron, smaller coil might help and is cheaper than buying a new detector.

Yeah, I seem to think there was at least enough wealth here for someone to have dropped some silver, or possibly even a Civil War era cache. The Ohio spot is my parent's farm and I visit there at least twice a year. I've only hit the fields and areas around the house marginally. I know there's plenty to find up there. The WV spot is my ancestral home and I hit that twice a year. Ironically enough, I've found mostly clad there, but It's clad by the plastic bags full. We have a reunion there and plenty of people have dropped coins through the years. During the reunion there is a sack race, an egg toss and every metal detectorists favorite; a money scramble for the kids.

I have only the D2 and 950 coil. I hate to think about spending anymore money on this unit as I was saving for an AT Pro for the fiancee. She is really getting into metal detecting and we trade off with the VX3 currently. I was thinking that the AT Pro would provide a lighter, stabler and simpler to run platform for her and also a waterproof alternative for us both when rain showers threaten the hunt.

I do find tons of old tractor parts, horse bridal/tack parts and horse drawn machinery parts. Maybe I simply need to spend more time with the machine and learn it even more? I'm currently spending around 3-4 hours a week MDing and some weeks a bit more. Like I mentioned, I do find the goods very deep with the VX3, but many times I can't decide what to dig. I've just been fooled too many times and I know I'm passing up good, but iffy targets to avoid another junk dig. What would be really nice is to hunt with another VX3 owner and also an AT Pro owner to compare, contrast and see what if anything I can do different.

 

[PostalTwo]

Yeah, I seem to think there was at lease enough wealth here for someone to have dropped some silver, or possibly even a Civil War era cache. The Ohio spot is my parent's farm and I visit there at least twice a year. I've only hit the fields and areas around the house marginally. I know there's plenty to find up there. The WV spot is my ancestral home and I hit that twice a year. Ironically enough, I've found mostly clad there, but It's clad by the plastic bags full. We have a reunion there and plenty of people have dropped coins through the years. During the reunion there is a sack race, an egg toss and every metal detectorists favorite; a money scramble for the kids.

I have only the D2 and 950 coil. I hate to think about spending anymore money on this unit as I was saving for an AT Pro for the fiancee. She is really getting into metal detecting and we trade off with the VX3 currently. I was thinking that the AT Pro would provide a lighter, stabler and simpler to run platform for her and also a waterproof alternative for us both when rain showers threaten the hunt.

I do find tons of old tractor parts, horse bridal/tack parts and horse drawn machinery parts. Maybe I simply need to spend more time with the machine and learn it even more? I'm currently spending around 3-4 hours a week MDing and some weeks a bit more. Like I mentioned, I do find the goods very deep with the VX3, but many times I can't decide what to dig. I've just been fooled too many times and I know I'm passing up good, but iffy targets to avoid another junk dig. What would be really nice is to hunt with another VX3 owner and also an AT Pro owner to compare, contrast and see what if anything I can do different.

I think having someone there that will let u try and compare the two machines out in the field is ur best bet. Just like any other machine they are not for everyone I I thought I wanted an at pro but after trying one Im glad I didnt waste the money. To me the machine was way to chatty sounding off on every little bit metal fragments. I found it hard to discern good from bad especially when bottlecaps id 81.i would compare signal between the pro and my 150 dollar bh machine and the bh would say no thanks to the bc but the pro beeping like it was a quarter.

 

[wingmaster]

If your looking for an easier really deep detector you might think about the MXT as you can start out with that detector and learn it well pretty quick and once you master it you can use it right along with the top end detectors and never feel outgunned. The D2 coil is a great coil on my MXT I get dimes at 10"+ with some being at 12" before and it will hang right with the V3i and the E-trac in depth any day, if you went with a MXT or a M6 you could use either coil you have now if your going to sell the VX3. I would keep the D2 though as I have 2 MXT's and 2 D2 coils, I had to have an extra D2 cause I wouldn't want to be without one if one went bad as I use that coil 95% of the time as I'm afraid I'll be missing one of those really deep whisper targets. HH

 

[wingmaster]

Coils can make a big difference on bottle caps so it may not be the detector, my MXT with the D2 coil likes bottle caps but its a small price to pay for the depth I get out of the detector. I go to a park that's been pounded since the 70's and only dig those really deep whisper targets to bypass most clad and trash and still pull those 10"+ deep silver dimes out where most people won't even go anymore if there looking for silver. HH

I think having someone there that will let u try and compare the two machines out in the field is ur best bet. Just like any other machine they are not for everyone I I thought I wanted an at pro but after trying one Im glad I didnt waste the money. To me the machine was way to chatty sounding off on every little bit metal fragments. I found it hard to discern good from bad especially when bottlecaps id 81.i would compare signal between the pro and my 150 dollar bh machine and the bh would say no thanks to the bc but the pro beeping like it was a quarter.

 

[McKinney_5900]

I may not have the very best or most "historic" places to hunt, like our friends on TV, but I think mine are pretty good. My detection area covers 3 farms in 3 states, encompassing almost 700 acres of land.

One farm location is in Ohio and has a large restored Victorian home built in the 1870's by a prominent farmer and early landowner. His father and grandfather also farmed this land back to 1815. There are several old homesite cabin remnants on this farm as well as an old abandoned county road and also remnants of covered bridges crossing 2 separate waterways. Native American tribes were very active here as well as an early militia encampment.

Another farm is in the mountains of West Virginia. This site is very rugged, but the old homestead was built in the late 1800's and has turned up some nice finds. There are also several old mountain cabin remnants which I haven't explored yet.

My last farm and the one that I call home is here in eastern NC. There is one 1920's home, a 1940's homes, 5 early tobacco barns that predate the 1920's home, remnants of 3 early cabins (one that seems to have been used back to the late 1700's), an early road that shows up on a 1906 map and a early road with several intersections dating back to the mid 1700's.

So I have some decent places to hunt and I'm hunting where I think people were most active. I've done the research, have the maps and overlays and have recreated the settings in my mind. Not sure what else I can do. Any one location that I mentioned stand out to you as a prime place to hunt?

My first D2 coil went bad within weeks. The second after a year. Still hoping the third wont go bad, but I only have a few hours on it.

Ya know what the most strenuous thing is though, is wondering how many hours and hunts you did poorly on with these failing D2 coils. I am making a serious point here, plus the post about the shipping costs adding up...Whites definitely drops the ball on shipping while they claim world class customer service. Just sayin, but I spent possibly a big year swinging some of Whites coils(which passed the basic RX15 gain test) while gettin' beat up by cheap machines, only to discover the coil failed upon Whites bench test. I've since gone to the Excellerator SEF coils as primary coils. Shipping costs ADDS UP FAST.

Mainly though, Whites does need to get way better on shipping, especially when they find one particular customer has had a lot of run a round more than once. Oddly, their CS department don't trigger on that situation, and they ship very s-l-o-w from their end.

 

[Normsel]

I have both a V3i and an ATP. I love both of them. I am really good with my ATP and can tell by a chirp if the object is worth digging and I mean the slightest chirp. I found enough clad with my ATP to pay for it in 3-1/2 months. I wanted a bigger challenge so i bought the V3i. I only have about 30 hours on it so far and have tweaked a cpl of the stock programs but it is remarkable. I found a 92.5 silver spoon at 10" with my V3i and a silver ring at 8" but that's all so far. I been seriously detecting for 3 yrs now putting in no less than 20 hours per week weather permitting. Since the 3rd of march i have found $53 in clad plus the ring and spoon.

I might add I found more than $30 of the clad where i had hunted with my ATP. On last friday I hunted and area that i had hunted hard with my ATP last fall. I gridded the area when I hunted with my ATP and found over $12 in clad so I decided to see if I could find more with my V3i. I found $3 in clad in about 2 hrs of hunting and it was all 6" or more in depth. I have not found any silver coins with my V3i yet but until I feel very confident i won't start using the expert mode.

You can't spend a better $600 for a detector than the ATP but I think it would be a compliment to the Vx3. Other than water the VX3 beats the ATP in every category other than ease of learning. Even then to master the ATP you need over 200 hours before you know it well enough to detect by tone.

The V3i is hard to learn and has so many variables that it is easy to tweak it too much one way or the other. I use the Whites forum and tweak some of Foxes programs plus read tips etc from others.

I am keeping my ATP for beach hunting etc because i rented a home in FL to use year around when ever i get bored at home.

 

[norbyx]

Well i never had a vx3 but I did have the v3i, as well as the atpro. My opinion is that I didn't like ether.
V3i was too complicated for my needs and I never knew if I was detecting in the correct setting or not.
The atpro, just couldn't handle the fast changing soil condition in this country and since it has no ground tracking I was forced to balance the detector every 10 ft. To avoid falsing.
My solution was to go back to my trusty mxt... In my opinion the best metal detector that I ever laid my hands on.
Now I have a dfx on the way to see how it goes, it should be quite more simple than the v3i, and even if older not necessarily worse.

 

[SHoward]

Take a look at the new MX5, it seems to stay balanced through different conditions very well. It's a great detector that's a little cheaper than the ATP and has some features the ATP doesn't have. The only thing I've seen that the ATP has that the MX5 doesn't is the ATP is water proof.

 

[fella]

The only thing I've seen that the ATP has that the MX5 doesn't is the ATP is water proof.

and freq shift and Tone Roll and Iron Audio and...

 

[norbyx]

and freq shift and Tone Roll and Iron Audio and...

But it DOES have ground autotracking, it DOES have seven tone audio, it DOES have more factory coils, it DOES have the best customer service of the industry, it DOES have more sensitivity to gold items because of its frequency, it DOES have a much better weight balance, and even if not waterproof it is weather proof so no need to stop detecting for rain.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Unfortunately the V3 Finds forum (or rather Bill Crabtree) will not allow negative posts about the V3/V3i, so many have accepted the "its not the machine (which is 100% reliable !!)" arguement of "Burlbank" and have wasted hundreds of hours of detecting time. Result is many say that it will be their last Whites detector.

A major worry is that its possible to upgrade from V3 to V3i as I did on the promise that the coil problem has been dealt with and then find out they are still a worry. I've yet to see how you are treated when a replacement also fails and the original warranty has expired.