Minelab Explorer Xs

[NKDigger]

Would anyone be kind enough to give some advice about search coils? I love my Explorer XS but am wanting to purchase a aftermarket coil that will be better than the factory one. I hunt mainly old homesteads and areas like that. What coil or coils should I be looking at? Your help is appreciated.

NKdigger

 

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[godisnum1]

Well I bought my Explorer XS over a month or so ago, along with several coils and a TON of other accessories... but the coil that I have on it now, which is likely going to be what I use most of the time, is the Sunray Stealth X-12 DD coil! It's actually lighter than the stock 10" coil, even though it's larger. I'm used to concentric coils, so pinpointing with a DD coil is the only thing that I'm trying to get used to... outside of the learning curve of Minelab machines. I have the 5" coil too, but I bet a larger coil might help you cover more ground if the areas you're hunting aren't too trashy.

Bran <><

 

[Iron Patch]

There is no better coil for an Explorer than the original white stock 10.5" or black 10.5" (same coil, different color) I've been an explorer user for about 9 years and bought the pro coil last year. I sold it and bought two of the original white coils and am very happy. The problem is they no longer make them, so all are used.... except for the two new ones I found for sale. Couldn't believe my luck!

 

[godisnum1]

There is no better coil for an Explorer than the original white stock 10.5" or black 10.5" (same coil, different color) I've been an explorer user for about 9 years and bought the pro coil last year. I sold it and bought two of the original white coils and am very happy. The problem is they no longer make them, so all are used.... except for the two new ones I found for sale. Couldn't believe my luck!

Really?? Why is the stock better? I guess it would make sense, because my stock 9.5" coil was better on my White's...

Bran <><

 

[Iron Patch]

There is no better coil for an Explorer than the original white stock 10.5" or black 10.5" (same coil, different color) I've been an explorer user for about 9 years and bought the pro coil last year. I sold it and bought two of the original white coils and am very happy. The problem is they no longer make them, so all are used.... except for the two new ones I found for sale. Couldn't believe my luck!

Really?? Why is the stock better? I guess it would make sense, because my stock 9.5" coil was better on my White's...

Bran <><

This was my experience.... call it a mini review if you want, and is only based on 2 days using the pro coil, but I took a $50 loss which I wouldn't do unless I was sure.

The pro coil is much lighter, which was great! What I didn't like was how the lower shaft attaches more to the middle of the coil than the back like the old ones. This probably has more to do with my having used the old type for so long. That however was not a deal breaker, what was is the performance in iron. I'll try to describe it, but not sure how well you'll understand because you're fairly new to the explorer, and it's something very subtle. Anyone who doesn't have hundreds and hundreds of hours on the thing, and hunt where I do, and how I do, might not even notice. Ok, you know how when you hunt in iron you get false high tones which is generally iron? Well you also get some some low noises to and that is where I had the problem. The best way to work targets out of fairly heavy iron (where I spend a lot of my time) is to do the Minelab "wiggle" (very short sweeps) This is like pinpointing and what you're doing is trying to catch a little part of a ferrous target, enough of a sound to dig. By using the wiggle it's as if it almost uses some type of momentum to draw the signal up and make it repeat. What I found with the pro coil is i would do the wiggle and for a couple of the quick sweeps it would grab a low tone off the iron making me believe there was a good target, only to sweep a couple more times and it not repeating as well, it it not worth digging. This all happens in the matter of a few seconds, but it's the process for me hunting in iron so the coil constantly grabbing that low sound was a pain, and not something my old stock coil seemed to do as much. As I said buying two of the old 10.5" has me happy as a clam so will be what I will use for good.

 

[godisnum1]

Ah-ha... that does make sense! I think I do that little coil wiggle thing on the beach sometimes for targets I'm unsure of...

Bran <><

 

[Iron Patch]

Ah-ha... that does make sense! I think I do that little coil wiggle thing on the beach sometimes for targets I'm unsure of...

Bran <><

The beach is clean, so the wiggle there is just pinpointing! If you did the wiggle at the beach you wouldn't cover much ground. When in iron the wiggle is my full swing. (6"-8")

 

[godisnum1]

Ah-ha... that does make sense! I think I do that little coil wiggle thing on the beach sometimes for targets I'm unsure of...

Bran <><

The beach is clean, so the wiggle there is just pinpointing! If you did the wiggle at the beach you wouldn't cover much ground. When in iron the wiggle is my full swing. (6"-8")

Ohhhhh... I see!! You're right....

Bran <><

 

[DrBobinMO]

Depends on how trashy the homesites are. If really bad, look into the 6x8 SEF coil. Supposed to get great depth but with excellent target seperation.

 

[NKDigger]

Thanks for all the help. I haven't made any decision yet.