New Minelab Exp II User.. Extremely impressed

[elusion]

So.. I found myself looking for a machine that went deeper than the XLT could provide and I went with a Tesoro Tejon. The Tesoro is awesome in the depth department, but I really missed the TID especially for short after work hunts. So now I was on the lookout for a deep seeking machine with TID.....

I saw what I think was a good deal on the dealer classifieds for a used Minelab Explorer II with the new 11" pro coil and I bought it ($750 shipped).

When I received it I read the manual back to back and took it out to a local park and braced myself for the worst based on alot of negative opinions I have read on here. I have to say that with one outing I found most of the complaints to be completely unfounded. I was finding coins and identifying trash within about 20 minutes of using it using the factory presets.

I found it easy to navigate and use, the settings are pretty straightforward (my XLT has more confusing options). The weight was a non-issue... my XLT is about the same. The pinpointing is dead on if you use the pinpoint feature built in. You really don't even need the screen to tell you whats in the ground, you just listen. Best of all I know what everyone means when they say "flutey signal".

So, after one outing I'm selling my XLT that I've owned for 10 years and my Tejon that I've owned a little over a year. Neither one is a bad unit, but the Minelab is in a class by itself. They should pay for a sunray probe and some coils for the new beasty.

 

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[EZrider]

I agree 100% same thing with me. I've used other top shelf machines but the Minelabs are in a class by itself. The people who complain the most are long time users mostly. They should be forced to use something elce for a year and then give them back there ML.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Yes I find my Explorer II good also, but it has it's place in teh arsenal.

While the DFX is more of a modern site hunter the Explorer is better for relic, beach and "hunted out" areas.

So both have their place, but I do need to get a smaller coil to the Explorer as that might do it to a better modern site hunter.

 

[Corben]

By far the deepest one I have owned. I already found 2 silver halves at hunted out parks with mine and I only had it out a couple of times too!

 

[elusion]

Yes I find my Explorer II good also, but it has it's place in teh arsenal.

While the DFX is more of a modern site hunter the Explorer is better for relic, beach and "hunted out" areas.

So both have their place, but I do need to get a smaller coil to the Explorer as that might do it to a better modern site hunter.

Yeah, I thought about keeping my whites for "sniping" modern coins out of the parks and playgrounds, but I think the explorer is fully capable of doing the same thing albeit with a smaller coil. The next question is which coil?? There are alot out there to choose from. I am thinking the excellerator 5" coil mainly because of the price.

 

[elusion]

By far the deepest one I have owned. I already found 2 silver halves at hunted out parks with mine and I only had it out a couple of times too!

Wow! How old + deep were the halves? Did they give a good solid tone?

 

[MINELABMIKE]

Congradulations You have the best detector minelab ever made, i have used explorers for seven yrs. i love to hunt areas that have been pounded by other brands, and i will go to that area and pull silver coins that people cant believe. the place where i now live has a park thats pretty old i talked to this guy who said that park has been pounded over the yrs, ive been hunting it a yr and a half and i already have taken over 200 silver coins out of that hunted out park. amazing

 

[Eu_citzen]

The detechs are good coils, I know that. But I would look into the Joey coil also made by coiltek.

If you are in really heavy/dense trash then a small coil is in order like the 5" Detech, I have that one for my DFX and let me tell you it's a tiny sucker!

 

[LI Tom]

I have an Explorer XS and I love it.I always have a Whites M6.The Explorer requires a much slower swing,the Whites is very useful in hitting areas with few targets and checking out large,new areas.When I find a producing area,the Explorer comes out.

 

[Iron Patch]

About 8 years I've had mine and I believe I was the first within hundreds of miles to use one. Having seen what it could do, actually more me telling what it could do, one of my detecting buds made the switch about 6 months later. Then it was another, and another, and another. I can think of 12 off the top of my head but probably a few more. No one has even considered changing to another brand.

 

[elusion]

My second time out this past weekend I spent about 4.5 hours in the field and found 19 wheats and 2 silver quarters in a park that I've been over pretty well through the years. The quarters were 11" deep (I actually measured) and I'm not even using anything past the default settings. I'm convinced I would have walked over these with my Tejon and most definately my XLT. Not to mention, I find the Explorer more fun to use! I personally like all the information coming at me.

I posted my finds here:
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,201060.0.html

I'm sold... If this one breaks, gets blown up, or set on fire, I'm buying another Explorer.

I guess I posted this topic because I want people to know out there who might be on the fence (like I was) that this machine does what they say it does. I think the negatives come from alot of people with brand loyalty issues... Just my opinion..

 

[Iron Patch]

Explorers had many more problems early on and for years I always owned two just in case.

 

[mastereagle22]

I love my Beast as I call it. I would suggest a smaller coil for trashy areas. I use an 8 inch exclerator but am looking for somehthing in the 6 inch range maybe.

You will love your machine the more you use it. If you don't have one a Sunray Inline probe will complete your setup.

Congrats on the new machine.

PS. PM Baldingboy and tell him that you love your machine. He has an XLT and thinks I am full of it when I tell him he might want to consider upgrading.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Yes I have to agree the Explorer is a great deal of fun to use.

I am still getting used to mine but let me tell you it does well.
It is more sensitive to small targets then the DFX when gain is around 8 to 10.

It is by far easier to get good depth with this machine! Less settings to screw up so to speak..

Try the settings of:
Gain 7 to 8
Sensitivity: 24 semi-auto (user preference)
Sounds: conduct
Recovery: deep
Response: Audio1 or Normal
Max limit: 10
Variability: 10
Limits: 10
Select: Coins & Jewelry

This, to me is a good starter program I like to use on the Explorer for modern sites.
Try it and post how you like it. (some shallow good targets get a "weak" tone meaning it is faint)

 

[Weasel_Loader]

I know a lot of Explorer users that swear by the XS and II over the SE. They are slower but seem to go deeper. I've only owned the SE and I love it even more since I got a Pro coil for it. What I think sets the Minelabs apart is the tones. Many others out there use tone I.D., but I think Minelab has them beat. Yes, they are slow and heavy, but can bring up silver in hunted out sites.

I tried the Coiltek Platypus and didn't like it one bit. The Pro coil had just come out and I quickly sold the Coiltek. The only other coil I've tried is the Sunray X-5. Besides the Pro coil, the Sunray X-5 is the only other coil I feel is needed for my type of detecting (turf). I use the Pro coil to cherry pick and when I find good spots, I'll come back and hit it with the 5" Sunray. The little coil always amazes me at the depth it gets. Only drawback is the area covered, but that's why I use it in small areas that I know are still holding deepies.

Good luck with your Explorer. It took me a good six months to even feel comfortable with it.

The settings I use.

Iron Mask - 26 (took me a while to work my way down to 26)
Sounds - Conduct (works best for coinshooting, IMHO)
Sensitivity - 18-24 and manual (I like to run more on the stable side than hot)
Threshold Tone - 7 (makes the silver sound better than default setting)
Variability - 10 (don't know why anyone would use less)
Gain - 9 (I like to hear the deepies)
Recovery - Fast and Deep both off (Didn't see any benefit to either)
Max Limit - 10 (personal preference)

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

I don't think the coin shooters out there know what they're missing by not using an Explorer........use one a few times and you'll see just how much stuff you would've missed by not using it!

 

[Eu_citzen]

Ricardo, Indeed I have witnissed that in my garden.. But I haven't pounded so many areas hard with the DFX, except for one spot which I will look closer at with the Explorer.

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

Ricardo, Indeed I have witnissed that in my garden.. But I haven't pounded so many areas hard with the DFX, except for one spot which I will look closer at with the Explorer.

Hey Eu,
Trust me, you can take the Explorer to any place that has been pounded by just about anything........and you will still find stuff. My hunting buddy took notice of this in a park he has gotten alot of numbers.......one second things seemed a little dry with the M6......the wheats were not coming out like they should. Soon as he started out on the Explorer, in the same place........he tells me things like he's never picked up this many wheats in one hunt (LI TOM). He's recently gone back to places he's hunted and even pulled out silver quarters. I know he's a believer, and I pushed hard to convince him to get the machine........I know he's now convinced on his own. The only machine types that would put a fear in me is if I heard of someone in the area with a Sovereign.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Ricardo, yes I know, fact is though there are ver few such sites here!!
Else I could probably confirm it.

I know of NONE badly hunted site. In a few square kilometers I only know of 2 detectorists, myself included.

But I will put it to the test at the beach when I can, there it will show what it can do.

When I think I'm read I will write m own review of the detector.

Weasel_Loader: You mean Iron mask at -16? There is no lower number...

 

[MINELABMIKE]

The S E Pro iron mask setting is i believe 0 to minus 32.