New to metal detectors

[dtu2179]

Hello everyone, I am new to metal detecting. I am planning on coin hunting (mainly silver coins) in the Baltimore area as well as a 1820s farm house near Gettysburg PA. I have narrowed my choices down to the following detectors after some research and calls to Whites and Garrett.

Whites MXT or Garrett Ace 250

The Garrett seems more simple and is cheaper in price, but the Whites seems like it might be a more effective unit in terms of discrimination.

I am hpoing to start out with a simple yet quality detector that will do what I am trying to do.

Any thoughts and input is appreciated.

Duane

 

[Sandman]

Your choices are many. The MXT is a lot more detector for the money, but it does cost more than the 250 also. The big advantage of the MXT is it has ground balance where as the 250 an 350 don't. Not having GB is no real trouble if your ground is low in minerals.

Both will find silver coins with no trouble! The problem is hunting a spot that has silver coins in the ground. Personally I don't like MD's with screens for newcomers because they tend to only believe what the screen tells them. The detectors only report on the conductivity of the target and not what it really is so they leave lots of great targets in the ground.

 

[desert dog]

welcome to tnet

 

[Daedalus]

Both are good machines, but have you thought about the AT PRO ? If it is not too much money then that one would be a great machine to start with and be able to use it for years.
Also have you looked at any of the MineLab's ? They have some very good machines also. I have the Xterra 705 and love it.
Anyway what every you get it will be worth it. And welcome to the Forum !

 

[treasurehound]

If these are you two choices then the MXT is by far the best choice.

 

[mlayers]

No matter which you you pick there is a learning curve. It takes time and pratice to learn these machines. I have had a whites DFX for a couple of years and I am still learning with it. I still ask a lot of question on the programs. So enjoy the machine you pick and remember to use it and learn what it is telling you.....Matt

 

[LM]

I own a few machines (including some advanced ones) yet I regularly find myself using the Compadre as a grab and go for random land detecting.

It's $150, has a lifetime warranty and is a *perfect* machine for a beginner to figure out whether the hobby is going to 'take' or not, without spending a lot of money. The biggest advantage offered to the beginner with the Compadre is that unlike other machines that you will eventually 'grow out of' and sell for a loss once you advance to bigger and better machines, the Compadre will remain relevant in your arsenal, as its performance on small gold is comparable (and in some cases, superior) to very high end units.

It's a machine you can learn on, but a machine you will still continue to use once you've learned. The fact it's just dirt cheap is a huge bonus. No, it doesn't do much for "Gear Ego Syndrome", but it's a real performer, inexpensive and the 'beep and dig' model cannot possibly be simpler to use while helping you develop good TH habits without relying on 'ease of use' technology that doesn't always do as it claims.

 

[batcap]

Hi Duane, welcome to Tnet.

I'm in Baltimore City and I have an Ace 250 with both the extra sniper and the big 9x12 coil from Garrett.

As much as I like my Ace, there are a number of places in the city that the Ace is simply not up for. Wetheredsville Rd / Gwynns Falls Trail is one, and the old Gwynn Oak Amusement Park is a big second, for examples off the top of my head. I'm moving on. My Ace paid for itself in one season, I'm not dissing it, but I think I'm missing sensitive signals because of the binary beep and lack of ground balance.

Now if you don't want to take my word for it, I have an Ace 250 with 2 yrs left on the warranty, the 3 original factory coils, a coil cover for the sniper, a lower rod and hardware for each coil, and a rain/dust cap for the head unit. I'd let it all go for $350, FIRM. My eyes are on an AT PRO.

BTW I could use an occasional hunting partner. I just read some very interesting news about a 17th-18th century site near Owings Mills.

 

[dtu2179]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. I guess I have alot to consider, but I am definitely leaning towards the mxt.

Batcap, I might have to take you up on the offer after I get a MD and get up and running.

 

[The-Bone]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. I guess I have alot to consider, but I am definitely leaning towards the mxt.

Batcap, I might have to take you up on the offer after I get a MD and get up and running.

The MXT will give you room to grow....The coils on it are interchangeable with the DFX and V3 should you decide to 'move up'. The MXT itself is more than enough machine to handle almost any hunting situation.

 

[dtu2179]

The only reason that I was initially leaning away from the mxt and towards the 250 was because the garrett seems more simple to operate than the mxt with its dials and knobs. But after watching the instructional videos o utube, it seems easy enough to set up.

 

[Hunt4Fun]

I agree with those that posted the MXT is the far better choice between an Ace 250 and an MXT. The original MXT is a great detector. However, if I was going to purchase an MXT today it would be an MXT Pro. The added Tone ID feature is, by itself, enough to justify the extra $100 cost. The added lit display, Ground Grab and lockable pinpoint mode are frosting on the cake.

 

[dtu2179]

So there are different versions of the MXT?