Old White's XLT or buy new?

[halo71]

I asked about buying a detector a while back after I joined TN. I was wanting to get back into detecting. And was given a few suggestion within what I wanted to spend. Well from that time to now, I put off buying a new detector and bought a new Z71 Silverado instead. And then my ex father-in-law gave me a pretty old XLT detector. The one I used to use when he and I would go detecting.

My question is...with all the advances in electronics and software etc. over the years. Would I be better off buying a more modern detector? The XLT is around 20 years old. My budget for a new detector would be $400-$500 range max. Cheaper the better!

 

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[brianc053]

My friend just got a Minelab Vanquish and it's performing very well, and it's in that price range. I'd recommend looking at that one.

The talk is that White's has gone out of business, so you can't service the XLT any more.
(Side note: I have a White's MXT Pro that is acting eratic, and for the above reason I can't get it serviced. If anyone wants it for parts or whatever please send me a PM. I'm in New Jersey).

- Brian

 

[michael NY]

Brian I had Whites detecters rebuilt by a guy in TX, his name is Keith

 

[ticndig]

Buy ya a new machine and use the whites for those times when you want to take a guy digging.

 

[TheGreenBoy]

XLT is not a bad detector. Modern machines would usually have faster recovery speed, hence better separation. So you would be better off, but than again - how much does that metters for you. If the detection depth is not something you bet on, i would go with something like TX850 - a Chinese clone of G2 or Nokta Simplex, if you need a machine for a rainy day. If you need something deeper, than you should peek something of higher price, maybe it's worth to wait for the Apex real user's rewievs to come out.

 

[halo71]

XLT is not a bad detector. Modern machines would usually have faster recovery speed, hence better separation. So you would be better off, but than again - how much does that metters for you. If the detection depth is not something you bet on, i would go with something like TX850 - a Chinese clone of G2 or Nokta Simplex, if you need a machine for a rainy day. If you need something deeper, than you should peek something of higher price, maybe it's worth to wait for the Apex real user's rewievs to come out.

Yeah the Simplex and Apex were recommended to me here initially.

 

[RustyGold]

I’d get your best deal on a Equinox 600.

 

[TheGreenBoy]

There's another thing with Simplex and Apex - both have internal Li battery, so you are looking at around 500 cycles or maybe 3 yeares without service. I guess no more machines for 20+ yeares.

 

[halo71]

The Simplex doesn't come with a charger? Did I just read that right?!?

RustyGold, the Equinox600 is lil bit more than I wanna spend. Plus I am no pro. Just wanting to get back into detecting after a 10 year hiatus. Not really even sure how much I will actually go detecting. So I hate to spend a whole lot. Looks like the Simplex has gotten really good reviews. And for the money I wonder how much better the Apex will be when it hits the stores.

 

[G.A.P.metal]

halo71 Quote
The Simplex doesn't come with a charger? Did I just read that right?!?
................................................................
The Simplex comes with a charger cord... USB to headphone connector .
you can charge it up .
Gary

 

[ColonelDan]

I suggest you consider the Equinox 600 or one in the Vanquish series. Multi freq is the technology I prefer.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

The Simplex requires a standard 2.1 A USB wal charger.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Brian I had Whites detecters rebuilt by a guy in TX, his name is Keith

That would be Keith Wills at East Texas Metal Detectors. You can contact him at www.brokendetector.com or at (903) 734-7773. Good Luck!

 

[SusanMN]

I had an XLT for about six months in 2007. It was an excellent detector and I think competes well with more recent ones with a few exceptions. Changing setting on it is a pain and it is much heavier than more recent ones. Ultimately the weight was what caused me to sell it and go for a lighter one.

 

[njrelicgairl]

try to see if you can find a local dealer in your area.Or you can call rich at Colonial detector sale. That who i deal with.
Its up to you! take your time,and don't rush. You will find the right detector.

 

[halo71]

Well, looks like I'm mainly looking at the Ace Apex, Vanquish 540 and the Simplex. But the Simplex being single frequency....not sure I want that. And the Equinox 600 is a little higher than I really would like to spend.

 

[halo71]

Any words of wisdom on these rigs?

 

[brianc053]

Any words of wisdom on these rigs?

Earlier in the thread I mentioned that a friend got a Minelab Vanquish, and it was performing well. I've been out with him since and it continues to perform well and he's very happy with it.
I can say this: Minelab support here in the US is good. I had to have mine repaired and they fixed it for free, and quickly.

Someone recently asked me about Garrett so I checked out eh Apex; it seems like a strong contender and some of the non-biased opinions I read seemed to declare it an excellent alternative to the Vanquish and Equinox 600. Personally I've never liked Garretts - something about their display on the detector itself just didn't click with me.

As for Nokta Simplex, I watched a couple videos on the detector and people also seem happy with it. One video showed it alongside an Equinox and even an XP Deus and the claim was that the Simplex was finding the same items (mostly coins) in an old house's yard. But I suspect it's not as flexible as a multi-frequency (Vanquish, Apex) so the ultimate answer may depend on what you detect for.

My final thoughts: review the controls carefully and especially things like switching between all-metal and other modes because you will use those buttons / controls all the time, hundreds of times per hunt. Check out how the detector pinpoints because you'll probably use that a lot too. Minelab uses -10 to 40 VDI while the others use 0-100; I'm ok with the -10 to 40 range, but are you?
Since all 3 detectors can get the job done, get the one that you think you'll like be most comfortable with using (via the controls).

 

[halo71]

Personally I've never liked Garretts - something about their display on the detector itself just didn't click with me.

I feel that way with the 540. It just looks cheap and dated to me while the Apex looks pretty modern. I've used Garretts before and liked them. Mainly the GTI1500 and GTI2500.

How important is that the Apex, ya can't do firmware updates. While the 540 ya can? Also the single frequency mode of the Simplex I am not sure about.

I don't do beach hunting much ever. Mostly hunt for coins and CW stuff. Right now I am leaning towards the Apex.

 

[brianc053]

I feel that way with the 540. It just looks cheap and dated to me while the Apex looks pretty modern. I've used Garretts before and liked them. Mainly the GTI1500 and GTI2500.

How important is that the Apex, ya can't do firmware updates. While the 540 ya can? Also the single frequency mode of the Simplex I am not sure about.

I don't do beach hunting much ever. Mostly hunt for coins and CW stuff. Right now I am leaning towards the Apex.

If it breaks the tie: Garrett’s an American company so you’d be Buying American.