What do you do with your Whites V3i ?

Tbone1

Jr. Member
Jul 12, 2013
30
33
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
So my other White detectors are pretty easy to let go of without remorse or dwelling on whether I lost money or not.

My timing of being out of the hobby for a couple years or more kinda had me flat footed when I came back to find Whites gone.
Should of sold it as soon as I bought the Nox 800 but we?ve all heard of shoulda coulda woulda.

The only detector I ever bought new was the V3i and I bought the wireless headphones with it and have I think 5 coils with rods attached.
And I never use it now that I have the Nox.

This is not a sales pitch by the way.
I don?t know what I?m doing yet.

A back up maybe?
Yeah but seems kinda silly.
I?d rather buy another Nox for a back up so I didn?t have to learn all over maneuvering through that menu.

Anyway? I?m just venting I guess.
I?m not angry or bitter.
I live with my decisions.
But what the hell am I going to do with this thing?
 

OP
OP
T

Tbone1

Jr. Member
Jul 12, 2013
30
33
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I would keep it as a backup. They are good machines, there are places that will repair them for years to come if it ever breaks.

So there would be more options for repair than Garret?
I always enjoyed using it and I did get half ass good with it.
Probably will just hang on to it and take it more often to stay tuned in to it
 

OP
OP
T

Tbone1

Jr. Member
Jul 12, 2013
30
33
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Do you feel that you mastered the V3i?

Hell no!
Which is a great reason for keeping it and using it!
Not that I think I’d ever have the arrogance to think I mastered it I could certainly get better!
 

McKinney_5900

Bronze Member
Jul 30, 2010
1,139
929
Hell no!
Which is a great reason for keeping it and using it!
Not that I think I’d ever have the arrogance to think I mastered it I could certainly get better!

I bought the V3i as my first "paid for" detector, in 2010, and used only the V3i, for 5 years. I have had specific situations where the V3i was uniquely suited, but not so much after getting into the FBS. Etrac and Explorer, with their Smartfind displays. I've gotten more respect for the V3i with its polar display feature. The depth with the V3i is great also, but I'll likely not carry it as a primary machine except under specific hunts.

There is "learning" still going on when I test the V3i these days. All detectors intermingle in know-how. I'd keep the V3i. It ain't a fast machine but it sure has it's strength. I once used it to locate a gold ring, inside a burned apartment where a person died. I told the sister of the brother that I doubted I'd find it due to the nails in the floor boards, and other metals. The V3i streamlined correctly, and with a bit of work shoveling ashes, I did find the ring. It surprised me.
 

THing4CSA

Full Member
Aug 20, 2006
146
77
Leesburg, VA
Detector(s) used
I use an XP-Deus and have a Whites DFX as a back-up/loaner detector.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi My Fellow TH'ers
I had the V3 then had it updated to the V3i. My personal thoughts about the V3i is that it is a total piece of JUNK (I don't want anyone to know how I really feel about the V3i). I had mine for around five years or so. I never could get it to work right and had sent it back to Whites five times. They replaced it four times and did a major repair once. I then requested to exchange it with another detector and Whites allowed me to exchange it for the TDI-SL. Mu First time out with the TDI-SL I found more goodies than I found with the V3i in five years of use! I shared my thoughts on the Whites forum with everyone. Not being one to pull any punches as I tend to shoot from the hip, I shared my findings. Every year Whites would ask what features they should include in their 'next' detector. Well Whites did half listen to the request. The outcome was the MX-Sport, it was water proof, had wireless headphones and pinpointer. Most of the other suggestions were ignored, built in clock, USB connector for software upgrades, touch to another detector for program sharing, among others.

My Suggestion for the V3i or MX-Sport is to find someone to buy it and let it go. If you have to keep it for a back up detector then do so. I kept my Whites DFX as my back up / Loaner detector. Between the Whites XLT and DFX these are the two very best detectors that Whites ever made.

Garrett is now the go to folks for repairs, parts, upgrades to all Whites equipment, but I would suggest just sell your V3i and move on with life!

There are many other easier to learn detectors in the market so why waste your time and energy trying to deal with a very difficult detector. I realize that every new detector has a learning curve but the V3i is by far the most difficult detector to learn/understand. ;-)
 

JerV3

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2005
5,718
2,613
Three Rivers
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac ,Xp Deus, Ctx 3030, Vanquish 440 X 2, Equinox 600, Equinox 800
V3I is a damn good machine very nice and well built.

Only problem is you can swing machines that are 3 lbs lighter and perform just as well if not better.

That's my two cents on the topic. As I get older I am liking the lighter weight machines.

Don't get me wrong I can swing a 6 lb machine just don't want to anymore.

Lot of the reason my ctx and etrac are collecting dust.

Jer
 

TheGreenBoy

Sr. Member
Nov 10, 2017
400
465
Countryside
Detector(s) used
DBP2010, eeTH, tx850
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi My Fellow TH'ers
I had the V3 then had it updated to the V3i. My personal thoughts about the V3i is that it is a total piece of JUNK (I don't want anyone to know how I really feel about the V3i). I had mine for around five years or so. I never could get it to work right and had sent it back to Whites five times. They replaced it four times and did a major repair once. I then requested to exchange it with another detector and Whites allowed me to exchange it for the TDI-SL. Mu First time out with the TDI-SL I found more goodies than I found with the V3i in five years of use! I shared my thoughts on the Whites forum with everyone. Not being one to pull any punches as I tend to shoot from the hip, I shared my findings. Every year Whites would ask what features they should include in their 'next' detector. Well Whites did half listen to the request. The outcome was the MX-Sport, it was water proof, had wireless headphones and pinpointer. Most of the other suggestions were ignored, built in clock, USB connector for software upgrades, touch to another detector for program sharing, among others.

My Suggestion for the V3i or MX-Sport is to find someone to buy it and let it go. If you have to keep it for a back up detector then do so. I kept my Whites DFX as my back up / Loaner detector. Between the Whites XLT and DFX these are the two very best detectors that Whites ever made.

Garrett is now the go to folks for repairs, parts, upgrades to all Whites equipment, but I would suggest just sell your V3i and move on with life!

There are many other easier to learn detectors in the market so why waste your time and energy trying to deal with a very difficult detector. I realize that every new detector has a learning curve but the V3i is by far the most difficult detector to learn/understand. ;-)

So true. A Su-57 jet is a complete piece of junk - unless you know how to fly it. Most of us rather stay with cars - and why not.
I consider V3i one of better machines even now. A bit old fashioned, a bit heavy but still a champ performer.
 

prospexican

Full Member
Nov 28, 2013
225
49
Nevada
Detector(s) used
Gemini-3 best expert.
gpx 5000, fisher 2 box, whites sierra madre, eagle ll w big foot, gold bug, GMT, MD-5008, Detectron 2 box. etc. metrotech 480, and ferromagnetic magnetometer FX-3. fisher CZ-20
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
So my other White detectors are pretty easy to let go of without remorse or dwelling on whether I lost money or not.

My timing of being out of the hobby for a couple years or more kinda had me flat footed when I came back to find Whites gone.
Should of sold it as soon as I bought the Nox 800 but we?ve all heard of shoulda coulda woulda.

The only detector I ever bought new was the V3i and I bought the wireless headphones with it and have I think 5 coils with rods attached.
And I never use it now that I have the Nox.

This is not a sales pitch by the way.
I don?t know what I?m doing yet.

A back up maybe?
Yeah but seems kinda silly.
I?d rather buy another Nox for a back up so I didn?t have to learn all over maneuvering through that menu.

Anyway? I?m just venting I guess.
I?m not angry or bitter.
I live with my decisions.
But what the hell am I going to do with this thing?
on mineral grounds it goes crazy and very unstable, it was giving us false readings every 3 to 5 inches while a pi minelab was quiet.
 

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