What to buy MINELAB or WHITES

[getgoldct]

Hi I am going to buy a beach detector and it is between minelab excalibur 2, and whites surf pi. I will use it in and out of the water. I like things about each one, so if you have one tell what you like about and what you don't thanks

 

[jeff of pa]

Welcome !

I'm partial to minelab so I'm going to say minelab excalibur 2

&

I'm pretty confident I'm right

 

[getgoldct]

Thanks me to i have a 705 xtarra

 

[Jason in Enid]

I have both! You couldn't have picked to different machines to select from. I don't know what you mean exactly by "both in and out of the water". Are you talking about land hunting, or just talking about water and dry beach?

Are you talking fresh or salt water?
How much iron trash is at the beaches you plan to hunt?
Are you planning on hunting 4-6 foot deep water, or just shallow wading depths?

These are very important before making a recomendation.

 

[getgoldct]

I would be hunting dry beach salt water in the 4' 6' rang as for the iron not sure it would be a state beach in ct

 

[Jason in Enid]

I would be hunting dry beach salt water in the 4' 6' rang as for the iron not sure it would be a state beach in ct

Well then, it's kind of a toss-up. The final determining factor will be how "iron-y" the beach is. The PI will respond to EVERYTHING so you will be digging all the iron that is there. The Excal eliminates iron, but it loses more and more effectiveness the deeper you go into the saltwater.

On the beach, the excal is king. Deeper water, the PI rules. The Excal is more sensitive to very small low conductors than the PI. Without knowing anything else, I would tend to lean towards the Excal.

 

[The-Bone]

i just sold a PI machine on ebay and have no intention of going back....digging 18" for a piece of crab trap may be fun for some but not me

 

[OBN]

On the beach, the excal is king. Deeper water, the PI rules. The Excal is more sensitive to very small low conductors than the PI. Without knowing anything else, I would tend to lean towards the Excal.

I agree with jason, along with a few modifications the excalibur in the right hands, on the wetsand will out hunt just about all, the only one that comes close is the CZ20/21.........Just seen Connecticut, that can change a few things..what beachs are you planning on hunting...or area?

 

[U.K. Brian]

Not knowing your beach if you do go for the P.I. then you have to consider which Whites as there's two models and the later Pro version had the pulse delay removed in favour of a gain control. This was a bad move for me as it could make the detector unstable in various hunting conditions. Really there's a third option which is to look for a European or U.S. modified machine. Bill Crabtree did the mods in the U.S. and really charged nothing for the work (same with the Whites Classic VLF's). With his version you got both controls and you might as well have this edge.

On the Minelab front if I had an Explorer II I would want to upgrade the coil either to Minelabs latest or a SEF which means more expence. Could be that a better option would be to look at the Sovereign/Sovereign GT where you could afford a much newer machine.

 

[Treasure finder]

Another option is the Garret Infinium. It also doubles as a very effective nugget hunter which the
other two don't. For the beach the 14X10 Mono coil is best, for nuggets the 8 inch Mono is preferred
by most. Waterproof to 200 feet.
Rich

 

[getgoldct]

Hi thanks for the info, I have the minelab 705 and it has a gold setting that works well. I am looking for beach only unit. I don't have a problem with the price of the Excal as long as it works good. The areas I will hunt in ct, are most of the state beachs. Most of the beachs are privet down to the high tide mark so that limits places to hunt. I also have some spots in maine to hunt, there is steel from old lobster traps all over the place. I use a 6" coil there to help get around all the trash.

 

[Craig-PI]

Don't buy a pulse if you have a lot of iron on your beaches it will drive you crazy... I use the Dual Field for the water and clean wet sand and my GT for the iron infested area's on some beaches... I also hunt CT beaches..

Hi thanks for the info, I have the minelab 705 and it has a gold setting that works well. I am looking for beach only unit. I don't have a problem with the price of the Excal as long as it works good. The areas I will hunt in ct, are most of the state beachs. Most of the beachs are privet down to the high tide mark so that limits places to hunt. I also have some spots in maine to hunt, there is steel from old lobster traps all over the place. I use a 6" coil there to help get around all the trash.

 

[getgoldct]

Hi Craig, I live in Windsor so I will only get to the shore a handfull of times each year any pointers. I hunt almost every day with my 705, but it is all parks and schools no water.

 

[guzz1]

Minelab Excal don't do what I did . Not knowing My first MD was a White Surfmaster PI used it 1 day,, Hated it ... kellyco took it back and sold me an excal. End of story ...... BUY THE EXCAL .....

 

[getgoldct]

Thanks

 

[Craig-PI]

If you are not going to hunt much at the beach get the Excal and you can use it in freshwater as well up your way... a PI is deeper but unless you put your time in using alot it will frustrate the average beach hunter... shop around there are some very good prices for them out there

Hi Craig, I live in Windsor so I will only get to the shore a handfull of times each year any pointers. I hunt almost every day with my 705, but it is all parks and schools no water.

 

[getgoldct]

I found a great deal from TC metal detectors in Grandby CT. My buddy is also going to get one, So he said he would cut us a good deal for two. He is also going to kick in some extras.

 

[Can Slaw]

I live in an area with a lot of crab traps. There are a few beaches that I cannot use the PI. Those beaches I use the Excalibur. Your lobster traps sound like the same problem, I would go with an Excalibur.

Hi thanks for the info, I have the minelab 705 and it has a gold setting that works well. I am looking for beach only unit. I don't have a problem with the price of the Excal as long as it works good. The areas I will hunt in ct, are most of the state beachs. Most of the beachs are privet down to the high tide mark so that limits places to hunt. I also have some spots in maine to hunt, there is steel from old lobster traps all over the place. I use a 6" coil there to help get around all the trash.

 

[Ken~Digs]

What Treasure finder said