Metal Detector Brand Questions!

[M-Taliesin]

Howdy Folks!
I have always been an avid White's user. I've actually bought quite a few machines in less than 4 years I've been doing this hobby. I started with the XLT, then before a year had passed, found enough to afford a new MXT 300. When the brand new V3 came along, why I was the first guy in Colorado to buy one, and later got it upgraded to the V3i. For Yule one year, I bought a Prizm 6T for my wife. My latest purchase was the MXT Pro that I really like.

My questions are these:
Have any of you worked with the V3/V3i and also the Minelab eTrack machines?
If so, how do they compare?

Has anybody here worked with the Gold Bug 2 gold machine?
How did you like it?
If you are also familiar with the GMT, how do they compare?

Has anybody used the Fisher F-75? How do you like that unit?

I'm just considering new options now that I feel that my loyalty to White's has been diminished. Now I feel like I should have open options and consider other brands.

Thanks in advance for any information you may share.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[giant056]

Mel you have a mighty good arsenal already. That MXT Pro has got to be a killer machine.

[Lowjiber]

Has anybody here worked with the Gold Bug 2 gold machine?
How did you like it?
If you are also familiar with the GMT, how do they compare?

I have an MXT and am pretty familiar with the GMT, having used one for a week in the gold country of northern California.

Shortly after moving to Nevada, I came across a new GB II at an astonishing price. (That happens a lot around Vegas.) I've been using it in the Gold Basin area of northwestern Arizona instead of my MXT because of the much higher frequency.

The Bug is very sensitive to small gold, and overall performs very well. The major drawback is the need to constantly re-balance to maintain sensitivity. The GMT/MXT ground tracking system is far superior, but for desert gold prospecting, I prefer the GBII.

[russellt]

you ask to many questions cowboy.........MT ive always had whites machines. prizm II, xlt,dfx,V3i. thats one reason im now here abouts. i want to see what other brands are all about. with out the deathstar hovering over us :frozen:

[M-Taliesin]

you ask to many questions cowboy.........MT ive always had whites machines. prizm II, xlt,dfx,V3i. thats one reason im now here abouts. i want to see what other brands are all about. with out the deathstar hovering over us :frozen:


Howdy Russell!
Of all the people I really am happy to see make the trip over here, you are certainly one of them!
Can't tell you how happy I am to see your handle this morning! Welcome to a proper forum!
And I cracked up about that deathstar visual. One of the things I like about this forum is that we can talk about other machines by other makers without being sent to Guantanamo Bay, being reported to Homeland Security or having a moderator come down to slap the old wrist. Since my attitude has greatly diminished where the brand of detector I'm accustomed to using, I'm interested in what else might be out there and how folks feel about their machines. Not that people who already got our money really care all that much, at least I don't need to spend any more with that particular herd. Customer service may be excellent, but it should extend to everything that carries the brand, not just the machine.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[Evan/tn]

Yep we can finally talk about other brands... I feel naughty rofl

[wagon wheel]

Hey Mel...you know I share with you in your pain >:\...maybe we should , go buy another coil...I think that's usually the suggested fix :twirlingeyes:...just kidding, kinda' sorta. :behave: I, too, am eager to read feedback on your post. thumbsup01

w.w.

[fastfwd]

i work with a man that loves his e track. he can set ti to just find silver,or just find gold,he can take a buffalo run it across the coil and it learns that coin. wouldnt mind playing with one myself :)

[M-Taliesin]

i work with a man that loves his e track. he can set ti to just find silver,or just find gold,he can take a buffalo run it across the coil and it learns that coin. wouldnt mind playing with one myself :)


Howdy Pardner!
First, I gotta tell you how delighted I am that you've come to this forum! Way to go!
I figured Chris would tell you about this one, and anticipated you might show up! Glad to see you amigo!

And since I ain't particularly feeling appreciated right now, I am looking at machines from other makers for my next investment, which is likely to be in a few weeks from now. Since it looks like my loyalty has not been valued to the extent I thought it was, I feel liberated about going elsewhere and checking out other machines now. Etrac is one of the machines I'll be considering.

Thanks for the input, and again, glad to see you mosied into this here forum!

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[exsquid]

Rutrow, what's going on.....??

Out perform an MXT Pro.... are you kidding me.... :grin:

Jeesh, I go away for a few days and can't get to my computer and this is what happens....

Do we need to talk...

:cheesysmile:

:devilish:

[RaZR]

My neighbor down the road had an Explorer II in his garage that his brother gave him.
He got ahold of me to explain it to him. When i got there i see it has no battery pack.
So i took the whole thing home and got on the world wide intro web to find one. I found a place that had one and they shipped it quite fast. There wasn't any instruction
book with it either. So i printed off the over 100 pages at work. Then i started playing with it. And i found a 1920 wheat in my yard. I also thought the program that you could set up to teach it the things you wanted to find. You would have to get in good with a jewelry store owner to get all the different sizes and gold quality rings to load in it. But coins would be pretty easy to get. I found it to be an excellent detector. He came to get it and gave it back to his brother. I'm not sure if he's gotten it back or not.

[odave]

I see the Guy's on Meteorite Men use the Fisher..

[Epi-hunter]

I had a V3 for a couple of weeks when they first came out but was dealing with a lot of instability and ground balance issues so I sold it and bought an E-Trac. The two machines are apples and oranges different, in my opinion.

I recently bought a V3i which I am a lot happier with than I was with the V3, but I don't have anywhere near the experience with it that I do with the E-Trac. Both machines are capable of finding deep silver but I believe the E-Trac to be a bit more turn-on-and-go compared to more adjusting with the V3i. Also I like the easy ground balance - push a button and it's done. It's a very stable, incredibly deep machine.

Downsides to the E-Trac compared to the V3 are that it's heavier, requires a slower swing speed, doesn't have the color vector graph, and the screen can be hard to see in direct sunlight. Also it is not as sensitive to gold. Downsides of the V3i, in my limited experience, are what I mentioned before - more settings to adjust, not as turn-on-and-go, and harder to keep it stable and ground balanced.

Hope that helps. :)

I should add that I have never really been a 'brand loyal' person. I just like to use what works best for me. I have used machines by Garrett, Fisher, White's, Tesoro, and Minelab, and find there to be advantages and disadvantages to all. I just try to find the best balance for me.

[M-Taliesin]

I should add that I have never really been a 'brand loyal' person. I just like to use what works best for me. I have used machines by Garrett, Fisher, White's, Tesoro, and Minelab, and find there to be advantages and disadvantages to all. I just try to find the best balance for me.


Howdy Epi!
Thank you for your observations regarding the V3i vs. eTrac. That's the sort of information I can really use.
Where you haven't been 'brand loyal', I haven't used anything apart from White's. That's fixin' to change here directly. I figure likely to buy another machine in the spring, and it ain't likely to be a loyalty choice.

Since I already have a couple of MXT machines, I figure I'm all set for finding gold. But the V3i has struck me as disappointing. It worked okay (not nearly so good as the hype suggested) but certainly not capable of outgunning my MXT units. I never got any significant depth and it frequently would give false signals. Things got really bad though when one of the guys on the White's forum suggested it was a terrific idea to do a master reset on my machine. He boasted how well it stablized the machine and got rid of falsing. Well, I followed the directions to the letter, and ended up with a caliope on a stick! It was next to useless and performance was completely out the window. Even with stock programs, like the C&J, it just wasn't stable at all after that master reset. It was 10 times worse than it was before. The master reset transformed my mediocre performing machine to a really expensive paper weight. It is soon to find itself headed back to Sweet Home for the 3rd time since I bought it!

Anyhow, the info you provided was just the sort of feedback I need. Thank you muchly.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[Nitro 54]

Hey M-T, here is a test on the NEW Goldbug pro... They lowered the freq., so you would be just as well off using your V3i.

http://www.losttreasure.com/content/archives/fisher-gold-bug-pro

[odave]

Hey M-T, here is a test on the NEW Goldbug pro... They lowered the freq., so you would be just as well off using your V3i.

http://www.losttreasure.com/content/archives/fisher-gold-bug-pro


Cool site Glen !

[Lowjiber]

Hey M-T, here is a test on the NEW Goldbug pro... They lowered the freq., so you would be just as well off using your V3i.

The reduced frequency on the NEW GB pro really threw me a curve. My (older) GBII operates at 71kHz. Admittedly, as I stated above, it's a bit squirley when the ground is changing, and I wouldn't recommend it for a newbie. However, with a little experience it does just fine in the desert.

[beepn]

Mel
I currently have an Etrac,F 75,Mxt Pro and a DFX.The F 75 is the best detector I have ever used in real trashy spots.I use the 3X7 coil,discrimination 6,sensitivity is set to be stable,4 tones and get to work.It is noisy because it is so sensitive.The 11 DD coil is deep and the 10 concentric coil is stable.It has been a coin and jewelry magnet for me.I haven't had alot of time on the Etrac but it has been good at old sites with deep silver and copper coins.My least favorite is the DFX,it's my fault as I just don't know it that well.I like the MXT PRO.I have a Bigfoot coil,6X10 DD coil and a D2 coil for it.The MXT PRO will get head to head testing against the F 75 this spring summer.I plan on getting the small shooter coil for the MXT.

[applevalleyjoe]

I see the Guy's on Meteorite Men use the Fisher..


Yup...the F75. Nice instrument...it's on my short list.

[fastfwd]

Yep we can finally talk about other brands... I feel naughty rofl


Only reason i buy whites is they are made in America by Americans and the support is second to none ! Now with that said i have friends with mine labs , fishers, and others, the mine lab is one i am very interested in from the things owners have told me :)

[M-Taliesin]

Only reason i buy whites is they are made in America by Americans and the support is second to none ! Now with that said i have friends with mine labs , fishers, and others, the mine lab is one i am very interested in from the things owners have told me :)


Howdy Pard!
I don't know about how their customer service is at other locations, but the folks at White's factory, if you send in your unit, give you great service there. That being said.... Customer service shouldn't stop at the loading dock in Sweet Home! From what I've seen, it don't extend much beyond that.

Garretts is also made in the USA, as are Fisher and several other makes. Minelab, I believe is made in Australia. While White's offers a 2 year warrantee, other makers offer 5 years. Again, I don't know how their customer service is, but suspect it will match most major manufacturers or approach near to it.

So I am interested in F75 from Fisher, Gold Bug 2 from Fisher, eTrack from Minelab, and maybe a few other makes. I will be doing some research before spending another dime with White's.

It is a big factor with me that a machine ought to be made in America, so F75 has an edge there along with their Goldbug 2. But I like Aussies too, and am considering Minelab's eTrack. The bottom line, in my situation, is performance. My hope is to buy a machine that is sufficiently reliable that I won't need to worry about the warrantee or their customer service department.

I should also note that my V3/V3i has been back to Sweet Home twice already, and now has a whole new set of problems.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[coinnut]

If I had unlimited cash lol I would get whatever next generation beach machine Minelab is gonna come out with. I would love to try the Goldbug II or the 5000 series from Minelab for nugget shooting. And for relic hunting I would still be interested in seeing if the White's TDI pro can disc out nails and still hit on non ferrous targets in our cellar hole locations. Other than that I have no interests in any other brand or machine (at least for now ;))

[KYBuzzBox]

Hi Mel,

One of my hunting partners has an E-Trac. He got it about the same time I got my V3. Right out of the box he smoked me for the first couple hunts (aggravated the @#$!! out of me - the V3 almost got wrapped around a tree more than once). After I upgraded to the V3i and started learning the new software, I hold my own with him and actually smoke him on deep sliver and small gold.

We normally are relic hunting in cornfields (relatively clean dirt). The E-Trac is a little slower than the V3i but the depth is about the same. I like the tones on the E-trac better than the V3i (they are closer to what I had on my old compass VLF Relic Magnum). However, I like the V3i's ability to allow you to change settings on the fly and the Ground Balance seems to work better. Also, he had to send his back to ML after just 6 months. It took them 2 months to get it back to him (it now has a strange back tone:huh:). John bought an MXT Pro as a spare when he sent in the E-Trac. The last time I hunted with him he was using it instead of the E-Trac.

I have been looking at buying an E-trac myself until John sent his in. ML tech service isn't quite what we are use to from White's. I would like to try the F75 just to see how it compares to my V3i.

Hope this helps.....KYBuzzBox

[coinnut]

Minelab definitely has (or had) customer service issues. Most of it was due to the moving of it's service center from Las Vegas to Chicago along with the closing it's production plant in Ireland and moving it to Malaysia. Not only was (is?) service slow, but parts were hard to come by. Most of that is fixed now and I have heard of some 2 week turn around times on repairs. Bad news travels quick, good news crawls lol They will have to earn their good pats on the back from now on. They make a great line of products and they have converted me (after using White's since 1974), but they will have to keep me happy. I will move from brand to brand determined only by better technology, sturdy consrtuction and good customer service. That is where my dollars fall lol

[cobill]

Mel, howdy from Northern CO! I had the same questions you have and a couple years ago went from an SE to DFX, now to V3i. Well after a couple of hunts and a lengthy call to my MD dealer I've decided to also go back to ML and use the E-Trac. The dealer will provide user support and answer any of my questions...he also provides hands-on training and is nationally known for his finds on gold, coins and relics...so he isn't just pushing one brand, he will tell you the facts! My new E-trac will be here in a week and once we thaw out, I'll be finding the good stuff. Here is an interesting thread to read...by the way, I'm keeping the V3i for selected hunts in parks, beaches, etc and the E-trac for deep silver coins. :peace:

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?20,1271158,page=1

Bill
Laporte, CO.

[Lowjiber]

Has anybody here worked with the Gold Bug 2 gold machine?


I have a Gold Bug that's several years old. It operates on 71kHz (they don't make those anymore) and loves gold. I use it mostly in the Gold Basin in northeast Arizona.

It is certainly not a machine for a beginner, as it's very hard to ground balance without much practice. However, a user of you skill level would have no problems.

I actually bought it new-in-box about five years ago from a gentleman who had bought it as a gift, but never delivered it to the recipient.