I come to the Mount of the Orcale in search of knowledge...

[KoenigPain]

Hello all.

Even though my Dad bought me an old metal detector from Radio Shack 30 years ago, I would consider myself a noobie looking at the vast amount of equipment available for the hobby today. I also have been hit with the bug to once again drop some coin on a unit and take up the hunt again.

With this in mind, I have been lurking on the board trying to make a determination as to the best unit to buy based on my requirements. I have about $600 to spend. I would love to hunt for relics, coins, jewelry and do little prospecting as well (I live in south central PA and we have some streams in the area that are purported to contain bits of gold).

I think I have narrowed down my choices to 2 Whites units. These being a used XLT or a new/used MXT. From what I read the XLT is a good machine but I am not sure it will give me the prospecting aspect that I would like to include. Is this the case or can the XLT, if programmed properly, be used to for prospecting as well? I also hear a wrap against the MXT is that it does not show icons but only digits.

I would love to hear what this group thinks.

Thanks and Happy Hunting…

[leslie(nova scotia)]

From the land ofthe Bluenose...good luck on whatever you choose sir! Swing low, swing slow and dig deep!

[Dugday]

Very good response... Slow ....... Low ....... & .... Deep

[RingDancer]

I do not know the XLT,or the MXT but I have a White's DFX and I am very proud of it! Learn your digits, and icons do not really matter! I go by tones then check my digits and so on. Some of those deep targets you just have to listen to what your detector is telling you. When you are digging deep...dig it all! Do not know anything on prospecting with these machines, but I have found gold with the DFX! I agree with the others what ever you choose, sure you will be pleased!

Oh and welcome to the forum! HH
Pat

[Harry(PA)]

When I was in Laughlin,Nev. for a convention there was a lady from Whites who presented the Whites workshop. This lady has the experiance of testing thousands of Whites detectors. She had several MXT detectors to show. She gave an excellent talk on the features and merits of this machine. She did say that it was specifically designed for the person who wants a combined standard detector and a gold detecting machine. When you switch into the gold mode I understood that it is really another detector. Meaning it is a totaly different program. From her lecture I have to say that if I lived where there were gold nuggets instead of our grainey gold powder I surely would have one.

Just my opinion
Harry PA

[KoenigPain]

All, Thanks for your thoughts and comments. I think I am leaning towards the MXT. I got 2 price quotes from KellyCo in the span of a week. They were both significantly below MSRP. I would love to hear from any vendors (especially sponsors here) to see what they can do on a new one as well. The other alternative I have is keeping a sharp eye out on EBAY.

Again thanks for the input and good hunting.

[TonyinCT]

The DFX is not designed to find gold as in nuggets, It will find them but not as well as other detectors designed to do so. The gold mostly found with them are in the form of jewelry which is not pure in state.
The MXT however (as stated above) can find the gold as in nuggets but the standard 9.5" coil is not the one to use to do it. An elliptical coil such as the mini-shooter is really the choice here. The MXT does have icons for various target ID's. If you let me know what "they" quoted you , I'm sure I can match the deal and then you get me ; a dealer with 30 years+ experience.Not a salesman.