6" excelarator coil or 8x6 sef? Which one is better?

[88junior]

I plan on getting one of these 2 coils and am leaning more towards the 6" excelarator due to pinpointing and target separation I hunt some pretty junky areas. With the pro coil in one swing I get multiple signals. I am new to the E Trac and just figured the smaller coil will also help me in identifying good from bad signals and learning the sounds better. With the 8x6 I am worried the target separation won't be as good even though the depth will be better. So you guys who use either or both feel free to chime in and tell me what you guys would get and why. Thanks for your help I just don't want to get one and wish I had got the other. This E Trac by the way is my 2nd Minelab the first being a xterra 50. I wish I could afford to get the SunRay X-5 but it's a little out of my budget.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

I plan on getting one of these 2 coils and am leaning more towards the 6" excelarator due to pinpointing and target separation I hunt some pretty junky areas. With the pro coil in one swing I get multiple signals. I am new to the E Trac and just figured the smaller coil will also help me in identifying good from bad signals and learning the sounds better. With the 8x6 I am worried the target separation won't be as good even though the depth will be better. So you guys who use either or both feel free to chime in and tell me what you guys would get and why. Thanks for your help I just don't want to get one and wish I had got the other. This E Trac by the way is my 2nd Minelab the first being a xterra 50. I wish I could afford to get the SunRay X-5 but it's a little out of my budget.

The X-5 might be out of your budget but it's worth it in the long run! Sun Ray makes quality products that last and out preform the others. Do a bit of research.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

I did a lot of research on small coils before I decided to get a 6" Excellerator coil - I've used this little coil for over 1000 hrs. now and I'm beyond happy with it !
The reason I went with the 6" Excellerator coil over the 6 x 8 SEF is because of it's closed / no spoke design - no hang ups on brush stubble - a very important feature to me !
This little coil pulls 8" + Dimes - has great separation in heavy iron - is fantastic for getting in tight spots - and pinpoints like a laser !

I've never used a 6 X 8 Excellerator coil - but I've heard nothing but great things about them.
The 6 x 8 will also cover a little more ground and will probably go a little deeper than the 6" coil.

Here's a link to Bryce Brown's ( the Moderator of the Minelab Explorer forum ) field tests on small coils - a ton of great info. here ! >>> http://www.findmall.com/read.php?19,1055627

In the long run - I'm sure you'll be happy with either one of these coils - good luck !

 

[rickinsdakota]

I have been detecting the lawn of an 120 year old home for the last 30 years. There is about a 10 foot perimeter around the house that I just could not detect because it is almost solid roofing nails and trash. Earlier this summer I bought an Etrac. i used the stock coil and found a few more coins but nothing great. Then 2 weeks ago I bought a X-5 from Bart. I have hunted the perimeter of this house for about 4 hours but still have a lot left to hunt. I have found a 1902 V-nickel, a 1880 and 1905 Indian head penny, a no date SL quarter and a 1917 SL quarter standing on edge. There have been a few wheat's also. I believe almost all of these had a nail in the hole with them. The deepest of these has been about 6 inches. This is also in parched ground that has only had 3/4 inch of rain since the end of May. This is the only place I have hunted because the lawn is in bad shape and the house was abandoned. What the Etrac has done for me is reopened several lawns that were hunted out in our small town. I feel I can go back and re hunt everything I have hunted through the prior years.

 

[pescadore]

I wish I could help but the X-5 is all I have experience with and it is a great coil !!! Good luck with whatever you choose, I have heard good things about both coils.

 

[Sailorman]

Another gent who can only speak for the X-5 here but it sure is great for picking through heavy trash. Takes patience but it'll getthe job done. Also have heard great things about those other two coils but can't speak from personal experience.

 

[hershey1]

I have the Sun-Ray X-5 and the 6X8 SEF. The X-5 is a very good coil and what I consider a small coil. The 6X8 SEF is also a great coil that does everything well but in my opinion is more of a mid-size coil. Like was said earlier you won't be dissappointed with either. HH

 

[niterider_58]

You can't go wrong with either one of these coils they're both awesome, but if you're talking about extremely trashy iron infested worst-case scenario than the 5 inch will find you a whole lot more coins in my opinion. Good luck in your choice

 

[Jeff in Pa]

I have the 6" and the stock. One thing to think of is something that irritates me, when I am swinging the stock coil, because it's an open coil I "catch" the grass or whatever too many times because I like to "scrub" the grass. I wish there was a full body coil cover for the stock. That 6x8 is an open coil and the 6" is not. I love how I can swing thru all or the tall grass I am in with that 6". They are both great coils and that would be a tough decision but for me the solid bottom of the 6" is a better choice.

 

[morelic55]

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?3,1106321,1106321#msg-1106321

Tesoro 11" coil cover will fit the Pro Coil .....

I have the 6" and the stock. One thing to think of is something that irritates me, when I am swinging the stock coil, because it's an open coil I "catch" the grass or whatever too many times because I like to "scrub" the grass. I wish there was a full body coil cover for the stock. That 6x8 is an open coil and the 6" is not. I love how I can swing thru all or the tall grass I am in with that 6". They are both great coils and that would be a tough decision but for me the solid bottom of the 6" is a better choice.

 

[looknforgold]

I have used the 6in Excelerator Coil with good success. It's pretty awesome in the trash, it can be deadly using it in TTF....

 

[Tenspeed]

I have had both coils (6" Excellerator and 6x8 SEF) for over three years now and they are both good for their own uses. The 6x8 is great in trashy areas, but if you are in a really trashy spot the 6" is even better to hear signals between trash with. They are both good on depth, but you will lose a little over the stock coil.

You can't go wrong with either one of these coils.

 

[Critterhunter]

The way I look at going to a small coil for heavy trash is that I want the smallest coil possible for max separation as that's it's primary purpose. That also means I want a round coil, because an odd shaped coil is a trade off in separation to some extent in order to attempt to gain more depth. That seems to be fighting the logical purpose of a small trash coil in my mind. Now, that said, I'm not knocking odd shaped small coils like the 8x6. I know people think it is an outstanding coil with excellent depth and still great separation.

On the other hand, I'm using the Sunray 5" (5.5" actually) coil and I'm shocked by it's depth. This little coil has pulled me already a dime at around 7" deep, and it hit so hard and good that I think it could have been easily 9" deep or maybe even deeper and I still would have got it. That just blows my mind, because all my non-Minelab machines in my soil would struggle to get 7" deep using a 8 or 10" coil. In fact, only a few non-Minelab machines I've owned could barely muster a maximum depth of about 7.5" on a dime in my soil.

For that reason, I'm glad I bought the Sun Ray and don't even have any real worries with the depth issue. When I'm using it for heavy trash I'm confident it will get as deep as most coins can even sink at some of my sites, and I know in terms of separation length wise the smallest round coil is where it's at. Strangely though, width wise I *think* the 12x10 actually might have an even tighter DD line and somewhat better separation in that respect. I haven't tested that to see if it's true though, I'm just really impressed with how laser like the width of it's detection line is. For that reason I'm sure the 8x6 is one awesome little coil.

If you can't afford a new Sun Ray then put a Want To Buy ad in Findmall's detector accessories forum. That's how I got mine. Or, the excelerator is cheaper new and I've heard good things about that coil too. I've only read one test where a guy tested the Sun Ray against the Excelerator and found the Sun Ray was deeper for him and a more stable coil, but take that with a grain of salt because 99% of what I've read is that the little Excelerator is a outstanding little coil too.

 

[wildherre]

That is really 2 different categories, small and medium..You will have to decide which one you need.. Both are excellent coils & I prefer the 6" over the X-5 .... a little more coverage & depth but still excellent separation.... The 6x8 is just a little short of depth of the Pro Coil but is big enough & deep enough that I have left it on all day when I could have stood the Pro Coil... With the 6", if you run out of the trash & into clear hunting you will soon be looking for a bigger coil... If money is short , buy a 6" and then pick up a 6x8 also when you can afford to.... wildherre

 

[Jeff in Pa]

WOW! Thanks a Million! I didn't know this. I will be ordering one tonite!

 

[88junior]

Well guys I ended up getting the 6" excelarator EQ2 dd coil I believe this baby will hunt!! Got it used for 65 dollars so it didn't hurt the wallet to bad!! Look out trashy sites here I come!!!

 

[Jeff in Pa]

Very good choice, That coil gets excellent depth and you will see that it will run hotter than the stock coil.

 

[tippyhound]

Good choice on the 6 " Accelerator. I do not own that coil but I do own the Sun Ray X 5.5. I also own the 6X8 SEF coil. The 6x8 SEF is a good coil but I have found it to be very hot and tough to use in areas where there is much close metal like swing sets and playground equipment, it wants to sound off all the time and you just can't get very close. The smaller 6" will work much better in those conditions. I'm sure you will be much happier with it. You also won't see much difference in depth ability, and separation of trash is much better as well. Best of luck Rick IL

 

[88junior]

Thanks Rick I will let you now how I do on my next hunt using this coil I have one site in mind that has yielded silver but it's just so trashy and I know this coil here will help separate the good from the bad.

 

[E-TREC-Virginia]

I think you'll love your EQ2 Pro. That was the coil I was using when I found my 1834 Bust Dime buried around 9 - 10 inches deep.