Did some extensive testing for a full week with the Minelab Pro Coil and.....

[Hotcz70]

I learned a LOT about the traits it exhibits for me.

In the last 6 days devoted to finding out how to make the pro coil click for me...I ended up with 42 keepers...10 silver (2 Barbers...6 Mercs-1 a 1916 ..and 2 Roosies)...3 Injuns'...29 wheaties...and ALL THREE pieces of a 10k white gold band.

[attachment 181049 protest.jpg]

I have no problem telling anyone that I don't use this coil much...and in fact stopped using it pretty much altogether and devoted my stock coil time to the SEF 10 x 12 and Sunray X-12.

During many and most hunts with it...I spent way too much time digging holes to nowhere...or digging up a nail, trash or iron that I would have bet money was a coin.

That bothers me because anyone who hunts with me will tell you I don't dig much iron or trash at all . Sure there are hunts where I am bored and not finding much...because the majority of my sites are parks that everyone and their dog hunt on a weekly basis. Sometimes the signals just arent there for me and I will "chase" stuff...so I already knew before I dug it that it was more than likely trash.

There is a big difference between digging something you feel "has a shot" at being a deep coin in with iron or trash...and digging something you already knew was probably "crap" before you dug it.

Before the ground froze up on me...I wanted to take this coil to some different sites which all had different conditions involved. (deep iron...trash...filldirt...EMI...etc). The only thing each site had in common was the fact that they are all very public places and have been heavily hit.

That doesn't bother me because I enjoy the challenge of trying to scare up another oldie or 2 from spots that are heavily pounded and that contain coins masked by iron or trash. I am happiest at these sites because I feel I'm at my best in iron.

[attachment 181053 herkysweater.jpg] [attachment 181055 herkycamo5.jpg]

Anyway...again as many of you know...in a very polite way I have on more than one occasion let you all know that I do not prefer the pro coil on my E-Trac...Explorer2...or my SE. In fact I don't like it much at all for the reasons stated above. I am not a "yes" man and if something does not work for me and many people I hunt with...I'll TELL you. On the other hand...if it does work for me... and my huntng buddies have witnessed it and know it works for them too...I'll tell you that as well. I am a straight shooter.

I can't count all the times...literally 100's in the past though...that I have gotten a nice signal repeating from multiple angles AND having that sweet sound to it with the pro coil...so I dig. Then I dig some more...some more again...only to find nothing...or a piece of iron or trash pretty deep.

Again...I do not have that problem with any other coil. Only the pro coil...and I wanted to get to the bottom of it and hopefully find a way to make the pro coil work for me since so many people do like it.

Well after spending many hours with this coil to specifically get to the bottom of why and how it happens to me...I feel I have really answered some questions that were driving me crazy about it.

I did a ton of experimenting over deep hits...listened closely..paid attention to what I heard..how what I heard transferred to what the SE screen told me...and to how all of this compared to what ended coming out of the ground.

What I found was that the pro coil handles iron a completely different way for me than my SEF and Sunray. Do I like the way it does in iron for me?...no...but I can deal with it. It is not a forgiving coil and I can not hunt with it the same way as I do the other mentioned coils. It is what it is.

On the Sunray and SEF coils I can take a shot on one way hits...two way intermittent hits...and hits that sound sweet in only one spot...and many times be rewarded with a deep silver coin in iron or trash. That does happen often for me because I know what to listen for on these two coils.

The pro coil however does not do that for me. If it doesn't repeat at multiple angles...then 99 out of those 100 times I mentioned...it is not a coin or good target. It ended up being iron or a super deep piece of trash. If I "turn" with the pro coil and the signal does not repeat 100%...I have learned to walk on.

One other very important fact I noticed at one site in particular was that even though I got a very sweet sound with the pro coil that repeated...the cursor did NOT coincide with the sound I heard.

I was amazed at 8 very good repeating hits with the pro coil from a 20 foot section that I hammered with my SEF and Sunray coils. My face lit up over each and every one of these targets and I would have bet money they were deep coins because of the solid high warble I got. However...on smartscreen the cursor did NOT hit and flutter around the top right. In fact on each and every one of the 8 hits...the cursor was below where injuns' hit and towards the center of the screen..yet the sweet high warble was there.

The results...all 8 targets ended up being crap. 4 were old suspender buttons and the other 4 were old shotgun shell ends. Both the SEF and Sunray told me these were crud or I would have dug them. They were all solid signals...but both the other mentioned coils gave me a lower sound as well as having the cursor coincide with the sound. That is why I did not dig them the first time with the SEF and Sunray.

I don't know why this happens for me with the pro coil...but is a fact because my hunting buddy Dave came over on each of the 8 targets to run his 10 x 12 SEF coil over them. Each and every time he heard a "no dig" signal...just as I had obviously heard on my passes with the SEF. Now what I mean by a "no dig" signal is that it was way too low to be a silver or injun'...and the cursor stayed low too...as it should.

This sounds like a negative post but trust me it's NOT. I am THRILLED I took the time to "figure" out this coil and what I personally need to do to make it a weapon for me.My point to all of this...well once I figured out the 2 facts I pointed out and adapted my hunting style to them: 1) The pro coil must give me a more stable and repeating hit when I "turn" than my other coils before I dig....and 2) The cursor placement needs to match the sound I hear over deep targets...things really started to click for me using this coil. I mean I started finding deep masked coins...and a lot of them. Not just at one site either...but multiple sites.

[attachment 181055 herkycamo5.jpg] [attachment 181056 barber2holed.jpg] [attachment 181057 barber2holee.jpg]

After the testing I did I realized the pro coil gave me more opportunities to dig IF I wanted them...which can be good or bad depending on your hunting style and preference. If you're a feller' who likes a more open screen and likes to dig lower conductors...then you're gonna' dig more anyway. However IMHO if you're a feller' who likes to dig less and concentrate more on silver and injun' type hits while making the most of your hunt time...then for me...I needed to make adjustments based on the exact two findings I just pointed out.

[attachment 181058 barber2holec.jpg] [attachment 181059 barberhole1.jpg] [attachment 181060 barberhole4.jpg]
I found out a couple things I already knew as well: IMHO the SEF 10 x 12 and Sunray X-12 are more stable for me in iron and can be run at higher sensitivity levels.

However the pro coil is VERY sensitive to small items and EXCELLENT at hitting deep coins on edge...so when I'm not in heavy iron...I WILL definitely put a LOT of time on the pro coil.

End result...I LOVE this coil...and I would have taken some big bets that you would NEVER hear me say that.

I have a lot of frustrating hours invested in coming to this final decision...but all of those frustrating hours were MORE than well worth it because of what I truly learned. This is just an AWESOME coil.

It's VERY sensitive... and with hunting season coming to a close...I am VERY excited about next year and the possibilites this coil brings to my table.

[attachment 181054 herkycamo.jpg]

Between my Sunray X-12...10 x 12 SEF...and now the pro coil...it should be a fun season next year.

 

[Idaho PRB]

That was an excellent post! Thank you for the very detailed explanations and taking the time to share your findings. I am excited to use my pro coil as soon as I can. I really appreciate first hand observations that expand my knowledge base.
Thank You,
Idaho PRB

 

[Erik in NJ]

I'm very glad to read this well written, well balanced review, because when I first added the Minelab Pro coil to my SE I was of course a bit sceptical whether it was worth the extra investment, and then very soon thereafter I knew it was a winner! In fact my first coin with it was a Large Cent (my second at the time) -I have dug four more Large Cents and an 1837 Hard Times Token this summer and two Spanish silver reales (as well as a 1623 Spanish Marevedis cob last summer!) with it, as well as numerous Colonial Era relics I now feel that it is one of Minelab's best upgrades. That same day, and the day after, I dug 12 silver coins including a Rosie that was cut into thirds! Each piece was located in a different hole -- with the last piece hitting hard and being quite small - took forever to find it! This find is shown in Andy Sabich's latest book for the doubters. I also own the bigger SEF coil and have re-covered ground I have searched with the very ergonomic Pro Coil and have found nothing, nil, NADA, with the big SEF that the Pro Coil missed! I'm in NJ and there's a lot of history, so I hoped to clear the ground with the Pro Coil and finish up grabbing the deeper targets with the bigger SEF.... boy was I disappointed! I saw BigFangCoinBiter's post about digging deep nails with the SE -- since mounting the Pro Coil that is a thing of the past for me with the SE Pro and ID in pinpoint. I love when you stress the benefit of this little touted feature, because to me it is an invaluable tool and a HUGE time saver. Thank you for bringing it to my attention again and again. It's analogous to hunting without the X-1, which I will not do without on an Explorer/E-Trac....just like I will not hunt without my VibraProbe complementing the X-1. It all comes together like a band with these components to create an awesome hunting machine. Thanks again for leading by example and taking the time to revisit an re-evaluate this awesome coil!

 

[Idaho PRB]

Bryce,
I would just like to request that you keep this review handy so I can find it readily.
Thanks again!
Idaho PRB

 

[teleman2525]

thanks bryce nice post i started with the pro coil went to 10 by 12 loved it but have been back with the pro last few times out and find much of what you said matches what ive seen so this backs me up i do like the pro coil but yes it is truly different then 10 by 12 both great minelab tools for the se happy hunting all

 

[dasho]

Great post...
A couple of days ago I knocked the dust off the old Pro coil after using only the three Sunray coils for a long long time...
both on my E-Trac & my XS...
um...it was like threading a needle with gloves on...your 2 points ring so true, now that I think about how it acted...
I could only hang with it for a couple hours, even though I did find a worn Barber dime at 8" under old gnarly roofing nails...
After reading your report, maybe I won't give up on it quite yet...

 

[niterider_58]

for what its worth i find the same results when i use these same coils and on both the explorer and e-trac for me the 10x12 works the best for me here in IL.I also like the 6x8 and 12x15 the sound on deep coins just sound better on these SEF Coils that's just my honest opinion.

 

[Junkdigger]

Congrats on the nice finds! The junk signals you dug I would not have been able to walk away from. They could possibly be gold coins. I have yet to find one but someday. My hunting buddies give me strange looks when I have to go back to the car and empty my pouch of trash several times in a few hours.

 

[Big Fang Coin Biter]

I noticed that the Pro Coil hits extra hard on what I figure were less than great signals for other coils. I never actually compared coils though. I do know that if I want to tell depth by hit volume, I have to bump the gain down a notch or two. I never noticed the deep iron sounding like a coin thing with mine though maybe it is because I am using the EII. I have dug some holes that had disappearing signals though - figure they were iron falses.
Thanks for the report and Nice Finds!
BF

 

[Erik in NJ]

Hopefully he'll post it at the top with the other reviews!

 

[Bell-Two]

Thanks so much for the cogent and important review. I assume your findings were the same on the E-Trac as well as your Explorers. I use the E-Trac and the stock Pro Coil that came on it. I just got the Sunray X8 and just briefly tried it out before it got cold and snowy here. This may be a hard question to answer if you had only one coil to use between Pro-Coil, SEF 10 x 12 or Sunray X-12 which would you choose? Your review on the Sunray X8 was a big factor on my choosing it so I do value your opinion.

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

Very good write up on your experiences with the Pro coil and some nice finds to boot. I'm sure with some guys who are new to Minelab detectors this may be a little confusing, but you couldn't have written it any better I don't think even for the most novice users. I like my Pro coil and have done pretty well with it and I have the SEF 10x12 also, but haven't used it very much yet so I can't compare the two. All coils are definitely not the same and depending on the conditions and how your machine is set up the bottom line is that you still have to swing your coil over that sweet spot. Thanks for the write up Bryce.

Eddie

 

[Gold Nuggets]

Bryce.....as I was reading your re-evaluation results on the Pro coil, I was nodding my head
to what you had written. I did basically the same types of tests in my areas this summer and
came to the exact same conclusions as you did. The Pro coil does have its place in ones
detecting arsenal and is truly effective when you learn its little tricks. Thanks for the review.
Gold Nuggets

 

[Steve "Stonewall Brigade" Va]

Thanks Bryce, I really enjoyed your post. I haven't logged many hours on my SE with the pro coil, but I have noticed what you were saying but hadn't got to the point of really knowing it pretty much was the way it would act the majority of the time. You only confirmed what I was in suspicion of but not certain. Thanks again. HH

 

[Hotcz70]

I could quit my job

Hey...there's an idea

Seriously though...thankfully I don't have to choose just one coil... because the fact of the matter is that each coil has some traits or qualities that are unique to that particular coil.

There is NO perfect coil...at least for me. However there ARE a few coils that are close... and are just plain WEAPONS once you get them dialed in to suit your personal hunting style...settings...and learn to understand what they are saying to you once they pass over a target.

We all have our own personal preferences on what we like to "hear" before deciding to dig a target...and that all depends on your settings....soil conditions...site conditions...iron content...trash content...EMI...experience on your machine...what you have trained your ears to hear...headphone choice...and a ton of other factors.

There is no way I will tell someone what "THE" coil is because of all the varying factors I just mentioned.

All I can do is truthfully report my finds...results...opinions...quirks of each coil...traits of each coil...and facts about each coil I use and test.

It then has to be up to you to make the final decision on which you feel would be best for you.

I WILL tell you this...IF I personally had to narrow it down to 2 out of the 3 coils you mentioned...the Pro coil would obviously have to be the first one to go...ONLY because quite honestly...it simply does not handle iron for me as well as the other 2 coils. That is as honest and truthful as I can be.

Someone else might have a completely different opinion and completely different results...but you asked me...and I am being 100% honest about how I feel.

I personally LOVE to creep through iron infested sites...carefully listening for that faint high warble whining through the nulls...and that is the one and ONLY spot where I feel the pro coil doesn't perform for me like the other 2 coils do.

The OTHER side to this: I WILL absolutely be using the pro coil MUCH more in sites that aren't as iron infested. The pro coil really opened my eyes with it's sensitivity to small targets and deep coins on edge. To be blunt...it AMAZED me.

This brings me right back to my original statement...thankfully I don't have to choose just one coil.

PS: Thank you for the kind words

 

[LabradorBob]

Great post Bryce!
I have never used any other coil except a minelab smaller 8" coil.
So i learned to use it to the best i can.
I dont remember getting the same sound on the SE as i do the E Trac.
It seemed more to me on the SE i got the same Silver pitch for iron as Silver.
That made it very frustrating for me,having to watch the screen closely.
Now using the E trac, I get a tone much higher than Silver if it is iron.
and it will register 01-50 a lot of the time.
Kind of like running in ferrous i just learn to ignore the super high tone and listen for the other tones.
I am running a pretty simple program, I just have everything masked out from 28 to 35 or the bottom of the screen.
This is a little noisier like ferrous. But is super fast on targets close together.
The pro coil is super sensitive and i like that myself.
Which at first i thought was too noisy,( Too many targets).
But i learned to love it and slow way down and pay attention to each target.
It has paid off for me.And i am a lot more confident that i CAN find it if it is there.
But there are circumstances and places that are still super tough.
This is where the smaller coils come into play.
They even sort out the targets better,because they can get to targets that are closer together yet.
But the pro coil,for what it is worth,is a super coil.
And a pleasure to swing all day.
It would be interesting to have you Bryce or Someone try that for me.
I would say that one fourth of my screen is discriminated out,just at the bottom.
and see if the SE gives a higher than silver pitch for iron!

Thanks for the great post.

LabradorBob

 

[onemore]

...for anyone who is switching coils. The SEF coils definitely handle target discrimination very well, especially at max depth. I like the 10x12, but really love the 8x6.

 

[smkunder]

Great post Bryce, thanks for being there to help us with these kind of choices. I have the 10x12 SEF and the Pro coil. I like to swing the Pro coil a bit more, just because of a comfort level with the lighter weight, but I will switch back and forth, and hope to get a smaller coil next year.

Steve

 

[walker184777]

I have found so many Indians and old silver with the pro coil in trash.You just have to believe what the cruiser tells you.Also when you get a sweet sound and turn to check it and it goes away or breaks up most people will walk away from it. I go right back to the sweet sound and look at the cruiser, if it goes high to the right i dig .Found so many good coins this way. My friend would come and check my signal and say i would not dig that or it is junk.He would just shake his head when i dug it up and it was silver or a old Indian.He was using the ex 2 with stock coil .The Pro coil works best for ME using the very front tip of it to check those iffy signals. HH

 

[Bell-Two]

Thanks Bryce that is what I expected, different coils for different sites and styles of hunting. I appreciate your honesty.....and humility it is very charming in someone who obviously is wise and knowledgable about what they are saying. Thanks so much....and tell me where to send the quarter!