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explorer xs.. is it worth it?

S

splodger1

Member
Hi all. Just wondering if its worth getting an explorer xs considering minelab dont repair them anymore? Im only 18 and at college and i dont have alot of money to throw around... Do i get the xs and hope it doesnt die in a few months or go for something newer? Ive always wanted an xs... My dream machine... Keep in mind i cant spend more than 550...
 
For $550 you should be able to get an Explorer II or maybe even an SE. Both of these Explorers are still serviced by MInelab, respectively have a faster, and a much faster processor, and display FeCo instead of just Co. Why settle for an XS when you have the money for newer models, that have some really worthwhile features?
 
I thought about buying an used Explorer XS or II, but I didn't want to take the chance on circuit board going bad and losing my investment so I bought an used SE Pro. For a few dollars more you could get a used SE or SE Pro. From what I read on this forum there are a lot of people still using their XS which are between 10 and 13 years old and think that it is best Explorer. I really don't if it is or not, but I know that if something goes wrong with my detector I will be able to get it fixed.

John
 
I would love to be able to afford a II or SE but because im in australia the 550 needs to cover shipping as well... Im guessing 10 years would be nearing the end of an xs's life span?
 
I say go for it. Usually if an electronic device doesn't fail in the first year or two then chances are there are no construction flaws in the circuit board that are going to show up down the road because they would have already. Like say a bad solder connection, or a defective resistor or something that will fail in the first year or two. So long as you treat the thing right, meaning not getting it wet or leaving it in a hot car, the risk of an electronics failure is pretty much gone by now is the way I look at it.

Yes, I agree...if you can swing an EII then get one of those. Not so much for reliability reasons, but just because there are a few perks to that machine versus the XS. On the other hand, I understand that there are many XS users who swear it's their favorite Explorer and have good reasons for that. There are many who say the EII has the best "flutey" hit on silver at extreme depth of any of the FBS machines. However, others have differing opinions on just which Explorer is their favorite. The SE of course is a great option and there are great used prices on it as well these days. Just the better pinpointing function of that machine alone makes it worth considering. I'd recommend putting a Pro Coil or a 12x10 on whichever Explorer you get. I was never a big fan of the 10" coils on my Explorer IIs. However, I've heard so many good reports of what a 12x10 or Pro Coil has done for any old Explorer that had a 10" coil on it, that I'm looking to once again add another EII to my line up and will use it on days when I'm the mood to have a computer screen to look at and play with. Some days I just miss my Explorers for that, as well as a few other things about them. Depending on the mood I'm in for that day it'll determine which one of my Minelabs I grab for that day's hunt.

Good luck deciding which model you can/should get. If you shop around you can find some really good prices on all the Explorer models used.
 
n/t
 
so did i, called up minelab here in south australia and they don't stock any of the xs parts anymore.... earliest is explorer II
 
splodger1 said:
thanks for the advice all, ill have to go with the XS and hope it doesnt mess up, excited though!

hh Jeremy
Click to expand...

Post some pictures of your finds.

John
 
I've had my XS since 2000 and it still works great, I'm still using it and still making finds at parks I've hammered for ten years and see no reason to replace it at this time.
 
I use my xs a lot. Mine has a goofy power up problem sometimes.. I paid two hundred bucks for it.. And yes I do love it , just wish I could get it fixed ..Minelab will not fix board problems on the xs.. kinda a shame , but I like a lot of other people these days , I do not have thousands of dollars to spend on a detector that finds mostly pennies.. Not much gold in the ground in central Wisconsin... I have found a lot of nice and more valuable coins with my xs . When it dies , I will spring for a new or newer model .
 
If you mean the power switch has trouble working some times then take it apart and clean the "pad" thing that's under the plastic face plate where the actual "buttons" are. Use vinegar to do that. That's an old trick for appliances that have push pad type buttons on them.
 
Will give that a try, but I am thinking its the power supply board more than the switch.. but it could be the switch.. sometimes it works fine..especially if I leave the battery in it for a long time..
 
I have a small background to some small extent in electronics and also went to HVAC school which enhanced that. Point is we were taught that 9 times out of 10 an electrical problem is due to a bad connection, or in the case of your machine probably a bad solder joint. That is, if it ain't the switch thing. What I'm saying is that if the switch board cleaning doesn't work then while it's open a handy trick is to power it up while apart and use a non-conductive item such as a Popsicle stick to wiggle at various components on the board a little bit. If it powers down then bingo, that's the spot to look closely at for a bad solder connection to fix. Not a good idea to use your finger only because you might zap a chip with static electricity unless you ground yourself first. Also tug on a few wires or connectors to see if that causes the power to go out.
 
THis is george in Indiana. What happened with our deal? if no longer interested in my Xs why didn"t you let me know.......
My email is orchard1945@hotmail.com what is yours. check my new relisting Jermey
 
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