Fisher F4 vs. Whites M6

[TG77]

I wondered if anyone had experience with both machines. I have heard great things about both and wondered how would stack up against each other head-to-head. How would the depth compare?

Happy Thanksgiving

TG77

 

[AndyNM]

Yep, i used the M6 for a long time and loved it until the F75 proofed to me that it is the better detector.

What i liked about the M6:

Selectable Tone ID (One tone or 7 tones),
Ground tracking switch (Beach, On, OFF)

What i didn't like was the angle of the grip, but Whites changes my M6 to the MXT style grip and that solved the problem for me.
Second problem is the 9.5 standard coil. That coil is way to large for a sensitive detector like that. I used it with the 6x4 DD coil and had good finds in trashy areas.
The 6x10" DD coil is a must have too.

It is a $699 detector that come with the wrong grip and coil. I don't know if Whites is going to upgrade it to the MXT style grip, you have to buy additinal coils (4x6 and 6x10 DD) to get the job done.
Then we talking about $900 to $1000 with the extra coils.

Now compare it to the F4. Right now you get it for $425 with three coils (11"DD, 8" round, 4" round). No extra coil to buy !
The F4 doesn't have that automatic ground tracking but it can be ground balanced manually in the auto tune all metal mode.
It won't beat the M6 on gold or other low conductive targets but it will do as good on silver.
The 11" DD of the F4 will cut better between the trash than the M6's 9.5" round coil.
The F4 has a better angle at the grip and a better feel.

The F4 is the better value, but if you're willing to spend $900 to 1000 to get the M6 to work you're better of to go for the F75 (like i did) or T2.

Hope that helps,

Andy,NM

 

[robert roy]

I don't know about the F75 or the F4 other than what I have read on our forum and the reports from
www.losttreasure.com and www.metaldetectorreviews.net. I would read the field reports at Losttreasure. I think that will help you somewhat.
Now about the MXT. I was out today at a park that has been hit really hard. I didn't get much except $1.33 in clad. BUT the thing is I used the 5.3 coil
on the MXT and got some unbelievable depth! I had the MXT in relic mode and the gain set at 9.

Now Imagine a softball field where the grass hasn't been cut for a couple weeks. Imagine a soft green shag carpet of grass about 2 inches thick.
I'm swinging the coil just skimming the grass then I get a solid signal of 79 ( a dime ). I zero in the pinpoint and when centered I press the coil down into the grass and get a true reading of 6 inches! Not bad for a 5.3 coil but even more so when you figure I had two inches above solid groud: 8 inches!!!
I started to dig. The first inch or two was loose but the deeper I went the ground turned into a kind of damp clay. No doubth the wet ground helped in the depth.

So my feeling is the MXT will probably do you really well. But the F4 is also a powerful machine and not as expensive. You also have more choice of coils with the F4, I am told. I understand one can use Bounty Hunter coils on the F4. Also keep in mind that you only have a two year warranty with Whites and a five year with Fisher. The thing is though, the machines are so well made that the warranty issue is a moot point but nice to have if something DOES go wrong.

I would still check out all the resources available here, and at the above websites so you will feel comfortable about whatever detector you decide on.
These are lean days and more of them ahead for us all in this country. Money IS tight.

Regards
Robert Roy

 

[Delaware Bill]

I have both and the M6 is by far my choice. My F4 is very erratic due to outside electrical interference. The only way that I can use it in many of the place I hunt is with sensitivity set to about 2 and disk all the way to Zinc otherwise it goes crazy from power lines about a quarter of a mile away, or when any type of vehicle goes by that has a lot of two way electronics in it, like police and fire vehicles to name but two. I have sent it into Fisher and it is still the same. It is less finicky with the BH 4" coil. Also, it has yet to meet a bottle cap that it doesn't ID as a quarter. I will say that it does have an excellent discrimination circuit and is real light to swing. The M6 is easier to set up and go with, it is extremely hot on gold and is as deep as almost any detector out. I think that if it came with a 11 inch coil like the F75 it would likely be as deep. Also, with the M6 you have the option of a Sun-Ray in line probe, not so with the Fisher. Just my opinion.

 

[AndyNM]

My F4 is very stable even at outside electrical interference.

The bottle cap jump more within the number range and they're only a problem with the 11" DD coil. Try the 8" coil in an area with lots of bottle caps. The 8" coil will ID them better.
Many DD coils I've used make detectors ID bottle caps as coins.

Hope that hepls,

Andy,NM

 

[Delaware Bill]

Andy, I thought that maybe my F4 had a problem and sent it back into Fisher, they had it almost 2 weeks before I got it back last Thursday. Since then I have been out with it 3 times and 2 of the 3 times have been anything but fun. I just can not use it anywhere that there is a substantial amount of electromagnetic activity. I have a park and some farm fields near me that are very productive with colonial artifacts that the F4 is useless in. Their is a power substation and some high voltage lines nearby along with a microwave tower. My Minelab Sov., Tesoro Deleon, BH Landstar, Whites M6 all work or have worked without any problems in this area. I took the F4 to an old school field this morning about 5 miles from there and it worked great. I was even able to pull a 1944 wheat cent from 6 inches. But, the few times emergency vehicles passed it would go crazy. I plan on keeping it but only as a backup as I do like how light it is, it even feels lighter than the Deleon. HH

 

[AndyNM]

I can offer you to send it to me, so i can compare it to my F4. If yours is different than my F4 and needs repair, I will ship you my F4 to keep and I take your F4 with me the next time i make it to El Paso. I have enough backup detectors (Platinum, F2, F75) so i can wait a few days for the F4 to get repaired. You would just have to pay for my F4 ship to you.

Andy,NM

 

[robert roy]

Andy:

I think your offer to trade machines with him is very generous.
Don't see people very often who are willing to go the extra mile for someone.
Your a good human being!

Regards,
Robet Roy

 

[ShawnP]

I was actually thinking of getting an M6 to replace my F4. This thread has me thinking I might need to skip to the XLT or DFX. Thanks

 

[willy]

If you get the XLT/DFX, be prepared for seemingly endless menu scrolling and adjustments. Also, you'll have the dubious pleasure of asking the question "Just WHAT did I disc./notch out?". ..Willy.

 

[robert roy]

Just curious: is there anything wrong with your F4? Why do you want to go with a Whites?
Is there a specific kind of detecting you want to do the the F4 can't accomodate?
Regards
Robert R

 

[Delaware Bill]

Andy, yours is a special offer not often seen, and I thank you. I have been trying the F4 in different areas with varying results. My feeling is that Fisher has it set on the higher end preset for the sensitivity and because of this it is more susceptible to outside EMF than my other detectors. In some areas that I hunt I can run it normal but if any power lines are around its flaky at best. I have a few more places that I want to try it at before I think of taking you up on your offer, and again many thanks. I will let you know how it fares. HH Bill.

 

[TG77]

Thanks for all the information. I have neither the F4 or the M6. I DO have a Garrett Ace 250. I have been less than pleased with it and just wondered what kind of step up I would be taking with either the Fisher F4 or the Whites M6.

The Ace 250 and it's pre-set ground balance have been a real downer as far as depth goes (at least in my soil conditions) Have heard others make good claims about depth for their 250. Mine air tests well. In ground? Another story.

I thought both the F4 and the M6 would be a step up.

 

[ShawnP]

[quote robert roy]Just curious: is there anything wrong with your F4? Why do you want to go with a Whites?
Is there a specific kind of detecting you want to do the the F4 can't accomodate?
Regards
Robert R[/quote]

No nothing wrong with it, I am happy with it actually, but my wife is also getting into the hobby and will be taking over the F4, so I thought I would upgrade a step or two. The F75 is also an option I have recently started to look at.

 

[lessthanzero]

[quote robert roy]Andy:

I think your offer to trade machines with him is very generous.
Don't see people very often who are willing to go the extra mile for someone.
Your a good human being!

Regards,
Robet Roy[/quote]

Robert, actually Andy, NM is a Saint in the MD world, he has always given me some great information, I have found some interesting stuff on his website. I for one appreciate Andy, NM for his expertise with MD equipment and his unselfishness to help others. Yeah, Saint Andy has a gold ring to it. Thanks........my TID seems to always read lessthanzero

 

[casper]

Tony, If you are not happy with the deal we made bring the F2 and F4 and I will give you back your Explore SE. With no problem,,,Bob

 

[robert roy]

Good luck with that. I'd read some of the reviews though on the F75-)
Robert R