Got Another X-Terra 70

[steve herschbach]

Hi,

I had one of the early X-Terra 70 units and really liked it. It got used quite a bit, and I left it at my mine last summer for others to use.

It got pretty scuffed up and so I went ahead and sold it to Paul (Old California) who I believe has since sold it.

Well, long story short is that the snow is finally gone here in Anchorage and I have been out doing a bit of detecting. I ended up missing the X-Terra 70, particularly it's Prospecting Mode. And so I got another one with the 10"x5" DD coil and have been out using it. This time I'm not going to loan it out as I think I'll be keeping this unit for awhile.

The X-Terra 70 is by no means the perfect detector, but it suits my gold hunting preferences very well. The new street price of $699 with two coils I think is a very good detecting value. Now if they would just get that smaller coil out the door I'll be all set.

Steve Herschbach

 

[bfodnes]

Hi.

I am no nuggethunter but love the feel and sound of a true all metal hum when field hunting. Also in the woods, where signals are sparse its one of the best tools I can use.

I find the p mode on the X-T 70 to be very stable and very minor changes in the threshold due to targets can easily be recognized and to good depths too.I have other experiences with other detectors.

I wonder if You Steve as a very experienced user of P modes on many detectors can tell me if that is my imagination or that this P mode on the 70 is really special.

Im asking this cause you said you missed it.

regards.

Bjorn

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Bjorn,

Yes, I'd say my specialty is all-metal detecting. Not just nuggets but gold jewelry. I'm not bragging to say I've lost track of how many pounds of gold I have detected over the years.

The Prospect Mode of the X-Terra 70 really works well for me. I was out using it tonight. I hunt ground that disc modes are almost worthless in. I have access to any detector made and try them one against the other all the time. The X-Terra 70 in disc mode is ok, but the Prospect Mode is competitive with the best. What I like is the ease with which one can switch between modes.

The fact is I dig mostly lead and aluminum. I was digging aluminum tonight with the XT70 and loving every minute of it. If I am not digging foil I'm not happy and the XT70 is pulling up small foil that other machines leave behind. If that sounds crazy then I guess I am. I'll post later what digging the aluminum gets me!

Steve Herschbach

 

[bfodnes]

Then its not just my little experience with prospecting only machines but a fact that it is very very good.

Makes me wonder about the price on the 70 too, its really a bargain. In my opinion a better then average discriminating detector with way better then average depth and at completely different settings a top of the line VLF prospecting machine.

Another thing a need confirmation on is that think it handles high minerals much better then any I have tried ( have tried many ) Its also a Dandy on bedrock, the bedrock around here blinds my Explorer but dont see any effect on the 70.

Now,, Hailing Minelab. I wish the rumors about the X-T 90-100 or even SE was true. I would like the prospecting mode to have ID capability.

Waaahoooooo.

regards.

Bjorn

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Bjorn,

We have some extremely nasty hot rocks at my mine. It really is a place for ground balancing PI units like the Minelab SD/GP units or the Garrett Infinium. Most VLF units constantly false on the rocks.

The Fisher Gold Bug 2 and Tesoro Lobo both have an "iron reject" mode that is silent in iron. If used in their all-metal modes they are very noisey but the iron reject modes work well at the mine.

Same with the X-Terra 70. The Prospect Modeis very noisey on the hot rocks. But put it in disc mode with just enough disc to eliminate the rocks and it does a great job of pulling up non-ferrous targets. Several nuggets were found at the mine with the X-Terra 70.

The problem with iron rejection is nuggets next to or under the rocks are lost. The PI units just see right through the rocks and so are the better solution. But if I have to use a VLF unit at the mine in a trashy area the X-Terra is one of the few that actually works.

Steve Herschbach

 

[bfodnes]

I think we have the same opinion on the Terra 70 Steve.

I dont have many extreme hotrocks around here but have places with lots of different mineralized rocks that cause some problems but the 70 seem to handle them well. I live at the now melted glaciers (10000 y ago ) edge and those delivered a few million rocks and minerals that dont belong here.

I have found a huge clay rock here that seem to be all fosils and I have heard of another huge rock full of large Granat crystals on top of bedrock. They dont belong here at all.Wonder if I one day find a huge nugget ontop of ground too. Its possible but not likely.

The amount of differences is worse the casual Hot Rock itself.

I think the 70 is a winner and You supported my thoughts.

Thanks.

Bjorn

 

[brissietex]

The XT70 hit even the tiniest bits of aluminum in prospecting mode esp in all metal. I swing in prospecting mode without the iron masking most of time and even the smallest blip in the threshold is noticeable. I love the fact that you can swing at a good rate and still catch the target through the change in threshold. My ExpII is getting a bit dusty now since I always want to switch to prospecting mode when I am using it.

I've noticed that there are many times that the All Metal mode with no discrim doesn't pick up targets that the Prospecting mode clearly hits. I am still waiting to pick up some small gold but I am sure that the XT70 can do it. I even don't mind digging up the small ally bits...just in case, mind you.

cheers...Keith

 

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[B.T]

G,day Steve. I hunt for gold with the 70 over here in Oz in the Golden Triangle and just love the little thing to death. Its sensitivity blows me away at times and its depth capabilities are not too shabby either. I have been using the 18.75khzDD elliptical but have recently got myself the 10" round of the same freq. Hanging out too use it but as most know I have to wait a few weeks.
When I first got it and found some gold I thought maybe I was lucky in finding it as the Triangle is super easy to get to where ever you want to and SDs and GPS have been used everywhere. But after the 100th plus piece I found with it I was convinced it was something else as far as VLFs go. Since then it has become my primary weapon. I have even found gold with it where I found very little with my SDs and GPs in the past. But, the SDs and GPS do rock, just in a different way. I always thought there might be a gap between PI and VLF but never until now saw one that proved it over here in our conditions. Have a good one.

 

[kris]

Steve have you tried the Fisher F75 at the mine yet
Regards
kris

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi kris,

Nope, can't get to the mine until June. Still winter up there!

Steve H
http://www.moorecreek.com

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi B.T,

I've been reading most of your posts. You have made some very nice finds with the X-Terra 70!

All in all it is a very good gold machine. The Prospect Mode is very good indeed. No machine is perfect, but overall the X-Terra 70 strikes a chord with me.

I tried the 10" round DD briefly but preferred the 5"x10" DD, mostly due to weight/balance issues. The elliptical just feels right to me and so I'm sticking with it.

Good luck down under!

Steve Herschbach
http://www.moorecreek.com

 

[Jackpine Savage]

Still winter?? What happened to global warming?

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Tom,

There is a bit of snow in my yard still, but it is mostly gone here at sea level in Anchorage. But go up and the snow is still out there. Our mine is at 1000 feet and probably a couple feet of snow there.

Fact is we had the coldest March ever recorded in Anchorage this winter. No matter how much I tell my wife about global warming she insists it is still too cold!

Anyway, Memorial Day is usually the earliest I can count on getting out to the mine.

Steve H

 

[Bobbylikesgold]

Hello Steve,

Your selling the Fisher F-75, your opinion is valued, do you recommend it ?

If you can't yet because of the snow , just let us know

Bobby.

 

[Jackpine Savage]

Steve,

We had the coldest and snowiest April in 10 years here in the lower peninsula. We did have some warmer weather earlier so overall our winter was about average temp wise.

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Bobby,

Do I recommend the F75 for what? Gold detecting?

I hate to tell you this Bobby, but the F75 is just another darn metal detector. It obviously is working well for quite a few people as regards the posts on the F75 forum.

I have my own interests which basically involve gold. I gave the F75 a brief spin to see if it had something that would jump out and grab me as a gold hunter.

The F75 in the all-metal mode has very good depth. It is reasonably good on small targets. And so I have no doubt you could go find gold with it. The F75 has an exceptionally fast response time. But other than that I saw nothing that would make me stop the presses as far as prospecting goes.

The F75 costs more than most dedicated VLF prospecting units and it has exactly one coil available for it. If VLF propecting is your interest than I'm guessing at this point that there are dedicated units available that cost less and have far better coil selections that will do as good or a better job looking for gold nuggets.

Maybe once I get time to run one in real goldfields I'll have more to say on the F75 as a prospecting unit. But I have to say it is low on my list of priorities. I am far more concerned with firing up my new GPX-4000 and getting some serious time in with it. I have no doubt it will blow the F75 away as a prospecting unit.

I see you making lots of posts asking people to compare units. I'm flattered that you value my opinion, but I'm not out to prove anything about detectors to anyone but myself. There has been but little real change in VLF performance since 1990. In my mind it is a combination of operator and location that wins the day, not nit-picking differences between VLF units that are all very much alike. What matters to me these days for casual detecting is that the machine feels good and sounds good and so for just having fun around town detecting I'm liking the X-Terra 70. That although many would argue it is no top-end powerhouse. Mind you I'm NOT saying the X-Terra 70 is "better" than the F75!

What do I care, as long as I'm having fun? My other fun unit for around town is a White's DFX with Bigfoot coil. I disc out pennies and dimes and dig the rest. It is great for hitting big fields although it has what most people would consider poor depth due to the Bigfoot. Sorry, I do not care about depth. I'm hunting jewelry and care more about covering area. In fact if I can't pop it with my screwdriver I usually pass it up.

When I want depth I rarely consider VLF units these days unless they are run in all-metal mode. And because of that I am more intersted in PI units than VLF for depth. Currently the Minelab SD/GP units set the standard there, although there are some potential options coming this year I want to get my hands on. So when you ask me about the F75 as a prospecting unit you do not really get my interest. I'm certain without even trying that my GPX-4000 with 21"x27" DD coil will hit a large nugget far deeper than the F75 can even dream about.

Just as I am certain my Gold Bug 2 will hit smaller gold than the F75.

So for this summer I will be using the GPX-4000 and Gold Bug 2 for prospecting. The F75 is not really on my list. For in town I'm happy with my X-Terra 70/DFX Bigfoot combo.

Maybe that helps you and maybe not. But ultimately nobody can tell you what detectors will work best for you Bobby. I can tell you what I'm liking but when I do that that is exactly what I am doing - telling you what I like. I'm not making any caims as to what will or not work for others. I can tell you one thing, and that is that looking for the perfect detector is pretty much a waste of time. All that really matters is getting some kind of decent unit and getting out and using it a lot.

Steve Herschbach

 

[fredm]

Steve, I totally enjoy your frank opinions and the fact that you could not care less about the fallout from your opinions...that is a major factor when I ask for opinions...you have maturity, experience and honesty, not to mention all those fun places to detect...keep the information coming.
Fred