Has Racer Performance Matched the Hype - Monte, Keith, Steve, Others?

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

I don't think the racer is the cat's meow I do think the deus is but for what we are offered in todays market it is a nice machine and the coils are sweet for iron hunting. It is a great backup to the deus, if my deus was not working I feel the racer would be a fine machine to use in its place

 

[cjc]

This is a great little detector IMHO. When you learn to handle the high Gain circuitry it will really pick though the iron and junk well. As a long time BBS user, this is a new animal that is not only hyper sensitive to gold, but because of the super fast, wide open tone ID operation will find in ground that's been pounded by other machines. I'm a hardcore skeptic--ever alert for re-boxed or over hyped machines. As I began to get more accurate with the Racer--it convinced me that it was not at all overstated. Great machine for any application--with a bit of practice.
cjc

 

[Keith Southern]

I still stand by my original thoughts..

one of, if not the best small coil/machine combos to be used in dense iron..

Other things are nice about it but I find the unmasking wiht small coil in desne iron to be extraordinary..

Im just glad they listened and gave the small coil in th pro pack instead fo the 5x10.. that small OOR 5' makes all the difference in the world on a hunted hard heavy iron site.

Nothing has changed.. it is what it is in my mind...

I keep the small coil on the Racer at all times for certain sites..

Keith

 

[Monte]

I still stand by my original thoughts..

one of, if not the best small coil/machine combos to be used in dense iron..

Other things are nice about it but I find the unmasking wiht small coil in desne iron to be extraordinary..

Im just glad they listened and gave the small coil in th pro pack instead fo the 5x10.. that small OOR 5' makes all the difference in the world on a hunted hard heavy iron site.

Nothing has changed.. it is what it is in my mind...

I keep the small coil on the Racer at all times for certain sites..

Keith

Keith, I am with you as well. The Racer is a very good detector even with the standard 7X11 DD, which I have less than an hour on. The Nokta/Makro folks have been terrific at monitoring their forums, and even better at listening to consumers in general, but most specifically the cry for a smaller coil in the 'Pro Package' than the 5½X10. I find the 5½X10 to be more comfortable and versatile than the standard 7X11 on the Racer, but nothing near the performance package as the Racer and 'OOR' small coil.

In my case, I keep my main Racer PERMANANTLY affixed to the little 4.[size=small]7[/size]X5.[size=small]2[/size] 'OOR' coil, and it gets more use than any other detector in my inventory. Likely because I hunt old and very littered sites where the Racer & 'OOR' are virtually unmatched when dealing with terribly dense iron debris.

In lower trash, more open sites, I grab my FORS CoRe which I keep the stock 7X11 DD mounted on it virtually full-time as it balances much better than the Racer with its 7X11 DD. As a team, they are impressive.

Monte

 

[Des D]

"Hey Keith, Monte...

I'm with you on that one!

The OOR as ye have 'christened it, is a SUPER SLICER and never fails to astound me with it's surgical skills in iron laden soil...

It has OUT-PERFORMED the CTX and it's 6" coil in the SAME grounds covered since 1999...
The one thing it can't do that the CTX can is show 2 targets together...here the CTX wins out but, who cares about that...like I said, the OOR is finding stuff that it missed with all its gizmos!!!"

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

So it would safe to say that the racer and the small coil are in a class all by themselves....that is how I feel about the machine that is it's strong point..iron= small coil maybe the best in the business and the 5x10 is also sweet

 

[Monte]

no such thing as a 'perfect' detector. All half-decent detectors will work to some degree and find stuff within their abilities. Some, however, do stand out amongst the crowd as doing things a little bit better in certain challenging tasks. That crown definitely rests on the Makro Racer with the little 'OOR' coil (the 4.[size=small]7[/size]X5.[size=small]2[/size] Out-of-Round coil), and I give credit to the Nokta FORS CoRe with that same size 'OOR' coil for grabbing my attention of the abilities.

Let's be sure, however, with either the Racer or FORS CoRe, that the credit is shared with not only an excellent size and designed small coil, but the wonderful engineering that went into the detector circuitry to help bring about the stupendous field results. Together, the small coil and detector design combine to provide us with some excellent slow-sweep performance in some of the nastiest, dense iron littered site. It's been opening up places that I have hunted for several decades using top-end, excellent working models. It's been simply amazing.

So amazing that I have almost everything loaded up in my little truck for another two-day ghost town excursion and I'll be heading out this afternoon ... never going anywhere with one Racer equipped with the wonderful 'OOR' coil Meeting up with Oregon Gregg who, you guessed it, will be hard at work with his proven Racer and 'OOR' combination as well.

Monte

 

[Monte]

I would package the Racer with the 5½X10 DD instead of the 7X11 DD, and still provide the 'OOR' coil in the Pro Package. The 5½X10 DD is my main-use coil on Racer #2 as it balances better and works pretty well compared with the stock 7X11. The standard coil would then become an accessory coil to take the place of the 5½X10 DD.

Monte

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

I agree with the 5 X10 and 5 as the pro package...Today is it is just to trashy or too much iron to really use a bigger coil and that is why the deus needs a smaller coil that would be killer becasue of all the adjustments on that machine....but take the deus and racer on a hunt and you have all you need

 

[SavingThePast]

I leave the 5 on my racer at all times as I use it only at my bad iron infested sites...Dare I say it, I dont find myself wishing I had another deus for those situations any more...

 

[steve herschbach]

You can only lead people to water Keith. You and Monte have more patience than I do these days. We know what we know and if others want to doubt, I really don't care. Kudos to you guys!

 

[D&P-OR]

Steve----If the Racer is so good----why did you get rid of it??---Just curious--------Seems to me you are walking away from the water!----------Del

You can only lead people to water Keith. You and Monte have more patience than I do these days. We know what we know and if others want to doubt, I really don't care. Kudos to you guys!

 

[berryman]

Del: Hasn't Steve already said that the Racer he wants is the Gold Racer? If so, I can understand why he wouldn't want to keep the non-prospecting version of the Racer.

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

It will have a higher freq will that make it better for relics? Maybe a killer machine for gold

 

[steve herschbach]

Steve----If the Racer is so good----why did you get rid of it??---Just curious--------Seems to me you are walking away from the water!----------Del

Well, I just did not need three detectors that perform the same.

Apparently nobody has actually read my review of the Racer? Southwind in particular. From my review:

"The bottom line I am pleased with the Makro Racer. I think people are just getting a little crazy with all the expectations it is supposed to replace detectors costing up to twice as much. This is a feature packed 14 kHz single frequency metal detector for $649, nothing more and nothing less. It offers good performance for that price range and a feature set unmatched at that price.."

And:

"I found the depth and sensitivity of the 14 kHz Racer to be nearly identical to the 15 kHz FORS Gold, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I am talking about real world in highly mineralized ground."

I have never said or implied even that it is the be all and end all of detectors. However, I have said and I still stand by the statement that I think the Racer compares favorably in performance to machines costing much more. I just went on a rather lengthy explanation of how I think the Racer compares to several much more expensive detectors before being reminded once again that is not allowed on this forum. I own a F75LTD2, CTX 3030, V3i, and had a DEUS, and so my thoughts on the issues are not without factual basis or merit. The caveat as always however is that it is in my ground and for my purposes. That purpose being the retrieval of small non-ferrous targets from highly mineralized ground littered with ferrous trash.

I said over and over before the Racer was released that all I wished it would do is equal the FORS models in performance. I had both a FORS Gold and a FORS CoRe and was quite happy with their performance. The Racer met that expectation. However, I also made clear then and in my review that my eye is on the Gold Racer as being the machine I desired and that the Racer I considered a stepping stone for getting there. It has been stated the Gold Racer will not be a FORS clone but it's own machine aimed specifically at gold.

So there I was a week ago with a FORS Gold, a FORS CoRe, and a Racer. I have a week off from prospecting to do some repair work. I decided to thin the field. Between the FORS Gold and FORS CoRe I have determined they are basically the same detector, the FORS Gold being produced mainly as a marketing issue. The CoRe is just as good on gold, but also has the COG Conductive Ground or Salt Mode. This makes it a better choice for working not only on beaches but the alkali salt ground I am running into while nugget detecting Northern Nevada. So I just sold the FORS Gold and kept the CoRe.

Then it came down to keep the CoRe or keep the Racer. I am still very much anticipating that the Gold Racer will be a machine tweaked specifically for gold nugget detecting. However, I do not like the way that large coils balance on the Racer, as opposed to the CoRe. Being VLF machines I can imagine ways that the Gold Racer can be tweaked for better performance on small gold nuggets but those tweaks will not be likely to make it any better on large gold nuggets. I decided the CoRe is likely to be every bit as good if not better as a machine for hunting large cobble piles and tailings for large nuggets with the large coil while having the discrimination capability my PI detectors lack. So I am assuming the Gold Racer will be my small gold small coil detector and decided to keep the FORS CoRe as my larger gold large coil detector.

While everyone debates all these issues I am quietly dropping ounces of gold in my poke. My detector choices revolve around that quest. My signature line below reflects my choices and I am leaving Makro Racer there because I expect to have a Makro Gold Racer the moment they are available. I hope it will not be much longer to wait. I say that because yes, the Racer is so good. I just want a different version for what I do. And since I still have the CoRe is still have the same performance as the Racer, just in a different form factor.

 

[JinFL]

I won't know for sure about the hype issue until my relic season starts again sometime around November or so.

Although my Racer has been to the beach, and to one trashy park, I will withhold my OVERALL opinions about the Racer until I use it in the environment that I bought to be used in. I suspect there may be others in the same boat that I'm in.

I will, however, say that I find it somewhat disturbing that you evidently HAVE to use the small OOR 5 inch coil to be happy and satisfied with the performance. If I have not said this publicly in recent years, I will say it now:

Don't give me a 5 incher to sweep. I'll give it to someone else or sell it. "To each their own," but you couldn't pay me to sweep with a small coil. I preached this years ago on the forums, and I for one am very pleased to see manufacturers see the light and offer larger stock coils, and a variety of larger off-brand coils.

Small coils do have their place in metal detecting, no argument. But I will NOT be there with them.

J in FL (aka Tom/Dick/Harry)

 

[squirrel1]

Well I've been reading this thread, so I guess I will flatter myself-- I have owned and ran all of the flagships and another brand turkish unit, and the mighty Makro Racer.
Can the Racer run with all the supposed more expensive big dog detectors??? Sort of a stupid question really. I mean there are flagship models that can't run with other flagship models, Right??? Depending on the task at hand, TID at depth, etc.
There are many variables surrounding a detector's overall performance. And ease of operation and overall cost do fit in.

I've never saw a detector go through so much scrutiny. It does work, I assure you. Will it do some things better than some of the big dog detectors?? Certainly That small coil overall performance in iron is amazing-don't forget simple to operate too.

Will it satisfy everyone's desires with its overall performance?? Has any big dog flagship detector??? Nope

I can find faults or things that could be made better on each and every detector I've owned, used, and still have. Does this make them undesirable or junk/unworthy??? Nope

I've seen folks get the Racer and in roughly 2 weeks abandon ship. That's ok, wonder what happened??? Were they looking for that silver bullet metal detector-end all detector for roughly $750 with small and stock coil??? Sounds like it. And if this was the case, then it would seem there is something about the big dog flagship set of detectors they already had, did they have shortcomings?? Sounds like it to me.

There will never be an end all detector ever made. Will there be detectors made that have certain things they do better from a performance standpoint vs other detectors-some costing similar and even more??? You bet.

I think the Racer for the $$$ is a fantastic detector. This coming from a not so old detector manufacturer either. Will their next models be better?? I hope so. Just as I would expect from other makers.

I think a lot of people for some strange reason just have to compare the Racer to flagships, way higher costing detectors. Why????

How about comparing it to similarly priced detectors??? When you do that, the Racer shines even more.

I mean, we would expect the latest brand $9000 plus PI machine to lead the pack in overall performance wouldn't we? Should the say $1500 dollar PI machines be able to compete on a large scale performance wise??? I wouldn't think so.

 

[Cal_Cobra]

I don't know what all the bashing and bickering is all about

..... if the Racer works for you great, if it doesn't, then move along to something that does, it's just one of many tools available in the mega toolbox of detectors

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

WELL, TRY THE 5X10 THAT IS A KILLER COIL BUT YEAH WHEN YOUR HUNTING IN LOADS OF IRON YOU DON'T WANT TO SWEEP OVER LARGE AREAS WITH ONE SWEEP FOR ME I KIND OF WANT TO COVER SMALL AREAS AND GO A LOT SLOWER....IN IRON YOU HAVE TO HUNT IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AT LEAST FOR ME

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

iT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE USER AND HOW THEY DETECT AND WHEN THINGS GET BAD AND NOTHING IS HAPPENING YOU KEEP AT IT...YOU LEARN YOUR MACHINE OR YOU MOVE ON AND HOPE SOMETHING CLICKS WITH YOU. IT IS HARD WORK AND SOMETIMES IT CAN BE EASY ON A GREAT DAY BUT THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR MACHINE
THE BETTER YOU DO ON THOSE BAD DAYS..THE RACER IS A REALLY SWEET MACHINE AND IS NO SLACKER AND CAN HUNT WITH THE BIG BOYS