Help with first unit purchase

[RGS2]

Hello all.

I am so new to MD'ing that I don't even have a unit yet. I just registered here tonight but have been trying to read past posts for a couple of nights now. I am sure that somewhere in past posts are answers for me but I haven't found enough to feel comfortable makings a decision yet. I have been researching & have narrowed it down to the MXT. First off, I am the type that would rather spend extra money up front on a higher end unit to grow into rather than buy lower & upgrading later. My interest is basically coin & jewelry for 60% of the time and 40% relic hunting. I live in West Virginia and will do almost all hunting here & neighboring states. I have no idea of soil condition. Having said all that, at this point I want to get the detector & an extra coil that will give me the best range for the type of hunting I will be doing. I really don't see myself in real trashy areas but who knows. At first I thought the MXT-300 with its 12" coil would be good for relic hunting and adding the 6X10 DD for coin & jewelry. Then the extra money made me think that the MXT with the stock 950 and the 6X10 might be just as good and $80 less.

So....given that I am sold on the MXT what would be the best way for me to go? The 300 w/ the 12" & the 6X10 - OR - the 950 & the 6X10 for less money? Is there a different combination I have overlooked? I want to do this right the first time yet feel I should take my time to decide but even though summer is not officially here I feel like the best months are passing me by.

I have been looking at Kellyco as a place to buy. Seems like it is respected & has as good pricing as anyone. Anywhere else I should look at? Also, is the book MXT Edge worth the $30 with shipping?

Any HELP & advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Nancy-IL]

Hi RGS2,

I can't say enough good about the MXT. If it were me, I would go with the reg. MXT with the stock 9 1/2" coil. That 18" coil would be quite heavy to swing. But then there's others that might think different. The MXT has a very small learning curve but then one mighty machine. As to the MXT Edge, I have it, and I've not read it much at all. So far I've not found out anything new that I didn't know about the MXT. But as usual...other's swear by it. Honestly it's one's own choice. Will you have someone help you the first couple of days? You've always got us here on the forum to help out if we can. KellyCo is one of the best dealers. You've done your homework. Good luck and hopefully others will help you out on your dilemma. Nancy

 

[RGS2]

Thanks for your thoughts Nancy. I have to admit that I am leaning towards the MXT with the stock 950 but is the 6X10 DD a good second coil? I guess I am wanting to buy a second coil so I can cover the relic and coin/jewelry areas. Would the 12" coil on the MXT-300 have any real advantages over the 950 for relic hunting or is it really splitting hairs? Maybe the 950 with the 6X10 are too close in abilities? I want the best/most range I can get with 2 coils.

????

Thanks,
Rick

 

[Hillbilly Bob]

Go with the MXT 300 w/the 12" & the 6 X 10 you will save more money. The MXT & MXT 300 are the same machines it would be a lot cheaper to add the 9.5 coil later for $126.95 then to add the super 12" for $219.95. I use the 6 X 10 DD 90% of the time I even gave my 9.5 coil away, I never used it, some people like the stock coil but I never did. If you go with the 300 you might think about a smaller coil like the 4 X 6 or the 5.3. but what ever you decide you will love the MXT. and the MXT Edge is well worth the money.

 

[Phil]

I'm not a big fan of large concentric coils so I'd stick with the stock coil and save $80 but I've never used the 12in coil so you will want to get some opinions on it. I seldom even use the stock coil. I live in east central Indiana and most of my hunting is done at old home and farm sites, which have lots of iron and trash. I also clad hunt at parks, public pools and schools. I've found the 6x10 to be my most used coil of the 4 I have for the MXT. A lot of your coil choice will depend on what kind of sites you will be hunting. Something you may not have considered is the need for a pinpointer. The $80 you save getting the stock coil instead of the 12 in would probably pay for a decent one. I consider a pinpointer a necessary tool especially if you are hunting old coins. One scratch can take a valuable key date piece of silver and turn it into a coin worth the silver value. I'm not a relic hunter but I assume that a big scratch on a rare bullet or button would devalue it also. Good luck with what ever choice you make, I've owned my MXT for 7years and haven't found a detector to replace it yet.

 

[Ben Diggen]

Hello RG

I'm no expert at this at all. Been detecting about three years now. When I started I asked for advise just like you and was told to go with the MXT and the 6X10. I did that and and later added the 3X5 for trashy places. The 9.5 has never been outside. I also last year added the DX1 Probe. I love this outfit. Detected with other folks with other machines and they cannot outdue me. Good Luck

Welcome to a wonderful hobby,
Ben

 

[BarberBill]

I have an MXT and have a very strong opinion on the coil options. First of all, except for fairly open, trash free or at least light trash, the 9.5 and the 12" are very good, but both are likely to drive you batty in trashier areas. That said, I'd buy the MXT 300 as you won't be able to buy the 12" for near the price, separately. Then I'd add either the 6X10 or the 5.3. If you hunt often in heavy trash the 4X6 is great, but doesn't cover much area. (which is why it works so well). I have all these coils plus the 9.5 and have found that I use the smaller ones the most. The 6X10 handles trash a fair bit better than the 9.5 and has become my most used coil. If I didn't already have it, I probably wouldn't consider adding the 9.5 to my arsenal. My first experience with the MXT was in a very trashy park using the 9.5 which drove me insane trying to handle so many targets at once. Switched to the little 4x6 and the difference was like nite and day. The little guy slipped thru the trash much easier and found a respectable bunch of goodies. Fell in love with it for that type of hunting, then and there. My two bits.
HH
BB

 

[Rick(ND)]

Myself I feel the bigger coil like the 12 inch would be too big for most area unless the area the targets are far and few, even you will find the 9.5 inch a bit big for many areas. My wife is the main user of our MXT and she uses the 6X10 90% of the time and the 4X6 the other 10% of the time for the real trashy areas we go too. The 6X10 is the best coil for the MXT, so which ever way you go I would get the 6X10 as my second coil as I feel you will use it more than any other coil.

 

[Nancy-IL]

n/t

 

[saika]

I hunt with the M6. The Stock coil has its place but the smaller coils are much better. I have used the 10x6 for over a year now and it is a very good coil, much more adaptable then the 9.5. Trash is everywhere and is not getting any better. I traded out my 10x6 for the 5.3 only because most of my sites are very heavily trashed.

You can't go wrong with the 10x6 as it will do 90% of your hunting. If you are going to relic hunt that 12" super coil would be very nice and it is being sold at a discount rigth now, go with the manufacturer's savings.

I like all books.

IMHO.

 

[tinfoilhat]

I'm going to recommend a slightly different approach. First, I love the stock 9.5. It is a great coil in my ignorant opinion and goes plenty deep. My second purchase was the 4x6 DD for high trash areas. My finds improved dramatically. My next coil will be the 6x10DD.

From a relic perspective, the 12 would be good for wide open fields, pastures etc. I Believe it to be a touch cumbersome in the woods, as even the 9.5 can be unwieldy with any growth to work around.

So, maybe review where you believe you'll be hunting most. Then your coil choices based on your perceptions.

Based on my research, I would like to add that it is tough to find a bad word written about the following coils:

12 (Can be a beast is you run up and down hillsides all day swinging it but it goes deep !)
9.5 (there are a few that don't care for it but it has found a lot of stuff.)
6x10 DD (Arguably the most popular coil for experienced folks)
4x6 DD (Fantastic target separation in high trash areas and the coil to use in tot lots, along fences, and or re-bar reinforced sidewalks.)
5.3 (There are a number of coin-shooters that swear by this coil. Some prefer it to the 4x6 DD in non mineralized soil)


Oh and welcome to the MXT family. As a new MD'er, I love this thing.

 

[Rob (IL)]

First let me say you don't really save money by getting the 300. The difference between the two coils is $100.00, $250 versus $150. That's the same difference between the two detector packages, about $100.00. The $100.00 is not as important as if you really will use the big coil.

I agree you will need a smaller coil before a bigger than stock coil. Unless you know what type of hunting and type ground you will be covering I wouldn't recommend the 12". Many people ( not all) bad mouth the stock 9.5 coil and really don't have the proof to back up their claims. A guy in our club uses the stock coil and regularly out does us in finds. Remember you are getting opinions on the forum. Unless the ground is mineralized or too trashy the stock out does the 6x10. When this is not the case the 6x10 is better. Again, Advice is cheap, and mine is free. HH Rob

 

[Nancy-IL]

n/t

 

[xwyokid]

You will never regret buying the 6x10.

 

[Oak]

I think the stock 9.5 is alot better then people give credit to it. If you are going to hunt in trash you will need a smaller coil. For heavy trash I would go with the 4x6. I wounl buy the 6x10 as my 3rd coil.
Remember the 4x6 is a small coil and doesn't cover much area at one time and it needs to be moved very slow to work best.

Good luck on your choices.

HH

Oak -- sweet home Alabama

 

[George W]

RGS2,

Not to get your head spinning more then it is now.. I have a DFX with the coils listed in my sig.. My wife just got the MXT 300 .. She made this choice because it would add one more coil to our arsenal .. I looked at it this way, that 12" super coil cost is $249 bucks and you can sell it used for a easy $150 to $175 fast sale if you don't like it.. IMO it it would be a great relic coil depending on the ground.. I myself like the 8X10 DD.. I just don't think you can lose out if you get the MXT 300... We have not used the coil yet as we only have the MXT 300 for a few short weeks.. Where are you located? PM me and I can give you the name of the dealer we got ours from.. MXT 300, case ,bullseye pin pointer, headphones, DVD on MXT I got it all for under $800 shipped to my door and it came in like two days DHL *Yellow truck*.. As far as I can tell the MXT is one great unit and very easy to use! And by the way That 12" super coil that comes with the MXT 300 is only 3oz over the stock coil weight! It's very light for it's size.. George

 

[RGS2]

I just want to thank everyone for your advice. After weighing everyone's opinion and rethinking what I imagine will be the type of hunting I will do I made a decision and placed my order.

I went with the MXT with stock 950 coil & a 4.5 X 7 EXcelerator.

Stay close everyone, I am going to need some hand holding for a while. I know of no one in my area who is into MDing so I will be relying on all of you for help & guidance.

Again, thanks for your help!

Rick

 

[Gregory Santa Fe.]

RGS2 I absolutely agree with Oak (previous post) The stock coil -950- is a very good coil and is calibrated to your MXT for all around general use

Everybody seems to be in such a hurry to replace it , i made the same mistake then went back to it and found there is definitely a place for it . It is

deep and gives good coverage for large open fields . I just got the 3x6 DD coil and am very impressed , the trash separation is amazing ! I've been

a real fan of the 6x10 DD coil for a year now . Keep asking questions you'll get the info you need. Gregory, Santa Fe.

 

[robert roy]

Without having read the other responses I'd say just get the regular MXT with the standard coil
and when you can, buy the 5.3 coil and later the 6x10DD. Or both if you can afford it. The only value of the 12 inch in my opinion,
is that it helps you cover clean ground fast, but whats the hurry anyway? Most of the coins and jewlery your going to find will be in parks and sportsfields and it will usually be anywhere from 1 to 6 inches deep. In such environment your likely to hit multiple
targets under your coil, thats why a smaller coil will help out. The smaller coil sees less ground making pin pointing the target much eaiser.
You'll find that most people with MXT'S don't use the standard coil that much. I use the 6x10 almost exclusively and the 5.3 when I'm in trashy areas.
Good luck
RR

 

[robert roy]

I know you asked Nacy that question but I think you'll find that almost
everyone here will answer near the same: yes, the 6x10 is a good second coil, especially if you hit mineralized soil.
The 6x10DD helps you cut through it and helps you find targets the heavy mineralization might make you miss.
RR