I know, you heard this before, DFX vs XLT

[RonfromOnt]

Is it worth updating to the DFX, all around does if go deeper for coin hunting? Whites has a good promotion on right now, and does it give as good target ID as my XLT-E?

 

[Va Dave]

I did that....swung the DFX hard for 1 year....traded it back to my dealer for a new XLT....feels great to be back. I'm a Relic hunter, with 16 years experience with the Spectrum line, started with the Eagle, XLT, DFX, XLT and don't use the factory programs, very experienced in Custom programming and all of its adjustments. My main issue was the DFX lacked a bit in depth on coin sized targets compared to what I was used to with the XLT. Being a CW Relic hunter, I could always go into a beat camp and pull out deep items missed by others with the XLT, like bullets 16 to 20 inches deep...the DFX simply wasn't doing that.
The next thing someone will try to say is that the Frequencies on the DFX allow for better depth on Silver/Gold coins...it wasn't proven to me. The MXT and Shadow X5 have more rights to this claim, and I still put the XLT just a click above those two.
XLT's Target ID is more consistent, and locks on way better than the DFX. DFX's VDI jumps all over the place and takes some serious adjusting just to get some sense of normalcy which results in a little more loss of sensitivity/depth.
The new features that the DFX brought did me no good. It was said that the option of using 2 to 6 filters was a plus. Well the DFX switched to 2 filters acted nothing like a true 2 filter detector. It was said switch to 6 filter for highly mineralized ground, I did, and absolutely helped in no way, so I ended up leaving at 4 like the XLT. XLT will out perform the DFX in hot ground in my experiences.
Sweep speed option was just more filtration and nothing to do with coil movement. The Hot Rock option was of no use to me had to leave at zero(off) so it would act like the XLT and not miss those very deep +95 signals...shall I go on ?
DFX is a good detector and can perform, but if your coming off an XLT I'm affraid you'll be disappointed an advise you to keep your XLT and not trade/sale towards its purchase.

Dave

 

[Dave Z]

I just hunted a house today that was near an old fairground.I hammered the front yard about 15 times with both an xlt and a Cz7apro.Last three times there I found nothing.No the site had produced a lot of old coins,so I was dogging evry positive signal with the fisher and the xlt.Had a few hours to play today,so I tried the site with my DFX.Front lawn is onlt about 100 feet by a 100 feet wide.I found 4 wheaties,all down about 9-10",a nickel down about 9",4 keys,down about 8-10" a small kids braclet,down about 6" and a lot of foil and other trash targets like pull tabs and what not.I can't beleive I missed all that with the xlt.There are still a lot more signals there that I didn't have time to dig.I NEVER dug a penny or a nickel at 10" with the xlt.Maybe 6" was about the deepest.There is NO comparison between the two machines.I've had pretty much the same result on all the sites i've gone back to.I bought a spectrum/xlt in 91 when they came out and used it up until 2000 when the dfx came out.I have another site that two of us hit good with an xlt.Was an old farm house,lawn was about 30 ft by 60 ft.We pulled about two or three wheaty's from it.Went back with the dfx and couldn't believe everything I missed with the xlt.Found about 20 IH's,6 Barber dimes,3 barber quarters,2 large cents,5 V nickels,2 Standing liberty quarters,several tokens and 3 dog tags from the early 1900's.All the targets were deep,6-10" and the site had a lot of iron.The xlt just doesn't go that deep,not even close.I would say at maximum it will only pick a nickel up half as deep as the dfx will.As for saltwater beaches,the dfx will most likely go about three times deeper.It's definately worth the extra money.Dave

 

[BobH]

I know I would.

 

[RICK IN KY]

Its according on how each detector is set up for each hunt site.Dave in VA knows how to set up his XLT to get the very best out of it and DaveZ Knows how to set his up to get the very best performance form his DFX.I don't think I would want to hunt behind these guys with another detector.All I know is you guys make it awful hard to make out which one to buy.All ways enjoy reading your comments though,
Rick in KY

 

[Dave Z]

I ahd 2 spectrums and 3 XLT's for 10 years.I found loads of nice stuff with all of them.I found a British Rev War 33rd regt belt plate with an XLT.BUT the depth on the xlt's aren't close to the dfx or i'd still have one.Dave

 

[RonfromOnt]

Well, The way it stands its going to cost me about 600$ to trade up to the DFX and thats trading in my wifes IDX too and a 1500 coil I have for the XLT. This is simply too much for a machine that may not be any better(sorry Dave Z) I think the deepest coin I found was a merc dime at 7-8" and this may be because its an American coin and thats what theses machines are based on ( this is another whole topic) I feel quite confident with the XLT and pride myself at guessing what the coin is before digging it up, even silver, so the target ID for the XLT is acceptable to me. If I could build this kind of relationship with a new DFX and get a little extra depth for sure, than this is money I don't mind spending for a hobby I truly enjoy
Ron

 

[RonfromOnt]

I have a dumb question; Could it be that they/you hunt in 2 different types of ground?

 

[Explorer]

I still have my Spectrum Eagle (predecessor to the XLT) but it has never cashed in like the DFX has been able to. The 6.59kHz was the intermediate frequency in an attempt to make a more universal detector. It falls between the low frequency 3kHz coin machines and the 15+kHz gold machines. The DFX has the best of both worlds.

If I were you would save a little longer and try to keep my present detector as a backup.

 

[BEACH HUNTER]

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HUNT SALT WATER BEACHES BUT IF YOU EVER DO THE DFX WILL RUN GREAT XLT DON'T LIKE THE WET SAND I HAVE USED THEM.

 

[BobH]

n/t

 

[Dave Z]

If your near power lines you can set the dfx to 15kz and hunt right under them.Or if your at the ocean,use the dual freqs. and your going to dig as deep as you want.I tried the xlt at the beach before and it didn't go well.Those two options alone make it worth the extra money,the added depth is just a bonus.

 

[Pap]

Had an XLT and wouldn't go back after the DFX. Not really all that close in performance at all. Relic, coin, or beach get the DFX.