Is MXT the best?

[THE DETECTIVE]

Hi All,

Long time reader first time poster. I am so excited to get a metal detector it hurts! I worry that some one is out there finding all the good stuff while I sit here and research what to buy! Please help so I can get going quickly but wisely. Four assumptions are important:

1)I have never used a metal detector before (but I do have a technical mindset and love to figure things out)

2)I want to "coinshoot" about 60% of the time in developed areas and search for gold nuggets in the wilderness (stream beds and dry dessert washes the rest of the time).

3)I live in and will search around Utah and in the mountains (soil is more desert like)

4)I have zero interest (as of now) in so called "Relic hunting" I want coins! Or gold! or silver! Not some old belt buckle even if General Lee himself wore it into battle.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stgeorgeut]

n/t

 

[Monte]

an 'OK' model for many applications, and certainly for those you list. But let me add a little more:

"I am so excited to get a metal detector it hurts! I worry that some one is out there finding all the good stuff while I sit here and research what to buy!"... Don't be too worried. There are many people out there looking, but a good share of them are not finding, or at least not finding much for the sites they are hunting.

"1)I have never used a metal detector before (but I do have a technical mindset and love to figure things out)."... Not to be too concerned because today's metal detectors have a lot of performance potential yet are relatively easy to learn. You really do NOT need a "technical mindset" to be successful, just have the patience to read, practice and learn

"2)I want to "coinshoot" about 60% of the time in developed areas and search for gold nuggets in the wilderness (stream beds and dry dessert washes the rest of the time)."... Now, here is where many will make some fatal mistakes in detector selection.

 

[Donny nj]

Monte great post and insight as usual....BUT......could you please contine recomend what?,would be the right choice of unit for this type of hunting described and why...?

Thank You

 

[moregold]

The Detective --- Since I live in Utah and you mentioned that you would expect to spend 40% of your time prospecting for gold nuggets, I feel that a few comments will be helpful to you. Contrary to what manufacturers, some dealers and stories in magazines imply; gold nuggets are very difficult to find and Utah is not the best place to spend(or waste) your time looking for nuggets as you implied you wanted to do in your message. I started using White's gold detectors when the V/SAT first came out in the 1990's and presently own a GMT(strictly for gold finding) and an MXT. As Monte said, coil selection/availability is very important and that is one reason I like White's for finding gold nuggets as well as coin/relic/jewelry hunting. I bought the MXT when they first came out due to it's multiple-purpose feature. When in the gold field many times you will run into old building and mine sites that present opportunities for relics and old coins. Strictly gold machines are virtually useless due to their lack of discrimination capability around very junky areas. The MXT is my primary machine for coin/jewelry/relic hunting with the Big Foot, 950 and EXcelerator 4.5"x7' coils. I am bias to White's as I feel very comfortable with them even though I have as back-up, an older Garrett CoinMaster, a Minelab X-Terra 70 and a Minelab Excalibur. For gold nugget finding, my primary detector is a Minelab SD 2100 with a large selection of coils from 10" to 24". I don't recommend everybody has to go overboard like I have as it is very expensive. I have only brought this up to emphasize the fact that if you have(or take) the time to master the different combination of different coils and machines, your rewards from this hobby will be much greater.
Now let me get back to hunting/finding gold nuggets. I don't want to discourage anyone but your expectations should not just be a dream or misdirected hope. I can't emphasize enough how the roll of researching for potential targets is in having a potentially successful outing. Coin hunting may be just driving up to the nearest playground and getting out of you vehicle with your detector with a high probability of finding something of value. Minimum time and expenses involved. Relic hunting probably entails at least a full day or more plus more miles, food,etc. More money, and more time and hopefully you find something or you can just charge it up to a great outing and "we had a good time". Now by living in Utah your best shot for gold nuggets is to travel to Northwest Nevada or Northwest Arizona a minimum of three days; one day travel, one day hunting and one day travel back. If you have not done any research but rely on someone saying "just go to Gold Basin and you can find gold nuggets and meteorites" and points it out on a map, your probability of finding something are pretty slim. Even if you have done extensive research; got all of the applicable maps, determined ownership(private, state, federal) accessibility,joined clubs that have claims in the area and etc. your chances of finding a nugget are still slim as the most accessible gold areas have been hunted to death by experts with the best equipment available and have literally spent weeks hunting the areas. If you luck-out and find a choice 1/4
ounce nugget worth $150-200 you probably haven't covered your expenses. If the weather was good, you probably had a great outing.
If you live in the Salt Lake City area, the Utah Geological and Mineral Survey on West North Temple has publications on gold in Utah and maps that will be helpful.If you are going to hunt the Uinta and Wasatch Mountain you need to check with the applicable Forest Rangers as there are several different regional offices that have different requirements(or enforcement interpretations) and each has Wilderness and archeology areas that are no-no's for detecting. There is a Utah Prospector Club but they are generally oriented toward dredging and high banking for fine gold. There is also a metal detecting club.
The hobby of finding gold nuggets,coins,relics,jewelry and etc.is great. However, we all have time and money limitation that have to be best utilized in conjunction with the best equipment you can afford. And don't forget "PRACTICE,PRACTICE AND RESEARCH ,RESEARCH"! Happy Hunting -- moregold

 

[Monte]

n/t

 

[Monte]

1st.. I suggest forgetting about spending 40% of your detecting time trying to find gold nuggets in Utah. A lot of wasted time and effort that could have been otherwise rewarding.

2nd.. I'd suggest that if anyone is going to spend 60% or more of their detecting time going after "coins, gold and silver", concentrate a LOT on site selection, and that means more older-use sites.

3rd.. I'd suggest that anyone who doesn't take at least some semblance of a "Relic Hunting" concept when trying to find the older silver coins when hunting older sites ought to reconsider this hobby.

4th.. I'd suggest that the first two considerations, to be purchased at the time anyone buys a detector, are a smaller coil (something smaller than 7") and a high quality set of headphones.

5th.. I'd suggest that anyone interested in metal detecting in Utah, AND desiring to find silver and/or gold coins, put ghost town hunting high on their list, as well as working any renovation site in the older cities.

6th.. Another suggestion would be to master the detector chosen, especially the art of coil technique, to include not sweeping too quickly.

7th.. I'm always quick to suggest the use of a small paper sack for the first 100 hours or so during the learning process. The sack is folded down so that it can go over the TID display. That way, the operator is learning to use the detector and rely on mastering the AUDIO ONLY, and later can learn about the TID qualities.

8th.. I would suggest that a White's XLT could be a good choice, but should be complimented by a good slow-motion discriminator for working the iron infested sites.

9th.. To suggest that the MXT would be a better pick than the Matrix M6 would not necessarily be good. Either of them can hunt coins equally as well. Actually, both can do very well if nugget hunting, as long as one travels to gold NUGGET-producing sites and hunts in the '0' discriminate motion mode. For coin hunting the M6 is easier to learn. Either of these models can make a reasonably good "general purpose" detector for most applications.

10th.. Even though I DO LIKE both the MXT and M6, and I happen to feel the M6 would be the better choice for many getting into this sport, I also think that for serious detecting in iron-infested sites a hobbyist consider adding a decent used Classic model because they are quieter in densely littered iron sites.

ALWAYS, one should appreciate the reality that no single detector is going to make the BEST all-around detector. There are some good general purpose units, but I always feel it is better to have two or more models that compliment each other to be more successful.

Monte

 

[Donny nj]

I cant argue with your assessments....it just makes too much sense.....

have a Great Holiday!!!

Good Luck out there

 

[Jim McCulloch]

... the MXT. NO other machine comes close to matching the OVERALL truly MULTI-PURPOSE performance of the MXT. Yes, perhaps three models of detectors on the market are a LITTLE bit better then the MXT for coin hunting, and, one VLF "gold only" detector is bit better for nugget hunting then the MXT, but all things considered, the MXT rules the roost as regards combining BOTH those pursuits. A comment regarding nugget hunting in Utah: nuggets tend to be small, and fairly scarce. To optimize nugget hunting success with the MXT, use really high performance headphones (check the decibel output; the higher the better) AND a smaller coil is also good for sniffing out those really smaller nuggets. Either the 5.3 Eclipse OR the 6x4 Eclipse are good choices, with the nod going toward the 5.3 for slightly greater depth, and toward the 6x4 for better performance in "bad" ground, and slightly better ground coverage. Hope this helps; HH Jim