Is the SE really that much better than the XS??

[Chalkspray]

I have an Explorer XS (with X1 probe) which I've had for several years and now that it's getting warmer I'm trying to decide whether or not it makes sense to upgrade to the SE.

This may seem like a silly question to some, but since I didn't spend as much time detecting last year or reading the forums as I would have liked to, I'm curious as to whether or not there is much improvement with the SE over previous models. When the ExpII came out many said that it wasn't worth the upgrade unless you were looking for something that's easier on the back and more pleasing to the eye. Those things didn't bother me much so I kept the XS.

So, bearing in mind that I'm willing to put up with the weight of the XS and the extra time it takes to program the unit, not to mention the battery life which has been said to be longer with the SE, is there really a reason for me to upgrade to the SE?

More specifically....

Looking at capabilities alone, is there much improvement in the descrimination and depth on the SE? Does the Pitch-Hold really make a difference? Is it true that the SE falses a lot less than the XS does?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Jeremy

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Heck you only go around once in life so if you can afford it(go for it) personally never owned an SE but have owned a 11 and several XS units...so can't answer your questions...Over the winter picked up a like new XS for about half the price of an SE as at 68 don't hunt as much and yep sold my CZ as I have to buy to sell...Going to be a long line of responses but knowing the ability of an XS I don't think any SE owner would want to follow me as he is not going to find much. In addendum if I could afford an SE I would buy one as detecting can be tough and might as well use the newest equipment out there and perhaps when my ship comes in may just buy an SE.....

 

[Steve(MS)]

First, my take is the new SE is a great detector but so is the XS and the Exp11.
Now I got this off the Explorer forum dated back from October of last year...

. . . . I think that most have come to the conclusion that the new SE does offer some different features and a few improvements over the II or XS but deeper detection depth is not one of them . . . . . A lot of people have been using the two side-by-side in testing comparing signals and while you may get a "crisper" response on the SE than the previous models due to the processor, you are not finding targets with the SE that the II or XS would not detect at all.

All three are 1st class units and it is ahrd to beat how any of them perform in the field when comparing them to other units . . . .

As you said, the only thing that the silver coins mean is that your coil went over the only silver coins that were found that day and the other 9 Explorer's did not . . . .

Andy Sabisch

Then another one From Andy:

Yes, the new SE does offer some improvements / enhancements over the XS or II models but I have to agree with Mike in that after checking countless signals with an SE and II, I did not find any targets that the SE could find that the II did not. Yes, in high trash it does react a tad faster but most Explorer hunters hunt slower in these areas anyway and while the response might be crisper on the SE, it is discernible on the II as well. The faster processor may allow one to hunt faster in these sites and the cursor does track more along the lines of the audio which is a plus.

As far as the coil weight making it feel more balanced, 60 grams does not make that much of a difference. If it did, then every XS and II users would simply swap to one of these new coils to get the benifit . . . . or use what we have been for years, a Sun Ray, Coiltek, Detech or EXcellerator coil.

The VCO pinpointing and active target ID in the pinpoint mode is a nice addition and will assuredly help a bunch of people but as those that have used other brands know, VCO is either a "I love it" or "I hate it" feature . . . . so it is a matter of personal preference in terms of it being a plus or minus.

Overall I have been impressed with the SE's performance, but then again I find that once ANY Explorer goes through an area in the hands of a seasoned hunter, there is very little left for the next deetctorist that comes through.

Andy

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Had the pleasure to meet Andy several years ago and read many of his informative books and articles..A true gentleman that tells it like it is so rest assured his writings are dead on....I like your thoughts also Steve and many do well with all 3 err 4 as they did have an S model early on....Excellent post...

 

[Chalkspray]

Thanks very much for the reply. That is exactly what I wanted to hear.

 

[goldenpulltab]

I don't feel comfortable with pitch hold, it just does not make much sense to me , i guess i will have to use it more to decide if its worthwhile. Ok on clean sites.

 

[Larry--IndianaHVAC]

I have been experiencing more lag on the screen of the SE. The audio is fast but cross hairs just hang there on the first signal the machine hits. I am talking about super trashy areas which I've always hunted with the explorer line. Minelab tells me this is normal and when you hear a good signal, lift the coil then go back to working the signal. I understand this with the SE but I am pretty sure I never had this big of a problem with the EX2. It would lag sometimes in the digital mode and a little in the smart screen but not like the SE does. So, I recently found a nice condition Ex2 and it will be here Wednesday which I intend on doing some serious comparisons. The features on the SE didn't really warrant a change for me and still don't. I just wanted Minelabs newest Explorer line. Now I will find out whether I should of made this change or not? Pitch hold the new pinpointing and the newer coil aren't enough to really warrant a change. I see no different in depth between the two as I have proved it to myself in my coin garden. I guess the bottom line is I will switch back to the Ex2 if it proves faster in the display. I know you mentioned you have the XS but it was an improvement big enough to move from that to the Ex2. Anyway, sorry to ramble on but will let all know what I find out in my tests.

 

[Chalkspray]

Thanks for your reply. I moved to the XS from a Garrett detector, so it was quite a change, and a change well worth it. I've never used the EX2 so I can't speak for any differences there. I am interested to see how your comparison test turns out when you get your EX2 however. I thought I had heard that the SE used a faster processor and that there was less "lag" on the smart find screen than the XS?? I wonder if the EX2's smart find is a lot faster than the XS, and that's why the SE seems slower than the EX2...

Please let me know how your test turns out. As for me, I'm happy with my XS and Excellerator Concentric 8" coil, so I don't plan to upgrade to the SE at this point. There just don't seem to be enough improvements on the SE as compared to the XS to warrant an upgrade; probably because the XS is already such a great detector. Maybe in a few years, with new technology, more features will be developed - and I'll upgrade then.

Jeremy

 

[goldenpulltab]

n/t

 

[goldenpulltab]

Wether my old explorer 2 was a duffy i don't know but i have better depth than exp2 on coins by 1 inch on average. I was never happy with the depth i pulled coins at with explorer 2 but after using the SE my own opinion is that the se just does better, (not a lot better) but enough to please me with really deep coins. ON good sites the smaller 10 inch coil works like magic.

 

[Larry--IndianaHVAC]

I finally got the Ex2 and did some tests against the SE. I would locate a target with the SE and mark it with a golf tee which I had number 1 thru 6. I then wrote the digital readout I got on a paper. I went back with the EX2 with the same settings and got the same reading. Both detectors were set up with the same settings. My conclusion is, that I found no difference. In my coin garden they both hit the same coins. The SE has a little bit of a higher tone and it may be a little clearer. As far as the display they were identical in the trash. I did get a 10 inch deep 1927 penny with the 6 inch excelerator coil, this coil is HOT.

 

[Steve(MS)]

Thanks for the tests Larry. I was wondering about that 6"coil, have you conducted air tests between it, the 8"ML and stock coil to see how they stack up, well let's go one better maybe checked them out in a coin plot?
I was just wondering which coil sizes would be in competition with this coil not that it would beat them all.

 

[Larry--IndianaHVAC]

I haven't tested the 6 against the stock minelab 8 but I certainly will try to do that in the next few days!