Everyone has their preferences. And when you chose a detector, those preferences should play a huge part in what you buy. I have been detecting for over 35 years and have owned just about every detector out there. Not that I wasn't happy with the ones I had at any specific time. But I suffer from detectoritis
and seem to think I have to own each and every model. :
Anyway in direct response to your question, let me tell you what I do and don't like about the 5 models you mentioned. Although I don't have a White's 6000 Di, I still have a 6000 XLPro. With it being one of the last analog detectors made, I can't envision ever being without at least one! In my opinion, it has the best discrimination circuitry (and coil selection) developed to date. Maybe I am old school, but I still believe I can tell much more about a target by watching the subtle deflection of an analog needle than I can by watching a series of digits fly past. As to the Quattro and Explorer, I've had them both and still have an Explorer ll. I tried an SE but kept the Explorer ll. More of a cash flow decision than anything else. These two FBS detectors have super depth and with the right combination of coil and settings, are a lethal combination for coinshooting in trashy areas. Personally, they require a slower sweep speed than I have the patience for, or that most of the sites I hunt require. I hunt for old coins in old places. And most of these sites are now wide open farm ground. A good friend of mine is one of the best Explorer users I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He told me once that if I were using an Explorer in a trashy area measuring 10 feet X 10 feet, and I covered it in less than two hours, I was sweeping the Explorer too fast. Like I said, I don't have the patience to hunt that slowly. But his point is well taken. Back to the Quattro and Explorer..... I like the Explorer much better than the Quattro for sevreal reasons. One is that the Explorer offers more "refined" settings than the Quattro in Sensitivity, tones and notch adjustments. One other factor is that the Explorer has a backlight for those times when I "forgot" to take a watch! But the biggest difference (for me) is that the Explorer provides 2-dimensional ferrous and conductivity readings (in a smart screen) and the Quattro only provides a 1-dimensional conductive reading. If you are going to get one of the FBS units, get the one that provides the most information!
As to the X-Terra 50 and X-Terra 70....... the X-Terra 50 will not do anything that the X-Terra 70 won't do. If you are strictly a land based coin hunter, and haven't hunted enough to become "spoiled" with certain features, either should fulfill your needs. But let me tell you some of the reasons I prefer the X-70 over the X-50. The X-70 offers two-digit notch segments, compared to the 3-digit notch segments of the X-50. Both will place each target into a specific segment (represented by a TID number). But the X-70 will help "narrow down' what each target is by providing a smaller target "grouping". The X-70 offers more refined levels for Volume, Sensitivity, Ground Balance and Noise Cancel Channels. I don't think there is a difference between the minimum and maximum settings for the two detectors. But the X-70 allows for more precise settings for your particular site. Add to that the fact that the X-70 can automatically select the "best" setting for GB and NC, and you are assured that the settings selected are optimum for that site. One of the features that don't get a lot of press is the adjustible threshold on the X-70. Personally, I like to hear a faint hum in the background, when I am detecting. The X-50 does not have a threshold tone. If I am in a Pattern mode (discrimination), the target blanking (threshold going away) when I pass the coil over a rejected target will indicate that I am getting in an area where people have congregated. (remember I primarily hunt old farm fields) Both models offer a PinPoint mode. But I don't use it on my X-70. I prefer to use the Prospecting mode so I can better determine the size and shape of the target before I make the decision to dig or not. The X-50 does not have a Prospecting mode. The X-70 has a beach mode and the X-50 does not. The X-70 has a auto-tracking mode and the X-50 does not. The X-50 offers 4 audio tones and the X-70 offers the user a choice of single tone, dual tone, three tone, four tone and multiple tones. With all those "user friendly" features, the biggest factor that I enjoy using the X-70, compared to the X-50, is the ability to use all three frequencies of coils on the X-70. For coinhunting, I don't think that the 3 kHz coil can be beat. There are times when I resort to the 10.5 DD at 7.5 kHz, or the 6-inch DD at 18.75 kHz. But if they made the 10.5-inch or the 6-inch in 3 kHz, I'd chose them for their ability to detect silver and copper coins. All of the frequencies will find all metals. But something about hunting with that 3 kHz in all metal mode, and the ability to provide a distinguishable tone on deep iron, (and maintain a solid tone on coins) makes hunting old sites much more productive for me.
Bottom line, I use the X-70 more than all my other detectors put together. The Explorer provides a bit more information. But, as I get older and more crippled up, the weight and balance of the Explorer is a negative factor. I'll still take it to a yard or park environment in search for a gold coin. But a couple hours at a time is about all I can manage with the Explorer. The analog meter of the XLPro is a great tool. But they don't make it anymore. Besides that, the audio tones of the X-Terra will allow you to hunt with your ears and not necessarily with your eyes. The LCD on the X-Terra is easy to see and the functionality is easy to understand. It is lightweight, well balanced, provides excellent depth of detection, great target separation characteristics, is extremely sensitive to small targets, allows the user to custom design discrimination patterns that are suited for their sites and hunting styles, and is just plain fun to use. And frankly, enjoying the time you spend in the field is the most important reason to be in this hobby. HH Randy
