Critterhunter
New member
This is my compiled comparison of these coils for me on land/in the water. I've touched on each issue here and there, but never just laid everything I felt about these three coils out in one summary. So here it is for what it's worth to people trying to decide on the 15x12 versus the 12x10, and how they compare to the 10" Tornado...
The 15x12 did get deeper than stock in the sand for me but on land it didn't due to it taking in too much ground signal with my ground minerals. Weird thing is my beaches are mineralized too so not sure why it did in the sand. I'm talking coin sized targets. Bigger stuff like half dollar/dollar sized or bigger I'm sure it would be deeper than a smaller coil. The 12x10 for me on land is deeper than my stock coil and the 15x12 for coin sized targets. The separation of the 12x10 is even better than my stock 10" coil left/right wise. It's an outstanding coil and I never take it off except rarely to use my 5.5" Sun Ray.
Bigger coils do not always equal more depth on coin sized targets. The general rule of thumb for a DD to still see gains on coin sized targets is about 14" in size, so the 15x12 is right at that limit I think. I think the difference is that if your soil has a certain high enough level of minerals the target is being washed out at depth by more ground signal being taken in by the detector. That's why I think some say the 15x12 is deeper for them while others say it's less deep. The 12x10 has such a sharp field that I feel it rides on and sees less ground than even my 10" coil in terms of "soaking in the ground stew". The signal seems far less "fuzzy". For that reason I'm not even sure if a round 12" or 13" coil would show depth gains over my stock 10" coil in my soil while the 12x10 does show me depth gains due to the nature of it's signal being "sharper". A round 12 or 13" coil might be seeing too much ground to show an increase in depth on coin sized targets. I'll be trying the 13" Ultimate soon to judge that for myself.
For concentrics the general rule of thumb in size to still see gains in depth on coins is either about 10 or 12" max. Some say 10, some say 12. They don't retain as good of sensitivity to coin sized targets as they increase in size as a DD does, and concentrics tend to ride on and see more ground matrix than DDs in certain ways so that alone can limit the size of one.
I enjoyed the increased coverage of the 15x12 in the sand but the 12x10 is still a step up in coverage, because tip to toe is what really equals coverage on a DD as the detection line runs like a wiper blade the length of the coil. If I was primarily a beach or large open field hunter I would have kept the 15x12 for that even if I thought it was costing me a little depth on land, but since I primarily land hunt smaller areas and in the woods too the 12x10 is what I prefer and also I know it's deeper than any coil I've used yet on coins. And it's increased coverage over my 10" coil is still a nice improvement when beach hunting and such.
The official field test of the SEF coils found the 15x12 was a tad deeper than the 12x10 on crotal bells, which I think was probably roughly the size of a half dollar or close to it as I've dug a few of those myself in the past. On dime/penny sized coins it matched the 12x10 (in his soil, not mine), but on smaller coins it the 12x10 was deeper, so I suspect even if your soil is good for the 15x12 the 12x10 might get deeper on half dimes or 3 cent pieces at least and is probably going to at least match the 15x12 on penny/dime/quarter sized targets like it did in the official field test.
The 12x10 seems a bit more sensitive to me on small stuff than my stock coil or the 15x12 was. I'm also hammering coins on edge with it. The 15x12 seemed to do better on on edge coins than stock too, but the 12x10 seems even a bit better at it. I suspect part of that reason is that a coin on edge is presenting a smaller sized "coin" for the coil to see, so the extra sensitivity of the 12x10 to small stuff due to it's size is more easily able to "see" the coin on edge. Don't get me wrong though, I was impressed with the 15x12 too in just how tiny of stuff I dug at depth with it. The 12x10 just seems a bit more better at tiny stuff though IMO. You would figure that would make sense for the size of these two coils alone, but I will say the 15x12 seems to enhance tiny target sensitivity some over some conventional round DD coils I've used.
One thing about the 12x10 that you'll notice is how "sharp" it's DD line is. It makes the Sovereign feel like it's been sped up in processing speed. You can more easily wiggle between two targets even right up against each other and isolate them for ID from each other without as much work at doing so. And if you really want to sniff in between a mess of junk that hints at a high tone try wiggling the last 2 or 3" of the tip of the coil at it as it gets even razor blade sharper it seems right towards the tips too.
The odd thing is that the audio on the Sovereign seems "crisper" and more high in pitch on targets. Like hearing sounds on a very cold day outside that seem to have more of a "sharp edge" to them. I believe it's the extra sharp DD line of these SEF coils that makes the audio change like that. Think of the DD line as a string on a guitar, and you are strumming it with a guitar pick instead of your thumb. That's why I think the audio is so much more "crisp", and also why I think the machine seems to react faster between targets to the point where you'd swear the processor has been sped up.
The 15x12 is one smooth coil like the 12x10. They'll run in rough ground or iron at higher sensitivity settings (most say and it's true for me) than stock coils and not false as much, but I found that higher sensitivity still didn't equal more depth for the 15x12 for me on land. Like I said though, in the sand it did go deeper than stock though for some reason. With my beaches being mineralized too I still can't figure that one out.
I often found the 15x12 gave easiest/best ID at depth by turning the sensitivity down a good bit from max stable. I suspect by doing that it was taking in less ground stew and washing out the target less.
For water hunting I found the square(ish) shape of the 15x12 a bit too much drag for my tastes and made my effort to swing through the water a rather slow affair that took more effort than I care for. Not to say it would be an issue for some, but I bet a round coil of similar size such as the WOT might glide through the water more easily maybe? Still haven't tried the 12x10 in the water yet to see "how much of a drag" it is for that though.
Has to be less drag then the 15x12 just by share lessor size if not anything else, right? But I can see why the S-12/X-12 might be popular among water hunters due to it's sleek shape for any potential drag issues. Many Excal water hunters seem to love that coil, but I haven't seen any opinions yet on it's drag compared to the 12x10 in the water.
One final point about the 15x12- If you are a cache or relic hunter who spends a good bit of time doing that then for sure this coil is going to give you more depth on bigger stuff, not to mention more coverage, so you may want to opt for it or even the other two bigger versions of the SEFs available for the Sovereign that should get even deeper than it on big stuff. And if you are primarily a large open field or large beach hunter who needs max coverage this coil should also be considered over the 12x10, but in my opinion if much of your hunting is on land I have more confidence the 12x10 is going to be deeper in my soil (and at least as deep as the 15x12 in other soils) on coin/ring sized targets. Like I said, you'll find the 12x10 to be a nice step up in coverage that you will notice, but at the same time you won't feel like it's costing you separation. In fact, I have more confidence with it's laser like DD line that is compressed width wide due to the coil's unique shape...That I feel like I'm using an 8" coil for the most part, and I suspect the DD line on the 12x10 might even be sharper.
As for the FBS versions of these coils, even many of the FBS guys (many, not all, as opinion is never always completely one way on a topic as subjective as coil comparisons) who use the 11" Pro Coil coils say the 12x10 is deeper, smoother, more stable, separates left/right wise better, and allows higher sensitivity levels for them. Not all agree on all these things, and some agree on some of these points but not all of them, and some flat out still prefer the Pro Coil, but as a whole I'd say I've read more across the net from those who prefer the 12x10 and think of it as deeper, smoother, allowing higher sensitivity settings, and separating left/right wise for them better.
And lastly, the 10" Tornado. Best stock DD coil I've used so far in terms of depth, stability, and separation, but as good as it is I feel the 12x10 is a step up in every respect.
On the weights of all these coils...The 12x10 is even lighter than the Tornado if you remove the coil cover on the 12x10 and use spray on bed liner to protect it. Lighter than the S-12 in fact, which is hard to believe because the S-12 is legendary in how light it is. The 15x12 without it's coil cover is lighter than the Tornado with it's coil cover still on too. These are the BBS versions of these coils, as the FBS versions of the SEFs are a good bit heavier for some reason. See the coil weight chart we did in the coil sticky for more on the weights we weighed with a bunch of coils. I didn't find the 15x12's weight to be a problem, as I ran it without a coil cover and being lighter than the 10" Tornado which is already a fairly light coil. The 12x10 without a coil cover is even more of a weight savings though that you will notice and like IMO.
The 15x12 did get deeper than stock in the sand for me but on land it didn't due to it taking in too much ground signal with my ground minerals. Weird thing is my beaches are mineralized too so not sure why it did in the sand. I'm talking coin sized targets. Bigger stuff like half dollar/dollar sized or bigger I'm sure it would be deeper than a smaller coil. The 12x10 for me on land is deeper than my stock coil and the 15x12 for coin sized targets. The separation of the 12x10 is even better than my stock 10" coil left/right wise. It's an outstanding coil and I never take it off except rarely to use my 5.5" Sun Ray.
Bigger coils do not always equal more depth on coin sized targets. The general rule of thumb for a DD to still see gains on coin sized targets is about 14" in size, so the 15x12 is right at that limit I think. I think the difference is that if your soil has a certain high enough level of minerals the target is being washed out at depth by more ground signal being taken in by the detector. That's why I think some say the 15x12 is deeper for them while others say it's less deep. The 12x10 has such a sharp field that I feel it rides on and sees less ground than even my 10" coil in terms of "soaking in the ground stew". The signal seems far less "fuzzy". For that reason I'm not even sure if a round 12" or 13" coil would show depth gains over my stock 10" coil in my soil while the 12x10 does show me depth gains due to the nature of it's signal being "sharper". A round 12 or 13" coil might be seeing too much ground to show an increase in depth on coin sized targets. I'll be trying the 13" Ultimate soon to judge that for myself.
For concentrics the general rule of thumb in size to still see gains in depth on coins is either about 10 or 12" max. Some say 10, some say 12. They don't retain as good of sensitivity to coin sized targets as they increase in size as a DD does, and concentrics tend to ride on and see more ground matrix than DDs in certain ways so that alone can limit the size of one.
I enjoyed the increased coverage of the 15x12 in the sand but the 12x10 is still a step up in coverage, because tip to toe is what really equals coverage on a DD as the detection line runs like a wiper blade the length of the coil. If I was primarily a beach or large open field hunter I would have kept the 15x12 for that even if I thought it was costing me a little depth on land, but since I primarily land hunt smaller areas and in the woods too the 12x10 is what I prefer and also I know it's deeper than any coil I've used yet on coins. And it's increased coverage over my 10" coil is still a nice improvement when beach hunting and such.
The official field test of the SEF coils found the 15x12 was a tad deeper than the 12x10 on crotal bells, which I think was probably roughly the size of a half dollar or close to it as I've dug a few of those myself in the past. On dime/penny sized coins it matched the 12x10 (in his soil, not mine), but on smaller coins it the 12x10 was deeper, so I suspect even if your soil is good for the 15x12 the 12x10 might get deeper on half dimes or 3 cent pieces at least and is probably going to at least match the 15x12 on penny/dime/quarter sized targets like it did in the official field test.
The 12x10 seems a bit more sensitive to me on small stuff than my stock coil or the 15x12 was. I'm also hammering coins on edge with it. The 15x12 seemed to do better on on edge coins than stock too, but the 12x10 seems even a bit better at it. I suspect part of that reason is that a coin on edge is presenting a smaller sized "coin" for the coil to see, so the extra sensitivity of the 12x10 to small stuff due to it's size is more easily able to "see" the coin on edge. Don't get me wrong though, I was impressed with the 15x12 too in just how tiny of stuff I dug at depth with it. The 12x10 just seems a bit more better at tiny stuff though IMO. You would figure that would make sense for the size of these two coils alone, but I will say the 15x12 seems to enhance tiny target sensitivity some over some conventional round DD coils I've used.
One thing about the 12x10 that you'll notice is how "sharp" it's DD line is. It makes the Sovereign feel like it's been sped up in processing speed. You can more easily wiggle between two targets even right up against each other and isolate them for ID from each other without as much work at doing so. And if you really want to sniff in between a mess of junk that hints at a high tone try wiggling the last 2 or 3" of the tip of the coil at it as it gets even razor blade sharper it seems right towards the tips too.
The odd thing is that the audio on the Sovereign seems "crisper" and more high in pitch on targets. Like hearing sounds on a very cold day outside that seem to have more of a "sharp edge" to them. I believe it's the extra sharp DD line of these SEF coils that makes the audio change like that. Think of the DD line as a string on a guitar, and you are strumming it with a guitar pick instead of your thumb. That's why I think the audio is so much more "crisp", and also why I think the machine seems to react faster between targets to the point where you'd swear the processor has been sped up.
The 15x12 is one smooth coil like the 12x10. They'll run in rough ground or iron at higher sensitivity settings (most say and it's true for me) than stock coils and not false as much, but I found that higher sensitivity still didn't equal more depth for the 15x12 for me on land. Like I said though, in the sand it did go deeper than stock though for some reason. With my beaches being mineralized too I still can't figure that one out.
I often found the 15x12 gave easiest/best ID at depth by turning the sensitivity down a good bit from max stable. I suspect by doing that it was taking in less ground stew and washing out the target less.
For water hunting I found the square(ish) shape of the 15x12 a bit too much drag for my tastes and made my effort to swing through the water a rather slow affair that took more effort than I care for. Not to say it would be an issue for some, but I bet a round coil of similar size such as the WOT might glide through the water more easily maybe? Still haven't tried the 12x10 in the water yet to see "how much of a drag" it is for that though.
Has to be less drag then the 15x12 just by share lessor size if not anything else, right? But I can see why the S-12/X-12 might be popular among water hunters due to it's sleek shape for any potential drag issues. Many Excal water hunters seem to love that coil, but I haven't seen any opinions yet on it's drag compared to the 12x10 in the water.One final point about the 15x12- If you are a cache or relic hunter who spends a good bit of time doing that then for sure this coil is going to give you more depth on bigger stuff, not to mention more coverage, so you may want to opt for it or even the other two bigger versions of the SEFs available for the Sovereign that should get even deeper than it on big stuff. And if you are primarily a large open field or large beach hunter who needs max coverage this coil should also be considered over the 12x10, but in my opinion if much of your hunting is on land I have more confidence the 12x10 is going to be deeper in my soil (and at least as deep as the 15x12 in other soils) on coin/ring sized targets. Like I said, you'll find the 12x10 to be a nice step up in coverage that you will notice, but at the same time you won't feel like it's costing you separation. In fact, I have more confidence with it's laser like DD line that is compressed width wide due to the coil's unique shape...That I feel like I'm using an 8" coil for the most part, and I suspect the DD line on the 12x10 might even be sharper.
As for the FBS versions of these coils, even many of the FBS guys (many, not all, as opinion is never always completely one way on a topic as subjective as coil comparisons) who use the 11" Pro Coil coils say the 12x10 is deeper, smoother, more stable, separates left/right wise better, and allows higher sensitivity levels for them. Not all agree on all these things, and some agree on some of these points but not all of them, and some flat out still prefer the Pro Coil, but as a whole I'd say I've read more across the net from those who prefer the 12x10 and think of it as deeper, smoother, allowing higher sensitivity settings, and separating left/right wise for them better.
And lastly, the 10" Tornado. Best stock DD coil I've used so far in terms of depth, stability, and separation, but as good as it is I feel the 12x10 is a step up in every respect.
On the weights of all these coils...The 12x10 is even lighter than the Tornado if you remove the coil cover on the 12x10 and use spray on bed liner to protect it. Lighter than the S-12 in fact, which is hard to believe because the S-12 is legendary in how light it is. The 15x12 without it's coil cover is lighter than the Tornado with it's coil cover still on too. These are the BBS versions of these coils, as the FBS versions of the SEFs are a good bit heavier for some reason. See the coil weight chart we did in the coil sticky for more on the weights we weighed with a bunch of coils. I didn't find the 15x12's weight to be a problem, as I ran it without a coil cover and being lighter than the 10" Tornado which is already a fairly light coil. The 12x10 without a coil cover is even more of a weight savings though that you will notice and like IMO.
