Oh No. I'm thinking again........and that's dangerous.

[Hightone]

I've been exploring the Whites MX5. My reasoning is to get something as close to possible as my F5, that is more turn on and go. In my older age (65) I find myself grabbing the F2 for that reason. The F5 doesn't have a memory and I have to GB it to start. The cons of a Whites (IMO) is that most dealers I use don't carry them. This may be because of Whites special rules of engagement that makes you go to their site through a dealer. I am assuming Whites drop ships their units.

I treat my detectors respectfully. Wiping them down after each hunt including the coil, cleaning the battery compartment periodically, etc. I'm thinking I could sell my F5 with the unused 5"DD and rarely used 11"DD for what a MX5 sells for used and in great condition. I watched the video's on it and read enough to see it is pretty close to my F5. Same depth, but the VCO in PP seems a little annoying over mine. I'd have to get used to a different numerical ID system (my F5 and F2 are the same that way), but I could just turn on and go. Am I being finicky? Heck, lately it takes me 30 minutes to wake up in the morning, and that's with 2 cups of coffee. (sucks to get old)

I'd have to find a trade or sell mine and rely on the F2.

Is it really worth it?

 

[Hightone]

-- moved topic --

 

[BarberBill]

You're right, getting old is the pits, but beats the alternative. MX5 is supposed to be a pretty decent detector and it is compatible with M6, MXT, DFX etc. coils as well as auto ground balance and once you've set the basics (disc, sens, etc.) is basically a turn on and go detector. If you don't like it, you can always peddle it and move on.
luvsdux

 

[Monte]

Through the first few decades in this great sport I would buy/sell/trade a wide range of detectors simply because I wanted to see and learn what was new, what might be different, find out what I didn't like and what I did, often a main underlying motive was to see what the other guy was using or liked. Kind of one very long experiment, but fun and rewarding. It brought me to where I am today where I still like checking out any detector possible, but for the past twenty years it's mainly against the models I have settled on as excellent general-purpose detectors.

Today I make subtle changes that are not based on complexity or fashionable looks, but by simplicity and performance. I like 'simple' and I enjoy flexibility and versatility in a detector for the types of hunting I enjoy doing. Metal detecting is a fun, relaxing and hopefully rewarding outdoor sport with a lot of different types of applications, from traditional day-to-day urban Coin Hunting, to all of the more varied and specific needs applications like Beach Hunting, Gold Nugget Hunting and Relic Hunting.

I enjoy them all, but do very little Beach Hunting. I fall more into the Relic Hunter category based upon the older-use and more out-of-the-way sites I have been seeking since my first ghost town hunt in May of '69. I want to have good functional performance and versatility, as I stated, but without a lot of 'fluff.' Just good old 'simple' and 'reliable' is all it takes, then match the detector and coil to the task at hand.

I've been exploring the Whites MX5.

I bought one when first announced and was so impressed with it that I added it to my personal detector battery and it replaced the M6, Omega and a couple of others I usually carried. My White's MXT Pro remained as did a Classic ID, and I have now added a Tesoro Bandido II µMAX back into my carry detectors. In my vehicle I have the latter three and MX5 loaded and traveling with me, but most of the time the MX5 is the one I grab first. I keep a 5.3 Eclipse mounted, which is a 6½" diameter Concentric coil. I moved the 9" Concentric 'spider' coil to my MXT All-Pro for more open areas with less trash, and I have my Classic ID w/4½" Concentric mounted and Bandido II µMAX w/7" Concentric coil mounted. All ready to go-to-work, but the MX5 is a quick-and-simple, ready-to-hunt unit that is working quite well for me.

My reasoning is to get something as close to possible as my F5, that is more turn on and go.

I've used the Fisher F5 and it's good for chasing coins, but I hunt a lot of iron nail infested sites and I use my Nail Board Performance Test to help me eliminate models that just do not work as well in dense iron nail environments. The F5 doesn't, nor do most of the current Fisher and Teknetics offerings. I use a good Tesoro and/or White's Classic as the comparative and they have to try and match or come close to their performance in the Nail Board Test. White's MXT, M6 and MX5 handle the dense iron nails okay.

In my older age (65) I find myself grabbing the F2 for that reason.

Like you, I am 65, and like you I enjoy grabbing an easy-to-use detector. That's why I have the MXT All-Pro, MX5, Classic ID and Bandido II µMAX in my main-use battery. They work. They are easy to use. They balance well. They find stuff.

The F5 doesn't have a memory and I have to GB it to start.

Ground Balancing is simple, seldom requiring more than 2-5 pumps of the coil with a fast automated Ground Balance design, and maybe 5 to 15 seconds with a manual GB detector. I do like the memory feature as it keeps things 'simple,' and the automated GB and Auto-Trac help keep the MX5 performing well in the majority of sites I have encountered.

The cons of a Whites (IMO) is that most dealers I use don't carry them. This may be because of Whites special rules of engagement that makes you go to their site through a dealer. I am assuming Whites drop ships their units.

It's best just to find a good dealer, regardless of the brand a person shops for. Too many dealers don't really get out detecting all that much or learn and know the products they sell. I don't think White's drop-ships for their dealers.

I treat my detectors respectfully. Wiping them down after each hunt including the coil, cleaning the battery compartment periodically, etc.

I, too, pamper my detectors and gear, with them usually appearing 'as new' after a year or more of detecting.

I'm thinking I could sell my F5 with the unused 5"DD and rarely used 11"DD for what a MX5 sells for used and in great condition. I watched the video's on it and read enough to see it is pretty close to my F5. Same depth, but the VCO in PP seems a little annoying over mine. I'd have to get used to a different numerical ID system (my F5 and F2 are the same that way), but I could just turn on and go. Am I being finicky? Heck, lately it takes me 30 minutes to wake up in the morning, and that's with 2 cups of coffee. (sucks to get old)

I'd have to find a trade or sell mine and rely on the F2.

Is it really worth it?

Yes, in my opinion, and I like my MX5 more than the Omega and F5, which are kind of 'cousins.' I don't, and never have, been a coffee drinker, but I do seem to wake-up a little slower than I used to. Age. Let's just blame it on 'age.'

Monte

 

[Hightone]

Your opinions are usually well thought out through your experiences. I used to talk with you on another forum many years ago. I seem to remember your avatar as Mr Burns from the Simpsons. Yes, age.

 

[Monte]

never cared to watch The Simpsons. So that couldn't have been me ...., maybe it's that 'age' thing slipping in?

I know it happens to me now and then, like right now. I used my MX5 for all my hunting yesterday and plan to use my MXT All-Pro today. I headed out to try and work in some hunting and forgot the location of the country roads to the site I planned to check out. Came back to check the computer and noticed this reply. Now that I know where I am supposed to be going things won't be so bad? Age. It sure was more fun being younger!

Okay, back out the door to hunt!

Monte

 

[berryman]

So Monte, why did the MX5 replace the M-6 in your arsenal? In what ways is the MX5 superior?

 

[Hightone]

This guy.

 

[Hightone]

I thank all those that provided input. I did attempt to make a trade, but with no success. I was offered a couple of DFXs, a XLT, Coinmaster and a few others. But my F5 is almost perfect for my hunting, but due to my tremors, I just have a harder time maintaining pressure on the PP button. The single tap on the MX5 seemed a better option. I didn't realize it but a M6 has a trigger and I could have used it as well. I don't get a trigger with Fisher until I move to a F75.

I don't need the iron separation like Monte's NBT defines as what is acceptable. I live in an area that has seen a lot of historic activity (1700s), yet is not overly populated with ground pollutants. I like my concentric 10" best. But if I put the 11" DD back on, I don't even need to use the PP on the F5 in most cases. I have yet to need the 5" coil yet.

I am so used to the great display of the F5, and the tone language, and we've been together for so long.

Thanks again.

Dan

 

[Monte]

I like the gray color, plastic housing, battery supply, feel & balance. To that I like the memory, simplicity of adjustments on-the-fly, the Back-lighted display, and especially the 2-Tone Audio option. I especially like the fact that it is on the MXT 'platform' and performance is very close to that of the M6 and MXT All-Pro.

Since the MXT All-Pro is my #1 all-purpose detector and provides everything found on the M6 plus more, I felt the MX5, with some differences, offered me a better complement in my detecting arsenal.

Monte