Saltwater Beach Test of the Minelab X50 & Fisher Edge, the Freshwater Test will follow

[BarnacleBill]

I was given the opportunity to test two recent new mid-priced detectors by Fisher and Minelab. Both manufacturers provided the units to me for my evaluation and neither asked for anything more than a fair and balanced report. I had previously tested the Fisher Excel and Minelab X-Terra 30 against one another in a detailed and lengthy review. Some have referred to this previous review as a

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Bill,

Thank you for sharing your efforts. I guess on reading your report I am left with the basic feeling that the Edge and X50 are pretty darn close in performance on the beach. Overall I prefer the X-Terra myself, but if a person was really going to use the unit around and even in the water the Edge does have the ability to be hip or chest mounted, which I consider to be a big plus.

What about the X-Terra 50 with 18.75 kHz coil on the beach - did you not try it out?

Steve Herschbach
Steve's Mining Journal

 

[Richard@BackwoodsDetectors]

n/t

 

[BobH]

n/t

 

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

reports that the "company" guys do regularly. {Not that I feel your final analisys showed any of these detectors to be "mediocre" I thought they came out looking quite good!}They always seem to like everything except, something that wouldn't matter anyway! When I say "company man" I don't mean a manufacturer's employee, I mean the "you know who's" that manage to have their field tests all glowing!
Most of us are beyond that foolery. I appreciate your report, I saw nothing that I thought was meant to mislead. Nothing like the fake reports we are all used to. They made a good choice using you as a field tester! Truth in advertising really can benefit a manufacturer!
The reports done by the "popular" field testers are not worth the time to read.
Keep up the factual reports! I liked this one!
Actually, the best I've read yet!

 

[Digger]

Although I don't live anywhere near salt water or a beach, I enjoyed reading the report and appreciate the detail you described the process used to reach your conclusions. Many of which reflect results I have found in the dirt. I agree with your statement about air tests not being relavant for comparing detectors. I don't use airtests to compare one detector against another. But find it useful to compare one coil against another, on the same detector. As far a depth comparisons between the Edge and the X-50, my results differ. Although the Edge did provide excellent separation of targets and great pinpointing characteristics, I just didn't get the raw depth out of the Edge that I can with the X-Terra. At least not in my dirt. I have attributed both, the X-Terras additional depth and the Edge's better separation characteristics, to the size of the stock coils. I suppose that question will be answered when Minelab introduces a smaller coil for the X-Terras. Thanks again for taking the time to record your findings and post them for all of us to learn from. HH Randy

 

[BarnacleBill]

the designers have done a good job of producing two machines that are very competitive in their price range, which can only benefit we hobbyists. I didn't test the 18.75 coil because it wasn't available during the time frame the ocean tests occurred. But since I can do the air tests in my backyard I could add them to the test matrix. The freshwater portion will contain more on the 18.75. Much of the freshwater testing was done breaking the skim ice, which I am sure you can appreciate, being where you live.

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[BarnacleBill]

as I have seen you have recently experienced events that try the soul. I want you to know that this did not go unnoticed on my part.

Many times in the past I looked to your posts on a variety of machines that you tried out(sometimes more than once), and appreciated your forthrightness. Maybe my report is just a little down payment to repay all the time and money you have contributed in educating beach hunters.

Thanks,
BarnacleBill

 

[ChuckDiggin it in Florida]

I'm honored that you feel some of my posts have been beneficial!
They certainly are always frank!
I, like you, tell it like I see it!
But, I don't have the ability, that you clearly do have, to put my thoughts into "orderly" words.
But, I guess, from your compliment, that I'm gettin' by!
Thanks for the kind words!
Again, an excellent, honest, report!

 

[buttondigger]

Nice job. It appears the 18.75 Khz is what a relic hunter should be using for low conductors. I'm going to compare the 50 to my T2 when it arrives this weekend. Same format using civil war relics. Tex

 

[BarnacleBill]

once the hard water on the lakes turns back to liquid, I'm going to put in some serious time with the 18.75.

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[cdog46]

Barnacle Bill-
Thanks for test report. I have a dog who likes Long Sands Beach. I am also extremely lazy when it comes to metal detecting. The sand at Long Sands is easy to dig in, and since I live less than ten minutes away-I do alot of hunting when I do hunt at Long Sands almost exclusively.

What do that have to do with anything??!! Because of the detectors I have used at this particular beach-it put these two detectors performance into distinct perspective, and I would have to agree strongly they don't compare to the results I have gotten at Long Sands with the following detectors all of which I have owned for atleast a summer season and are as follows (AND I should hasten to add as you have already eloquently pointed out should you expect to get:

EX2, EX1, Minelab Sov(original model), cz3D, CZ6a cz7pro,-all deeper than you reported on Long Sands. All detectors-no extraneous noise or tuning problems ever in wet sand @ Long Sands. If anything-the all the Minelabs seem to LIKE wet sand or so it seems. Probably a little better depth with any of the Minelabs-but for ease of use and almost as much depth(but not quite) the Fishers are outstandimng detectors and take a back seat to no others.

In the final analysis-I'd probably like the x-terra or Edge for dry sand at Long Sans & the heavier ones (EX2) for below high tide.

 

[Bernie]

Thank you for your review of the Xterra 50, it was a real eye-opener for me. I recently purchased a 50 for my wife to replace her ACE 150. I bought the 50 based on the recommendation of someone at Kellyco. I was told that I needed to buy the 50 because the 30 wouldn't handle the salt beach environment. When I reviewed the owner's manual on the 50, I didn't see anything specific for beach detecting, other than reducing sensitivity. There was also some information on manual ground balancing, but it was not clear if that was required for beach detecting. I am beginning to wonder if I made a bad choice with the 50 as my wife likes to get down in the wet sand. Anyway, thanks for the information.