Jim McCulloch
New member
Many of the posts on this Forum are requests (and answers) regarding the best "accessory" coil to get. The MXT's stock 950 coil is a good compromise coil for most uses. However, for more "specialty" use, a second (even third) "accessory" coil is needed. Which one is best? Before answering that question, it is well to remember that EACH coil has it's own strengths, and weaknesses, for a particular application. Thus, it is well to carefully consider YOUR specific needs prior to purchase, to get the coil(s) best suited for YOU, not someone else. As a general rule, smaller coils isolate targets better then the stock (or larger) coils, pinpoint more accurately, and thus are the better choice for hunting trashy sites, or where the ground is rough, or rocky. Yes, there is USUALLY some loss of depth compared to the stock coil, but not always. Coils larger then the stock 950 MAY get better depth, but NOT ALWAYS. Depth is a matter of coil size, coil type (i.e. internal configuration) and level of power employed. Soil mineralization has a pronounced effect on those variables, too. So which is best? For smaller coils, the 5.3 gets about 15% more depth then the 6x4 DD Shooter, when operated at the same power setting, but where the soil mineralization is high, the 6x4 MIGHT be able to be operated at a higher gaint stting, giving comparable depth to the 5.3. Another point regarding the 6x4 is that it isolates targets a bit better then the 5.3, and, the 6x4 also offers slightly better ground coverage per sweep. Basic small coil "bottom line:" about 60% of MXT users would gain better benefit from the 5.3, about 40% would get better results with the 6x4. The 10x6 is also a great option, especially when a bit more depth (then the 5.3 or 6x4) is needed, and, where greater ground coverage is required. The 10x6 is VERY popular with nugget hunters. Hope this helps; HH Jim
