They say curiosity killed the cat. So lets get a little daring.

[NH Bob]

There is a lot of information bouncing back and forth on this forum that in most cases is quite useful. Some of it I'm sure is book talk.
Just curious how much actual field time you all have on the X-Terras?
I have amassed somewhere in the neighborhood 250 to 300 hours of infield use on the X-70. There are things I know about this machine that are hard to explain. As your field time increases you will have some of these little quarks pop up. I am not in gold country so I can't help there. Nor am I a beach hunter. I am a coin and relic hunter and can help in that area.
I contribute on 2 other forums and have gotten more than a few PM from this one and the Explorer forum.
What I am saying is, I like to help where I can so feel free to ask. If I don't have what I feel is the correct answer I will tell you so.
Still curious about your in field time with the X-70.

 

[B.T]

G,day Bob. I got mine as soon as it was released here in OZ.
I swing for about 20 hours a week, sometimes more.
At a rough guess probably 1500 hours.

 

[nugget71]

I know guys that swing their detectors around many hours a day but I must say sometimes what I see really scares me. Some of these guys look like professional fly squatters.....there swing is all wrong, there heads are aiming towards the sky (maybe they think something is gonna drop at any second from the gods above) and at the rate they move its a wonder they find anything at all. I was watching an old guy one day swinging his detector like some crazy musketeer in the 17th century and decided to try the same area after he left. To put the story short I found 23 dollars in silver and gold coins (AUS) The same old guy literally came running back from another spot not that far away and said "hey mate you wont find anything there I have done that area" I said nothing and simply dipped my hand into my pocket and showed the guy what I had found......he was lost for words. He asked me about my detector (exp II). I saw the guy about 3 weeks later riding his motorbike with a brand new exp II on the back and had I had a chuckle to myself. Now I have seen this old guy using his new exp II exactly the same way he was using his old machine....like a maniac having some kind of fit! OK thats a bit harsh......he looked more like a bloke after a few rounds at the pub. I'm no expert or guru when it comes to detecting but I guess what I'm trying to say is when it comes to a hobby like this without proper technique or use from your tool no matter how much time you spend in the field you can still be a noob. Quality not quantity has always been my motto.
Cheers!

 

[NH Bob]

Great B.T. hands on is the best school.

 

[NH Bob]

You're absolutely right. Keep an even Keel I always say.

 

[Digger]

n/t

 

[NH Bob]

n/t

 

[John LA]

several others. Sometimes I pick up tips from newbies. I'm sure actual experience time is very helpful but the worst haircut I ever got was from a barber with over 40 years experience.

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

G'day Bob. That's a bit of a different question.
I've got around 215 hours on the X-Terra 30. that was up till September last year when I bought the Ace (around 120hrs on that now).
I haven't hunted much this year (about 30+ hrs) but I've been getting a real itch, to get the X-Terra out again. Despite the hours I've put on these machines, I feel like I'm only just starting to get to know them. They both seem to have plenty of scope to be learning from, for some time to come yet. Guess I'll just have to get back out to the classroom again.
Mick Evans.
P.S. I wonder if BT has figured out all he wants to out of the 70 yet?

 

[Bavaria Mike]

I have around 150 hours or more now on the XT70, just finished 2 more hrs on a field. Got ran off by a blizzard, temps dropped from 43F to 33F in about 15 minutes with sideways snow. It will not stick, too warm. I was thinking maybe a lightning storm was coming then the snow started flying, LOL! I need to hit a few more playgrounds and beaches with the XT70, I did well with some Euros a while back even with the 10.5" DD, still separated the targets well enough. The XT70 is great as a relic hunter! HH, Mike

 

[NH Bob]

n/t

 

[Anonymous]

traded up for fishers F-75-

for curiosity?????????????

have one on the way- and that one will have a small coil-

AJ

 

[steelheadfever]

And you have a lot of finds to show for those hours. Keep it up and HH Dennis in Idaho

 

[argyle]

n/t

 

[NH Bob]

Gives you an idea where the information is coming from. Hands on or generalized.

 

[BarnacleBill]

[attachment 51575 troll.gif]

 

[Digger]

Looks like AJ has been drinking too much Bounty Hunter Kool-Aid!

 

[Dick from IA]

Learnin' and Laughin'

Love this place

 

[Digger]

I believe experience is a journey, not a destination. Hours are just a measurement of wasted time if you don't make adjustments and improvements along the way. In my 35 years of detecting, I haven't kept track of the hours I've spent in the field. Instead, I keep log of the finds, dates, detectors used and expense incurred. I also take notes of adjustments and setting used at each specific site. To me, these are the things that really matter. Not hours.

With that said, I've been on my X-Terra journey for 18 months. Being one of the initial field testers for the X-Terra, I have spent a great deal of time with each model. Although I don't know how many hours I have detected with each one, my expense records show that I have put 7 sets of batteries through the X-50, 5 sets of batteries through the X-30 and 16 sets of batteries through the X-70. At 40 hours a set, you can do the math.

In addition to my 35 years of coin shooting, 18 months using the X-Terra and the hundreds of posts I've made on just this forum, Minelab included my X-Terra Field Test reports on their website. One of my product "testimonials" has been featured in their product brochures. My article "Musky Hunting Made Easy" appears on Minelab's website. And, my "Coin-$hooting" articles for all three X-Terra models are available at this site as well as several websites. I was swinging Minelab detectors long before I was asked to share my experiences in their brochures, their website or help with Field Testing the X-Terra. I used them before the Field Tests and I continue to use them afterward. I use them because I like them! Simple as that. However, my experience isn't limited to Minelab or the X-Terra series. I own or have owned many Garretts, White's, Tesoro and Fisher detectors, and other Minelab models as well. Some have earned a place in my detecting arsenal and others have not. I continue to be involved in field tests for various detector and aftermarket coil manufacturers. And, I continue to provide those manufacturers information based on how they work for me, in the sites I hunt. Some of this information is published and some of it is not. That determination is made by the manufacturer. I have no bias on detectors, coils or the folks who make them. I do, however, find some that work well for me and others that haven't. And, that is what I base my opinions on.

So, are my comments in these forum posts to be taken as "book talk" or field experience? I like to think it is combination of both. But, I'll let you decide.

Again, I don't believe hours of experience is a measure of how effective you might be with any detector. I believe practice makes perfect and perfect practice provides experience. At the end of the day, all I can hope is that some of the information I've shared with you on this forum has helped make you a better coin shooter.
HH Randy

 

[OldeTymer]

n/t