whats the best detector you ever owned?

[C.J.M.]

List the best detector you ever had all this years

 

[#1Leatherneck]

For a person who really wants to learn metal detecting?
There can only be one answer!
In my honest opinion I believe White's Spectra V3i does the best job of them all!
Arguendo, the V3i is extremely arduous. It has so much to teach someone who actually wants to learn metal detecting. It is designed to teach one to learn what is below the coil. To my knowledge it is the only multi-function freq./kHz that displays simultaneously all three kHz. Likewise, in pinpointing it will simultaneously show all freq./kHz.
The V3i has the most configurability to my knowledge.
It will teach one more than any metal detector.
I own the V3i, and I will never get rid of it.
I will learn metal detecting. The V3i will teach me so much!

 

[u2robert]

Have to go with the Equinox 800

 

[o 2 find dosh]

Have to go with the Whites v3i which i have had since 2009. The big plus for the v3i over the Equinox is the vdi range of -95 through to + 95 Minelab have stuffed up big time with the range of vdi to close toghether. You have to dig heaps more targets with the Equinox compared to the v3i I have used every brand of detector since starting detecting in Australia in 1977 .Just take jewellery as one instants. With the v3i using correlate and span limit & frequency offset with span limit set at one you will get no pull tabs but you will get fine gold rings. here in Australia the aluminium screw caps land right on our $1 & $2 coins but set up properly and in a saved program the screw caps can be seperated from the coins. Our old 1 cent coin can be eliminated as the range of vdi is away from the $1 & &2 coins not so with the Equinox as it falls in the $1 & $2 coins.

Its horses for courses although the v3i has been around since 2009 11 years its still the most advanced detector with its settings if you comprehend how to program it to get the very best of its capabalities. There has been a lot of detectorists who have bought the v3i and could not learn to understand how to program it. and sold it on . Another thing you can take any factory program out of the library & change it to a name to suit your self [ coin & jewellery to gold rings etc.] Look at the Equinox 800 you can only save a hand full of personal programs. But it all comes down to cost you get what you pay for. And i would be very sceptical of using the Equinox in the water. One of my mates here has had everthing replaced on the Equinox except the stem. Ears broke off the coil control box flooded So i will stick with my trusty v3i till the the day i die. You can't go past a masterpiece.

 

[KindManTall]

The White's VX3 .. 5x8' coil and the dx-1 probe

 

[TC-NM]

1) XL Pro (still have it)
2) V3i
3) 6000 di pro plus

 

[C.J.M.]

whats the difference V3I AND the V3

 

[Mike(SK)]

White's MXT.

 

[jmaclen]

By far the best metal detector I have ever owned is the Whites V3i. So far, the best "detecting" metal detector I have ever owned is the Equinox 800. If I could put the innards and waterproofing of the Equinox into the beautiful V3i control housing, ditch the metal box and upgrade the V3i coils.......................

 

[#1Leatherneck]

For a person who really wants to learn metal detecting?
There can only be one answer!
In my honest opinion I believe White's Spectra V3i does the best job of them all!
Arguendo, the V3i is extremely arduous. It has so much to teach someone who actually wants to learn metal detecting. It is designed to teach one to learn what is below the coil. To my knowledge it is the only multi-function freq./kHz that displays simultaneously all three kHz. Likewise, in pinpointing it will simultaneously show all freq./kHz.
The V3i has the most configurability to my knowledge.
It will teach one more than any metal detector.
I own the V3i, and I will never get rid of it.
I will learn metal detecting. The V3i will teach me so much!

The White's Spectra V3i from the outset sold for approximately ($1,300.00), one thousand, and three hundred dollars, and still commands approximately the same today?
In my opinion, (10) ten years from today they will still command relatively the same amount!
If anybody doubts this, in (10) ten years buy one! lol ROFL

 

[Diggindumbstuff]

Was MXT Pro, but I am starting to think the ORX is superior.

 

[C.J.M.]

The White's VX3 .. 5x8' coil and the dx-1 probe

Whats the difference between v31 and V3

 

[TC-NM]

Well C.J.M., it all started the end of winter and the beginning of spring of 2009. White's introduced the predecessor of the V3i called the "Vision". White's had it on the market for less than 2 months. The name change occurred because Garrett Metal Detector Co. claimed and proved that White's infringed on their name/title of "Vision". White's changed the detector name to "Spectra V3". The V3's are exactly the same as the "Vision" except for one thing that I can recall that needed to be updated. You couldn't lower the overall internal volume which came into the H.P., i.e., too loud. You had the option to send in your detector for free sans S & H. They called it "Official Audio Volume Fix". These reduced the volume by 20 decibels. Another neat thing was a shared wireless feature to transfer/receive of custom programs from one detector to another. This feature was finally remove by the engineers from White's claiming that it was to complicated for the user. What was that about? I liked it... Great feature!

A few years down the road and White's introduced the V3i. the "i" stands for "Imbedded" progaming. Some detectorist's who had the "Vision" or "V3's" could send it in for a nominal fee to have theirs upgraded. When those users got back their detector from the factory, the factory applied a small round sticker on the side of the control box indicating that it was upgraded. The features that I can recall were: Live dashboard (continuously analyzing the soil) for prospecting, Soil type selection, and Languages, etc. just to name a few. The "Spectra V3i" was being manuf. in conjunction to the upgraded models. Some detectorist's at the time claim that the upgraded V3i was not as good as the V3i of new manuf. ... I really don't know?

Hope that answers your question. TC-NM

 

[o 2 find dosh]

Well Whites over the years has been very good to me with there service. I sold Whites detectors here in Australia in the late 70's and sent my v3 back to the states to be updated to the v3i. I paid the freight back to the states from OZ and they put a brand new v3i box on it not an i sticker and new screen and it did not cost me a cent. Postage and update were all free. Just love my Whites detectors.

 

[Fredneck]

List the best detector you ever had all this years View attachment 6349

In my 30 years at this, White's XLT does it all and is my favorite, but I will admit having multiple frequencies to work with would enhance this detectors performance, but not by much. Today other companies honestly are just catching up, but they are making it easier for newcomers to have success straight out the box, where the Spectrum's, Eagle, XLT, and the V3I came with a learning curve to get to maximum capabilities. Often thought that the VX3 should have crushed the market being it's a simplified Spectrum with a low frequency and the favored new higher frequencies. The main thing these older White's units bring to the field that most others still haven't achieved, is being able to hunt full time in "All Metal" mode for much added depth, while offering different tones to use as a form of discrimination... Priceless . Most of today's detectors, if it even offers a true "All Metal" mode, operate in 1 tone, meaning you would have to dig all the targets. I crack up when I see a comparison video of today's latest against one of the Spectrum's, and they say " Look, in Coin mode or Relic mode with the Sensitivity at max, it won't pick up this deep coin ... Too funny

 

[randyalbin]

I started out with the XLT when first introduced in 1994, learned that detector but traded it off when the DFX first showed in 2001. I liked the XLT better and just lately have another one loaded with Monte's Bushwhack program...what a hoot to use now... LOL The 6.59n kHz operating frequency loves silver coins and the occasional gold ring.... especially with one of the 5.3 concentric coils mounted.

 

[Adrian SS]

Have to agree. The Spectrum XLT is an excellent machine for the jewellery, Coin and relic hunter

 

[John in Nawth Carolina]

MS Sport and Equinox. If the Sport didn't have the bad habit of reporting steel bottle caps as coins, it would be my favorite. Loved the screen.

 

[Bob38]

For a person who really wants to learn metal detecting?
There can only be one answer!
In my honest opinion I believe White's Spectra V3i does the best job of them all!
Arguendo, the V3i is extremely arduous. It has so much to teach someone who actually wants to learn metal detecting. It is designed to teach one to learn what is below the coil. To my knowledge it is the only multi-function freq./kHz that displays simultaneously all three kHz. Likewise, in pinpointing it will simultaneously show all freq./kHz.
The V3i has the most configurability to my knowledge.
It will teach one more than any metal detector.
I own the V3i, and I will never get rid of it.
I will learn metal detecting. The V3i will teach me so much!

Leatherneck I have to agree with you 100% and I'm not saying this because I'm on a Whites forum. Like many of us in this game, I own several metal detectors, and if they cant go off on a 9 inch silver dime, I get rid of it. I have currently moved that threshold up to 11 inches and in my soil that is hard to do. The V3i slams the 11 incher and like no other. learning how to properly balance all the settings to work in harmony with each other is key. This machine demands the user's attention to make it work and I dont see alot of users willing to do so. Once learned, the V3i and the user can work around any situation. I would like to see the V3i modernized a little and I'm hoping Garrett will take a long look at the V3i and expand on these capabilities.