Which Midrange metal detector in the......

[Ivan]

...$500.00 to $700.00 range has the most accurate target id at depth, in medium mineralized soil?( ID that locks on well and doesn't flutter around much) Depth, let's say about 6 inches? Hoping to get some advice from users who have acutual experience ..tired of the detector literature.... they all say they are the best.Thinking of getting a new machine for spring and starting my research now. Thanks for your valued participation!

 

[yowow#1]

Two detectors that i have owned and used is that price range is the f-70 and xterra 705,, both were very good at depths up to 6 inches, I still have the X-705 and it ain't going anywhere, the only reason i sold the f-70 was that it was a little chattier then i like.. Good luck.

 

[Nauti]

Too many variables to give an accurate answer.Most of today's detectors will give you an idea but I can't think of a single one I've used that locks on and doesn't waver on signals under certain circumstances.

 

[Ivan]

Neil I know they all waver around on target id's.........I'm looking for opinion on which "flutter around less" .

 

[dirt doctor]

I like the White's M6 .

 

[Flintstone]

Hi Ivan, I have used about all the detectors that are half good and some of the best. I have used Fisher, Whites Garrett's, you name it and i have used it. They are all good detectors but the one that i know and use the best is the Whites MXT, I have used it for 14 years and know what it is telling me. IT still jumps some in trash, but if i get a coin hit three times out of six, it is a coin. It just takes time to know your detector. The M6 is good, the MX5 but they all jump when there is more than one metal under the coil. You can pay 100 or 5000 and they will all do the same, best is to use a small coil so you can get one target at a time under the coil, then they all work good. Wish they did make a detector that would only find what you want, maybe before our grand kids pass on. Good Luck Flintstone

 

[JimmyCT]

The Sovereign series detectors come to mind. I know when I hit on a coin object the meter stays pretty steady ( especially when employing the sovereign wiggle) and locks pretty tight on the target.

 

[Oldguy]

Ivan, all major brand detectors have people who think their machine is the best, and they're right. What that tells me is that the operator, not the machine is the important factor here. Each detector seems to have its own personality, the one that fits you is the one that you want. If you can't try a detector before you buy it then read as many user experiences as you can. Two years ago I wanted an AT Pro, I spent months reading many different user experiences. I ended up buying a Tesoro Tejon instead, and I love it.

 

[Mega]

I rarely use TID on any machine as in my mind they are not very reliable,i do own a fair few machines that have matere's but mainly go by what the headphones tell me as that is much more reliable,i personally think TID machines the screens are Ok for double checking if you are not 100% certain of course this is why its important to have a decent set of heaphones in the 1st place.

I use as little discrimination as possible as i dont want too miss any target,over here in the UK its not advisable to knock out foil as our hammered coins come in that range as well,one thing i really find annoying is that we dont have the ability to turn of most icons on the screen as seeing US dimes and cents on machine that was made in the US but used in the UK is a waste of time.That is one of the good advantages of using the DFX being able to switch the icons off.

Tones to me is far more important than TID numbers,this is another reason why i am gradually going back to Tesoro beep and dig machines as they are more suited to my detecting style on most of my roman and saxon sites.

 

[Rainyday101]

I rarely use TID on any machine as in my mind they are not very reliable,i do own a fair few machines that have matere's but mainly go by what the headphones tell me as that is much more reliable,i personally think TID machines the screens are Ok for double checking if you are not 100% certain of course this is why its important to have a decent set of heaphones in the 1st place.

I use as little discrimination as possible as i dont want too miss any target,over here in the UK its not advisable to knock out foil as our hammered coins come in that range as well,one thing i really find annoying is that we dont have the ability to turn of most icons on the screen as seeing US dimes and cents on machine that was made in the US but used in the UK is a waste of time.That is one of the good advantages of using the DFX being able to switch the icons off.

Tones to me is far more important than TID numbers,this is another reason why i am gradually going back to Tesoro beep and dig machines as they are more suited to my detecting style on most of my roman and saxon sites.

Very good advice in my opinion, but then again, none of my detectors have a TID so guess it's a bit biased!

 

[Rick(ND)]

In the mid range detectors in your price range I have found the Sovereigns are very hard to beat if you ad the 180 meter to it to help learn it and also to tell the difference in the close tones. Now the Sovereign is not for everyone as it takes a while for some to get to know it while other grasp it within a day or so. It mainly goes by tones and you swing it slower, but it will find more other detectors leave behind.
Another detector I have found that makes it much easier to use and does a great job and to me put the real fun into detecting and that is the Whites MXT and I run in the relic mode for coin hunting so I have the 2 tones and go by the numbers over the video display. The MXT is the detector my wife uses as I like my Sovereigns when we go out, but when I do get a chance to use the MXT I really do like it and do get some nice finds.
If you don't need a target ID than the Tesoro Tejon is one great detector and has done well for the time I have used it.
Over all I like my Sovereign the best with the 180 meter as it seems to see coins closer to trash as if you go slow enough you can hear a trash item close to a good one as it can see both of them while some of the other detector will average the 2 targets and give you a false reading.
This has been my experience with some of the different detectors.

Rick

 

[stasys]

Any used Minelab FBS.

 

[Monte]

... $500.00 to $700.00 range

You didn't indicate a brand new detector, a current but used detector, or a discontinued used model. There are quite a number of very worthy models in that price range that are either brand new or practically new condition.

You also didn't indicate which size or type of search coil interests you, and no real mention of the types of sites you plan to hunt or the amount and/or type of trash you anticipate encountering. All of that can have a bearing on TID performance.

... has the most accurate target id at depth, in medium mineralized soil?(ID that locks on well and doesn't flutter around much)

Accurate Target ID? There is Target ID, which is a simple general range or category and on many detectors is a segment of visual target classification. Then there is a VDI numeric read-out, and THAT is the visual information I rely on, not Target ID. VDI read-outs can show a tighter, more consistent reading than a generalized TID, at least on most models, and can do a better job of classifying some trash from non-trash.

Still, nothing is 'perfect' and information gathering and conveyance can be impaired to the point of not giving either a visual TID or VDI, or even proper audio Tone ID for targets as 'depth' [size=small](distance from the search coil)[/size] increases. In some conditions, 2" of material over a desired target can be enough to mask the target. That's is just ground make-up, and if there are other targets close by, ferrous or non-ferrous, that can also alter a TID/VDI/Tone ID response.

Depth, let's say about 6 inches?

I don't know where you're located and the ground mineral conditions of where you hunt, but where I live and hunt a lot, there are times it can be difficult for many detectors to get any audio response at all from targets over 4" deep. Matter of fact, in 49½ years of detecting I've enjoyed experiencing a lot of improvements in detector design that has provided easier operation, better depth, better balance, more variety of search coils that also work better, and some improvement in visual and audio information.

I have traveled and searched in many different ground mineral conditions in many states. Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. In nineteen states I have hunted from neutral Florida beaches to very mild and mellow ground in Texas, Oklahoma and many other states. Some are a little more challenging, then there are the very tough conditions I usually live in and travel to the most. Those are in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah, especially, and I have taken some of my deepest coin-sized targets from these states [size=small](because the vast majority of all the coins and such have come from Oregon and Utah, followed by Arizona and Nevada)[/size].

In many states and several hundred thousands of coins later, I still conclude that the bulk of the coin-sized targets are in the surface to 4" depth, and if you get over 4", down to 5", 6" or even 7", those are 'deeper' coins. Get over 7", up to 9" or 10", and you are truly into very deep coin territory. It's much easier to get an audio response down to 6" than it is to hope for a close-to-accurate TID or VDI or Tone ID to those deeper target positions.

Hoping to get some advice from users who have acutual experience ..tired of the detector literature.... they all say they are the best. Thinking of getting a new machine for spring and starting my research now. Thanks for your valued participation!

I feel I have had some experience, and I have owned and/or used countless detectors and coils, and hunted a wide array of sites from small towns to larger, mild ground to nasty. Like you, I have read all the ad literature and magazine reviews, and picked over a lot of user comments from all the major brand forums, but in the end I have settled on the makes and models that work for me. Those that help pick keepers out of dense trash, especially iron based junk, and those that are capable of giving me the best all-purpose performance on deeper targets when I am able to hunt where trash is minimal.

I've done better with the Teknetics Omega than I have with other Teknetics models, and even as well or better than the Fisher F5. Both are some of the better performers from FTP. I haven't used the new Bounty Hunter Land Ranger Pro but, from looking at the features and ability to Ground Balance in some of the Discriminate modes, it might work reasonably well. Tesoro's two TID models lack GB for the Discriminate mode and more defined display info and I had terrible performance in bad ground with them.

Of the Garrett line I haven't used the AT Gold, but the AT Pro was a reasonable performer, but still fell a little short of my expectations and the display info was small and more difficult to see. Yes, there are the X-Terra and FBS models from Minelab, and I've owned at least nine or ten of them, but some are heavy and clumsy feeling for my bad back and shoulder. The metal detecting hobby should be rewarding but it should also be enjoyable and 'fun.' For the fun-factor I want to own and use detector and coil combinations that work well for me in the sites I hunt, provide ample depth and audio and visual performance [size=small](when able)[/size], and be comfortable and fun to use.

As I often state, there is no such thing as a 'perfect' metal detector and I have long felt it a good idea to own at least two detectors, possibly more, in order to fit the different types of sites we hunt, targets we're after, and the ground mineral conditions and trash that might be pesky. And when I say detector I also mean a consideration of the search coil(s) that help us achieve the performance we want for the types of hunting we do.

As I said, I don't know where you live and the ground you hunt or the types of sites you seek out or amounts of trash you might deal with, so it makes it tough to suggest something that might work for you. I will tell you that I live in North Central Oregon in a dinky little town along a big river. Some ground is pretty moderate, when you can find it, but much of Oregon is quite mineralized. The beaches along the two biggest rivers are pretty bad as well.

I have done my fair share of urban coin hunting for decades, but most of the time the past thirty-one years I have done my best to seek my favorite places, and those are iron-littered ghost towns, homesteads, stage stops and railroad sidings/depot sites, and pioneer, military, mining and logging encampments, and all sorts of places that are littered, and quite often in challenging ground mineral environments.

I prefer smaller-than-stock coils most of the time, unless hunting a more open area with a low-to-moderate trash level. I like versatility, good function, performance, but I also like 'simple.' I am not a big fan of most high-tech, multi-function detector models and have found only a couple I like, and many former detectors that have been very reliable and solid performers. Some that are findable in your price range that I really like are the White's 5900 Di Pro SL [size=small](although a bit heavier)[/size], the 6000 Pro XL or renamed XL Pro, and XLT. All of these are moderate-to-fast motion 4-filter type discriminators and are best for Coin Hunting in lower-trash locations. My preference is an 8" or 6½" coil on them depending upon the site.

For slower-sweep detectors, which I prefer for comfort of use and efficiency in brushier and/or trashier areas, you could pick a White's M6 or Teknetics Omega or Fisher F5 [size=small](all of which have manual or automated GB for peak performance)[/size], but my personal detector battery that travels with me in my vehicle all the time include the following.:

1.. White's MXT All-Pro, which is an MXT Pro with an 'All' sticker on the side. Same electronic circuitry and performance. This has been and is my #1 all-purpose detector. Currently I keep a 9" Concentric 'spider' coil mounted for less trashy places but have a 6½" Concentric coil on a lower rod for quick change when needed.

2.. White's MX5 is my #2 unit even though it has been my "first-to-grab" model when I arrive at most sites. Lighter weight and exceptional performance and versatility, yet 'simple.' I keep a 6½" Concentric coil mounted on it full-time, but it, like my MXT All-Pro, can use any of the accessory coil I keep on lower rods in the detector back-pack bag I also carry with me.

3.. White's Classic ID, which is a 'simple' 2-knob detector and I have a 4½" Concentric coil mounted as it is an exceptional performer in the densest trash encounters, especially iron nails, etc. If needed, I have a 6½" Concentric coil for bad but less trashy conditions.

** All of the three above can provide very good Target ID and/or VID numeric readings to very reasonable depths, and better than I get from most of the competition. All 'simple' but reliable. I also have a 12" Concentric coil for the MXT All-Pro and MX5 in the coil bag for times when I need better depth for larger targets, such as cache hunting.

4.. Tesoro Bandido II µMAX that I keep a 7" Concentric coil mounted to. I have an 8" on a lower rod, and I'm looking for a 5¾" Concentric and rod for it. I listed this model even though it doesn't have visual TID or VDI read-outs because it is a reliable performer and shows the range of versatility I keep with me, using models that have all proven their performance for a year [size=small](MX5)[/size] or more [size=small](going back to about twenty years of success afield)[/size].

Well, sorry for the lengthy ramble, but without knowing your environment or types of sites, it is tough for any responder to really help unless we share where and how we hunt to back our choices. It is good to do a little research and plan for a future purchase, but I don't suggest you wait until next spring or summer. That's a log way off and you'd be missing out on a lot of detecting, letting others find by then what you could be finding now. There can be favorable prices on new, close-to-new, and well taken care of oldies so why wait?

Biased opinions are free, so help yourself.

Monte

 

[tonopahkid]

I have to say the x terra 70 or 705 lots of coils with it to good all around unit.

 

[hammer0419]

Really lime my MX5!!! VERY DEEP machine.