X-Terra 50 vs M6

[uxb]

I have narrowed my decision to 2 detectors.

1. Are there any small coils planned for the 50 or is the ones supplied the only offering - how about other private manufaturer's offerings.

White's currently offers 2 small Eclipse coils for the M6.

I live on the Gulf Coast hunt 75% white dry beach sand and 25% parks, playgrounds, etc with no mineraliation in the soil.


2. I have previouly owned a Soverign with a SunRay meter and coil - only problem I had was with the flimsy way the batteries were attached with the button clips. So I am still open minded about what detector gets the nod.

3. Anything I should know to convice me to go for the X-Terra 50?

thanx for your time.

Andrew J. Gnoza, III

 

[Joe of South Jersey]

1. Are there any small coils planned for the 50 or is the ones supplied the only offering - how about other private manufacturer's offerings.

Answer: Yes, Coils will range in size, In the 3 different kHz. Private......I don't think so.....I think Minelab is going to make all coils. And keep a lock on Technology.
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2. I have previously owned a Sovereign with a SunRay meter and coil - only problem I had was with the flimsy way the batteries were attached with the button clips. So I am still open minded about what detector gets the nod.

Answer: The design of the X-terra line is well engineered.

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3. Anything I should know to convice me to go for the X-Terra 50?

Answer: To be honest, It is in eyes of the purchaser. I think that it is a good addition to any detector you may currently own. I have only been test a few weeks, but the results are good so far. I have not seen or found anything that has raised any questions. I do still need to take it to the beach and give it a test in the wet sand. The beach mode and auto track should take care of the noise that was evident with the X50.

 

[Digger]

Andrew, Like you, the M6 attracted my attention for the coil options available. I bought one and was disappointed with it. I tried mine with the stock 950, Shooter Eclipse and the 5.3 Eclipse. I could not get past the constant chatter when sweeping the coil. No matter where I turned the discrimination level, it would still give me audible tones on iron objects and other items that should have been rejected. It just wouldn't hunt quietly! I have been using the X-50 since last fall and typically hunt in the all-metal mode and listen for consistent sounds. If I hunt a trashy environment, I will use a modified Pattern, set to reject the trash I want to avoid. The X-50 is a great detector and, in my opinion, there is no comparison between it and the M6 for operational stability, discrimination characteristics or depth of detection. Like many others, I am anxious for the introduction of the smaller (? 6-inch ?) 7.5 kHz coil that will work on all X-Terra models. Word is that we won't have to wait much longer.

To answer your comments about "flimsy button clips" on your Sovereign... apparently you had an older version. The Sovereign Elite and the GT both offer the battery pack that snaps in under the housing. (just like the Advantage). The Whites M6 has the slide in battery tray that takes 8 AA batteries. The X-Terra has a built in battery compartment that has a flip up lid. You simply drop in 4 AA batteries and you are good to go! Half the batteries and twice the detector. You can't beat a deal like that! JMHO HH Randy

 

[Mike Bearden]

The M6 was released with a good coil selection available from previous models already in the market place but Minelab IS following up with several good coil choices and I doubt any private sources will be available any time soon, if any.
The V-flex is really new technology with chips in the coil that talk to the processor when first plugged in to match frequencies, a little different concept than Whites used on the M6 but again, very proprietary.
I only had a M6 available for a week so I'm no authority on it but in my opinion it's geared more towards the coin shooter and jewelery hunters and won't come close to the X-50 for relic hunters, if that's your thing. To obtain good stability in my area was at the cost of what I considered a serious loss of depth on the M6.
In coin garden testing the X-50 did a much better job on the deeper targets with cleaner and more solid hits in my iron ore laced dirt.
It's very easy to GB and performs admirably every where I've put it to the test, and I've put it through the ringer in extreme to neutral soil hunting sites.
It's all in the eye of the beholder I guess, but if you want truly new technology instead of the same old metal box look then go somewhere and put your hands on the X-50 and give it swing, heck, try both of them and see for yourself.
Now this is cool, instead of changing coils I can just swap the control housing from one shaft/coil assembly to another and leave them set up and ready to go. In other words, the 3KHz on one shaft, the 7.5 on another and the same with the 18.75
Takes less than a minute to do.
H.H.
Mike

 

[UFO]

Mike, just trying to clarify because I am considering a new detector purchase. You only mention the X-50, and when mentioning the coils, you mention the 3 KHz. Will that coil in fact work on the X-50? I am a little confused after reading the 3-15 post by Andy S regarding coils. Look at the chart in that post. It, and what he wrote makes me think the 3KHz will work on the X-70 only.

 

[Digger]

The X-30 will only accept the 7.5 kHz
The X-50 will accept the 7.5 or the 18.75 kHz
The X-70 will accept the 7.5, 18.75 or the 3 kHz coils.

HH Randy

 

[Mike Bearden]

Yeah, sorry about that, I went to bed right after my post
You were asking about the 50 compared to the M6 and MOST of my post was referring to those 2 as I seen it.
The last part was only a statement about being able to use all three coils on the 70 by switching the control housing over to the shaft assembly since I own all 3 X-terra's.
H.H.
Mike

 

[JBM]

We do a similiar thing each coil has its own bottom shaft as we do with the Explorers 5 coils.Jerry.

 

[Daniel Tn]

I got my wife an M6 first to hunt with and as a backup for my machine. Long story short...I think it lasted maybe 2 months. I tried relic hunting with it and coin hunting too. I hated it for relics. For recently lost coins it done alright. When it locked on a coin it was a coin. The problem I had with it is what Mike said...to get it remotely stable you lose quite a bit of depth.

I hunted a little football field here locally that gives up some silver coins and wheatbacks. There is an old gravel part that leads to a concession stand. I hunted that with the M6 and pulled some coins from it.

Fast forward a few weeks and I traded the M6 for an X-Terra 50. My wife fell in love with the X-Terra the first time she hunted it and told me I wasn't selling it. Then I took the X-Terra to that same ball field and made my way towards the concession stand. Started picking off more coins I had missed earlier that were in the 5-6 inch range. The X-Terra is a far better all around machine IMO.

 

[UFO]

Thanks Digger and Mike. The X-70 is the one I will probably order. I want to hear a few reports on it before I do.