x terra 505 questions

[mrmerck]

Hi,

I am new to MD-ing and a local dealer has offered me a deal on a new X-terra for $500 shipped.The price sounded okay to me but I had a few questions from some of you who own this machine or similar..

1.I want to mainly coin detect..parks,schools,etc...Is this a good choice?

2.Learning curve..Again, this would be my first MD.Is the an okay machine to learn on?

3.price..is $500 a decent price?


Thanks!

 

[Dan-Pa.]

1. Yes

2. Well its not an entry level unit but actually user friendly and of course all depends on your learning abilities, but will say has a lot of abilities for the price and won't have you quitting the hobby early as it will do the job quite well. Joining a local club and having a mentor would certainly be a plus....

3. Checking the net usually go for about 50 bucks higher...but a lot would depend on the warranty and believe some have 2 years and some an extended 3 year warranty..Might call Minelab on the warranty provisions...and 3 year may have been for only a limited time..

Forum members feel free to chime in relative warranties as not up on X-terra warranties....

PS: make sure its the 505 and not the 50 as thats the older model and 505 is improved model....

 

[Digger]

In checking the website pricing from a few of the dealers who help sponsor this forum, it looks like the average price is around $549.95. So the price quote you got isn't out of line. If you are looking to get the lowest price, just make sure you are getting everything that some of the other dealers are offering. Things like the coil cover, maybe the environmental cover etc. And since this is your first detector, you might want to get a "package" that includes a decent set of headphones, digging tool, pouch to keep your goodies / trash etc. If you have a local dealer who can help answer some questions, that might be a plus. But if you are willing to buy the detector from someone who isn't local, shop around and get what you want, at a price you want.

The X-TERRA series is very versatile. It is an excellent "turn and go" detector, right out of the box. And once you become familiar with its functionality, you can tweak it to maximize its potential for the type of hunting you want to do. So as far as learning curve..........there is plenty of information availible to help you understand the detector. You can be finding coins within minutes of taking it out of the box. Finding those coins and pieces of jewelry that others have missed will take some "getting use to" and understanding the X-TERRA. If it were quick and easy, those coins and pieces of jewelry would have already been found. With that said, the X-505 is an excellent coin / jewelry detector. And it is the perfect detector for hunting parks, yards, schools etc. The flexibility of the X-505 can adapt it to just about any situation. I say "just about" because it is not designed for Prospecting (that would be the X-70 and 705). Nor is it to be used underwater. But for land hunting, it is an excellent choice.

I'd suggest you take a look at the eBook I've written for the X-TERRA series. You can find the link to it at the top of these posts. It should answer many of the questions you have about the functionality. Also, take a look at the FAQFAQ section near the top of this forum and do a search for posts concerning the 505. Don't hesitate to ask questions because there are a LOT of seasoned X-TERRA users on this forum. Most of all, take time to learn the functionality and practice in your own yard. There is much more to this hobby than simply digging coins and jewelry in parks and yards. The time you take to learn the proper recovery techniques, researching and finding places to hunt and the proper use of your X-TERRA and your time will be time well spent. JMHO HH Randy

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

I've used most of the major brands and would have to say that the X-terra's are definitely the easiest to learn with. You will find that it's all the detect that you'll ever need. Many of us buy plenty of others, mostly because we're curious as to how they work, or just like hunting with different sorts of detectors.
It helps a lot if you are curious about how different sorts of targets respond, junk as well as good targets. You will surprise yourself over time, as you become more familiar with your detector, as there are plenty of little idio synracies that you pick up about targets, that you simply won't hear at first. Even new to the hobby, you'll catch and be successful pretty quickly. don't be afraid to ask questions, even you might think that they might be a bit dumb. If you don't ask, you don't learn as quick. On your early hunts, it's a good idea to keep some of the junk targets and tack them home and practice with them and listen and look for differences in how they behave as compared to a target you are actually looking for. I still enjoy doing that at home when I can't get out for a hunt, as it helps you to fine tune your skills and learn some new ones.
Good luck.
Mick Evans.

 

[jeepcj5]

mrmerck,
The 505 is an AWESOME fist detector, i say this because it was my first. i started in Feb this year and WOW have i find some kewl stuff with it.
It is a VERY easy detector to use as this was the VERY fist detector i've ever used. i'll give ya little secret, put the 6" 18 Khz DD coil on it and it is a Tot Lot S L A Y E R!!!!... with this detector i enjoyed the hobby so much i purchased an etrac.

My wife whom NEVER used a metal detector in her life said to my surprise "hey I'll go with ya sometime" Well, now i cant get her outta the bark and she actually asks me to go!!! she hammers the tot lots and sandy areas!!! This is a great detector, you cant go wrong... and 500 bucks is a good price... make sure you get some kind of pin pointer, i use the garret pro pointer it really makes life easy on ya!!! Like Digger said it is very versatile just change coils for your type of hunting... with that little DD coil on you'll be amazed at how small and deep you'll be digging targets!!! We look forward to your finds photos in the VERY near future!!!