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Xterra vs Ace 250 vs Cortes

T

tvanwho

Member
I like the features of the new Xterras but aleady have Cortes,MXT, and a new in the box Ace 250. I like the idea of 4 tone audio id like the CZ machines have. I also like a fast retune speed and ultra lite weight to prevent detector elbow and easy to pinpoint. I want to keep my MXT for gold hunting but which of the other 2 to part with?
And I think I prefer an auto gb machine. Thats why I got rid of my Vaquero and got a Cibola instead. An all metal mode is still a must have tho. Can the Xterra really tune out zincs, bottle caps,and tabs and still get nickels and some gold jewelry?
Nice to see Steve H here? I thought he was too busy mining gold to post any more?
--Tom,in illinois
 
First of all, realize the Cibola is not an automatic GB detector, as you indicated. It is a fixed mode detector, just like the X-Terra 30. Fixed and automatic are not the same. And, all-metal and zero discrimination are two different things as well. The Vaquero and the X-Terra 50 are manually adjustable ground balance detectors. So, basically speaking, the cibola is a fixed mode Vaquero and the X-30 is a fixed mode X-50. There are some feature differences, but lots of similarities.

You asked whether to get rid of the Cortes or the Ace 250 so you can buy an X-Terra. You didn't mention which model of X-Terra, but since you like the MXT and will be keeping it, I suggest you "get rid" of both the Cortes and the Ace 250 and buy the X-Terra 50. Apparently you hunt for gold. The capability of the X-50 to utilize the 18.75 coil would be a plus for you. HH Randy
 
Hi Tom,

Middle of winter here, and so no mining for me until summer. I have cabin fever and posting helps keep me from going nuts!

As Randy noted fixed GB is not the same as Trac. Your MXT has both fixed and automatic ground balance, but the Cibola is preset at the factory. I persoanlly consider some kind of ground balance adjust a must for where I hunt as I get into some pretty varying ground conditions. So the X-Terra 50 wins hands down over the Ace for that reason alone.

Notching will get you all kinds of opinions. For me it is all about calling the odds given the time I have available. Here is some "secret info". I have found several hundred rings over the years, and have a pretty good pile for testing. Rings fall into two basic groups - smaller womens rings and larger mens rings. On the X-Terra 50 the hot segments for womens rings are 6, 9, and 12. 12 is also where you get nickels. The hot segments for mens rings are 24 and 27. Zincs come in at 30.

I have a ton of aluminum I've dug, and for my area at least, 18 seems to be the heavy pulltab segment.

So lets say I have a couple hours to hit an area where women sun themselves a lot. I might just notch out everything except 6,9, and 12. On a mens sports field I might notch out all but 21,24, and 27. In an area where both women and mens are active, I might notch out everything except 6,9,12,21,24,27.

Or if I have lots of time and want to clean out the area, I might notch out everything except -3, 3,6,9,12,15,18,21, and 27. A huge gold ring might read 30 but it would have to be a beach or something to swallow up a ring that big. Lots of silver rings read up into the coin range but I can live without them.

Of course if you have a place close to home and years of time you can also just dig all non-ferrous targets until nothing goes beep anymore!

Notching is all about available time, and calling the odds as best you can. If you do not make a right call you can hurt your odds, but proper notching can increase your odds also. So yes, the Xterra really can tune out zincs, bottle caps,and tabs and still get nickels and some gold jewelry. But it will also miss any good items that are in the segments you notch out, You call the odds, you make the bets!

Steve Herschbach
 
Yes,I kinda fudged on the automatic GB thing there. My Lobo ST and Whites MXT are the only 2 true automatic GB detectors I have. I do prefer the turn on and go ability of the Cibola,with fixed GB ( hope you can excuse my terminology from previous post?) but would like a good id machine,easy to use, and I like Steves wisdom on the time available to hunt versus the situation at hand. Sure would be nice to notch out just the probable bad stuff altho I realize some good stuff will be lost too.Do I also get a modulated audio with the Xterra similar to my LST? Sure does help at audio id of targets and approx depth. Guess I still don't understand what more I get on the X50 for an extra 200 bucks besides a manual GB and a bigger dent in my wallet?
--Tom
 
Hi Tom,

If your ground is a match for the Ace 250 preset ground balance then you may not be getting that much more from an X-Terra 50. Maybe you should just go use that new in box Ace 250 and see what you think about it. Personally, I think it is a very fun machine with excellent performance for its price.

The X-Terra 50 gets you the manual ground balance, an extra tone, and more target segments for better ability to sort trash from good. When I ran all my aluminum and all my rings under the Ace 250 far more aluminum got lumped in with the rings whereas I could better separate out the worst aluminum from the better ring segments with the X-Terra.

That's worth $200 bucks to me but may or may not be to you.

Happy Hunting!!

Steve Herschbach
 
Should make a better gold jewelry hunting machine. I just can't decide if I should get the 9" 18.75khz coil or wait for the 6" 18.75khz coil when it comes out. Which ever way you decide to go, I wish you the best of luck on your finds. HH John
 
I know this is a bit off the subject Steve, but if I get the 30 , that will give me 200 bucks saved towards the new Keene/Honda 2.5 horse motor with T80 air compressor I want for a hookah setup this year. Do you know if this unit is in production yet, have yet to see it in Keenes catalog.Some specs would be nice and a price? I think I was told it would be going for 800 bucks?
Thanks--Tom
 
Hi Tom,

Here is answer I just got per Mark Keene...

"T80GHM Mini Compressor System T80 /2.5 Honda 724.95 list price. This is a very cool machine only 27 lbs."

Steve Herschbach
 
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