MXT, Sov GT, XTerra70

[TooManyHobbies]

As posted on the Minelab forum........Just in case the White's guys haven't seen it. Two readers favor the GT. Looking for a couple more opinions.

I know these questions are always asked, and I've been trying to figure it all out by reading all the posts. Still not sure which one I want but leaning towards the MXT.
those of you that have experience with at least two out of the three, which would you prefer?
I live in rural area with lots of old homes, but only an hour from a couple saltwater beaches. I'm not one to wade to deep but not afraid to get my feet wet. I don't care what I find, but old coins fascinate me. Best all around detector in your opinion please, in that price range ($800)

 

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[aladdin]

The GT can do it all BUT!! You have a learning curve! One machine and one only go with the GT and Learn it!!!

 

[TooManyHobbies]

Took a while for the reply, but thanks anyway. My MXT........
should.....hopefully....finally....arrive tomorrow.
Alot of guys like the GT, I hope I didn't make the wrong decision.

 

[Dan B]

You didn't.

Enjoy your MXT and forget about all the hype you read about the GT.

Dan

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Speaking from experience as an owner of 2 Sov GT's, one of them waterproofed.........It's not hype!

 

[Keppy]

What they say about the ...GT...is not HYPE....................................==Jim==

 

[Sal]

I would say that the only place the gt excels would be on salt water beaches,i have tried the elite and gt on land here in my area we have mild to medium ground over some areas i went over with my dfx, xlt,shadow x5,coinstrike,newforce r1 one are that i pulled many mercury dimes from which is a 20 x 25 area i could not find one more dime there with the sovereign,i did not see the depth i have heard about these units in my ground nor any advantage over some of my other units that i have ,i did notice the unit to be a bit heavy and bulky and i prefer my trigger switch on the handle for pinpointing i do not like the switch on the box for pinpointing wastes to much time,also the meter is quite jumpy does not lock on i would say this unit is better if you listen to the sounds then to rely on the meter solely,i have to agree that this is a very good salt water unit but for my area i see no advantage over my other units.......

 

[EasyMoney]

Well said Sal..

I have found very little (if any) depth difference between them all. And as you say, the Sovs run a bit smoother on salt and high iron beaches. The MXT will pinpoint better and it has a lot more versatility, especially if you dump the 9.5" coil and get a smaller or larger factory coil..

The MXT will have a tough time of in high black sand if you use the stock 950 coil. It will just about drive you totally nuts using it in extreme soil. With a bit of practice and a few hours of use it's real tough to beat an MXT as a best all-around detector. It works pretty well for nugget hunting too.

 

[Sal]

I see you have many compass units you must favor these units for their disc ability in iron and trash,i have a x100 and a coin pro also i have to say they have very good discrimination the depth in disc mode on my coin pro is not the best but the x100 does a bit better but a heavier unit i hip mount mine which helps greatly or my arm would fall off after a few hrs ,a older unit but if used properly can keep up with many newer ones,to bad the co burned down makes you wonder what compass would have out now......

Well said Sal..

I have found very little (if any) depth difference between them all. And as you say, the Sovs run a bit smoother on salt and high iron beaches. The MXT will pinpoint better and it has a lot more versatility, especially if you dump the 9.5" coil and get a smaller or larger factory coil..

The MXT will have a tough time of in high black sand if you use the stock 950 coil. It will just about drive you totally nuts using it in extreme soil. With a bit of practice and a few hours of use it's real tough to beat an MXT as a best all-around detector. It works pretty well for nugget hunting too.

 

[EasyMoney]

True.

Compass invented DD coils, self-adjusting threshold, and improved discrimination. George Payne and one other engineer worked for Compass at that time.

My best and deepest all-metal detector is my Scanner Relic & Coin. The only all-metal that has ever matched it was the original Garrett Deepseeker, the X-200, and the old Fisher 440d. It is also the deepest (audio) coin hunter alive, when using small iron discrimination in high iron or high magnetite soil. The other main Compass I use is probably the best cherry-picker I've seen, it, the Compass Coinscanners, and the two old Tesoros I use now and then. The air test (15") on the R&C is 3" greater over the Scanner Pro, and about 1 to 1/2" deeper (audibly) in the ground of everything I've ever seen.

However, when using nothing but the absolute lowest (zero) discrimination my cz-70 beats every single or multi freq detector currently on the market - for depth in medium to bad soil. it also has the deepest TID I've ever seen, even deeper than a cz3d.

I'm pretty comfy with the weight of the Compass R&C or Goldscanner Pro, and they do go deeper than as I said, any current Minelab, Fisher, or White's, or Garrett multi or single, or other VLF out there, except for the BB/BFO/GEB Nexus with it's twin-overlapping coil configurations. White's aren't my favorite detector, but the MXT is a real Honey once someone learns how to use it.

I recently went to the beach with my Sov with 12" Excellerator coil, the cz-70 w stock coil, and R&C with it's 3" coil. There wasn't much black sand in that area. Some, but not as much as in most places on the beaches. I was surprized at the results:

US nickel: 16 penny nail discrimination setting; Full sensitivity.

Sov w / 12" coil 11" depth
Sov w/10" coil 9" depth
CZ-70 w/8" coil 10" depth
Compass R&C w/3" coil 9" depth

The Compass is what really surprized me. The 3" coil does go about 2" less than it's 8" coil, but I didn't bring it with me. The other thing that shocked me was that the Sov w/10" factory coil got the same depth as the old Compass w/ it's little 3" coil.

From experience, I would say that the MXT would almost match the depth of the cz but not quite. The MXT though finds a BB sized nugget at 5" and the cz only at 4". The MXT would however, match or slightly beat a Sov when both are using similar-sized coils coin hunting.

Other soils will likely cause different readings with all the above detectors used.

 

[Sal]

Amazing the r&c with the small coil hit that deep i dont think any unit out there with the same size coil would match it,yah george payne designed 2 units for compass far as i know the coin pro which takes aa batts instead of the 9 volts,and there was a coin pro 2 also,what is the difference between the r&c and the goldscanner pro,the mxt is more sensitive to tiny objects as is my troy x 5 i think thats why people that sell them get discouraged by them because they are so sensitive they hear everything and they think its a noisy unit but its only telling them whats there,you are right about the garrets go super deep in all metal i have a cx masterhunter and it beats a lot of units in all metal in disc no so deep though,the cz 70 is a excellent machine very accurate unit there isnt much negative you can say about that unit i also think its better than the cz3,suprised about the old fisher 440d unit when was that made in the 70 s.......

True.

Compass invented DD coils, self-adjusting threshold, and improved discrimination. George Payne and one other engineer worked for Compass at that time.

My best and deepest all-metal detector is my Scanner Relic & Coin. The only all-metal that has ever matched it was the original Garrett Deepseeker, the X-200, and the old Fisher 440d. It is also the deepest (audio) coin hunter alive, when using small iron discrimination in high iron or high magnetite soil. The other main Compass I use is probably the best cherry-picker I've seen, it, the Compass Coinscanners, and the two old Tesoros I use now and then. The air test (15") on the R&C is 3" greater over the Scanner Pro, and about 1 to 1/2" deeper (audibly) in the ground of everything I've ever seen.

However, when using nothing but the absolute lowest (zero) discrimination my cz-70 beats every single or multi freq detector currently on the market - for depth in medium to bad soil. it also has the deepest TID I've ever seen, even deeper than a cz3d.

I'm pretty comfy with the weight of the Compass R&C or Goldscanner Pro, and they do go deeper than as I said, any current Minelab, Fisher, or White's, or Garrett multi or single, or other VLF out there, except for the BB/BFO/GEB Nexus with it's twin-overlapping coil configurations. White's aren't my favorite detector, but the MXT is a real Honey once someone learns how to use it.

I recently went to the beach with my Sov with 12" Excellerator coil, the cz-70 w stock coil, and R&C with it's 3" coil. There wasn't much black sand in that area. Some, but not as much as in most places on the beaches. I was surprized at the results:

US nickel: 16 penny nail discrimination setting; Full sensitivity.

Sov w / 12" coil 11" depth
Sov w/10" coil 9" depth
CZ-70 w/8" coil 10" depth
Compass R&C w/3" coil 9" depth

The Compass is what really surprized me. The 3" coil does go about 2" less than it's 8" coil, but I didn't bring it with me. The other thing that shocked me was that the Sov w/10" factory coil got the same depth as the old Compass w/ it's little 3" coil.

From experience, I would say that the MXT would almost match the depth of the cz but not quite. The MXT though finds a BB sized nugget at 5" and the cz only at 4". The MXT would however, match or slightly beat a Sov when both are using similar-sized coils.

Other soils will likely cause different readings than all the above detectors used.

 

[EasyMoney]

You seem to know your detectors pretty darn well Sal..

I read somewhere in a test chart that the Garrett 2000 had one of the deepest all-metals ever made. That could be. Was your X-5 made by Fisher or Tesoro? Most of them were farmed out for Tesoro to their own engineer's specifications.

Check out the depth of the Garrett 2000, Minelab, etc . Old charts, but helpful.

http://www.metaldetection.net/english/Metal_detector-tests.htm

http://www.polbox.com/d/dark/testy.htm#minter


Yeah, I knew a guy who pulled a Barber quarter out of the volcanic rubble in Spokane, Washington at 14" with one of those old 440's. My old Deepseeker commonly found old rusted pennies at 12"-13" in that nasty Puget sound salt beach/high black sand soil in an old county park. I sold that unit many years ago. Wish I hadn't. I went back there to see if anything else I owned could find any more of those deep pennies in the same area, but the place doesn't allow detectors in it any more.

The MXT is the little brother to the White's GMT, the GMT was the original design with all the bells and whistles added to it and the name "MXT" added to it. It's a very sensitive machine, and I like the excellent balance it has.

The original Goldscanner is the same detector as the Relic & Coin. Compass found that the Goldscanner would find relics real well and real deep too, so they stuck a sticker on it and started selling it as a relic machine instead. They are actually both the same detector.

 

[Sal]

i HAD A 2000 G.T.I I PULLED A MERCURY DIME in all metal about 12 to 13 inches deep,in disc mode it was weak in depth i guess thats why i sold the unit i wasnt crazy about the balance either,i am not sure if my x5 was made by fisheror tesoro the number is in the 400s is there any difference between the 2 that were made at different companies by troy,thanks for the depth charts very good info i have a depth chart from a detector place in england it has some conflicting data comparted to these tests,they have the explorers and gt and fisher 75 and t2 at the top and whites xlt and xl pro is very low,i will see if i can find the site what is your first name and email,i also think the lobo s.t is a very capable unit if you dont want no bells and whistles i was reading the same guy who designed it also designed the mxt unit i think his name is dave johnson if i am not mistaken,the deepseeker you are speaking of is the tr unit i assume that took 6 9 volt batteries my buddy had one in the 80s he used to use ........

You seem to know your detectors pretty darn well Sal..

I read somewhere in a test chart that the Garrett 2000 had one of the deepest all-metals ever made. That could be. Was your X-5 made by Fisher or Tesoro? Most of them were farmed out for Tesoro to their own engineer's specifications.

Check out the depth of the Garrett 2000, Minelab, etc . Old charts, but helpful.

http://www.metaldetection.net/english/Metal_detector-tests.htm

http://www.polbox.com/d/dark/testy.htm#minter


Yeah, I knew a guy who pulled a Barber quarter out of the volcanic rubble in Spokane, Washington at 14" with one of those old 440's. My old Deepseeker commonly found old rusted pennies at 12"-13" in that nasty Puget sound salt beach/high black sand soil in an old county park. I sold that unit many years ago. Wish I hadn't. I went back there to see if anything else I owned could find any more of those deep pennies in the same area, but the place doesn't allow detectors in it any more.

The MXT is the little brother to the White's GMT, the GMT was the original design with all the bells and whistles added to it and the name "MXT" added to it. It's a very sensitive machine, and I like the excellent balance it has.

The original Goldscanner is the same detector as the Relic & Coin. Compass found that the Goldscanner would find relics real well and real deep too, so they stuck a sticker on it and started selling it as a relic machine instead. They are actually both the same detector.

 

[EasyMoney]

If that's the chart from staffsmetaldetectors.co.uk depths, it just a lot of garbage.

In fact, the man even admits that he just basically turned the dectectors on without know much about them at all. I wrote him and he did say that his "tests" were little more than random spot checks, and that it even indicates that in the preface of his site. I informed him that he was the basis of a lot of smears and jeers on detector forums and that he should trash the thing and not mislead people that way, because so many people only look at the charts and seldom read his preamble at all. He didn't return my third letter. He mostly wants to sell Minelabs because the markup and profit is so great. It's all about money.

Yes, I think that was Dave Johnson and your X-5 was probably made by Tesoro.

 

[Sal]

Thats the chart seemed to me a little biased when i looked at especially when compared to other depth chart tests minelabs are at the top of the chart did you see where he has the x 100 compass on the list i could not believe it impossible also look where he has some of the whites compared to the other charts you are right he makes more from the minelabs that is why he is rating them higher on the chart even though some might be accurate it throws everything off by doing this,seems those tests are not very accurate as to what is stated at the top of the chart figures he did not get back to you,he also has a iron test,high conductivity,low conductivity,and picking up very small fragment of a coin which he has the x 5 at the top for that one the x 5 is very sensitive unit as is the r 1 newforce,i will have to call troy and ask him about that want to put a ground balance on my daughters x2 unit also,dave johnson has designed many great units for a few different companies i believe he is with fisher at this time well if you can still call them fisher since first texas bought them out,did you see where minelab just got bought out also i think for 70 .5 million crazy nothing is stable these days lets hope whites tesoro and garrett dont sell out to the conglomerates.....

If that's the chart from staffsmetaldetectors.co.uk depths, it just a lot of garbage.

In fact, the man even admits that he just basically turned the dectectors on without know much about them at all. I wrote him and he did say that his "tests" were little more than random spot checks, and that it even indicates that in the preface of his site. I informed him that he was the basis of a lot of smears and jeers on detector forums and that he should trash the thing and not mislead people that way, because so many people only look at the charts and seldom read his preamble at all. He didn't return my third letter. He mostly wants to sell Minelabs because the markup and profit is so great. It's all about money.

Yes, I think that was Dave Johnson and your X-5 was probably made by Tesoro.

 

[dazoff]

Seems that we all use the same machines guy's I'm Troy X5 , Compass gold scanner pro, coin scanner pro/ George Payne design with the AA batteries not the other one. 77B compass, whites xl pro, Magnum 7, and about 40 others. The Troy X5 was Fisher made as was the X3. Tesoro made the X2 for Troy I believe the bandido would be a clone of the X2. Thats interesting reading your coments EasyMoney on the compass history I did not know they were first with DD coils. Dan

 

[EasyMoney]

Yeah, Compass made the first DD, and the ones now are wide-scan too, but I'm not sure I would like one of those newer ones. Many people say the wide-scan DD's don't go very deep, just wide.

When I had my original GoldScanner Pro I thought the grass was greener so I sold it and bought a Compass GoldStar and bought a bunch of other detectors just to try out. Some were ok and some were not. Some sucked. Little did I know that the original Goldscanner would be just as good (or better) as detectors are now 20 years later.

I always thought about getting a Troy, but the price tag was a bit too high for me at the time. If I had enough money though, I'd have a whole roomfull of them. I'm not real sold on the idea of a detector that needs more than one coil for every purpose though, like some of the MInelabs. Minelab must be having $$ problems now, people don't sell a business unless it's going belly-up. If I was making millions every year and got only 1% of the profit I wouldn't sell the company unless I was about to die or go bankrupt. Maybe that's what happened to the Fisher company, money problems.

Everything seems to be selling out or going to China nowdays. I don't like it at all.

 

[dazoff]

I like the Troy so much that I bought a second one as a backup even now the value seems to hold well not that I need a backup but it made sense at the time, works it magic on the west coast high mineral area and is great in the wet weather. I just got an X-Terra 70 from someone used with all the coils even though I already have an explore 11. After reading so much about it figured the weight difference makes it attractive. On the coils I think to be able to get such a range of frequency without buying another machine may be OK the 3 kHz goes deep, 18.75 should keep up with the Troy X5 at 19.3 kHz for small gold the one thing that I've always liked about the Troy is the quick sweep speed as the machine can recover fast it doesn't miss much. The other coil on the X-Terra at 7.5 kHz I thought could have been 10-14 kHz range more middle of the road. Minelab is a young company and maybe it needs a fresh look to go to the next level I wouldn't care for a machine built in china but was surprised that it was only worth 80 million. Dan