Whites detectors compared to others.

[ozziii]

Just out of interest, I was wondering how the Whites detectors compare to other brands, like how the TDI Pro Oz, SL & SPP compare to the Garret & Minelab detectors, or any other P.I detectors I don't know of, is the TDI Pro Oz as good as the ATX, is it better or worse, which ML pulse inductions would the TDI series be on par with, same with the SPP, with the right coil would it be as good as the SDC 2300 or other Minelabs, including the older versions like the GP extreme, GP 3000 & GPX series.

How about the VLF detectors, Whites VLF detectors sounds pretty good but how good are they compared to Garret, Minelab, Fisher & the other decent brands of VLF detectors.

One reason I would like to know is because I always see people asking what detector to get so I would like to know if the Whites VLF & P.I detectors are as good or better than similar brands. A lot of people just say go with Minelab, even the old models, but why go for an old detector when you could have a new one for probably cheaper, like an SPP instead of a GP 3000 or SDC 2300 etc or TDI Pro Oz instead of an SDC 2300 or GPX 4000-4500 etc & ATX.
Does the GMT or MXT out perform the X-Terra's, AT Gold, Gold bug's etc.

I would just like to hear or see some real world comparisons as it seems most people don't think about the Whites detectors or don't even know about them, when to me they seem like really good machines.

& please, honest opinions only, not just "Minelab beats everything" or "Minelab or nothing" etc.

Thanks.

 

[pprogers]

As another newbie, all I can say is that White's detectors seem to be like anchovies...people either love them or hate them.

 

[ozziii]

Maybe that might be true but that's not what I was asking about.

 

[mbasko]

I don't think you'll ever get an honest or completely reliable answer just opinions on people's own preferences. It's an ongoing can of worms.
Each brand & each model you have mentioned has their own strengths & weaknesses.
The TDI pro & SL has some discrimination abilities with a mono coil, the ATX does also + an iron check feature while Minelab's only have iron reject if using a DD coil (none on SDC or GPZ). In my opinion discrimination is not reliable at best on a PI regardless of brand & should only be used when looking for gold as a last resort anyway. In all other areas of operation I would recommend a Minelab PI, even older ones, all day everyday especially with the 4500 being so close in price to the TDI once you also purchase a Razorback/Miner John coil etc. But that is based mostly on personal preference & the results I've got + seen with them. Others will differ depending on brand preference & their own experiences.
The SPP would offer more versatility than the SDC with the ability to change coils. The SDC though is a specialised machine & used as such my opinion is it will run rings around the SPP. It's really a matter of what you want & they are completely different bits of kit. The SPP is by far the best value for money PI machine out there & a great way to get started.
With VLF's the general consesus these days is that most that are within similar frequencies should have similar performance with the extra bells & whistles you pay for being the difference in the better brands. For instance in the high frequency machines most can't split the GMT & GB2 with many giving the GB2 a slight advantage on small gold due to it's higher frequency but say the GMT will punch a little deeper as it's advantage. You can't really lump them all in together as GMT v MXT v Xterra v AT Gold v GB2 as there are way too many variables. They need to be compared in similar frequencies & similar bells + whistles then see what offers the best value for money for what you want to do.
One VLF you forgot to mention was the Nokta/Makro's. They appear to be kicking goals as far as performance & value for money goes. One bloke in the US sold his Deus & CTX in preference to the Makro Racer.
http://www.detectorprospector.com/f...pression-gold-racer-preview/page-3#entry13371
There's some good reviews of different machines here also:
http://www.detectorprospector.com/g...tal-detectors-metal-detecting-accessories.htm
Edit: Note these reviews are based mostly on use in the US so there may be some areas they don't perform as favourably down under

 

[ozziii]

Thanks mbasko, sort of gives me a bit of an idea about them.
I'm just trying to work out why one is better than another, like you mentioned, the SDC will run rings around the SPP, & for the price it should but I'd be interested to know why, is it just because it finds very small gold, how would it compare to the TDI Pro Oz which from what I understand can be a very good detector when set up properly & using the correct coil of course.
I'm not a one eyed Whites detector fan, I also know Minelab make some of the best detectors on the market, but other brands do have good P.I machines as well, like the ATX, I read about them finding very small gold as well, same with the SPP with the right coil.
What is it that makes the SDC so much better, what can it do that the others can't, how about EMI handling, the SPP is very good, I read the ATX is as well, then what about depth on the same size nuggets, will the SDC outperform the others. Seems depth & sensitivity are 2 of the biggest things people want to know about when getting a new detector, choice of coils is also popular but the SDC has no choice but still very popular.
The ATX & TDI Pro Oz both get good depth & have good sensitivity from what I've read but yet people still recommend older ML detectors.
Maybe a lot are just one eyed ML users like you say, hard to get an honest opinion.

 

[mbasko]

The SDC speciality is small gold in hot ground. It will & can find larger gold to but that's the MPF timings purpose - small gold in hot ground - as such my opinion & recommendation is that the SDC would be a better option than the TDI/SPP series or the ATX in those conditions. TDI/SPP's & ATX will get small gold but the SDC & its MPF timing is just way more consistent, again in my opinion. Despite what many say the SDC, although well noted for shallow depth, can & will punch deep. It surprises me at times even in some rough ground & on small targets.
If your after more versatility then a TDI or ATX is an option but the 4500 at it's price makes it very hard to say that they're the best option in that price bracket now. My own preference would be the 4500 due to a much better range of versatility, ground handling & deep punching power. In saying that an advantage of the TDI or ATX is better EMI handling but it's not enough to sway me.
The SDC is fairly good with EMI too. I use mine under powerlines & have got a few bits under them. It does get a bit yippy in windy conditions some days but I can put up with it.
It really is horses for courses & what you personally want to achieve.

 

[Magilla]

There is a lot of brand loyalty when it comes to detectors. To put things into perspective WalnLiz who is a very respected member on here, returned from a WA trip a while ago after trying a TDI PRO OZ alongside his trusty GPX5000. His conclusion was that he missed little if any gold with the TDI. I think a bit of knowledge evens the playing field a bit between detectors.

 

[Guest]

From the conversations I've seen here and other places, the operators that listen to the machines and not their own egos have the greatest success. And they seem to be able to use any machine, of half decent quality, and turn up payable quantities of gold.

There's a message in there somewhere.

 

[ozziii]

Thanks, that's a bit better explanation & more like what sort of info I'm after.
So it seems the SDC is a little more consistent on hot ground but at a much higher cost & although better on the small stuff probably isn't as good with those same targets at greater depth but in some cases can do ok. Hot ground & EMI handling is a big bonus as well but the SPP can handle that as well so no real advantage there. I have tested our SPP in a few area's around Ballarat & district & its always ran good, once I learn to use it better I think it will perform better & have also used in right near phone towers & large power lines which was probably hot ground as well, add a decent coil & performance should improve. I guess the TDI would be similar to the SPP although I don't think it handles EMI as good, not sure about the ATX.
From what I was told about the MJ & RB coils, using the 7.5x11 RB folded mono on the SPP, I will be able to find small gold, as small if not smaller than I could using a Sadie, that can't be too bad can it, but yet I will still be able to find small gold deeper than the Sadie can.
I know the 4500 is a good detector, but from everything I read & been told about the TDI, it can perform nearly as well & in some conditions just as good as the 4500 & maybe the 5000, but at a much lower cost.
Just seem to me that everything I find or read through research etc suggests the ML detectors are very good, but not that much better than the TDI series & maybe the ATX as a lot of people like too make out. So really, for the large extra cost, you're not really getting a great deal more, just paying for the name in part. Oh & I would have a ML 4500 or 5000 if I had the spare money to spend but at a much lower cost I can get something pretty close & in some cases on par.
I'm not trying to cause any arguments either, just trying to get my facts right about why one brand is said to be so much better than another, I'm new to detecting & like to learn about my hobbies so all this helps, not trying to upset any ML faithfuls.
I understand that the VLF's are a whole different ball game with frequencies etc so it really comes down to other options & how they perform in similar situations, would be great to see a big side by side test.

 

[mbasko]

There is a lot of brand loyalty when it comes to detectors. To put things into perspective WalnLiz who is a very respected member on here, returned from a WA trip a while ago after trying a TDI PRO OZ alongside his trusty GPX5000. His conclusion was that he missed little if any gold with the TDI. I think a bit of knowledge evens the playing field a bit between detectors.

Heres the post:

Combination of the GPX 5000 i'm using and the TDI Pro Oz that Liz is using. Let me assure you that the TDI is more than pulling it's weight and Liz has spent only 30 hours detecting for a total of 28 nuggets. That equates to almost a nugget an hour... Not to be scoffed at. She has followed me testing soft targets with my 5000 and has picked up almost all of the targets with the TDI. She actually picked up 3 nuggets in a gully that i missed with the 5000 an a mate also missed with the 4500.

On the right settings, you won't miss much gold.

Cheers,
Wal

Be interesting to hear which one would be packed if only one could be taken?
Not sure how the TDI would go with an 18" or bigger coil patch hunting?

 

[ozziii]

There is a lot of brand loyalty when it comes to detectors. To put things into perspective WalnLiz who is a very respected member on here, returned from a WA trip a while ago after trying a TDI PRO OZ alongside his trusty GPX5000. His conclusion was that he missed little if any gold with the TDI. I think a bit of knowledge evens the playing field a bit between detectors.

Heres the post:

Combination of the GPX 5000 i'm using and the TDI Pro Oz that Liz is using. Let me assure you that the TDI is more than pulling it's weight and Liz has spent only 30 hours detecting for a total of 28 nuggets. That equates to almost a nugget an hour... Not to be scoffed at. She has followed me testing soft targets with my 5000 and has picked up almost all of the targets with the TDI. She actually picked up 3 nuggets in a gully that i missed with the 5000 an a mate also missed with the 4500.

On the right settings, you won't miss much gold.

Cheers,
Wal

Be interesting to hear which one would be packed if only one could be taken?
Not sure how the TDI would go with an 18" or bigger coil patch hunting?

From what I understand the TDI doesn't run the larger coils that well,maybe with correct setting it might be ok, but I'd be interested to know how it would go if there was a MJ or RB coil of that size made just for the Whites machines, like the NF & Coilteks are made for ML's.

 

[mbasko]

Razorback coils had pretty much said that anything over around 16" coil on the TDI isn't worthwhile worrying about due to not having the punch to get the depth - I assume this is why Razorback/Miner John only make up to a 14" round for them? Read post #11:
http://arizonaoutback.ipbhost.com/i...1a0d1725d0ddb23d06&showtopic=9778&#entry54671
That is one reason I believe that the GPX series has an advantage albeit at a greater cost, (& even SD/GP series but they have limitations with mono coils) - it's their ability to run coils from 6" thru to 30" or larger (drag behind coils etc.).
I recently looked at getting a TDI but in the end got an old GP3500 which only cost me just over half the cost of the new TDI. Not saying that the GP3500 is better - just seemed to be a better fit for me with already using the SDC. I wanted something cheap that would run larger coils & it fit the bill. After many hours of research there was no good examples of the TDI running larger coils with any great deal of success. Mostly I could only find that it was excellent with smaller coils & mostly smaller gold. I already had a pretty handy machine for that so I looked elsewhere.
In my opinion through all brands & models of current PI detectors the GPX4500 is the most versatile & best value for money available. A month or so ago the TDI & ATX could both have had claims to that at their pricing but for mine the re-release of the 4500 has changed things considerably, even for the used machine buyers market. I wouldn't have got the 3500 if I had known that was coming but then for the amount of use it gets it's not an issue.

 

[Guest]

Listen Ozzii, your questions and opinions are perfectly legitimate. If someone wants to take umbrage at them, tough luck. It's only the precious and thin-skinned would take issue with genuine questions or preferences.

I have a TDI-SL, and am not normally given to envy. But I tell ya, a GPX 5000 really has my attention. But I'd only put the idea into practice after I'd hired one for a couple of days to see if it'd suit me. They certainly attract some attention.

 

[mbasko]

Hiring before buying, where you have that option, is the way to go. For that matter people who only make a trip or two per year to the goldfields would be better off hiring. Having at least few grand of gear sitting in the cupboard for long periods doesn't make a lot of sense for most.
I agree Ozzii's questions are legit & I hope by trying to give my honest opinion here I'm not seen to be taking issue because I'm not.

 

[Guest]

Ease up mbasko. You are not taking issue. I'm glad to see some clear discussion. It makes people think and, hopefully, are able to make better decisions because of that clarification of stuff that's been raised.

 

[rocketaroo]

I wont look at whites, because they have so many control knobs, they look old fashioned, and complicated. I know thats not giving them a fair shake though.

 

[pprogers]

Maybe that might be true but that's not what I was asking about.

Yes, I admit my comment was a bit useless. I suppose I was getting at the brand loyalty issue (that Magilla also raised), which may be an impediment to getting a decent comparison. Nevertheless, this is a very helpful thread with a lot of great info and without the brand loyalty issue...which makes my original comment even more useless

 

[Gold Diver]

With the AUD the way it is, Whites, Garrett and Fisher detectors will cost more than Minelab soon.

I think the Whites V3i is the best coin shooter on the market, and the GPX5000 the best gold detector, but that's just me. I'm not brand loyal.

I wouldn't get too caught up on brands, just get the best detector for your needs on your budget.

GD

 

[Reg]

Mbasko,

Your link to a post made by "Jason" is not really accurate in what he says. The TDI doesn't work well with coils larger than 16" but the reason is the filtering characteristics. Keep in mind, it wasn't made to operate with larger coils.

The fact is, the TDI has more than enough power to run larger coils. Change the filtering and it is easy to display.

This fact brings up a couple of other issues people should consider when trying to decide which detector to buy. One is weight. It isn't fun to lug a heavy detector all day if you are small framed or getting older.

Actual cost: Talk to different PI owners and ask them if they use special coils or just the factory one. Some people will spend as much for coils as they do for the detector.

Ease of use: Just how easy is the detector to use and are there hidden secrets you should know. Watch the following video for some interesting info.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k72F-61e1UQ

Not knowing what can happen when you change modes on detectors that have modes and it could mean disaster. In this video, Bearkat displays how it is easy to miss some large gold just by changing modes.

Now, one well known ML owner called Bearkat a ML hater for posting this video. I consider Bearkat an honorable person for pointing out something one should know. The truth, all detectors have strong points and weaknesses. The more you can find out about them, the better off you will be if you know how to avoid the pitfalls.

Cost; If the cost is not an issue, then this point is mute, but if a person really can't afford the cost without a strain, then consider why you are making that choice. Are you going to hunt seriously for gold? Are you going to only be a hobby sport hunter?

How long do you plan on doing this? Are you going to trade detectors for years, or trade them after a year or two? If you feel you are going to keep the detector for years, then consider the ease of repair.

So, a person considering to spend a lot of money for a detector really should think about all the alternatives and considerations especially if money is an object.

Reg

 

[Guest]

Yep, rocketaroo, old fashioned, knobs, and complicated?! Complicated? Do you mean that the operator has to think about what's going on?

The knobs are an advantage, to me at least, because one can readily adjust the device without having to be one of these cyber-geeks knowing all these crapola 'computer programs' just to do a basic activity like detecting.

Way to go Whites!

I just love the old fashioned crap that allows me to work the machine like a human being; instead of feeling like I need to have a USB stuck up my Jaxi to be an accepted member of society. Outstanding!