Tommie33 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Ok all I'm thinking on a upgrade from my old gold bug to a new X-Terra does anyone have one any feed back would be grate thanks. Hog leg lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azdigger Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 I have an X=Terra 705 and it is my opinion that the Gold Bug (digital ) or the Gold Bug 2 is way more sensitive, I use my Xterra for coins and for Gold I have a Whites GMT and a Goldmaster 2........I am sure others can add more words of wisdom. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 I have never found a piece of gold with my X-Terra 705 and unless it's a big buried can, I rarely find trash deeper than an inch. In fact, a lot of what I detect I hear a beep and I see is lying on the surface visible to me. I've played with all sorts of settings. Also, particularly hard after the rains in the Wickenburg area to go detecting with all the hot rocks. The show Gold Fever has the cohost using the 705 and finding gold. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azdigger Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 My suggestion would be to talk to Bill Southern and ask him to make suggestions........I trust him and his opinions 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyy Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 (edited) I never found gold with my Xterra. GB2 should be much better. Or look for used SDC or GPX machines. You will save yourself so much time. Edited November 25, 2016 by Andyy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommie33 Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 Ok so what I'm hearing is gb2 might be the way to go and they run the same price just might have to switch it up 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyy Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Funny, I just picked up the Gold Prospectors (GPAA) magazine Nov/Dec issue and it has a great article on the GB2. I moved from a Xterra705 to a GPX and more recently a GPZ. But if I saw a good priced GB2, I would probably buy it just for it's overall simplicity and proven effectiveness. Anyways, I stuck with the 705 for a few months. My prospecting buddy stuck with it for over a year ... bless his soul.. I eventually convinced him to get a GPX. He got tired of me pulling up gold only a few inches down that he had just walked over with the 705. But I agree, for the best info, go to Bill Southern. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I would never use an Xterra 705 for gold unless you are using the 10.5 inch round DD 18.75 kHz coil. The little elliptical that comes with it is just to small to get the depth you want. Doc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Au Seeker Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 One thing to think about, the Gold Bug 2 was released in 1995 coming up on 22 years now and is still being sold, not to mention being readily bought by some of the best at nugget shooting, that longevity says more than anything on how good it is at finding gold if you get over some!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoser John Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Mine is one hot gold finder for sure still after all these years. Just lent to yet another buddy who is learning it and getting some gold too. John 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I agree Tommie and give me a call when ready to discuss your options. I do not use my 705 for gold as much as coins which it is killer on. If you want a detector to hunt gold, buy one designed for gold, if you want one to do both the X-Terra is a good unit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Hey hog leg Tommie, guess you did not see the 4000 nuggets boulder dash got at the outing.....Gold Bug II dude, the proof is in the pudding. Take it easy bud, Adam 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Don't misunderstand. I firmly believe that everyone who owns a detector, no matter which one, should also have a Gold Bug. It's just a really fun machine. There are times in Las Vegas in the summer when it is just way too hot to walk around detecting. I get my sun shade pop up. Find an old tailings pile. Get a rake and my Gold Bug and basically stand in one spot in the shade and pick golden nits out of the dirt. When I found that nice nugget at San Domingo, I borrowed a gold bug to pin point it in the hole, because the hole was too narrow and deep to get my GPZ7000 14 inch coil down into it. For sure get a Gold Bug, because that is one machine you will probably never get rid of. I do hate the fact that it uses 9 volt batteries however. 2 of them. They are expensive, they don't seem to last very long, AND, if I put two new batteries in my Gold Bug the night before I leave for an outting. By the time I get to the outting the Gold Bug has somehow managed to turn itself on and run the batteries down. Doc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2016 Share Posted November 27, 2016 Doc I'm not sure but there could be a problem with your machine? The batteries in my Gold Bug 2 seem to last for a few weeks. Usually when I'm detecting I never turn it on and don't turn it off all day? I end up changing the batteries despite the fact that they are still working fine every few trips or so for peace of mind. I will also sometimes carry an extra set of batteries if I have doubts. The 2 pack with the hard plastic cover folds up back to back and I can stash it in a pocket. CostCo has the best price 16 pack 9V Batteries -$15.99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 On 11/25/2016 at 2:27 AM, DOC said: I would never use an Xterra 705 for gold unless you are using the 10.5 inch round DD 18.75 kHz coil. The little elliptical that comes with it is just to small to get the depth you want. Doc For my 705 I never found gold with, what came with my gold pack is the 10.5" Elliptical Double D at 18.75 KHZ.. The website says the 10.5" round Double D that doc spoke of is now standard. http://www.minelab.com/usa/metal-detectors/gold-detectors/x-terra-705-gold-pack The only one I've ever heard speak good of the Xterra 705 as a gold detector is Tom's daughter on the Gold Fever show. I have been watching the forums for people who have posted gold finds and only once in four years have I seen someone say they found gold with the Xterra 705, and because I own one, I've been watching. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Furness Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 If you want to stay in the Minelab camp with a VLF get the Eureka Gold machine rather than the 705 ... easier to learn than the 705 and a dedicated gold machine. I strongly agree with all the others about getting a dedicated gold machine. The next step up and a huge improvement from the VLFs in my opinion is a ML SDC2300 ... one caveat ... ALWAYS wear headphones with that machine. The external speaker works but is not loud enough unless you have excellent hearing! As for the Fisher Gold Bug 2 ... Hands down in my opinion the best VLF for shallow to moderate depth and a killer on small bedrock gold! I have 7 different machines but the ones I used the most are my SDC2300, GPX5000, and the GPZ7000. Occasionally I will use my Fisher Gold Bug Pro and rarely use my old White's Goldmaster v-Sat or MXT. My MXT is a killer coin Machine and is used almost exclusively for that although I have found gold with it. Hope this helps a little ... But for the best info give Bill at Nugget Shooters a call. He will steer you to the best machine for your hunt style and budget. Mike F 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbado1 Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 I agree with Doc. The X-Terra is a great coin/relic machine. If you want a great VLF nugget machine the GB2 or Makro Gold Racer is the way to go. The GB2 does not have a VDI display but the Makro does. This comes in handy when prospecting in trashy areas. Good luck! Dean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortuga Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 We did a test recently on a small, deep nugget located on bedrock with an SDC 2300. The nugget was just a mellow hum on the SDC. I swung my GPZ 7000 over the target and it was a sharper target response. We swung a Gold Bug 2 over the nugget and it got no response. I believe that's why there were quite a few nuggets recovered from this stretch of bedrock. Most were just too deep and small to be heard by VLFs from the past but the SDC and the GPZ could hear them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 On 11/27/2016 at 5:41 PM, chrisski said: For my 705 I never found gold with, what came with my gold pack is the 10.5" Elliptical Double D at 18.75 KHZ.. The website says the 10.5" round Double D that doc spoke of is now standard. http://www.minelab.com/usa/metal-detectors/gold-detectors/x-terra-705-gold-pack The only one I've ever heard speak good of the Xterra 705 as a gold detector is Tom's daughter on the Gold Fever show. I have been watching the forums for people who have posted gold finds and only once in four years have I seen someone say they found gold with the Xterra 705, and because I own one, I've been watching. The link you have shown has an error in the copy. They switched the pictures. Trust me, the standard coil that comes with the gold pack in the 5 X 10 elliptical. The 10.5 inch round 18.75 kHz is the optional coil. The descriptions on the link are correct but the pictures are wrong. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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