Swimmer, congrats on getting ready to get first machine. I can't comment on either of those from use, but have read a lot of good stuff about the MTX. I have a Garrett AT Pro now, which is a decent general use detector. What I would recommend doing is figuring out what kind of hunting you will be doing most of (usually relic/coin/beach) and buy one based on that. I did a lot of research before I bought and deduced that the single most important element of a good detector is the operating frequency it uses. There are other factors like coil size, coil type, etc, but understanding frequency (measured in khz) and matching that to the type of hunting you'll be doing could help you have more fun detecting. Good luck whatever you decide on!