Myers Depot Metal Detectors

reviews on Minelab's x-terra 305/505

Riffmeister

Riffmeister

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Joined
Feb 9, 2010
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Sheridan,ca 95681
Today i ordered a minelab 305 and i was just wanting to hear some info that anyone might have or some useful tips they might want to share about it - wanted to get a good coinshooter and thats what i chose--- hope it was a good move!
 
I've enjoyed mine. My "finds" talked the wife into letting me get an E-Trac. Its a pretty simple detector to operate. Neswiper has some videos on youtube of the 305. I would say you need to get at least 50 hrs. on it before you really start to get comfortable with what it is telling you. Once you start to get to that point I would start to mess around with the sensitivity and discrimination.

You'll dig plenty of "junk" but I don't think they make a detector out there that can't find junk.

NebTrac

I'll Edit this a little as I forgot about your other post on the Eureka. I'll bet you'll get comfortable with it in a shorter amount of time than what I stated. Depth wise I wouldn't expect it to hit on a dime target much over 8" (this is my experience). Where I hunt 6" and below seems to be where I find most of my coinage.
 
Riffmeister said:
Today i ordered a minelab 305 and i was just wanting to hear some info that anyone might have or some useful tips they might want to share about it - wanted to get a good coinshooter and thats what i chose--- hope it was a good move!
Click to expand...

Not being rude but send it back and get a used Sovereign.Honest.Even an Ace would be better.Even my ADX outperforms it.But thats just another opinion.
 
nebtrac---thank you --it should be here friday. using my eureka gold seriously took about 2-3 weeks to really get the hang of it, but still it sounds like if it will pick-up a dime past 7" thats plenty good for my coinshooting thanks again
 
I have owned/used the 305, I found it a good detector. Liked the looks of it, the way it felt swinging,nice meter,etc. Only fault I found with it was it wasn't good at finding nickels & I always said no nickels = not much jewelry. I could of bought a high frquency coil for the 305 but Minelab is just plain crazy on the prices of their coils. It has alot in common with the Ace 250 feature wise, kind of like a souped up Ace without that nasty belltone sound.
 
gotcha---i do own a bounty hunter elite 2200--- but it was left in a car with the windows up and got messed up, now the function of the cheaper detectors is strange- that being that they read-out in pulltab-nickel-10cent-quater-and dollar, i really dont like that at all. i like to analize the numeric i.d. --thats why i chose to buy the 305, that and the multiple tone mode (not a big fan of garrets they look/handle funky, look weird and sound weird-do work good though!) BUT that B.H. i had worked AWSOME but was very cheaply made, soo i wanted to try somthing not made by first texas- you know how that goes they make like 5 different companies detectors--- we'll see how the 305 goes it'll be here in a couple days. thanks for youre input guys
 
you made a good choice the x-terra's easy to use. i have use quite a few other detectors now and the x-terra's are the best I have used. get the 6" dd coil I have never taken mine off. it is killer in the trashy areas.

Chris
 
sorry about that I am using the 18.75khz coil. I also have the 6" 7.5 khz coil but it concentric. here in nebraska where I am at DD coils seem to work better

chris
 
we have a lot of black sand on the rivers here where i detect and my other minelab eureka gold has the olipical DD and it work good, i think i might buy that 6" DD for the 305- but i have see see what i get first i really like how DD coils operate its alot easier for me to pinpoint i dont have to dig a hole over 4" hardly ever with my eureka gold- -hopfully its the same with the 305, kinda pissed off though found out i wont get it until 3-10 --- what kind of battery life do you get with it??? my eureka is lame it doesnt last long at all
 
They take 4 AA batteries and I got over 20 hrs. before I changed them. As far as the nickels go I had good luck with them. My first silver was a 43 war nickel, I also remember finding a 47 and my most fun was a 1916 buffalo. I also found a wedding ring, so all in all I'd say they are good with nickels.

NebTrac
 
I always change my batteries when they get half dead I don't now why but I just do. (rayovac's are cheap) I have also found alot of nickles that my other machines missed. I would have to say x-terras are pretty good at finding nickles.

Chris
 
I absolutely love my X-Terra 70. I started with an Ace 250, then got the Minelab. Both are excellent machines. You do need to spend a lot of time learning the machine. Good luck!
 
thanks guys !!!! im excited about getting it-- but kellyco is killing me! dont know whats up with there shipping- ive order stuff from china and recieved it faster!!! I placed my order on the 28th and they say it will be here on the tenth ! thats lame- considering they charge 100 bucks for three day air!!! thats outrageous they may have cool deals but there shipping sucks wang-peice.... also i figured that it would probebly work good with nickels ;)
 
I'm not sure its their shipping. When I ordered my 305 it came from FL to Nebr. in 4 days. Estimated time was 5 days. The same thing happened when I ordered the E-Trac. Ordered it on a Tuesday and it came on a Friday; and this was the week before Christmas. Both machines were shipped regular ground delivery too.

I would suspect its something to do with Minelab, or it could be shipping. You'd think if they're backordered they would tell you.:?:

NebTrac
 
Minelabs In Short Supply

It may not be their shipping. I have heard that after closing one of the manufacturing facilities they over estimated demand for new machines and has caused a bottle neck getting them into consumers hands. Most of the larger retailers will accept an order and give you a delivery date based on the date the manufacturer gives them. Seems the smaller shops are more upfront about this and tend to keep you "in the loop". Good luck and HH :)...
 
oh wow thats makes sense, i already have a tracking number and the package is inroute --- but that helpfull little bit of info should come VERY helpful to ner-future purchasers, thats probably why no one hqad it in stock in california they had to order theres they said-- would make complete sense thanks
 
even my XP adx 250,,even,/?

Blueonceagain said:
Not being rude but send it back and get a used Sovereign.Honest.Even an Ace would be better.Even my ADX outperforms it.But thats just another opinion.
Click to expand...
the reason the adx outperforms it is that the adx is a super performer bar none,,it usually outperforms anything inland,,,its a legend,,,just a thought ,,
 
305

I got one last month. I have found nickels and a engagement ring. I like it a lot. I wonder about its depth and recovery time, but it seems fine to me.

Ground balance was the my #1 factor in choosing it. It was the least expensive detector with ground balancing as far as I could tell.
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=62079

You should have gotten one of the demos from New England Detectors, mine was new. Mine got stuck in a snow storm and took a week to arrive.

How do the people above compare it to machines like the 250 that don't have adjustable ground balance???

-Maddogg, do you have the 6" 18.75khz or just the 7.5khz. Which one do you never take off?

maddogg said:
sorry about that I am using the 18.75khz coil. I also have the 6" 7.5 khz coil but it concentric. here in nebraska where I am at DD coils seem to work better
chris
Click to expand...
 
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