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My Metal Detectors

My Reviews on Detectors I Used in the Past and My Current Machines

Each metal detector reviewed in this section is or was, in its time, my "workhorse" bringing the best results. Since the early 1990s, I have tested many different land metal detectors of both advanced and intermediate levels. A few popular machines are still in my arsenal.

Metal Detectors I Used Before and Use Now:

XP Deus v3.2 Metal Detector

XP Deus v2.0-v5.2 (2012 - present) - This 2-page review discusses the pros and cons of the XP Deus fully wireless metal detector which appeared on the market in 2009 and got many detectorists excited. But then, a few years later, many users turned away from this machine because of its increasing complexity with each new firmware version, the steepest learning curve, flawed firmware and high price.

XP Metal Detectors supplied me with two free Deus metal detectors (one in 2012 and one in 2014) to field test and review. From 2012 to 2014, my girlfriend and I used the Deus v3.2 which we "duplicated", i.e. we made two Deus detectors from one, so that each of us had a detector with the same capabilities (see details HERE).

Since 2014, my girlfriend has been using her Deus v3.2. And I have been using the Deus v4.1 which is less stable and more complicated than the v3.2, but still allows me to achieve satisfactory results when the 9" HF searchcoil ('white' coil) is employed. I wish that XP provided Deus users with an opportunity to download and install the earlier firmware version - v2.0, because it was the most stable, suitable and efficient for coin and relic hunting in trashy sites of former homesteads. But XP removed the v2.0 option from the list of firmware downloads in 2017, and I still regret that I did not keep the fantastic v2.0 on at least one of our Deuses.

Despite a few shortcomings of the Deus and disadvantages of its interface, battery charhing system and headphones, it still remains the most versatile and capable metal detector on the market today. When I say this, I refer to the Deus firmware versions v3.2 and v4.1. At least at hunt sites with various challenging ground and trash conditions in our locality, these two firmware versions proved to be the most effective and appropriate.

I tried some firmware versions released after v4.1, but they all turned out to be very unstable, more difficult to handle and less efficient. As for some previous versions, the v4.0 was a complete fiasco! My second detailed review covering some aspects of the v4.0 and v4.1 versions is posted on my 'XP Deus Reviews' Page

Although the XP's latest Deus model - the multi-frequency Deus II, is claimed to outperform the single-frequency Deus, there is a lot of controversial info coming from the Deus II users. Since I do not own the Deus II, I cannot thoroughly field-test it in order to refute or confirm the manufacturer's claims and the feedback I get from regular Deus II users.

If XP supplies me with the Deus II for free to test and review, I will be more than happy to put this machine through a lot of challenging tests, and then write my in-depth review, as well asarticles and tutorials for novice users. But I doubt that XP will send me the Deus II because they know I will disclose the whole truth, sometimes not very pleasant, about the detector on my web pages. Over the past few years, I have already posted several articles with negative facts about XP and its products.

Eight years ago, I modified the Deus battery charging system to exclude the easily breakable charging clamp from it. Since then, charging the batteries has been simple, convenient and trouble-free. I also modified and reinforced the WS4 headphones to fix the inevitable problem of the signal drop in one phone, and to make the headset last forever. These modifications allowed my girlfriend and I to use both old Deuses for so long without running into two common annoying issues from time to time.

Another unavoidable problem with the Deus is depleting the capacity of its non-replaceable Li-Po batteries built into the three Deus components (coil/remote control/headphones). Like any lithium-polymer batteries, these batteries lose 80% of their capacity after a couple of thousand charge cycles (approximately 5 years of intensive use of the metal detector) and therefore cannot provide a normal battery life. In the case of the Deus, you cannot simply take them out (especially from the searchcoil) and put in new ones.

In our case, the batteries in one set of components are 10 years old, and the batteries in the other set are 8 years old. Batteries that old can only give you 4 hours of metal detecting time with the Deus. You may ask, "why can't you just replace the exhausted XP Deus batteries using a battery-replacement kit, or by sending the Deus to the XP service department?"

Mailing six Deus components plus five additional coils for battery replacement to the XP's service department in France would cost a fortune. Buying the Deus battery replacement kit is out of the question in our corner of the world. So, we will use our Deuses until all the batteries become completely out-of-service.

Since we have additional coils for each Deus, we use a common trick to increase the detection time with both Deuses to 8 hours, provided the search conditions at the hunt site do not change too much. When all the batteries of either of the two Deuses are drained during the hunt, that Deus is substituted with the Teknetics T2+ metal detector (see below).

When all the batteries of both Deuses are completely dead, my girlfriend uses the Teknetics T2+, and I continue searching with the Teknetics G2+ metal detector (see below) - another effective backup. The Teknetics T2+ metal detector is powered by 4 AA batteries providing 40 hours (!) of metal detecting. And the G2+ is powered by a 9v battery providing 20 hours of search time.

To get the most out of the Deus, it is necessary to have a substantial practical knowledge of the Deus features and modes in order to create the optimal combination of them - a customized search program, that will be most effective for the present metal detecting conditions. Only such a program, along with fine-tuning the Deus for a specific search situation, will ensure maximum of good finds at the hunt site. In other words, the user must know what settings to tweak to accommodate the current trash and ground conditions, as well as the types of sought targets that are present in a given search area.

It usually takes a beginner at least 5 detecting seasons to master the Deus, i.e. to learn its key features and modes, and how they interact with one another. The learning process is so long due to many adjustable features, functions and modes to choose from. Their multitude obviously causes a high likelihood of user error, especially when fine-tuning the Deus.

Considerable practical experience is needed to avoid simple but critical mistakes when fine-tuning the Deus. Such experience can be gained through experimentation and analysis of the results obtained in the field. However, the learning of all the intricacies of the Deus will go faster if you get all the essential theoretical knowledge of this overcomplicated device.

If you are a beginner Deus user, you can get such knowledge from my write-ups on the Deus all compiled in this directory - Articles on XP Deus Metal Detector and Accessories

After field-testing, experimenting and treasure hunting with the Deus almost daily for 10 years, I have accumulated enough hands-on knowledge of this detector to write 16+ articles, including tutorials and guides, that have been helpful to many Deus users around the world over the past decade.

If you treat the Deus like a "turn-on-and-go" detector, you will only have mediocre results and frustration. It is worth noting that although this detector has several factory-preset search programs, they should not be used for serious metal detecting on a regular basis. The main purpose of the factory presets is to help a beginner user become familiar with the overcomplicated Deus at the beginning of the learning process.

The second purpose of each factory preset program is to serve as a basis for creating your own customized program based on specific algorithms incorporated into that factory preset. Such algorithms are designed for specific search conditions and/or metal detecting tasks. For example, if you need to create your own program for detecting deep coins and relics, you use the factory-preset 'DEEP' program. Then you optimize your customized program through fine-tuning it to the current search conditions at the hunt site.

The main advantage of the Deus is that it can be fine-tuned for any tough conditions of searching, which is rare among other high-end metal detectors on the today's market. This is the reason why my girlfriend and I still use our Deuses in the toughest metal detecting situations we encounter at our favorite hunt sites. With one exception - the Teknetics T2+ metal detector (see below), other metal detectors in my arsenal cannot handle such situations as good as the Deus v3.2 and Deus v4.1 with the 9" 'white' HF searchcoil.

Teknetics T2+ (2019 - present)
Teknetics (owned by First Texas Products) supplied me with this detector for free to field-test and review. And I am glad they did because I would not know about this fantastic detector otherwise (FTP does not run large-scale marketing campaigns unlike other big brands on the market).

During field-testing, the ΠΆ2+ pleasantly surprised me at every hunt site heavily littered with iron (a 6 x 10" DD search coil was used), and in areas with low to moderate iron trash (a 13" DD coil was used). The T2+ confidently picked up non-ferrous targets in all metal detecting conditions I put it through. After experimenting with and testing the T2+ for two seasons, I can responsibly state that this is the most capable and versatile metal detector among all single-frequency mid-range detectors on the today's market.

In the number of good finds, the T2+ certainly beats its younger and more expensive 'cousin' - the Fisher F75+ (see below), and is on par with the most advanced single-frequency XP Deus in many metal detecting situations. In areas littered with steel bottle caps, the T2+ is superior to the Deus which does not discriminate the bottle caps well and therefore indicates them with coin-like signals. Because of its quite effective 'Bottle Cap' mode, the T2+ is unmatchable by any metal detector in terms of time efficiency in the field, or rather in public parks and former picnic grove sites.

If this metal detector's weight was as little as that of the XP Deus, my girlfriend would use it on a regular basis. When she tried it at several so-called "searched out" hunt sites, she could not believe how well the T2+ locked onto non-ferrous targets partially masked by iron. Some of these targets had previously been missed by several advanced detectors.

I think the engineers and designers of this Teknetics detector-model came up with the most lucky combination of algorithms incorporated into the T2+ platform. The amazingly simplest interface is purposely designed for fast switching between modes - this is very important for Target Verification and Identification. Such a practical interface and thoughtfully configured search modes of the T2+ allow the user to easily utilize many detecting tricks used by professional coin-cache and relic hunters. Some of these tricks cannot be used even with high-end detectors.

For its amazing abilities and a few unmatched benefits, the T2+joined our arsenal as a primary backup for those situations when any of our old Deuses may unexpectedly run out of power during the hunt. This happens from time to time due to long-expired batteries in our Deuses which are built in and we cannot replace them. By the way, the battery life of the four AA batteries that power the T2+ is over 40 hours when using the headphones - which is rare in modern metal detectors.

I did a little modification to the T2+'s upper shaft to attach a dust- and moisture-proof case for the wireless transmitter. This modification enabled me to make the headphones operation wireless (see detailes in my tutorial - The Best Way to Mount a Wireless Headphone Transmitter onto Your Land Metal Detector). After years of being spoiled by the fully wireless Deus, I could not go back to wired headphones which would limit my maneuverability and cause unnecessary irritation.

As of 2022, the Teknetics T2 Ltd metal detector (also known as T2 SE) became the new flagship of Teknetics, thus replacing the T2+. The T2 Ltd is essentially the same T2+ except for the color (black) and the addition of several advanced search modes and the Digital Shield Technology (DST) function. These modes and the DST function proved to be quite effctive in the Fisher F75+ metal detector (see below), and therefore were incorporated into the T2 Ltd.

My upcoming detailed review will describe all pros and cons of the T2+, as well as its remarkable capabilities not mentioned in the user manual. Currently, the above-linked review page only includes the Teknetics T2+ specifications, picture, price, and reviews from other users.

Teknetics G2+ (2019 - present)
This is a simple yet quite effective machine designed to detect tiny and small relics and gold nuggets (about the size of a tick and larger). Teknetics also provided me with this detector free of charge in exchange for extensive field testing and validation.

My upcoming detailed, illustrated review will explain why this machine joined my arsenal of metal detectors as an effective finder of "difficult" targets such as small, low-conductive coins and non-ferrous relics at the sites littered with iron, and as a reliable back-up. The best feature of the G2+ is a relatively fast 'All-Metal' mode (similar to that of the T2+), especially when used in conjunction with the elliptical 6 x 10" DD 'sniper' search coil.

For fast and comfortable operation of the G2+, I modified its upper shaft to affix an enclosed wireless transmission module for wireless headphones (see details HERE).

Currently, the above-linked review page contains only the Teknetics G2+'s specifications, image, price, and reviews from other users.

Fisher F75+ (2019-2021)
Fisher (also owned by First Texas Products) gave me this detector free of charge for field testing and review. The F75+ is a current flagship of Fisher and a "cousin" of the above listed Teknetics T2+. Visually, the F75+ and T2+ differ only in color.

The F75+ is more advanced than the T2+, as it has additional 'FA' (the fastest 'recovery speed' but shallow detection depth; designed for super trashy areas only) and 'CL' ('Cache Locator') search modes, several more audio modes, 'Static All-Metal' operating mode, and the Digital Shielding Technology (DST) function. The latter ensures silent operation even at the maximum sensitivity level (99).

Since the F75+ is designed as a gold-prospecting detector (I do not think so given the F75+'s low operating frequency of 13kHz), it is super-sensitive to small non-ferrous, low-conductive targets. However, what I discovered during comparative field-testing of the F75+ against the T2+ was the F75+'s slower 'Recovery Speed' incorporated into its most used search modes compared to those of the T2+.

The T2+ beat the F75+ in the number of good finds at all those trashy sites where the F75+'s 'FA' mode was not proper to use, but the appropriate, normally used search modes were too slow to separate targets. Unfortunately, such hunt sites are the majority in our locality.

The F75+ proved to be efficient only when separating good and bad signals with the 'FA' mode at super trashy sites, and when detecting "fringe" coin-sized and larger targets with the 'bP' mode at hunt sites with zero to moderate iron junk content. Also, the F75+ turned out to be an effective deep seeker when operated in the 'CL' search mode or 'Static All-Metal' operating mode.

In regard to ergonomics, I enjoyed using this detector. The F75+'s body is so well balanced that I did not get any arm or shoulder fatigue after six hours of swinging it even with a large 13" search coil attached. Not to mention the long battery life of 40 hours with four AA batteries powering this metal detector!

To improve the maneuverability of the F75+, I modified its upper shaft to mount an enclosed wireless transmission module for wireless headphones onto it, as I did with the T2+ and G2+ (see details HERE).

The unexpected serious failure happened at the end of the second season of field testing. The rotary knob of the F75+ interface started to malfunction, i.e. it did not change the parameters of the selected functions or modes during infinite rotation. Fast switching between modes turned into a time-consuming and annoying attempt to get the knob to work. Because it was impossible for me to find a replacement for the broken mechanical potentiometer, I eventually retired the F75+, the end of story.

Currently, the above-linked review page only includes the Fisher F75+ specifications, picture, price, and reviews from other users. In the near future, I will post a review describing the hidden capabilities of the F75+.

  • Pulse Star II Pro (2006 - present)
    This review describes the most effective detector in its class of Pulse Induction deep seeking units that easily detect sizable treasures 2 meters deep and ignore any mineralization.
  • XP GoldMaxx Power
    This review describes pros and cons of a legendary analog detector-model which was a predecessor of XP Deus, and is still quite popular among coin shooters and hunters for non-ferrous relics.
  • Minelab E-Trac
    This review describes the best detector-model ever produced by Minelab, and gives a few links to my in-depth tutorials and articles on this superb machine.
  • Garrett Ace 250
    This is a short story of a successful, one-time joint hunt which my female companion Galina and I conducted while sharing the Ace 250 at a fantastic hunt site.
  • Tesoro Cortes
    This review describes the most reliable and everlasting metal detector one can imagine.
  • Minelab Explorer II
    This short review reflects pros and cons of Minelab detectors of the Explorer series, which started the Minelab's 10-year domination on the market.
  • White's Spectrum XLT
    This is a one-page recollection of great metal detecting times I had with this fantastic detector which not only incorporated a few innovations back in the early 1990s, which are coming back now in the latest detector-models, but also taught me a lot about what an advanced metal detector with remarkable setting-adjustability can do.
  • Garrett Grand Master Hunter CX-II
    This was my first metal detector which got me addicted to metal detecting during my first time out with it, in fact, upon digging up my first target - a silver Mercury dime!

NOTE: Not all metal detectors that I have are listed in a table above. Usually, if a recently released metal detector successfully passes my field tests and proves to be effective and suitable for my metal detection objectives, I am willing to write and post my detailed review of a worthy device in this section.

In Brief:

by , proficiency level: Beginner, last time modified:

Popular Metal Detectors

Between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, quite a few metal detectors with new, advanced technologies appeared on the market. Some of them met claims made by their manufacturers and performed better than the rest, and I certainly tried to acquire any of those machines for field testing and treasure hunting. A couple of manufacturers were generous enough to provide me with their best machines at that time. I used every detector I received as long as possible to fully master it and then get the best performance out of it. At the same time, I continued to monitor the market for cutting edge innovations as well as improved versions of today's leading metal detectors.

Usually, when a new and improved machine is introduced to the market, I monitor the Internet for real user reviews and opinions on this machine for one year. This is the best way to find out whether or not this device is a breakthrough technology that delivers better performance and more opportunities. And only then I am ready to acquire it if I can. Thus, my entire metal detecting experience can be divided into several time periods. Each period was dedicated to a specific metal detector that I regularly used. Until the end of 2018, there were four such periods. The detectors involved were Spectrum XLT, Minelab Explorer (2 models), Minelab E-Trac and XP Deus.

Each of these metal detectors proved to be quite effective in its time. I have also kept some less advanced machines because they are preferred by my friends and relatives who often use these metal detectors during our joint hunts. Or I myself have used them as backup or auxiliary devices.

The above-listed pages include my reviews of detectors I used and still use, a few practical tips in regards to their operation, and some pictures of finds made with these machines that have been very popular in the US and around the world over many years.

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