Minelab X-Terra 70
Price: $800
Avg. Score: 
4.56
Based on 32 reviews
4.56Based on 32 reviews
Avg. Durability:
4.33
Avg. Ease of use:
3.83
Complaints about the minelab xterra 70
March 28, 2008
I have an xterra on the way but I'd like to comment on the complaints.
Number one planting coins whatever size will not give you a response as the
ground where the target is is disrupted the detector is made to read the
ground with the target in it not the hole you created in planting the coil
this completely ruins the detectors thought process and is void of any true
comment of performance. I know this as an owner of a minelab GP3500 air
testing can be compromised in to many ways to explain its testing not an
actual in field example. I hope to be happy an I'm 99.9 % sure I will be as
minelab simple does not put products out there that are not proven in the
field. As far as the DFX mxt VS. the xterra comments I've read 200 post
where people liked the xterra or vice versa its a personal choice and I've
seen it go all ways from my research a lot of it I'm getting the X-terra 70
all purpose and the 3 coils with the package, I think is a fair price until
as usual the xterra 80-90-100 ETC.. come out we all now the game! If its
not better then whtes XLpro or garrett 250 or MXT then I'll eat my words,
Good hunting to all. Grant WA state
Overall Rating
G runyon from
Las Vegas/ Wa state
3336
Another European view
March 26, 2008
I want to respond to the reviews by Europeans below, I detect in Europe and
have used a Quattro and a Sovereign GT and also some Compass machines, the
XT-70 does a great job on my sites, I had hammered coins my first and
second trip out!One reviewer below said the the 70 gives no signal on fibulas, that's a bewildering statement, if I can find small hammered coins in C&T mode how can he not detect a Fibula!!
Now on highly minerlized sites you can not rely on the meter as it will often id small non ferrous as iron, be aware that -2 is not iron but a good target, if you get a signal in C&T mode showing deep but the numbers are dancing around simply switch to prospect mode, if it screams or is very loud it's iron, if it's a soft faint signal it's probably a good find.
The golden rule with this machine is when you get an iffy signal in C&T mode switch to prospect, if it's a faint signal you must dig it REGARDLESS of what the meter says!
Things I don't like are the 18.75Khz coils like iron a bit too much but they are much better at finding targets next to iron, the stand is crap and the machine always falls over.
Overall I like this machine, it takes a bit of learning but does well if you know what you are doing.
Overall Rating
James from
Europe
543
Minelab X-Terra 70 : A SUPERB all-rounder!
March 26, 2008
I purchased the X-Terra 70 at Christmas 2007 after a considerable amount of
careful research. I wanted a detector which would give me good results on
the beach, in the country and on the Goldfields. It had to be current
technology and it needed to break down and fit into a backpack. The X-Terra 70 is very much a professional machine with a lightweight frame. It even features many of the Professional features found on the top of the line machines in the GPX range. It can be carried in either hand without the need for a harness or support strap and uses AA Batteries: VERY important since you can buy replacements anywhere on the way to the beach or goldfields and carry a spare set without noticeable additional weight. It is also AMAZINGLY low on power consumption so a set of batteries can last me several days of constant use before having to replace them. Specialized batteries for OTHER detectors can weigh a LOT more, possess the dimensions of a house brick, need to be worn on the belt and may cost hundreds of dollars to replace or buy a backup for.
This Detector has default settings in both Coin & Relic Mode and also in Prospecting Mode. But it also has a lot of flexibility for programming personal settings and is the lightest detector I could find with the most features. I just balanced mine on the tip of my finger to confirm it can be done before writing this review.
On the goldfields, it handles the "Hot" mineralized soils better than any of the competition in the same range. It has a range of optional coils allowing considerable flexibility and can (depending on the coil) detect surface gold just a couple of millimeters across and under water (with the 6" waterproof DD HF coil) to larger pieces deeper down using the Elliptical DD HF Coil.
I found the corroded remains of a hair-thin needle fragment buried under ironstone pebbles in a crack in bedrock under 4 inches of water just two days ago using the X-Terra 70 with the optional 6" DD HF coil. This was followed shortly after by a small gold find of several grams located with the Elliptical coil and situated about 4 inches beneath the surface of noisy mineralized soil on the goldfields.
A few weeks ago I found a hoard of pre-decimal coins buried in the mountains and over 200 grams of gold chains & rings along with two hundred dollars worth of coins over a small area of beach which had been scanned previously by other detectorists.
The standard Concentric Medium Frequency coil that the detector ships with is ideal for beach combing and coin/relic hunting. I find the Detector to be easy to use and sensitive enough to handle in any location. In my opinion, this is a benchmark in detectors from Minelab and even a worthy backup or secondary detector to serious Prospectors and a primary detector for Coin & Treasure Hunters since the Target ID display can be used to approximate the target before it is done.
Worth every cent in my opinion. Popular, Reliable and rugged. I expect it will stand up by itself for years to come. Heck, I even use my Minelab X-Terra 70 detector in Pinpoint Mode to scan my walls at home for electrical cables before hanging a picture.
This is a worthwhile purchase for those wanting a high-end beach machine or coin & relic detector ...and is also perfect for those wanting to look for native gold yet are not prepared to outlay the higher costs required for an exclusively dedicated Super Gold Detector (which in turn would probably be unsuitable on the beach). For this reason, I have determined the X-Terra 70 to be the perfect "all-rounder" for all targets.
4.8 out of 5
Overall Rating
Marco Nero - Film Designer / Prospector from
Sydney, NSW, Australia
1454
This is my 5th Minelab
February 29, 2008
Since Minelab first started selling detectors in USA I have owned 5. Most
of which were Sovereigns. I recently traded the last one on an X-70. I
really wanted to use a light weight detector with a meter. Both are great
on 70. Coin recovery from 8" still had a strong signal and I expect 10 to
12 inches shouldn't be a problem. I live in Florida and ground
mineralization is non existant. I have used the Noise Cancel with success
and for the norm we do not have to ground balance in Florida. I got the
elliptical 10" 18.75kHz coil also and need to answer those complaining
about buying extra coils. This is the normal routine with any detector
unless you only do one type of detecting. None of the other detectors made
have a coil that does it all. One of my other detectors I have 3 coils and
another one 2 coils. It's the name of the game, just like a carpenter you
just need the right tool to do the job.At this point I am very happy with the 70 but admittedly only have limited experience but after 20 years detecting, the 70's learning curve should be short and I do expect good things. I will post again in a few months when I have a few more miles under my belt with this machine!
Overall Rating
Suncoast Wally from
Florida
397
Great detector.
February 15, 2008
I'm new to detecting, but I'm a stats freak. I searched the net and other
resources extensively for reviews and stats as to what to get. I had a
cheap detector, which got me hooked. This time around I wanted to make sure
I spent my money wisely and the X-Terra 70 was a great choice from what my
research told me. I posted a few polls on metal detecting forums. Here is
the question I posted and the results that came of that on 3 forums."So here is what I'm looking for in a detector.....
Can go deep 8"+ for coins.
Can help determine the difference between clad/silver.
Decent pinpointing.
Something that does not weight a ton.
That won't take a full year of learning just to use it half way decent. I'm willing to put time into it to learn but not every day. Just not overly complicated. But more advanced then the ACE 250.
Preferably Under $1,000.00. (Willing to go over if you make a very good argument why a SE or other 1K+ detector outperforms and is worth the extra vs. some of the others.)
Good for Minnesota soil (don't think much mineralization here).
Coil can be used underwater.
Good land detector.
Preferably more then a 1-year warranty.
Something other then a Bounty Hunter. The rest I'm O.K with.
Thanks for the help!!!"
=====Results======
Detector Total votes
X-Terra 70 28
DFX 29
Cibola 12
Explorer SE 18
The DFX did get more votes but it was close. The X-Terra 70 had a better over all deal with most of the dealers as far as add-ons and price. So I went with it and it helped me considerably. This site also contributed a lot towards my decision and I figured I would post my results here to. Hope this helps!
It's a very easy to use detector and can go very deep. It's also got a gold prospecting mode so it's very versatile. It's a great all around detector.
Overall Rating
Litlewolf2 from
MN, USA
655
X-70 The best multipurpose detector ever.
October 05, 2007
Terra 70 is a deep seeking detector with lots of useful functions that are
easy to use. It is as deep as a CZ or even the Explorer some places.
Sensitivity to gold and small targets is still very very good, I believe it
to be maybe the best multipurpose nugget hunter made and still one of the
best coin detectors too. If I was to advice a person to buy a detector
above 600 $ it would be this one, it has everything exept weight, light as
a feather.The coils I use are the stock and the 6" DD. The 6" DD is a
really deep and sensitive coil. I would advice that to be the first coil to
buy as an accessory.
Overall Rating
Tom from
California
695
Minelab did well as usual!
February 13, 2007
I have used this detector in many enviroments and it has worked well in
every area. Its nice and light so I can swing it all day! Its very powerful
and Im finding fairly deep coins on the beach from 5" to 12" depending on
what setting and coil you are using, this detector will go deep. The
prospecting mode is nice and sensitive and it picks up my 0.4 gram test
nugget loud and clear. The power consumption is outstanding and the 4AA
batteries will keep the detector huming for a very long time. There isnt
anything I dislike about this detector, I think its a very good all round
detector and would suit all kinds of detectorists be they novices or
experts. Depending on what country you live in and what you might hunt on a regular basis do your research and Im sure you wont look past an X-terra 70. If you do manage to get one under the regular price your getting a bloody bargain. The stock 7.5khz is a good coil but look into a DD coil for sure. The 9.5" eliptical coil is very light and easy to move around difficult objects. Its my favourite coil by far. All in all there will always be someone who isnt happy with something but I know how good this machine really is and want to share my thoughts with anyone who is interested in a new detector. I think you will be very happy with your purchase. My main piece of advice is LEARN your detector well!
Overall Rating
Nugget71 from
Australia, QLD.
953
X-70 review
November 25, 2006
Don't let the negative posts about the X-70's poor response to small stuff
in Europe stop you from trying it out. Admittedly around iron it does not
see small stuff all that well. No detector is perfect! What you do get is
a light weight well thought out detector with well above average depth in
most situations. The control interface is nearly perfect for making quick and easy adjustments and the large ID numbers really help out us older guys. ML also gave a lot of attention to the ergonomics. From the perfect angle of the pistol grip to the easy to remove coil cover, it is well thought out. The only real shortcoming is the stock lower rod which is too long for some but, there is an available shorter lower rod to solve that.
For most users the stock 9" coil is a good choice, giving great depth on US coins. Sensitivity to small stuff in low to moderate trash is very good with the sensitivity in the mid to upper 20's. No complaints there! When conditions allow smooth operation at higher sensitivity settings of 28-30, the X-70's depth on coins is on par with the best out there. ML did not short change the Exterras in the depth department.
Tips: in iron run in 2 tone mode and with the tracking turned on. Yes, tracking on! The tracking circuit on the 70 is one of the best I have seen and is designed to give good performance in iron when looking for those "iffy" signals. 2 tone mode gives better (smoother) responses in heavy trash/iron as the circuit only needs to determine if a target is ferrous or non-ferrous. I have seen the 3 tone mode give indistinct broken responses on irregularly shaped non-ferrous targets. That is fine for coins only, but for relic hunting it may cause you to pass up a good one.
Until ML suppplies the much needed smaller coil, just be patient when hunting in trash. Go slow and overlap you sweeps so that you are "painting" the ground with the open center area of the coil. You will be surprised what it can actually see in trash.
HH
Tom
Overall Rating
Tom from
NW Lower MI
591
The best ??? think again
October 04, 2006
I have had this minelab for a few months but i was very dissapointed with
its performance on farm land it failed to find small hammerd ( i put one in
the ground 1 inch down it missed it !!i checked the settings and tried again in all metal nothing !! it may be good on a beach but thats no good if you live 100miles away its light yes but the quality is not there the side headphone socket is a pain it should be on the handle the stem is very light but i wonder if will stand up to hard work if you are just starting i would not pick this machine save your $800 or £600 in england and by a tesoro or whites any of them is better than this one i wish i had
Overall Rating
fed up in london from
London uk
3172
Not so good in europe
July 30, 2006
It's great what they did at minelab , they build a lightweight detector !
And it's realy a great detector when you are looking for big coins ! But
here in the netherlands we have tried to find little coins , like hammered
coins , but no signal at all ! That's to bad for such a good machine ! It
won't detect fibula's in anyway but the prospectmodus , and we can't use
that here , to bad , but further it's a great machine , weight, display and
the simple use .So it's not so great for finding roman and celtic artefacts, but maybe someone has some good info about the sttings???? hope to hear them !
thanks
dennis
sb128161@home.nl
Overall Rating
Dennis from
Netherlands
2314