Minelab Explorer XS
Price: $800
Avg. Score: 
4.14
Based on 36 reviews
4.14Based on 36 reviews
Avg. Durability:
3.80
Avg. Ease of use:
3.40
Minelab Explorer XS
June 07, 2010
I have 30 years of detecting under my belt I hunt only farm fields for old
coins and relic's and have used all the brands of metal detectors. The
Explorer is the worst metal detector of the lot, poorly made awkward to use
heavy, pinpointing is a joke, the learning curve is huge, the display is
not even close to what it is supposed to be. I have owned this thing for
close to five years and learned the tricks, read the book played withe the
programs It's not any deeper or even more sensitive than any of the
others, White's XLT will blow it away.
I have walked the same area in my foot steps with both, minelab stinks and
way over rated and priced. Never again will I buy one of their products
it's been sent back twice for repairs My white's never.
Overall Rating
Marcel from
Ontario Canada
4942
Excellent choice !!
March 05, 2010
Hi, I have too say I've used almost every top model/brand detector on the
market and they all have there spot in the field of metal detecting.
The Explorer XS is a top notch contender if you swing it slow but for me thats perfect! The FBS technology is fantastic just need too take the time too learn it. But there are some small issues I have with it one being the 1/8 inch head phone jack ( fixed it put in a 1/4 inch jack) thats a bad idea ML. Also the lower rod should be made out of something a little stronger and the cam locks get week and don't hold upper shaft from slipping down, all these things can be fixed so thats a plus!
Also Minelab you need too get better customer service via E-Mail. Besides that I'm more than happy with mine and I would buy another Explorer XS tomorrow. Excellent, excellent performance!! Minelab you have my vote!!
Overall Rating
Paul m Bellanceau from
Auburn,Maine
265
Simple and Deep
September 10, 2009
Amazing detector (XS=eXtra Sensitivity), it have the best discrimination
quality of the market, with the Coiltek Platypus 8x12 coil is unbeatable.
VSOP grade... :))
Overall Rating
Ray B. from
UK
253
Minelab explorer xs
September 02, 2009
Easy machine to programme so simple, and those that cant I fail to see how,
deep machine and if you use an explorer don't moan about the weight just
make or buy a bungee harness job done. Look at the screen tells ya most
things to the left and a high pitch squeal don't dig to the top right on
screen and a lovely flutey sound deffo dig and anything to the bottom right
dig, and if ya wanna dig every signal feel free, superb machine moaners
that don't like the machine ie cant understand it takes time to put a good
programme in, and its then the same as any other detector, all in all pound
for pound all explorers are brilliant.
Overall Rating
Kev ,cambridgeshire uk from
Uk
304
Oldie but goldie...
May 28, 2009
Outstanding performance, bargain price. Better than mk2! I have had many
good finds. Slower is the rule for thorough searching....
Overall Rating
Sergei from
Russia, Novgorod
182
Great machine
April 09, 2009
Hi all,Andy.from uk.
XS.really good machine, found a lot of good finds,
only had it a month, I find if you slow down it finds loads..very happy with it..
Overall Rating
Andy from
Uk
134
8 years on Explorer XS
March 19, 2009
I have been using my Minelab Explorer XS for 8-9 years now. I bought one
when they first came out. My first detector. I knew nothing about detecting
and struggled to learn what whas going on. I often equate it to the average
American trying to learn Japanese. If you spend a couple hours, or even a
few days, trying to learn it you may miss out on a great opportunity. Stick
with it and you become a translator. If you learn to interpret the signals,
or language, of the Minelab Explorer you will always know it. It will
become a rich source of information that speaks to you. I often hunt with other detectorists and they always want to know about my machine. If anyone has ever said a bad word about my machine it was BEFORE the hunt. After the hunt they usually want to know how much it cost, and where I bought it. If you go in with a half-way attitude this is not the machine for you. If you want the best machine out there, and are willing to learn. Buy the Minelab.
Overall Rating
Steve from
Oklahoma, and Colorado
265
Mike at a newengland beach
October 02, 2008
Let me begin by saying if your not gonna use this at the beach I would not
buy it. I think a lot of you crybabys are using this detector on land trips
while still usable and good depth this machine is clearly meant for
SALTwater beach hunting. Let me tell you about my first summer out with this machine[about 3 months
and now 20 gold pieces latter 40 silver pieces of jewerly later and about 400.00 dollars in coins later I am mighty impressed not to be too modest about the 3 diamond rings worth in excess of 10,000$ and only twice did the detector go out on a drained battery pack WOW IS ALL I CAN SAY
Things I liked were
1] battery pack having a car charger and being nimh so you can charge all you want and not kill it.
2]28 freq!!!YOU WONT MISS LOL
3]backlight
4]built like a tank!!!!!!!!!
things I disliked
1] a little heavy
2]headphone jack
see you rookies at the beach!!!!!!!!!!!
Overall Rating
Mike from
New england
3135
Close encounter`s but a long way out
September 16, 2008
Although I've not had my Minlab Xs very long I've got to say (It dose my
head in) I've done my very best to make head way with it but I'm no further
forward with it now than the day I got it. My Sovereign Xs yielded more
without the (Close Encounters backing track) Its going!!!!!
Overall Rating
Terrymet 2000 from
N/e UK
1618
Deep But Misses A Lot
September 01, 2008
The Minelab Explorer XS is a very well made detector. It is able to reach great depths on coins if they are not too masked by iron. Iron near a deep coin greatly changes the tone of the coin and it can sound like iron or be totally blanked out.
The display can be dead accurate on coins out away from masking trash. But in real world hunting the display is basically worthless unless you're hunting a site mostly free of iron.
What most Explorer users are doing is looking for solid signals at least one way. If the signal locks on, has a decent sound, and repeats well, they dig the target. It's about 30% skill and 70% luck.
Falsing is a tremendous problem with the Explorer at high trash sites due to it's sensitivity. To make it stable one must set it lower on GAIN and Sensitity but this makes it no deeper than most other top of the line brands.
The Explorer is a very slow machine and if you move a bit too fast it will miss loads of good targets. Hunting at a nail's pace is a must.
But it is true that the Explorer has the potential of great depth and under the right conditions it will find what most of the others will miss.
It is my opinion that this machine is way over rated and over priced (as in a new SE). The XS is an older out of production machine but all the Explorers up to the SE get the same depth.
I'm selling my XS because while it is a good machine there are much better machines out there for what it will sell for.
Overall Rating
Michigan Hunter from
Southern Michigan
246