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Minelab Xterra 705

Price: $900
Avg. Score: 4 stars 4.38
Based on 21 reviews

Avg. Durability: 5 stars!5.00
Avg. Ease of use: 5 stars!4.80
Maximum detection depth
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X-Terra 705

January 02, 2012
IMO the 705 is a winner! It is a capable and versatile machine, that can run with bigger dogs.

With everything adjustable, and with it's automatic options, anyone can get going with it in short order. The free e-book written by Randy Horton, "Understanding Your X-Terra" is available on the MineLab website, and will help cut the learning curve an incredible amount.

The ability to change frequencies by swapping coils allows you to tailor your machine to the conditions and targets that you're seeking. The HF coil (18.75kHz) is excellent in highly mineralized soil, and will find small gold and fine jewelery easily. The LF coil (3kHz) is a coin and relic killer, that has produced Mercury head dimes (at) 10" for me in moderate soil conditions. Unless you go with the "Gold Pack", it comes stock with the MF coil (7.5kHz), which is a good all around coil, making it a good one for first visits to new sites where soil conditions are unknown.

It has All Metal, Coin and Relic, Prospector, and Beach modes. In coin and beach modes, you have the ability to discriminate, and in prospector mode, you have adjustable Iron Mask.

In all metal and coin modes, I usually run multi tones. In those modes, each of the 28 target segments have their own tone. Of course, you can also choose to run fewer tones if it suits you.

Ground balancing can be done either manually or automatically. And there is a tracking option, which is times faster and more accurate than manual adjustment. If your soil conditions vary within the area being hunted, the tracking feature is invaluable. However, in Beach mode it is not recommended
The 705 also has a Ground Balance Offset option, which you may find handy once you have learned the machine and have an understanding of what it can do for you.

Noise Cancel Channel can also be done manually or automatically. With five channels to choose from, detecting around EMI emitters or other detectors isn't usually a problem.

To this point, the only beef that I have, is that MineLab has yet to turn loose a 3kHz DD coil. When one becomes available, I'll be on it like stink!

To sum it all up....I'll ALWAYS have an X-Terra in the stable. It's too good to ever part with, regardless of whatever other specialty machine I may have.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

634

A five star machine

November 30, 2011
This is my third detector, my first two were Tesoros (silver sable and cibola) both were fantastic first detectors, but after a year I decided to go the next level and get a metered unit. I tested a whole bunch of them at kellycodtetectors while on holidays, and finally opted for the x-terra 705.
The main reasons that it is very straight forward to operate and it is light!!! You can go for ten hours straight no problem.

I have used it for three months now and am extremely happy. Going through the setting couldn't be easier, and even in the field you can navigate throught the menu in seconds. It goes very deep, and the target ID is spot on.
They told me battery life is around ten hours - I disagree I get way more out of it. They seem to last forever. It has a backlit screen which is great in winter time when it gets dark only. Pity it's not dimmeable it's quite bright.
Pinpointing is quite accurate - although I must say the cibola was slightly better with pinpointing - but maybe it's just down to practice. Ground balancing is also very easy. Just find a spot with no signal and bob it up and down about a dozen times - it beeps to tell you you're done. You then activate ground tracking so it stays balanced.

The other great thing is the multi tone ID. I just use four - but it means I can leave it on all metal at all times. Iron gives a very low beep which is not at all annoying. There are lots of other features but I haven't had the need to use them. The only very minor gripe I have about this detector is that when you hold it, it feels slightly out of balance (compared to the cibola anyway) but like I said it's only a very minor issue and it could be just me!

I've got the stock coil 7. 5hz 9" and just ordered a high frequency coil. But the stock coil finds it all - including cut hammered coins. I think for me it's the perfect detector. There's probably better ones out there, but you'll need a college degree to operate them - this thing is easy, light, and not too pricey. Try it and I guarantee you won't be disappointed!!

Overall Rating 5 stars!

903

MineLab X-Terra 705

May 16, 2011
I have been detecting since 1978 and I have used many types and brands of detectors in those years.
I have to say that this detector works very well.

It is one of the best that I have used, are there others that are good also? Yes of course. I am not going to say that this is the only one that detects well .
The detector is easy to learn and to use. Once you learn how to set it up you will be finding coins and relics at really good depth.

You have factory settings that do work well and will get you up and going in just a few minutes. And if you have detected before then you will have no problems getting started.

The way the machine is made you can tune it to just about what ever you want. The noise canceling works great, if your around other machines or power lines then this will take it out like it was never there.
And if you do this you can run the sensitivity up to or around 30. There is just too much to put here that you can tune on this machine. But you will be finding items that you will need a shovel to dig up as they will be that deep.

The auto ground balance works just as well or better than the manual balance. You can do either but there is no reason to do so.

After four months of use the one thing that really surprised me was finding a half dollar at 14 inches. Now I will say this is not the norm but if you are in good soil then you will have finds that will really surprise you at the depth you find them at.

Relics, well buckle size and up you will get at 20 inches or more. Bullets you will find at 10 and up depending on the soil you are hunting in and this was using the stock 7.5 Khz coil.

And if you get the gold coil you will find gold, and it does just like it says. We tested it in Alaska and did just fine.

You can spend a whole lot more money on other brands or models of detectors but you will not get a better detector by doing so.
I really like my Tesoro detectors and use them just as much but I am sold on the Minelab 705. They put a very powerful detector in a package that the ones of us that work for a living can afford!
The only downside that I do not like is having to buy the coils to get the frequency that you want. To me they should have made it to were you could change the frequency on the machine and use the same coils. Not having the coil set the frequency. And so far you can not use aftermarket coils as the coil has to have the chip in it to work with the control box.

As of now I see one company working on this issue and is getting ready to sell their coils.
But these are the only things that I have found that I did not care for.
I hope this review helps some here and I will add that you can find one now as they could not keep up with sales and that they have worked out all there issues with support.
I needed help on an item and they did all that could be done to get me fixed up and they did it quickly.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

13612

X-Terra 705 10.5 DD 7.5 Coil combo Rocks

March 19, 2011
"Wow" Pretty much sums up how I feel about this machine. Have it for about a month now and really getting to feel like an extension of my arm. The ground tracking feature rocks and the DD coil just got a hit on a half dollar 16 inches down!!! I kept digging and digging and thought there is nothing here but I didn't give up and man am I a happy digger! Cant go wrong with this combo.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

5716

X-terra 705 pecos river trail relics

March 14, 2011
I recently bought a 705 and just detected a 1800 site on the pecos river that I shot with a bounty hunter last fall. This time with the 10.5 dd 7.5khz coil.

Man what a difference, over the same area I found numerous targets, including belted conicals, musket balls, and last but not least a confederate shielded eagle button.
The x-terra 705 is a top notch detector. I really like the 18.75dd elliptical for parks. Its light and great for pinpointing. Locate then back off then sweep forward when you locate stop, your target will be directly under the tip of the coil.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

4310

New Mexico pecos river trail

February 16, 2011
I've been detecting for 2 years with a low end bounty hunter, fortune hunter in parks mostly but I grew up on a ranch on the famous pecos river trail where stagecoaches, cavalry, comancheros, cowboys, outlaws and the like roamed.

My first stop a 1800 sheep herders homestead. 7 metal buttons, 15 square nails, 8 bullet cartridges and conicals.50-70`s 45`s 32`s wra and umc. knife handle, metal spade, metal hammer ax, bridal buckels, block and tackel, wagon wheel part,and a gold watch gear, all with the 10x5 dd 18.75 coil. Cant wait to get the 10x5 7.5khz coil.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

364

Greta All Around Machine

November 21, 2010
Had some problems at first, Kellyco took care of the first and replaced the unit, The second was replaced by Minelab without a hitch after using it for 9 months. 3rd ones the charm! Great on the beach, especially dirty ones and finds small gold in the Mtns. of NC and GA. You can swing this baby all day, its as light as a feather. Oh the DD elpitical is a must for beach and prospecting modes.

Overall Rating 4 stars

742

Just as Advertised!!!

November 04, 2010
Got my Minelab X-Terra 705 Gold Pack last week and took it out today for a real test drive in a couple of old stream beds. The first thing I realized is how light the machine is compared to my friend's MXT. The display is a bit different than what I'm used to, but it really makes more sense after you use it awhile. The "iron mask" default setting is "5" but I had it on "zero" since I was in an area with little or no trash. Sure enough, after about 20 minutes, I got my first hit on a small flake of gold!! Another 2 1/2 hours got several more hits and the total for the day came in at 1.7 grams. It's not enough to start another gold rush, but the 705 does what it's supposed to........ it finds gold!!!

Overall Rating 5 stars!

1124

Minelab Xterra 705

October 19, 2010
I've had my Minelab Xterra 705 for about a year now and I love it. I bought it mainly for its light weight due to a shoulder problem I have.

I use it both in-land and on the the beach and have been very succesful with it.

Year to date - I have have 8 rings and other misc. jewlery.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

365

Minelab X-terra 705 garbage!

June 07, 2010
This is the worst detector ever. I have an ounce of gold and it wont even detect it, and the accept/reject button doesn't work just seems to be a very bad detector for the price and I don't wanna call the company because even that will cost me money.

Just a bad detector all around will never buy another minelab again, good luck with it if you buy one of these monsters.

Overall Rating 1 star

23364

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