Whites DFX
Price: $1000
Avg. Score: 
4.53
Based on 97 reviews
4.53Based on 97 reviews
Avg. Durability:
4.28
Avg. Ease of use:
3.78
Another gold ring waiting to be found
January 16, 2021
Was showing a friend who has never detected before the dfx preset settings
and how they worked. I put the machine into relic mode with the DD eclipse
coil and the first find 8 inches deep is a gents gold wedding ring. I have
had the dfx 12 years and it has paid for its self many times over.
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Andy from
Northern England UK
80
Whites dfx, no depth you say?...
December 29, 2017
There are a lot of people that have left good reviews here on the DFX. Then
there are those who obviously don't know, or didn't bother to learn the
machine. I have been using the Whites DFX since its release. Prior to that,
I used the Whites XLT. I hunt for Civil War relics here in Virginia. I need
a machine that goes deep. If I were hunting parks for coins, I just get a
Coin Master, heck, a Bounty Hunter will find coins in a park. Like I said,
I need a deep searching machine and the Whites DFX fills that need.
Where I mostly hunt, the ground is good to mildly mineralized. I hunt large pastures, crop fields and woods. The coil I use is the biggest I can get away with(depending on the amount of trash) which is usually the Whites 12" Super Search coil. I have the machine tweaked up on settings and power as high as I can run, plus have very little discrimination. "Modulation" is turned OFF, so ALL targets come in loud (I then check depth). I have personally dug bullets as deep as 14" in good ground. Buttons to 12", belt plates 18", little percussion caps at 6", Plow points 30".
Now granted, most of the relics are not that deep but the Whites DFX is certainly no slouch in the depth department. Is there deeper detecting machines?... Well, yeah, if you live where the ground materialization is extreme and have about $4000,00 to lay out for a heavy, Minelab GPX with a big coil.
Max Depth: 12 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Bubba 460 from
Virginia
210
Learn to use it and be rewarded!
November 03, 2017
I'm 51 years old and have been detecting since I was 8. I've used many
different detectors over the years and the DFX is a powerful machine.
Powerful in the sense that IF you learn what it's telling you, you can do
very well with it. If you have little patience then this is not the
detector for you.
I bought the book Digging Deeper With The DFX by Jeff Foster and thoroughly read the owners manual. Then started experimenting in my test garden where I have mercury dimes buried at 4, 5, 6, 7 + 8 inches. Then started using it in the parks and fields. I tried the pre-set programs and created a few of my own. I have to admit I didn't like the coins program because it's set so you'll dig tons of trash. The program that I love to use is High Pro. It goes deep, has a fast refresh rate so it will give you a good signal on a coin that is near iron, and uses tone I.D. to give you an idea as to what type of metal is in the ground.
My son and I have searched the site of a church built in the late 1700's many times and figured it's pretty much picked clean. We went back with our DFX's set on High Pro and after walking 50 feet from the car I get a high tone at 6 to 7 inches. Sure enough at 7 inches a find a large green copper coin- a 1785 Nova Constallatio. This was found where we both had detected many times before and were never able to get a signal from it! We also found several other good targets that day as well.
Next we went to some sites we'd hammered over the years and were pleasantly surprised to find coins that we couldn't detect before because they were near iron and our other detectors couldn't separate the coins from the iron and subsequently were discriminated out. Alot of people see someone make great finds with a particular detector so they buy the same machine thinking that is all it takes. They don't take into account that the person making great finds has put the effort into learning that machine. They become disappointed and move onto another detector. After several detectors they become discouraged and lose interest in the hobby. I've seen this several times.
To do well in metal detecting it takes having a quality detector, putting in the effort to learn that machine, and finding good places to search. You get out of it what you put into it! I wouldn't say the DFX is better than all other detectors, but it is ONE OF the best machines out there, even when taking into account that White's no longer manufactures it. It will still compete with currently made machines. Keep digging, you never know what that next signal will be!
Max Depth: 9 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Drew from
New Hampshire, USA
190
Dfx is a fantastic machine
October 14, 2017
I bought the DFX at a pawn shop for $100! They wanted 350 but I was able to
talk them down. I use it for a back up machine. I've only taken it out
about 5 times, but have found some real good stuff with it, including an
1854 seated half dime, several V nickels, Indian Head cents and more. It's
very accurate with Target ID, and depth. I usually use the stock coin and
jewelery mode and modify the settings from there. It has the eclipse 950
coil. People complain about the depth. But I've dug smaller coins up to 7.5
inches. Definitely would recommend for a beginner or experienced user.
Fantastic machine and fun to use!
Max Depth: 7 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Matt b from
Pennsylvania
131
Dfx still great!
August 06, 2017
I've used my DFX for 15 years and have been totally satisfied. It has
outperformed any detector used alongside it and built during it's time and
before. I haven't used it in comparison to the newer detectors such as the
V3i, which I'm sure will outperform the DFX in depth, but the DFX still
does what I need it to. Most of my finds(coins) have all been found 9
inches or less, and a great majority of those were found 6 inches or less,
so deeper isn't always the best.
First of all, you have to get your detector 'over' the target, and secondly, you need to 'know' your detector, and how to use it under different conditions. If you do this, your DFX will be tough to beat even in todays competition. Two guys on the beach had an XLT and a Minelab, and they had a bigfoot and 6X10 DD coils. They took off down the beach, and in 1/2 hour they were almost out of sight among the other beachgoers.
I walked in their footsteps along the water's edge and went my usually pace which is kind of slow, because of overlapping sweeps. When they returned, they found a few coins, quarters dimes and pennies, but not much to show for covering such a large distance. I found more coins in total then theirs together, and a small gold chain, and a small silver ring. They were impressed that I found this in the area they had already detected.
It's all about technique and knowing your detector. I recently bought another DFX since I like mine so much and understand it well. I may someday get a new detector(V3i), but I will never get rid of either of my DFX's.
Max Depth: 11 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Kentuck from
Texas
201
Dfx- control freaks rejoice!
June 05, 2017
I have had the DFX for about a year. It's a definite keeper in my
collection. The main thing to know is that it is NOT a turn on and go
machine. It needs to be learned, studied and experimented with on an
ongoing basis to get it's full potential.
I have noticed that it's not the deepest detector I own, but I find more gold and silver with it than any of my other detectors. Except in some special circumstances, depth tends to be over-rated with a lot of people in the hobby.
My best finds are in the surface to 8 inch range.....All easily hit with the factory pre-programmed slots on the machine. You can develop your own couple of programs as you learn the machine. There are even program cards for sale on Ebay and many forum members provide various program settings for free. The coil selection is great and even after market coils are available that work very well with the machine. For those of us that love to tinker and control our machines.....The DFX is the machine you're looking for.
Max Depth: 10 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
No, it's too complic
Pinpointer999 from
Canada
227
Dfx for approx 15 years
May 02, 2017
It's been my main machine for more years than any other, some issues like
everything, but over all I generally walk circles around my hunting
partner... That said I won't tell you it's the deepest, something I don't
know ???????.. It goes deep and when set correctly does well in wet salt
sand.. You will never really know if your machine is better than another
unless you swap signals when you get a target... Something me and my
partner do.. If you're out relic or coin hunting and get a target... Throw
a stone on it and call your partner using a different machine... If you
both get the signal then you're just lucky to walk over it... Doesn't mean
you're machine is better... A lot has to do with technique and how you
swing your machine and coil... I give DFX an 8 out of 10... It's never died
on me or failed to work... So there you have my two cents worth.
Max Depth: 7 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Richard Davis from
Charlotte NC
243
Several years now
November 22, 2016
I've used a DFX for several years now, and improved greatly since viewing
the tutorial videos on YouTube. Wouldn't use another. Awesome results to
about a foot on larger targets and 8-10 inches on coins etc. Gold rings up
as pull tab, but I'm a dig every signal anyway, so every target is the next
adventure! Standard presets, coins or coin/relics are more than sufficient
for a plethora of targets, gold, silver, lead, and of course, lawn slaw.
Max Depth: 8 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Mark from
West Virginia
178
You won't be sorry
June 04, 2016
While the DFX might not be the "deepest" detector on the market, if you
take the time to learn it, you'll find that it is one of the most accurate.
Other detectors only give you a number ID and/or a tone but you'find out
that you can get fooled very easily and dig a lot of trash.
Using the DFXs Spectragraph ALONG with the VDI and tones, will significantly decrease the amount of trash you dig.
I also own a Fisher F75SE and believe me, the DFX beats the 75 on accuracy in IDing the target by a wide margin. As for depth, the DFX is no slouch. I use it at the beach (I also have an Excalibur for when I go in the water) and on land. The DFX can hit gold chains that the Excalibur doesn't even see, even on the surface!!!
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Stirling from
Daytona Beach, Fl
2724
Dfx metal detector
March 21, 2016
To me DFX is the most highly advanced metal detector, I have never owned a
V3I Spectrum would like to try them all to get the feel out of them I only
own two metal detectors now a Pioneer 202 Bounty Hunter that ain't worth
much I just like toying around with it in other place and the DFX is super
awesome. Many are frustrated because they do not know how to tweak it right
I got mine tweaked almost perfect on collerate mode I got a Eclispe DD deep
scan. Tell you the truth that think almost goes 2 feet down if you want to
dig that far without any interference.
I've found Indian Head Pennies 3 silver rings wheat pennies and a lot of clad but its worth its money if you know how to tweak the settings I don't use the pre set programs I make my own and they work well in Kentucky. I've owned my DFX for about 2 years now I haven't been in many places but if you get it set right you will love it. I've had some nice experiences out of the Whites Di Pro 5900 and 6000 I went over to an old Barbourville Horse Track. Found 17 silver washington quarters, around 15 roosevelt dimes, 1 mercy dime, few wheat pennies and 1 buffalo nickel. If you going to choose any metal detector out here White's makes the best in my opinion. I've had Garrett's they do some what good but not like White's. Those two are awesome older detectors found a lot of silver with them. I know that I've probably missed a lot of older coins with those older detectors I haven't really checked what the DFX could really find never have found an old gold coin with them yet would like too but out of the 19 years playing around with them found some nice tips and tricks how to find just about anything.
I got a deep silver program made on DFX it finds silver 8-9 inches deep easy if you get around a lot of electricial lines you will have a problem to keep it stable. That is one thing bad about metal detectors. But if you want a metal detector any could do for anyone if they feel comfortable with them but DFX is my choice. I would recommend this too a new user, I would recommend finding other professionals that has set up their programs and follow them and use them to see if they work in your mineralized ground conditions if you find one that works your ready and set to find some valuable treasures lurking around. Your not going to go out and just pick up valuables all over the place the best thing you can do is go to the libraries and find old maps where places where that you think that has never been hunted in around the world and find someone to give you permission to get in those places and then may give them a profit out of what you find it would be best to do that these guys do that all the time in different locations they go find stuff and get a percentage out of it and place many things in a museum but if you are not the type of person to do that its best to get permission to go in places and find some awesome new finds.
Max Depth: 6 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Legendary from
Kentucky
2526