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Whites DFX

Price: $1000
Avg. Score: 5 stars! 4.53
Based on 97 reviews

Avg. Durability: 4 stars4.28
Avg. Ease of use: 4 stars3.78
Maximum detection depth
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Eu_citzen's review

July 09, 2008
Pros:
Light weight
Quite many functions(aka flexible)
Discrimination works almost everywhere
Many coils available
Easy to use (if your not to fast trying to get into programming the machine)
You can use multiple frequencies


Cons:
You have to read books to under stand it better
Headphones are not always included
Depth is not alway very good

Note! The DFX is more of a modern coin shooter as disc is super but depth is not always so.

It really depends on what your after... Coins & jewelry the DFX will be a very good choice.

Here's some good info: (I did copy some indeed I wrote much there)
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?31,734662

Overall Rating 5 stars!

3321

Not a tough to learn as usually claimed.

July 06, 2008
I've owned the DFX for 2 years. I have several hundred hours logged with this detector and overall I'm fairly pleased with its performance. As stated in the title, the machine isn't that difficult to use. The settings are fairly self explanatory, though the toughest part of actually learning the DFX is finding clever ways to make the settings work together. Some settings impact others (ex sweep speed vs recovery speed vs filters used). This is a mixed blessing with this machine. One the one hand, you have the ability to truly customize, on the other hand it's easy to screw it up and come home empty handed. Also it takes a bit of tweaking at each site which can be time consuming as conditions change in the field. Experimentation is the best way to learn and gain experience. I've found that while there are very good books which can help you explore the DFX, it's really the conditions you personally face which will allow you to find your own best setting.

Depth: It's difficult to truly judge how deep a detector will detect, many things have to be taken into accout, but overall this machine will find 95% of the coins that are there to be found. My one dislike is that the DFX tends to break up fairly badly on deep targets, the Signagraph will also jump around. If the audio is somewhat repeatable with some bars to the right, dig the target. You might be surprised.

Pinpointing: The DFX is an outstanding pinpointer with a concentric coil provided you have ratchet pinpointing OFF. The VCO also helps to determine the depth accurately. Note that the VCO on and DC SENS up will make the detector squeal even though the target may be over 4 inches deep.

Signagraph: Helpful, but can be misleading in some instances. It wants to display iron along with a good target in highly mineralized soil. Overall, a good tool. Listen to it, use the graph as an assistant.

Discrimination: Very good, although setting discrimination with the menu can be a chore. Block edit is still confusing to get right. Small gripe but a grip nonetheless.

Dual frequency: I've found the DFX does a better job when 1 frequency is used in some conditions. Tailor the mode to the targets you intend to find. IE 3KHz coins and 15KHz in the jewelery department.

Battery life: For what this detector does, it's quite excellent.

Build and Customer Support: Second to none for both. My DFX has been used and abused. It's held up extremely well considering it's a computer on a stick. When severely abused, White's has always replaced or repaired no questions asked. Simply outstanding customer support.

My Likes:
GB offset - Makes significant difference on small deep targets. A setting not discussed, but a very powerful option.

Discrimination - Compared to other detectors I rank this one near the top.

Bells and whistles - if you get to know them, they can be a real advantage.

Accesories

Build quality and balance.

Adjustable filter settings - you'll know what I'm talking about when you hit a trashy patch, notching the machine to 2 filters makes it quite snappy.

Backlight - Very useful

Key shortcuts - Quick adjustments

DC Phase - Good way to gauge mineralization

Pinpointing

DISLIKES:

Susceptible to interference

Slightly Heavy

Need more EEPROM slots for custom programs

Out of the box, performance is abysmal.

Inter-related settings can really increase need for ibuprofen. If in doubt, reload the program.

Very choppy on deeper targets compared to some other machines I've used.

That's about it. I hope you were able to get something out of the review. It's by no means a perfect machine, but it can come very close with a bit of practice and knowing how to tweak the controls properly. This thing is suitably deep for most hunts, this statement is also subjective.

Overall Rating 4 stars

15310

MY NEW DFX HAS MADE THE LAST 6 WEEKS MY BEST EVER!!

May 06, 2008
First of all let me say I am no newbie to metal detecting. I have been detecting for many years and have owned four detectors before making the leap to the DFX.

I had read reviews on nearly every land machine and narrowed my choice down to a few models. The bottom line was that the best posts in all of the forums came from DFX users. The only complaint I read about the DFX was that it takes some people a while to master.

I finally got mine in late March 2008, and let me tell you I LOVE IT. I read the manual 3 times before it arrived and after a few outings I felt comfortable with all 44 of the adjustable controls. If you are not comfortable with all of the adjustments there are also 6 preset controls for "turn and go" detecting.

You can control just about anything on the DFX, including things that are usually preset at the factory like sweep speed and recovery time. You also have the option of frequency ( High frequency for gold, low for silver and copper) or you can choose Dual frequency which is great for all around hunting. The dual frequency also makes the DFX a great beach hunting machine. Most detectors have trouble going from dry sand to wet sand, but the DFX does so with no problems.

The VDI Display has 195 "notches" which gives you accurate target ID. You can even tell a silver quarter from clad!!! The VDI also allows you to notch out pulltabs without worrying about notching out jewelry and gold.

Here are some of my results from the DFX from April and early May. All of the finds are from two sites I have detected many times before using other metal detectors:

24 Eighteenth and early nineteenth century "Flat" Buttons;
A few silver Rosies and a Mercury Dime;
My first silver "War Nickel" (I got one in pocket change the next day..weird!)
An 1809 Half Cent;
An 1801 Draped Bust Large Cent;
A 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

These 6 weeks with the DFX have given me my best finds in 7 years of detecting. It is simply an amazing machine!

Overall Rating 5 stars!

11011

Going into my 6th year with the dfx

March 13, 2008
I personally love this machine even though Ive never used another..I have found so many old coins with the dfx..My attitude is "If theres any coins here I will find them" Thats how confident I am with my machine....I have found them with the preset and after I made my own simple adjustments to the settings.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

2515

DFX revisited

January 30, 2008
I've had the DFX for a bit over a year now and would like to add my opinion. I have been metal detecting for 30 years and have used a fair share of detectors.

For those who say the DFX is complicated I'm guessing they have problems using the television remote. The DFX is as much a turn-on-and-hunt detector as any I've seen. I used the factory coin/jewelry program for the first 3 months and found coins easily at 8" missed by other top of the line detectors.

To this day I am still pulling old coins from our city park where other detectors have quit producing. Some are not that deep but the other detectors failed to respond. I know this because on our club hunts we have each member check each signal before we dig, and most of the other detectors fail to detect them at all.

The DFX is susceptible to EMI(electromagnetic interference) so leave your cell phone at home. I found 75% of my interference was from my own cell phone.

In it's factory programs the depth of the DFX isn't all that impressive, although I got 8-9" consistently, but the dual frequency does a great job of pulling keepers out of "worked out" areas. Once you get comfortable with the DFX's characteristics just a few simple adjustment turns it into a deep seeking monster.

The DFX is as simple or complicated as you want to make it. For those who are afraid they can not run the DFX, you really need to get your hands on one to try and you'll see it couldn't be simpler unless it had 1 knob.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

12412

Dfx SO SO

January 13, 2008
I have been using the DFX for awhile now and have only been able to pick up dimes and penny's at around 6 inches or less with the stock coil.
I bumped pre amp gain up and ac sens and it didn't seem to help at all.
My tesero seems to match it in detecting depth and I think the Tesero sounds off better on targets too.
But in all fairness my top of the line minelab wouldn't go deep either.
I hunt really trashy places so maybe thats why.

Overall Rating 3 stars

2429

Whites DFX

November 14, 2007
Hello, first off I would like too thank the whites electronics people for everything and anything I have ever needed help with, they are what makes whites what it is today. OK now I have been a metaldetectorist for a lot of years and have used a few different brands of detectors and have too say the whites dfx is simply unsurpassed in its ability to find smaller and better finds, I always come out on top no matter what other brand of detector is being used at the same detecting site! And yes I mean top of the line brands.

I am vary happy with the fact of being able to set the controls the way I like them. I have found nails over 12 inches and yes I could tell they were nails and musket balls at 10 inches load and clear with the stock 950 coil and we have soil that has lots of minerals etc., so I don't understand it when people say that the dfx doesn't rank high in the depth department because from my experience in the field it sure is a deep seeker. I also would like too say it is not that heavy compared too other top end brands and it is well balanced and it is so amazing on the salt water beaches. Theres some of what I think the dfx is and I really don't have anything bad too say about it. So get out there and try one for your self you wont be let down and as always read-read-read all the info you can on the dfx and get out there and use it in the real world because it is a todays real world detector. Thank you.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

5611

Some uses that might give other makes some problems.

November 05, 2007
1. Use close to metal swings, posts, fences etc,
2. Very useful tone id, and Signagraph info.
3. Very wide range of ground mineral adjustments.
4. Adjustable to swing fast with good depth.
5. Very good discrimination at surprising depths.
6. Wide range of Very good loops.
For more detailed descriptions of usabilities of the DFX, please order my new book, Dancing With The DFX, from your nearest Whites Dealer.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

2326

The best detector ever made!!

September 18, 2007
Just the best detector ever made, it's a little hard to learn, but all the information you need it's available on the net or books, after lear is just start digging.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

1617

Great machine

August 16, 2007
The DFX is an awesome machine for people that like a detector that can be used many ways. Yes, you will have to learn how to use it, but once you do, look out. The stock programs are good to start with but once you get the hang of those, you should start checking out the other options. And with anything or any high end machine, to get really good at it you have to practice. Another plus is White's service department is excellent.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

3110

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