Minelab X-TERRA PRO Metal Detector with PRO-FIND 15 Pinpointer

In our experience the Minelab X-TERRA PRO with a Minelab PRO-FIND 15 pinpointer suits someone who wants a pinpointer from the first hunt and mostly detects parks, yards and dry sand. The X-TERRA PRO is a waterproof single-frequency detector from Minelab that lets you choose its operating frequency, submersible to 5 meters (16 feet) and supplied with the V12X 12 x 9 inch coil.

What is in the box with this Minelab X-TERRA PRO bundle

Minelab's standard contents for the X-TERRA PRO

• Minelab X-TERRA PRO detector with three-piece shaft
• V12X 12 x 9 inch elliptical Double-D search coil with skid plate
• USB charging cable with magnetic connector
• Getting Started Guide

This Minelab X-TERRA PRO bundle also includes

• Minelab PRO-FIND 15 pinpointer with holster (Minelab part 3226-0002)

Why these add-ons are in this Minelab X-TERRA PRO bundle

PRO-FIND 15 pinpointer: the X-TERRA PRO's pinpoint button gets you close, and a handheld pinpointer handles recovery in the hole. Minelab gives the PRO-FIND 15 fixed sensitivity and a single tone and rates it waterproof to 1.5 meters (5 feet), so keep it out of deeper water. It runs up to 30 hours on a 9V battery.

About the Minelab X-TERRA PRO

What we appreciate about the X-TERRA PRO is that Minelab did not strip away the useful adjustments to make an affordable detector. You can start on a factory search profile and dig your first coins, then learn what recovery speed, ground balance, discrimination, audio and frequency do as your skills grow. We think it makes the most sense for beginners who expect to stay with the hobby, casual coin hunters, freshwater beach detectorists and people who enjoy learning how their equipment works.

Minelab's PRO-SWITCH technology lets you pick the operating frequency yourself: 5, 10 or 15 kHz in Park and Field, while Beach mode runs at 8 kHz. It runs one frequency at a time, which is not the same as the simultaneous multi-frequency of Minelab's X-TERRA ELITE and EQUINOX detectors. We would generally start at 10 kHz for ordinary coin hunting, experiment with 5 kHz for larger, higher-conductivity targets and use 15 kHz for smaller, low-conductivity targets such as fine jewelry. Changing frequency does not automatically improve performance; the real advantage is the freedom to experiment.

Minelab X-TERRA PRO search modes and key settings

• Six search profiles: Park 1 (General and Coins, 10 kHz) is a good place to start: learn how coins, pull tabs and bottle caps sound there before making big changes. Park 2 (Fine Jewelry) starts at 15 kHz with a faster recovery speed for small jewelry and closely spaced targets. Field 1 and Field 2 are Minelab's coins and artifacts profiles at 10 and 15 kHz, and Beach 1 (Wet and Dry Sand) and Beach 2 (Underwater and Surf) run at 8 kHz. Every profile can be saved and reset, and an All Metal shortcut switches discrimination off.
• Recovery speed (1 to 3): when a coin sits next to a rusty nail around an old picnic area, a faster setting helps the detector separate the two signals, while a slower setting may give a stronger response from a deeper, isolated target. We would run it slower on clean ground and faster on trashy ground, and know why you are changing it.
• Ground balance (Auto, Manual, Tracking): the range is -9 to 99, and you start Auto ground balance yourself. Learn the automatic procedure first, then try manual or tracking when the soil gets difficult; Minelab recommends Tracking for saltwater in Beach 2.
• Noise cancel and sensitivity (1 to 25): noise cancel is not automatic at power-on. You start Auto Noise Cancel from the settings menu and it picks from 19 channels. Near power lines or underground utilities, more sensitivity can make random signals worse, so run a noise cancel first and set sensitivity where the detector stays reasonably quiet.
• Discrimination and Target ID: 119 Target IDs from -19 to 99, accepted or rejected in 30 segments of four IDs each. A faint signal with an unstable ID might be iron, an oddly shaped object or a deeper good target, so check it from several directions and listen for whether the audio repeats.
• Audio and extras: Target Tones 1, 2, 5, All Tones and Depth, a separate ferrous Tone Volume that turns iron down instead of silencing it, a flashlight, a red display and keypad backlight, and handgrip vibration.

Beach and water hunting with the Minelab X-TERRA PRO

Minelab rates the X-TERRA PRO IP68, submersible to 5 meters (16 feet), so you can move between dry sand, wet sand and shallow water at a lake, stream or ocean beach within that rating. Wet salt sand gives a ground response of its own: Beach 1 is designed for wet and dry sand, and Beach 2 for the surf and a submerged coil. Beach 2 does not automatically give more depth; its settings put handling salt first. Because the X-TERRA PRO runs one frequency at a time, we would not expect it to match a good simultaneous multi-frequency detector in difficult saltwater. In our experience wireless audio is not a practical underwater solution; for underwater detecting, Minelab lists its 3.5 mm waterproof headphones (part 3011-0372) as compatible with the X-TERRA PRO. Do not take the detector underwater while it is charging or running from a power bank. See our beach metal detectors.

Minelab X-TERRA PRO battery, weight and build

Minelab lists the X-TERRA PRO at 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) including batteries. The three-piece shaft extends to 138 cm (54 inches) and collapses to 63 cm (25 inches). The built-in 3.7 V, 5100 mAh lithium-ion battery gives approximately 16 hours of typical use, less with the backlight or flashlight on, and takes about 5 to 6 hours to charge from flat over the magnetic USB cable with a USB charger of more than 2 A at 5 V. Minelab says replacement batteries can be supplied and fitted by a Minelab authorized service center. Besides the V12X 12 x 9 inch coil, Minelab also lists the V10X, V8X, EQX 06, EQX 11 and EQX 15 coils in its X-TERRA accessory range. Around an old foundation full of nails, a smaller coil makes it easier to isolate targets, at the cost of ground coverage. See our metal detector coils.

Where the Minelab X-TERRA PRO works well, and where it does not

Parks and yards are home ground: Park 1 and Park 2, three recovery speeds and 15 kHz for small targets cover most coin and jewelry hunting, although heavy trash still makes separation hard for any detector. On fields and old homesites, the Field profiles, ground balance and ferrous volume help you read iron-heavy ground. Freshwater beaches, lakes and streams suit it well. Saltwater beaches are usable, including wet sand, but if ocean beaches are your main ground a simultaneous multi-frequency detector is the better fit. It finds gold jewelry, but there is no gold mode and Minelab does not position it as a prospecting detector; for natural gold, see our gold detectors. Our Minelab X-TERRA PRO field test has the settings and finds from two months across three sites.

One mistake to avoid with the Minelab X-TERRA PRO

The X-TERRA PRO has enough adjustments that it is tempting to try them all at once. Change frequency, sensitivity, recovery speed and discrimination together and you will not know which change made the difference. Start in Park 1, learn how common targets sound, practice pinpointing, and then change one setting at a time.

Minelab X-TERRA PRO or X-TERRA ELITE

The two detectors share the IP68 rating to 5 meters, the V12X coil, the 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) weight, the 5100 mAh battery and the Park, Field and Beach modes with two profiles each. The X-TERRA ELITE adds Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency and Iron Bias. If you mostly hunt parks and fields, the PRO may be a very sensible purchase. If you regularly search saltwater beaches, want simultaneous multi-frequency or would rather not pick frequencies yourself, we would point you to the Minelab X-TERRA ELITE.

Minelab X-TERRA PRO specifications

Minelab covers the X-TERRA PRO control box and coil with a 3-year warranty in the USA.

Serious Detecting bundle (added free at checkout):

• Serious Detecting Finds Bag with 42" Waist Belt
• Double Serrated Hand Digger with Belt Holster
• Protective Gloves

For our full X-TERRA PRO guide, settings advice and comparisons, see the Minelab X-TERRA PRO collection.