Whites XL-PRO/6000

I picked up a Whites XL-PRO/6000 a couple weeks ago. I always wanted to try as I almost bought one way back when,But my local dealer talked me out it. He said to get the XLT as digital was the wave of the future. I found my share of silver with the XLT,But always wanted to try an XL-PRO. I know alot of you guys have experience with this machine so any tips for the deeper coins would be appreciated. I thought someone said you should balance and lock it and some say the auto trac is the way to go? Some say there is also a tip for digging deep hit's? Any tips would help. I know it won't replace my E-trac or CZ-3D,But it is a fun detector none the less. Thanks.

For one thing it has the most accurate analog meter in the business along with being large enough for even a half blind guy to see..Would be vastly improved with a notch and tone ID..Am sure you should get some input from longtime users as becoming a meter watcher was not for me and didn't keep it long enough for the above reasons. I understand one can get reasonable depth once you learn the unit and many preferred it to the digital XLT with a long learning period...Whites makes a good solid unit and really stands behind their products but just not a Whites guy...

I had one and I would balance and lock. ButI would check it often. Here is my opinion of the detector. I think it is one of the best detectors Whites ever made. I like it much better than the XLT. But I feel it is a dated machine. A great machine for normal detecting in fairly clean dirt. And it was good on depth. The problem was in recovery speed. During it's day the recovery speed was right up there with the rest, but compared to some of today's detectors it just doesn't do a good job. A beautiful detector and a classic. In the right kind of hunting situation I would love to have mine back. But the game has changed where I live. If you want to find old coins you need to hunt the iron that people ran from in the past. And mine did have the three tone ID mod with a switch in the back of the rod.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2013 02:40PM by goodmore.

Harold,

PM me your e-mail address. I have complied a document of a bunch of XL-Pro tips from articles/posts on forums that can be of help. Also, I see you are looking for an 800 slimline coil. I have one that I don't use much, so I may part with it. Just don't know what the going price would be.

John

One of Whites best...The Apex of Analog...to bad they never added manual ground bal...The Auto setting is alway's a little too positive..

You will learn it runs the best and recovers faster in all but trashy site by using the All metal G.E.B. mode and watching the meter....Thats where the real depth comes from...

If you used Disc mode it will require a brisker sweep speed for depth...not real fast but faster than most modern machine's...although the signal bal truned way up will help you slow down some...The 6 inch is a must for trash..yet still deep...

deep hits on the disc mode will sound broken all most like a disc'd out target but watch the meter on the deepies it will develop tell tale signs once you are accustom to it...

Like a .58 caliber minnie ball at depth..like real depth 14-15 inhces...the meter will make a weird mid level bounce then fall quickly instead of locking...a hot rock woill bounce all the way over and lock pst silver dollar...

just little nuances you will learn along the way..

Keith

Great meter not deep didn't do well in iron a great park school detector my meter always locked on tight unless iron was in the hole. Vintage, fun, well built. Would I want one now...maybe if I had more parks to hunt with less trass. Though the small coil will help. I would miss tones, having to look at the meter all of the time was a bit hard on me. It has its worth as do most detectors.

LowBoy

TAKE A LITTLE TIME KICKBACK AND WATCH SOME OF MY DETECTING VIDEO'S BELOW ON YouTube

[www.youtube.com]

If you don’t dig it, then how are you going to know what you’re missing!
How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2014 04:43PM by Lawrenzo.

Keith Southern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of Whites best...The Apex of Analog...to bad
> they never added manual ground bal...The Auto
> setting is alway's a little too positive..
>
> You will learn it runs the best and recovers
> faster in all but trashy site by using the All
> metal G.E.B. mode and watching the meter....Thats
> where the real depth comes from...
>
> If you used Disc mode it will require a brisker
> sweep speed for depth...not real fast but faster
> than most modern machine's...although the signal
> bal truned way up will help you slow down
> some...The 6 inch is a must for trash..yet still
> deep...
>
> deep hits on the disc mode will sound broken all
> most like a disc'd out target but watch the meter
> on the deepies it will develop tell tale signs
> once you are accustom to it...
>
> Like a .58 caliber minnie ball at depth..like real
> depth 14-15 inhces...the meter will make a weird
> mid level bounce then fall quickly instead of
> locking...a hot rock woill bounce all the way over
> and lock pst silver dollar...
>
> just little nuances you will learn along the
> way..
>
> Keith


WOW! 14-15'' on mnie balls! No wonder you hear relic hunters even to this day say that the 6000/XL-PRO was the deepest detector whites ever made!

For some reason, there are a lot of relic hunters that did not like the 6000 XL-Pro....they preferred the 5900. They made the 5900 with a different meter card inside, and called it the Blue & Grey Pro. That machine is over 20 years old and is still VERY popular in northern Virginia. I remember asking about the 6000 XL on the forums one time, because I couldn't find a Blue & Grey Pro and the 6000 XL was at that time, still in production. Several responded and said the 6000 wasn't as good as the 5900. Again...I don't remember why it didn't catch on but even to this day, if you find a 5900 or Blue & Grey Pro, they will go for nearly $400 used...and in well used shape.

Yes the 5900 is the best one..the pro xl did not get the manual ground bal.
But it got the best box...

I love the blue and gray with volume control..i think its the best whites version..but the pro xl is still considered to be the apex design because so many loved the big box 6000 that when the small prp was built it was is considered the best..just not for me..if they had od added the manual ground you would of seen the 15 inch bullets in harsher ground..but the pro will get down there also in some dirts..

Keith

Daniel Tn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For some reason, there are a lot of relic hunters
> that did not like the 6000 XL-Pro....they
> preferred the 5900. They made the 5900 with a
> different meter card inside, and called it the
> Blue & Grey Pro. That machine is over 20 years
> old and is still VERY popular in northern
> Virginia. I remember asking about the 6000 XL on
> the forums one time, because I couldn't find a
> Blue & Grey Pro and the 6000 XL was at that time,
> still in production. Several responded and said
> the 6000 wasn't as good as the 5900. Again...I
> don't remember why it didn't catch on but even to
> this day, if you find a 5900 or Blue & Grey Pro,
> they will go for nearly $400 used...and in well
> used shape.


Well next time you are on E-BAY take a look at how much 6000 XL/PRO's are going for if you find one at all in good condition they go from 500.00-600.00 all day long. So somebody out there must think they are pretty good.

Yes you are right Harlold the Pro Xl will bring about what they were new maybe more..

And the Older 6000 big box will fetch a good price too..

the 5900 will bring less..

The 6000 series with tis automatic ground tracking was a fan favorite still to this day..

I prefer manual but alot like to use the Automatic..and are very successful with them..

they are a heck of a coin hunter....Dead on meter...

there's somethign about the older whites analog 4 filter models that you just got to love..

I will tell you one thing Harold get that thing in a spot with a ton of iron that most machiens false on and watch how well it completely ignores the iron...that's the 4 fiilter doing its thing...I love how a 4 filter runs in big iron and snags big brass....high freq machiens sometime fool you between big iron and big brass...nevr a problem on the 4 filter!!!

truly a great machien you have...

I like to keep a 4 filter on hand myself..It will nail some silver and large brass!!!

Keith

Had a White's 6000 di Pro, as I remember. Bought in ~1985 for something like $600. Used it for about four years but then the meter started acting up. As I recall the needle would stick at times. Sold it. It was a great detector (better than the Jetco BFO it replaced).

Yes the needles like to stick on cold dry winter day's....

Alway's good to keep a laundry anti-cling sheet in your pocket...Unfreezes it instantly when it hangs up!!!

Keith

Harold -- Wow, calm down there Kemosabe!! I think you read into my post wrong. I was simply saying that the 6000 XL wasn't as popular to relic hunters as the 5900/Blue & Grey Pro were, but that I didn't know what the reason behind it was Those machines haven't been made since the early 1990s and are still commanding pretty good prices for machines that old and in bad shape....the XL Pro didn't go out of production until sometime after 2000. I know there is an online field test of one by Lost Treasure in July of 2000. But don't know the exact year they stopped making them. At any rate...they are still newer and therefore they are bringing more than the older 5900s. I didn't say they weren't a good machine and not popular with some people.

Daniel Tn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Harold -- Wow, calm down there Kemosabe!! I think
> you read into my post wrong. I was simply saying
> that the 6000 XL wasn't as popular to relic
> hunters as the 5900/Blue & Grey Pro were, but that
> I didn't know what the reason behind it was Those
> machines haven't been made since the early 1990s
> and are still commanding pretty good prices for
> machines that old and in bad shape....the XL Pro
> didn't go out of production until sometime after
> 2000. I know there is an online field test of one
> by Lost Treasure in July of 2000. But don't know
> the exact year they stopped making them. At any
> rate...they are still newer and therefore they are
> bringing more than the older 5900s. I didn't say
> they weren't a good machine and not popular with
> some people.


No worry's Daniel. I think the XL-PRO was made up to 2006? That was after the decal change. I think the 6000 /xl-pro's are better looking due to the logo being painted on instead of a decal like the xl-pro's. It has that old school craftmanship look that you don't see anymore. And one more thing I noticed is the 5900 doesn't have the hot rock reject switch like the 6000 detectors which could come in handy if you was to run into a bunch of them. But they are both good old Whites detectors for sure!

When was the 5900 first produced?

Didn't they change the battery setup for the 6000 XL Pro? It seems like the other ones took large C size batteries...and the newer one took AAs. I know a friend of mine bought a B&G Pro a few years ago....he got it with a 15" round solid coil...and that sucker gave new meaning to the word HEAVY. He bought the machine solely for hunting artillery shells....but he also had a couple other coils for it. I used it for about 10 minutes one day and that thing was a beast to swing. The one he had, still had 5900 printed on the control box...but had the B&G Pro meter in it.

Daniel Tn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Didn't they change the battery setup for the 6000
> XL Pro? It seems like the other ones took large C
> size batteries...and the newer one took AAs. I
> know a friend of mine bought a B&G Pro a few years
> ago....he got it with a 15" round solid coil...and
> that sucker gave new meaning to the word HEAVY.
> He bought the machine solely for hunting artillery
> shells....but he also had a couple other coils for
> it. I used it for about 10 minutes one day and
> that thing was a beast to swing. The one he had,
> still had 5900 printed on the control box...but
> had the B&G Pro meter in it.


Yes the 6000/xl-pro took 8 AA batterys and had the smaller box like the new Whites detectors.

I realize I'm a little late and these topics are old but I'm going to jump on the bandwagon any way for any late comers that may come a long like I did. I tell ya I love this machine! It all gets down to just how well you learn it. It' like most everything else in life you get out what you put in..... invest a little time and effort learning the 6000 and I fully believe you will find it to be hands down one of the best if not the best machines to use to date. Of coarse this is my opinion but I see it preform time and time again and not only does it perform time and time again, I've yet to have one of my buddies out dig it and that includes the Minelab's (VLF's) right on down the line. This machine hears targets they don't even get a peep out of and that is a fact! My buddy sold me on the 6000 for this very reason I was using a Minelab and he was litterly finding 4&5 times the amount of relics I was finding and got to questioning him on how he did it every time we go out... This was his answer and I quote " it's the machine...... you're using the wrong machine" He said I'll show you the next deep target I get I yell at ya to some scan it. I swear I heard NOTHING absolutely nothing (we did this numerous times) and to my disbelief down 10", 12" 14" and deeper at times he would dig up a 3-ringer or etc... it was crazy! I went straight and bought one. Now let me say that I didn't go out and do what he was doing right off the bat. It probably took me a good 4-6 months of digging before I was achieving those types of depth, you do have to learn the machine and I can't stress that enough! If you are not interested in those types of depth it for the mast part is a true on and go machine and you will do great digging 4",6" and maybe even 8" with no problem whatsoever (those depths are base on CW type relics). To get the deep, deep stuff it takes time and patients but once you get it you are guaranteed to fill you pockets... I'll share a tip on digging deep targets of coarse this is from my experience and hunting conditions. Set the detector up in all metal mode and hot rock accept then ground balance it other setting to your liking or situation.. Deep targets (10" plus) will not "generally" give a dead lock on type response on the meter. The key is "listening" first and foremost then look at the meter. The deeper the target the less the needle will move and I mean move PERIOD! On a faint break in the TH go back over the target while then watching the meter. What you are looking for on the meter is for the needle to give a little wobble and that is about it.. It will barely even move back and forth "in a wobble/wabble" type motion, start dig'n..... DIG, DIG, DIG.. Fair warning it will take time and patients but it is well worth it. I'm say again it WILL take time and some trial and error but once you finally get it look out. That said, I have only been able to achieve this in good to medium type ground conditions... Others may be able to do it in bad found, I myself have not but I guess it is possible... I don't know. I just can't say enough just how great this machine is... I own two of them.. I promise, anyone that has the desire to learn this machine will NOT be disappointed with it's performance.. It's my opinion and I feel extremely confident in saying it, anyone that says this machine is no good or is not a deep digging machine has not taking the time with it and most likely hasn't used it very much and just have hardly detects.. THIS IS MY OPINION SO PLEASE DONT ATTACT ME I'm just trying to be honest for anyone that is serious about this machine..... So that is my two cents anyway... Take it for what it is worth..

Jason
.

Hey Jason -

Great write up on the XL. It seems to me that your discussion of the meter's role in deep targets is a good example of the value of "low energy" target informatiom.

Some detectors find ways to present small, marginal signal information. It seems me that many detectors operate in a kind of binary fashion - either signal or nothing - if the target signal doesn't meet the criteria of the switching/filtering it is "surpressed".

The most common form of this seems to be audio, where Keith talks about "bleedy" "blendy" tones from machInes by XP, Fors and others. Other ways this happens is providing user feedback in multiple modes, each of which has a different form of sygnal processing - "mixed mode" audio is an example of this as is any audio/visual combination where the two "displays" are showing seperate signal analysis and processing.

A recent example of,this is the Fors Gold, where apparently the vibration signal is significantly more sensitive to small targets than the audio or VDI.

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

confederatebadboy, Jason

I'm having a hard time understanding what White's 6000 that you are talking about, maybe you can clear this up for me. The earlier 6000 Di Pro SL had the bigger shoe box shaped control box and had a battery pack that contained 4 "C" cells. The last 6000 was introduced in 1999 with the slimmer control box of the XLT and had a battery system that uses the up to date slide in 8 "AA" battery pack. The 6000 Pro XL or later renamed XL Pro was a complete revamp of the earlier 6000 Di Pro SL, with only about 15 parts of the early style used in the new version.

on your detector if you don't hear a tone but get your meter to respoond its a deep target so dig it

LowBoy

TAKE A LITTLE TIME KICKBACK AND WATCH SOME OF MY DETECTING VIDEO'S BELOW ON YouTube

[www.youtube.com]

If you don’t dig it, then how are you going to know what you’re missing!
How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat!

Daniel Tn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Harold -- Wow, calm down there Kemosabe!! I think
> you read into my post wrong. I was simply saying
> that the 6000 XL wasn't as popular to relic
> hunters as the 5900/Blue & Grey Pro were, but that
> I didn't know what the reason behind it was Those
> machines haven't been made since the early 1990s
> and are still commanding pretty good prices for
> machines that old and in bad shape....the XL Pro
> didn't go out of production until sometime after
> 2000. I know there is an online field test of one
> by Lost Treasure in July of 2000. But don't know
> the exact year they stopped making them. At any
> rate...they are still newer and therefore they are
> bringing more than the older 5900s. I didn't say
> they weren't a good machine and not popular with
> some people.


they went out in 2005..became cost prohibitive to produce,
and the feds had a crackdown on mercury which was used in the meter mechanism.
"outrageous" coin sniper,and a "dead nuts" accurate meter..as mentioned,the addition of the 6" black max coil
allowed one to hunt the junk.

(h.h.!)
j.t.

confederatebadboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I realize I'm a little late and these topics are
> old but I'm going to jump on the bandwagon any way
> for any late comers that may come a long like I
> did. I tell ya I love this machine! It all gets
> down to just how well you learn it. It' like most
> everything else in life you get out what you put
> in..... invest a little time and effort learning
> the 6000 and I fully believe you will find it to
> be hands down one of the best if not the best
> machines to use to date. Of coarse this is my
> opinion but I see it preform time and time again
> and not only does it perform time and time again,
> I've yet to have one of my buddies out dig it and
> that includes the Minelab's (VLF's) right on down
> the line. This machine hears targets they don't
> even get a peep out of and that is a fact! My
> buddy sold me on the 6000 for this very reason I
> was using a Minelab and he was litterly finding
> 4&5 times the amount of relics I was finding and
> got to questioning him on how he did it every time
> we go out... This was his answer and I quote "
> it's the machine...... you're using the wrong
> machine" He said I'll show you the next deep
> target I get I yell at ya to some scan it. I
> swear I heard NOTHING absolutely nothing (we did
> this numerous times) and to my disbelief down 10",
> 12" 14" and deeper at times he would dig up a
> 3-ringer or etc... it was crazy! I went straight
> and bought one. Now let me say that I didn't go
> out and do what he was doing right off the bat.
> It probably took me a good 4-6 months of digging
> before I was achieving those types of depth, you
> do have to learn the machine and I can't stress
> that enough! If you are not interested in those
> types of depth it for the mast part is a true on
> and go machine and you will do great digging 4",6"
> and maybe even 8" with no problem whatsoever
> (those depths are base on CW type relics). To
> get the deep, deep stuff it takes time and
> patients but once you get it you are guaranteed to
> fill you pockets... I'll share a tip on digging
> deep targets of coarse this is from my experience
> and hunting conditions. Set the detector up in
> all metal mode and hot rock accept then ground
> balance it other setting to your liking or
> situation.. Deep targets (10" plus) will not
> "generally" give a dead lock on type response on
> the meter. The key is "listening" first and
> foremost then look at the meter. The deeper the
> target the less the needle will move and I mean
> move PERIOD! On a faint break in the TH go back
> over the target while then watching the meter.
> What you are looking for on the meter is for the
> needle to give a little wobble and that is about
> it.. It will barely even move back and forth "in a
> wobble/wabble" type motion, start dig'n..... DIG,
> DIG, DIG.. Fair warning it will take time and
> patients but it is well worth it. I'm say again
> it WILL take time and some trial and error but
> once you finally get it look out. That said, I
> have only been able to achieve this in good to
> medium type ground conditions... Others may be
> able to do it in bad found, I myself have not but
> I guess it is possible... I don't know. I just
> can't say enough just how great this machine is...
> I own two of them.. I promise, anyone that has
> the desire to learn this machine will NOT be
> disappointed with it's performance.. It's my
> opinion and I feel extremely confident in saying
> it, anyone that says this machine is no good or is
> not a deep digging machine has not taking the time
> with it and most likely hasn't used it very much
> and just have hardly detects.. THIS IS MY OPINION
> SO PLEASE DONT ATTACT ME I'm just trying to be
> honest for anyone that is serious about this
> machine..... So that is my two cents anyway...
> Take it for what it is worth..
>
> Jason
> .


excellent post and correct!..very little deflection or none at all at depth."listen for very,very faint
"smooth" audio..that's your coin! "4 filter" killer!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

I have went through several detectors but the 6000 never left. If the needle goes up and sticks...it's there. Reading some of the post has made me come to think that I should have been digging more and should pay closer att. to the meter. Great read guys

I have a 6000, like new that is just setting. Now that i see how good everyone thinks it is i better get it out and start useing it.Is there any way to hip mount it. My back is bad and they are heavie.

What bugs me the most on this post is the fact that White's has been manufacturing the 6000 series of metal detectors since 1985, there are many variations and improvements made to them over the span of 15 years ending with the the last one 1999, the 6000 Pro XL. To get to the point, when someone says they have a 6000, that is not much info to go on as it could be an older blue colored shoe box style or the last one made, the 6000 Pro XL, later renamed XL Pro. If you have a 6000 Pro XL or the XL Pro, they are the exact same machine, just different name and decal is the only thing different. White's made the name change in about the year 2001.

Whites makes a hip mount kit for the 6000 series – I think it fits all of them

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

Since my original post I bought another closet queen XL-PRO and was lucky enough to find a Tone Mod. kit I had installed. This Tone I.D. is awesome as it has 4 tones which I think is the perfect amount. It also gives the Tones rite to the edge of depth and doesn't drop a Tone or gone to a singleTone like some detectors. With the detector in GEB DISC. with the signal balance at 3:00 and Disc.at nail I can hit a silver dime at 10'' with proper Tone and I.D. which is pretty good for this older girl. It is a blast to use as the 4th highest tone is Quarter and up so it is hot on Quarters. So far I haven't dug anything real old except a wheatie about 7'' and a silver ring about 6'' both had the proper Tone and I.D. I don't expect it to replace my E-trac or CZ-3D,But in the rite area with the proper settings it will hold it's own. Another cool thing is the I.D. Also works in all modes including the silky smooth SAT MODE. This is just one fun detectors to use. So if you love the XL-PRO,But miss Tone I.D. and hate to stare at the meter and get a chance to pick up a modded unit or get a rare kit give it a shot as you won't be disapointed. It makes a great detector even better!

Hombre Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What bugs me the most on this post is the fact
> that White's has been manufacturing the 6000
> series of metal detectors since 1985, there are
> many variations and improvements made to them over
> the span of 15 years ending with the the last one
> 1999, the 6000 Pro XL. To get to the point, when
> someone says they have a 6000, that is not much
> info to go on as it could be an older blue colored
> shoe box style or the last one made, the 6000 Pro
> XL, later renamed XL Pro. If you have a 6000 Pro
> XL or the XL Pro, they are the exact same machine,
> just different name and decal is the only thing
> different. White's made the name change in about
> the year 2001.


yup! just changed the decal is all! identical detector!
dropped the 6000 designation,thought it would improve sales
not sure it did!

(h.h!)
j.t.