The XP MI-6 Pin-Pointer has been around for a while now. I think it made it’s debut sometime around April of 2017. Like many of you, I too was a Garrett Carrot fan and have gone through 3 of them before I decided to give the MI-6 a try. Honestly, if Fort Bedford Metal Detectors wouldn’t have given me such a great deal on the MI-6, I probably would have purchased another carrot (Thanks Keith for the great deal!).
Luckily, I made the right decision to switch and my decision was not because I’m a Deus owner and I’m not affiliated with XP (the company) in any way so I don’t have any reason to promote any their products. But truth bet told, I am a huge fan of the Deus and I’m finding out for myself that the XP MI-6 Pin-Pointer is probably one of the best pin-pointers out there on the market today. But why?
The XP MI-6 Has Many Great Features.
For starters, the MI-6 is waterproof and is built like a tank! When you put this thing in your hand it just feels tough. Its strong and sturdy and doesn’t go off as you apply pressure to the tip (you carrot owners know what I mean). Also, no more batteries to replace. This pin-pointer is rechargeable and the battery lasts a long time before you need a charge. I’ve been using mine for at least 3-4 hours over the period of 4-5 days and its still going strong.
The manual says you can get 90 hours of use if you are using it with the Deus. However, the hours drop to around 30 hours if you are using it as stand alone pin-pointer. Plus, its configurable. There are 2 programs (vibrate or buzzer) to pick from but you also get 6 sensitivity settings for each program. The best feature in my opinion is how the MI-6 pairs up with your Deus. Once you pair up the MI-6 with the Deus, you have the ability to control the sensitivity through the control box on the Deus. It’s a fabulous feature and one I really didn’t think I would use at first. But now, I can’t live without it! Bravo XP.
You Don’t Need a Deus to Use The MI-6.
If you don’t have a Deus, no problem! You can use it like any other pin-pointer and once you do give it a try, I don’t think you’ll be going back. In fact, the XP MI-6 has become my go to pin-pointer and the carrot is now my backup. Hot soil conditions? No problem. I’m also finding out is that the MI-6 performs a lot better in mineralized soil. I have not experienced any falsing like I have in the past with the carrot.
The true test will come next month when I give the MI-6 a try in the red dirt of Culpeper, Virginia. I’ll be attending both Digging In Virginia (DIV) events this November and I’m really excited to be there again this year for my 4th and 5th DIV hunt. The MI-6 will get a good test in that dirt for sure but I’ve already heard that it performs extremely well in those conditions.
How Does The MI-6 Preform?
Personally, I think out it out preforms many, if not all the pin-pointers that are on the market and I’ve owned many of them. I’ve already mentioned that the falsing has gone away. It gets great depth. As far as the sensitivity goes, check out my friend Matt’s video over on his Gone Diggin Channel. I’ll link it below. He does air tests on several pin pointers including a couple of the Minelab pin-pointers, the Garrett Carrot, and the MI-6. The MI-6 out performed all of them by a 1/2 inch more of depth but you be the judge. Check out his video below.
How Much Does The MI-6 Cost?
The prices vary depend on where you look but I’ll link you to some Amazon prices below. Amazon is just as competitive as anywhere else. I’ll also add in the MI-4 which is very similar but does not have the interactive features for the XP Deus. Click the Amazon links below to compare prices.
XP MI-6 Pinpointer (Deus Compatible)
XP MI-4 PinPointer (Stand alone)
There Are Always Going to be a Negative Nancy Out There.
For those who don’t agree with me that’s okay. You can’t convince everyone. However, I’ve seen many instances where people have complained that the M1-6 wasn’t that good or they made claims that it didn’t work correctly. I would argue that those owners probably never gave the MI-6 a fair chance or even read the manual. The one I purchased didn’t come with a manual so I had to look up how to pair the MI-6 up to the Deus and configure the other programs.
There is a really good XP Skill School Video (I’ll link it below) that will have you paired up in no time. Keep min mind, the MI-6 is a different pin-pointer and it takes a little bit of time to get the feel for it. If you don’t have the sensitivity setup correctly or if it is programmed to pair with the Deus and you somehow get one pre-programmed and you don’t own a Deus, it won’t work until you change out of Program 7 to one of the other programs. I think a lot of people who gave it bad reviews don’t understand how to switch in and out of the programs.
Where Can You Find The Manual?
The manual can be downloaded from XP’s website. Drag your mouse over “Support” and you’ll see the PDF file for the MI-6. Click it and it will download to your PC. The PDF will tell you all you need to know but look at it on your computer screen. If you decide to print it out, it will print with a black background and the text/font is very small and hard to read.
Thanks for reading and if you are in the market for a new pin-pointer give the MI-6 a try. It might cost a little more than the others but I think the small price difference is worth it in the long run.
If you are interested in my comparison of the Minelab Equinox vs. The XP Deus you can check out that article here.
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