DR.ÖTEK MTXE – A Beach Detector For Just £100?

These days, we’re accustomed to spending a fair amount on a metal detector, especially if it’s intended for use on wet sand. Simultaneous multi-frequency machines, such as the Minelab Equinox and Vanquish, Nokta Makro Legend, Garrett Ace Apex, and, more recently, the XP Deus II, are often the go-to options. While some of these detectors can be found for as little as £229, even that price point remains a barrier for many aspiring detectorists.

Enter DR.ÖTEK. Long-time champions of the budget-friendly metal detector market, they stand apart from many competitors at this price level by prioritising quality, customer care, and ensuring buyers receive a solid-performing machine for minimal cost. Considering that a digging tool, finds pouch, and wired headphones are also included, it’s clear that this detector is one that budget-conscious buyers will want to consider.

The challenge at this price point is that most machines struggle on the beach, specifically on wet sand. Single-frequency detectors often experience a significant drop in performance when confronted with the heavily mineralised ground of wet salt sand. So, can the DR.ÖTEK MTXE succeed where others have fallen short?

The Spec:

• Working Modes: ALL-METAL, PASTURE, PARK, SAND.
• Operating frequency – 6.5 kHz
• Disc: Notch feature. Notch out iron, ring pulls etc.
• NORM: Hit that button to return to factory presets.
• Non-motion: PINPOINT. Single press pinpointing.
• Coin depth indication: 2〞,4〞,6〞,8〞
• 4 Levels of sensitivity.
• Target metal identification: 6 types 0-99 VDU readout.
• Signal strength indicator.
• Tones: Three different tones, low, mid and high.
• LCD backlight
• Auto shut down if the machine is not used for 15 minutes.
• Search Coil: 9.8’’ waterproof search coil
• Headphone socket: 1 / 8/3.5mm ″ Headphone socket
• Power supply: 9V battery 6LR61

Build Quality:

This is a budget-friendly machine, but its overall build quality is quite good. Naturally, it features a lot of hard plastic, but the display is large and bright, and the stem is adjustable, making it suitable for both children and tall adults. The machine is also very lightweight and requires only a single 9V battery for power. At this price point, the backlight is a nice touch.

The 9.8-inch coil is waterproof; however, the control box is not. In fact, the control box isn’t even showerproof, so if you tend to use it in rainy conditions, that’s something to keep in mind. And whatever you do, don’t drop it in water!

The machine I received came as part of a kit, which included a small shovel, a finds bag, and wired headphones.

Be aware that two versions of this machine were available at the time of writing. While they share identical features, they differ in shaft length. The first version is shorter, and for anyone over 5’9″ (179 cm), this may pose a problem. The real issue, however, is that there’s no way to determine which version you’ll receive, and there’s no option to request the longer version when ordering.

According to the company, “Currently, on Amazon, these two versions are shipped randomly until the first batch of short stems is sold out.” This essentially means that receiving the longer shaft version is a matter of luck. While we received the longer shaft, we are aware of others who received the shorter version and had no choice but to return the machine and request a refund.

The company should address this issue directly rather than waiting for old stock to sell out. As far as we know, there is no system in place to replace the shorter shaft with the longer one.

Performance:

Now to the important question: how does the MTXE perform? More specifically, is the “SAND” mode just a gimmick, or does it actually work?

I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how well this machine performed. I didn’t expect much, but it punches well above its weight.

Of course, I conducted the usual air tests, which were impressive but ultimately not very meaningful. Most detectors will pick up targets easily when dirt or sand isn’t in the equation. What really matters is how it performs in real-world conditions. To find out, I took the MTXE down to Brighton Beach on the south coast.

Anyone familiar with Brighton Beach will know it’s littered with trash, making it a less-than-ideal place to search. Many budget detectors struggle here, especially near the pier, where you encounter countless bits of iron, rusty nails, and melted aluminium cans from barbecues and bonfires. And let’s not forget the monumental number of bottle caps left behind by students and clubbers every night.

I can confirm that the MTXE definitely picks up all that junk. However, with the standard SAND mode settings, it does filter out some iron—and, thankfully, some of the rusty old bottle caps. It still picks up the newer ones, though!

On my first sweep, I focused on the dry sand and shingle areas, keeping the machine in SAND mode. This wasn’t because the other modes were unusable—they worked fine—but the goal of this test was to determine whether SAND mode actually made a difference.

In terms of depth, the MTXE performs respectably. It can detect most targets down to about 8 inches, which is impressive for the price. It also picks up small aluminium debris, which unfortunately is abundant on this beach. However, this does indicate that the machine is capable of detecting smaller targets at depth.

Moving on to the wet sand, I expected a lot of chatter, but instead, complete silence! I even checked to make sure the machine was still switched on and that the headphones were functioning properly. Everything was working just fine. This is highly impressive, though I suspect it has been factory-set to zero ground balance in this mode. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but it can affect detection depth.

My first target on the wet sand turned out to be a penny. Normally, this wouldn’t be noteworthy, but considering this is a £100 single-frequency machine, it makes things more interesting, especially since the penny was buried about 7 inches deep. While that’s not an exceptional depth, it is very respectable given the circumstances.

I continued detecting, even venturing into the surf, but the machine remained silent, further supporting my theory that the ground balance is set to zero. The relatively low operating frequency of 6.5 kHz likely contributes to this as well. The only other single-frequency machine I’ve encountered that remained silent on wet sand and in the surf was the Quest Q30—though that model costs nearly £200 more than the MTXE. However, the Q30 offers greater user adjustability and is fully waterproof.

One thing I did notice is that the MTXE’s recovery speed is not particularly fast. Recovery speed refers to the time a detector takes to register a target, drop it, and then pick up the next one. With the MTXE, optimal results are achieved by slowing down your sweep speed. The company recommends keeping it to no more than 1 meter per second.

Alternatives:

DR.ÖTEK also produce another machine called the MT-XR. That machine is promoted as their top-of-the-line detector, but I would disagree. The MTXE is, in my opinion, a better machine. 

The MT-XR is a decent machine, but it is noticeably older than the MT-XE and has an even slower recovery speed. It also lacks a dedicated “SAND” mode, though in my testing, it performed reasonably well on the beach. Like the MT-XE, it struggles to detect targets much deeper than around 8 inches, but due to its slower recovery speed, there’s a higher likelihood of missing targets. Additionally, the MT-XR is more expensive than the MT-XE.

I’ve seen some so-called “experienced” detectorists advising newcomers that they can notch out all bottle caps with the MT-XR while still detecting everything else. This is misleading. Different machines have different target ID ranges, which means results will vary depending on the detector being used.

For instance, with models like the Minelab Vanquish 440 and 540, you can notch out most bottle caps while still detecting £1 coins and silver rings. This is because the target ID for those items generally falls below the range of most bottle caps. However, on other machines, such as the Nokta Simplex Ultra, most bottle caps share the same target ID as £1 coins, meaning if you notch out one, you also remove the other.

The MT-XR does have the ability to ignore some bottle caps while still detecting non-ferrous targets like a £1 coin. This works because the target ranges for coins and bottle caps differ. However, it’s important to note that notching out bottle caps will inevitably result in missing some valuable targets, no matter what the target ID range.

MT-XR Spec:

• 5 x Modes Pinpoint, All metal, Discrimination, Memory, and Jewellery
• Large LCD Display 7.6 x 5.1 cm
• LCD Backlight
• 25cm (9.8 inc) waterproof search coil
• Adjustable stem 108 – 136 cm
• 5 x Sensitivity levels
• Notch function (Memory Mode)
• Headphone socket: 1 / 8/3.5mm ″ Headphone socket
• Powered by 1 x 9v battery

Conclusions:

Finding a quality metal detector at an affordable price isn’t always easy. Many people eager to take up the hobby are often discouraged by the high cost of entry. DR.ÖTEK has recognised this gap in the market and designed a machine to bridge it. The MTXE is a budget-friendly detector that delivers solid performance while incorporating several mid-range features.

What truly enhances its value is the inclusion of a digging tool, a finds bag, and wired headphones, all bundled together for just £100. This makes it an excellent choice for those looking for a cost-effective way to begin their metal detecting journey.

If you’re searching for a reliable, well-built detector at a budget price, the MTXE is definitely worth considering.

Note: Since this review was first published, Minelab and Nokta have brought out their own budget machines. The Nokta FindX and FindX Pro, and Minelab have the X-Terra Voyager. Both of which are worth checking out.

Check out our review of the DR.ÖTEK MT6-PRO Pinpointer.

Where To Buy:

DR.ÖTEK Store Amazon UK

DR.ÖTEK Store Amazon USA

Links:

https://www.drotekor.com/home-page

https://www.facebook.com/Drotekor/

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