V3I vs Etrac... Which would you buy?

I own a V3i as well as an Etrac. If I had to choose only one detector, I would pick the V3i. It is by far the most versatile detector on the market. I have used it in extremely hot soil around Culpeper Virginia and it handles it just fine. The Etrac simply will not work in this area....maybe getting a couple inches of depth max. Here in new england, the V3i kills on low conductors so it makes a great button machine. As for Silver, I have no doubt the V3 will find any silver the Etrac will find, especially in 2.5khz single freq mode. There really is no magic involved in finding deep Silver with any quality detector. You just need to swing over the targets.

As for the Etrac in general, I find it an easy to use, top quality machine that will find the targets in most environments(red iron rich soil aside). I do not find the iron separation any better or worse than other machines such as my V3i or T2, but it does pretty well in TTF. I grab the Etrac when I don't feel like thinking about settings or tweaking for every last bit of performance. It's a turn on and go machine(compared to the v3) and it is fairly deep if you can run manual mode as opposed to auto.

If I were you, I would consider the f75lmt or t2 special edition. I love my standard t2 and I would imagine the ltd and se being even better. They are very sensitive so you will have to deal with a bit ofmchatter, but they are deep and FAST machines that will find the targets.

Hope this helps,
Bc

Can you download settings for the V3i like you can the E-Trac? It seems like a pretty complicated MD in a good way, but wondering if you could easily install other people's proven settings.

goes4ever said:

Smart choice, if you need any help at all, free feel to pm me. I also set up a website, link in my sig, that has a lot of info to help etrac users, settings, how to videos etc....

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I would seriously take this advice....G4E is a THE MAN when it comes to the etrac.

For what it's worth, I sold my v3i and for an ET. IMHO the v3i is a great machine, as long as you have a doctorate in rocket science and several years of free time. It was just not for me. The screen and wifi headphones are superior on the v3i but that only goes so far. I was a die hard whites guy.....until I got a minelab. I still have my XLT and underwater beach hunter ID (both whites products) and I do love them also....but they are much easier (for me) to master than that v.

NavyDT said:

i got a brand new etrac today and i payed a price i should go to jail for. thanks again for everyone help, i really do appreciate the input. cant wait to learn this thing!

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Great choice! You will love it!

Be sure to get Andy Sabisch E-Trac book if you didn't already get it. WELL worth the $! Tons of great info in there.!

Chad said:

I would seriously take this advice....G4E is a THE MAN when it comes to the etrac.

For what it's worth, I sold my v3i and for an ET. IMHO the v3i is a great machine, as long as you have a doctorate in rocket science and several years of free time. It was just not for me

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It was seriously that hard for you to learn? I guess I should quite my job and go build rockets

V3

I think you should all get the V3I please! I will just keep my Etrac and take my chances.

I've Owned Both

They both have very good features.

For ease of use and additional information available I think the V3i had the edge. Polar Plot was an excellent tool to use to verify targets were good, just look for straight lines as apposed to anything else.

The Etrac, which I have now, seems like a much simpler and dumbed down screen after using the Whites, HOWEVER it is my preference now. I spent 6 months really learning the machine and now have a custom coinshooting program loaded that virtually ignores pull tabs but gets the good stuff.

hmmm ignores pull tabs?
with my etrac I have dug all these things exactly in the pulltab range:

3 cent silver
flying eagle penny
6 fatty indians
2 good size gold rings

so disc'ng out pulltabs is crazy, unless you don't like fatty indians, and flying eagles

Worthless Finds? Why Spend the $$ for the Land Detector you have?

goes4ever said:

Smart choice, if you need any help at all, free feel to pm me. I also set up a website, link in my sig, that has a lot of info to help etrac users, settings, how to videos etc....

Click to expand...

Hi,

I have been searching for the last two months to find the best Metal Detector for the money and it has not been easy.

Let me explain why. First off, I collect coins for a living. With this said, I have not found any pictures, maybe I missed some?, of any coins found with "Land" detectors in the United States worth anything but scrap.

Unless you send what you find in to be graded by either NGC, PCGS or Anacs, the coins are worthless and you cannot clean them because trust me, you will lose a lot of money because the grading companies can tell and will send the coins back to you without a grade in a holder stamped, "cleaned" and the coin is scrap.

So, unless I am missing something on all these metal detecting forums, the only coins worth anything that I see being found by any metal detector are the historic coins which in almost every case do not need to be cleaned because of the age of the gold or silver coin / historic value. It's like finding a shipwreck with millions of dollars worth of "antique" coins from history.

Ok, I respect all the people that have founds items within all the detecting forums but you need to understand where I am coming from. The way I see it, the only fast way in today's world to make your money back after buying a land detector is to purchase a water detector and pray you find gold because the coins I have seen being dug in the U.S soil., i.e., pennies, qtr.'s, dimes, nickels, etc., are all worn and worthless to a collector.

This all brings me to my million dollar question for everyone. Why would anyone spend a lot of money buying a land detector if all you dig is scrap silver and copper? First off, no person gets $1,600 an ounce for Gold unless you find 22K and that is not going to happen unless you live in India. Secondly, Silver is trading at around $28 an ounce. Do you realize how many coins you need to find to recover your money selling silver scrap coins, hundreds if not thousands. So...someone please enlighten me because I am pushing more towards buying a water detector every day that passes. The problem is, I have not seen any new water detectors come out that are worth the price. Maybe I am missing something, you are the experts in this area, now is your time to shine.

Now, anyone with intelligent answers are welcome to post. What I am looking for is again, the best detector for the money and like I said above, after researching detectors and the types of them for many months, the only fast way to try and recover your cost is to buy a water detector for the beaches and diving.

Thank you for all the help...Happy Easter!

Probably might want to make a new post with all those questions. I think for most people this is a hobby that gets them out side walking around doing something. Plus it has a potential to make some money or find some interesting objects from days gone by. I spend a lot of money on my flyfishing and fly tying stuff, only to catch fish and let them go again. But I enjoy it and always think I'm going to catch a state record every time I go out fishing. That's my 2 cents.

NightDiver said:

Hi,

I have been searching for the last two months to find the best Metal Detector for the money and it has not been easy.

Let me explain why. First off, I collect coins for a living. With this said, I have not found any pictures, maybe I missed some?, of any coins found with "Land" detectors in the United States worth anything but scrap.

Unless you send what you find in to be graded by either NGC, PCGS or Anacs, the coins are worthless and you cannot clean them because trust me, you will lose a lot of money because the grading companies can tell and will send the coins back to you without a grade in a holder stamped, "cleaned" and the coin is scrap.

So, unless I am missing something on all these metal detecting forums, the only coins worth anything that I see being found by any metal detector are the historic coins which in almost every case do not need to be cleaned because of the age of the gold or silver coin / historic value. It's like finding a shipwreck with millions of dollars worth of "antique" coins from history.

Ok, I respect all the people that have founds items within all the detecting forums but you need to understand where I am coming from. The way I see it, the only fast way in today's world to make your money back after buying a land detector is to purchase a water detector and pray you find gold because the coins I have seen being dug in the U.S soil., i.e., pennies, qtr.'s, dimes, nickels, etc., are all worn and worthless to a collector.

This all brings me to my million dollar question for everyone. Why would anyone spend a lot of money buying a land detector if all you dig is scrap silver and copper? First off, no person gets $1,600 an ounce for Gold unless you find 22K and that is not going to happen unless you live in India. Secondly, Silver is trading at around $28 an ounce. Do you realize how many coins you need to find to recover your money selling silver scrap coins, hundreds if not thousands. So...someone please enlighten me because I am pushing more towards buying a water detector every day that passes. The problem is, I have not seen any new water detectors come out that are worth the price. Maybe I am missing something, you are the experts in this area, now is your time to shine.

Now, anyone with intelligent answers are welcome to post. What I am looking for is again, the best detector for the money and like I said above, after researching detectors and the types of them for many months, the only fast way to try and recover your cost is to buy a water detector for the beaches and diving.

Thank you for all the help...Happy Easter!

Click to expand...

You are kidding, right?

Maybe I am missing something

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With out a doubt!

Ever heard of a used car dealer? Sure there are people who will only buy a new(un-dug) car(coin) but to say a used car has no value is just naïve, and frankly would limit sales potential.

The E-Trac is the quicker deep silver machine out of the box. The V3i takes a little more time to understand but is every bit as deep as the E-Trac and a little more versatile. The V3i is the better all-around detector.

Shunkaha you have a pm.
thanks

NightDiver said:

Now, anyone with intelligent answers are welcome to post. What I am looking for is again, the best detector for the money and like I said above, after researching detectors and the types of them for many months, the only fast way to try and recover your cost is to buy a water detector for the beaches and diving.

Thank you for all the help...Happy Easter!

Click to expand...

Just speaking for myself, but I do this for a hobby and for fun and not for an investment. I have an expensive detector but I've had and still have hobbies that cost much more than metal detecting. I've never expected those hobbies to pay me back, and I doubt this one will either. It's a hobby, not a livelihood. It's fun finding long lost objects and history. It's not a job. If you're looking into a detector just to boost your income from collecting coins, I doubt that you'll be happy.

I expect that most people buy a detector that they can have fun with that fits into thier budgets. Like an auto enthusiast, if a Ferrari fits the budget get it. If not, buy the best that you can within the budget and have fun, but don't count on it paying for itself.

NightDiver said:

Hi,

I have been searching for the last two months to find the best Metal Detector for the money and it has not been easy.

Let me explain why. First off, I collect coins for a living. With this said, I have not found any pictures, maybe I missed some?, of any coins found with "Land" detectors in the United States worth anything but scrap.

Unless you send what you find in to be graded by either NGC, PCGS or Anacs, the coins are worthless and you cannot clean them because trust me, you will lose a lot of money because the grading companies can tell and will send the coins back to you without a grade in a holder stamped, "cleaned" and the coin is scrap.

So, unless I am missing something on all these metal detecting forums, the only coins worth anything that I see being found by any metal detector are the historic coins which in almost every case do not need to be cleaned because of the age of the gold or silver coin / historic value. It's like finding a shipwreck with millions of dollars worth of "antique" coins from history.

Ok, I respect all the people that have founds items within all the detecting forums but you need to understand where I am coming from. The way I see it, the only fast way in today's world to make your money back after buying a land detector is to purchase a water detector and pray you find gold because the coins I have seen being dug in the U.S soil., i.e., pennies, qtr.'s, dimes, nickels, etc., are all worn and worthless to a collector.

This all brings me to my million dollar question for everyone. Why would anyone spend a lot of money buying a land detector if all you dig is scrap silver and copper? First off, no person gets $1,600 an ounce for Gold unless you find 22K and that is not going to happen unless you live in India. Secondly, Silver is trading at around $28 an ounce. Do you realize how many coins you need to find to recover your money selling silver scrap coins, hundreds if not thousands. So...someone please enlighten me because I am pushing more towards buying a water detector every day that passes. The problem is, I have not seen any new water detectors come out that are worth the price. Maybe I am missing something, you are the experts in this area, now is your time to shine.

Now, anyone with intelligent answers are welcome to post. What I am looking for is again, the best detector for the money and like I said above, after researching detectors and the types of them for many months, the only fast way to try and recover your cost is to buy a water detector for the beaches and diving.

Thank you for all the help...Happy Easter!

Click to expand...

Welcome aboard!

Enjoy the hobby.

Thank's for the Posts...I am Still Confused...kHz,,,?

Hi,

I just read the posts and thank all that responded. I am still confused. I see so many posting that the White's v3i is the best detector but after comparing the detectors side by side, I am confused as to why the e-trac is not the better of the two? The e-trac, (someone can correct me if I am wrong) has more Frequencies, 28 compared to the v3i at only 3. So, what I am trying to learn is the deal with the Frequencies and why so many if they are not needed? Why are many posting the v3i is better? I pulled this from the White's web site:

"As a rule, lower frequency detectors offer better sensitivity to copper and silver and better overall detection depth and trash rejection. Most general purpose models operate at lower frequencies.

Higher frequency detectors are more sensitive to small metals and natural gold. However, they have difficulties with discrimination against nonferrous (not-of-iron) metals. Their sensitivity to small metals makes them tedious to use around trashy areas. Most gold prospecting detectors operate at higher frequencies."

So, with the v3i operating on only 3 frequencies and the e-trac operating on 28, wouldn't this alone make the e-trac a better detector? I understand White's may have posted these facts just for an F.Y.I. but does the owner of White's, which I think is Mr. White Jr., know he just killed off all his detectors by operating on only 3 frequencies compared to others having more operating at higher frequencies to find the gold...?

So the e-trac can be considered as also a prospecting detector for gold because it operates at between 1.5 kHz and 100 kHz with 28 frequencies..?

While the v3i operates between 2.5 kHz and 22.5 kHz..?

Am I wrong?

Can everyone see why I have been searching for a while before buying a detector? When you look at the real facts and the entire picture, the way these companies producing detectors are doing things today makes no sense. It seems to me that even if Minelab is more expensive to fix and has bad customer service, the detectors are still superior in operating modes and frequencies than anything else on the market?

Would this be a correct comment?

I am trying to understand everything. Yes some may post, you do not need all those Frequencies when detecting but with that said, why not have them if the detector will operate more efficiently by using them (kHz)...?

Ok, from what I know, the e-trac will use Frequencies up to 100 kHz and the v3i will only go as high as 22 kHz. So, in reality, reading what is listed on the White's web site under the FAQ section, the higher the Frequency, the better chance of finding items worth more money will be and that makes the e-trac a slam dunk pick...?

I am pushing toward an e-trac...or should I not..Is the Excal II better...?

Others have posted that the Excal 1000 is better? Yes, these are all confusing questions for me because, how can an old detector be better unless the new detector cut out some of the needed features the old detector had? So, what are the features the 1000 has that makes it better compared to the new Excal II...?

I am not giving myself any credit but it is these types of forum discussions that are so informative to new customers looking for a great detector. Maybe the forum admin will move this discussion to its own thread so everyone can learn the real benefits of more frequencies plus other good detector options listed from the members that are posting within this thread.

Thank you for all your help...

NightDiver said:

Hi,

I have been searching for the last two months to find the best Metal Detector for the money and it has not been easy.

Let me explain why. First off, I collect coins for a living. With this said, I have not found any pictures, maybe I missed some?, of any coins found with "Land" detectors in the United States worth anything but scrap.

Unless you send what you find in to be graded by either NGC, PCGS or Anacs, the coins are worthless and you cannot clean them because trust me, you will lose a lot of money because the grading companies can tell and will send the coins back to you without a grade in a holder stamped, "cleaned" and the coin is scrap.

So, unless I am missing something on all these metal detecting forums, the only coins worth anything that I see being found by any metal detector are the historic coins which in almost every case do not need to be cleaned because of the age of the gold or silver coin / historic value. It's like finding a shipwreck with millions of dollars worth of "antique" coins from history.

Ok, I respect all the people that have founds items within all the detecting forums but you need to understand where I am coming from. The way I see it, the only fast way in today's world to make your money back after buying a land detector is to purchase a water detector and pray you find gold because the coins I have seen being dug in the U.S soil., i.e., pennies, qtr.'s, dimes, nickels, etc., are all worn and worthless to a collector.

This all brings me to my million dollar question for everyone. Why would anyone spend a lot of money buying a land detector if all you dig is scrap silver and copper? First off, no person gets $1,600 an ounce for Gold unless you find 22K and that is not going to happen unless you live in India. Secondly, Silver is trading at around $28 an ounce. Do you realize how many coins you need to find to recover your money selling silver scrap coins, hundreds if not thousands. So...someone please enlighten me because I am pushing more towards buying a water detector every day that passes. The problem is, I have not seen any new water detectors come out that are worth the price. Maybe I am missing something, you are the experts in this area, now is your time to shine.

Now, anyone with intelligent answers are welcome to post. What I am looking for is again, the best detector for the money and like I said above, after researching detectors and the types of them for many months, the only fast way to try and recover your cost is to buy a water detector for the beaches and diving.

Thank you for all the help...Happy Easter!

Click to expand...

Gee you must not be looking very hard if you have not seen any coins posted worth more than their scrap value lol Try looking at some of the posts again.

The coins need to be graded...for Real Value

robertj298 said:

Gee you must not be looking very hard if you have not seen any coins posted worth more than their scrap value lol Try looking at some of the posts again.

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Hi,

Thank you for your post. After collecting coins for over 30 years, I know for a fact that unless you find coins from shipwrecks or coins that are extremely rare in circulation, whatever it is you find in the dirt is worthless unless you have the coins graded.

You do not have to believe me, just call one of the auction houses that deal in selling vintage coins, they will tell you the same thing. If you want top dollar, you need to have the coin or coins graded by a professional.

ND

NightDiver said:

Hi,

Thank you for your post. After collecting coins for over 30 years, I know for a fact that unless you find coins from shipwrecks or coins that are extremely rare in circulation, whatever it is you find in the dirt is worthless unless you have the coins graded.

You do not have to believe me, just call one of the auction houses that deal in selling vintage coins, they will tell you the same thing. If you want top dollar, you need to have the coin or coins graded by a professional.

ND

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Are you sure you've been collecting coins for 30 years? I have sold quite a few find that have not been professionally graded and all of them sold for much more than bullion value.

NightDiver said:

Hi,

Thank you for your post. After collecting coins for over 30 years, I know for a fact that unless you find coins from shipwrecks or coins that are extremely rare in circulation, whatever it is you find in the dirt is worthless unless you have the coins graded.

You do not have to believe me, just call one of the auction houses that deal in selling vintage coins, they will tell you the same thing. If you want top dollar, you need to have the coin or coins graded by a professional.

ND

Click to expand...

There's been several 1916-D mercury dimes dug up and sold ungraded for $1,000 or more. One of the guys in my club dug a 1901-S barber quarter at a local fairgrounds, sold it a week later for $4,200. Not to mention silver coins are..well...SILVER! Even common date silvers will never be "worthless" because it's a precious metal. If you find 100 silver dimes, quarters, halves, rings, etc a year it adds up!