MikeSatter
Elite Member
I have a friend wanting to purchase a White's Spectra V3i and was wondering if anyone on here uses one and recommends it? Do you have a better recommendation? Thanks in advance for your help!!!
White's Spectra V3i
- Thread starter MikeSatter
- Start date
Kolby72
Forum Supporter
I have around 300 plus hours on my V3i and I love it. Having said that it all depends on personal prefrence. What do you want to hunt for? The V3i is a very well rounded machine and can hunt in almost any soil. I am always amazed at the tiny signals it pics up! It is truely a great machine! People will tell you that the learning curve is very difficult but that is not the case. The stock programs are turn on and go... And as you get more time with the unit you can start to tweak it to your own prefrences.
MikeSatter
Elite Member
It will be for detecting on all types of services And I'm just checking on it for one of my friends.
Rattlehead
Forum Supporter
I purchased one recently and am very pleased with it.
MikeSatter
Elite Member
One of my MDing friends is wanting me to check up on this detector before he buys one, and I can find no faults with it; even makes me want one. I will let him know what everyone has stated and will keep a watch on this forum for new comments, thanks.
pulltabMiner
Forum Supporter
I have one and have put in a decent amount of time hunting with it.
The other day I dug up a brass metal disc, smaller than a dime from an 8 inch deep hole. The V3i gave me a consistent and strong signal.
The stock programs let you turn the machine on and go. The more you learn it, the more powerful it becomes.
It is definitely not a one trick pony like some other high end detectors from a certain island continent in the southern hemisphere...
The other day I dug up a brass metal disc, smaller than a dime from an 8 inch deep hole. The V3i gave me a consistent and strong signal.
The stock programs let you turn the machine on and go. The more you learn it, the more powerful it becomes.
It is definitely not a one trick pony like some other high end detectors from a certain island continent in the southern hemisphere...
MikeSatter
Elite Member
I appreciate everyone's help with the information provided and will pass it along to my friend. If it were you purchasing one would you go with the White's Spectra V3i or the Minelab E-Track and please state your reasoning. Thanks in advance!!!
Kolby72
Forum Supporter
How many hours did you put into learning the machine? Were you just not swinging over the targets or could the machine not find he same coins that the etrac could? Also the OP'er said he want to do all kinds of hunting not just for silver and coins. I know the Etrac can find silver great and other coins but It is not as well rounded as the V3i. Also you had the V3 which was before the "I" mod. I am not trying to make all the loyal ETrac users angry because the Etrac is a great machine I just think it does really well in some areas and in other areas it is still good but not quite as strong =)
MikeSatter
Elite Member
I can find no fault in the White's Spectra V3i but was just following up for a friend who asked my opinion. If It were me buying right today, I would buy the Spectra V3i hands down based on reviews, forum members comments, and the video's I watched. I am sure the E-Trac is an excellent machine but from what I researched I'm going to recommend him purchasing the V3i.
If anyone has any additional comments, they will be greatly appreciated.
If anyone has any additional comments, they will be greatly appreciated.
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
Here's my take after owning the V3i for a year and a half. I jumped on buying it for it's sophistcation, and the fact I already had another Whites machine. The V3i has the expanse abilities of tiny gold prospecting and all(it does a great job in detecting ultra small stuff.) All in all though, my type, and many hunters type of hunting orbits arouond coins. I think the Etrac wins on that effort. I also notice that there are far more posts about finds with the Etrac than finds with the V3i. I do look for the V3i being glorified in real world hunts too, in order to justify my ownership...the Etrac keeps on getting reports, more than the V3i.
The V3i is like a scientific calculator IMO. It has tons of buttons and features but I just don't think that it keeps the attention of the general hunter for that long. I think your friend will be finding lots more coins with an Etrac, and that is what keeps me in the field hunting and digging. Gold is just too ellusive to focus on when considering the V3i. jm2c martin
I put about 100 hours on the machine in 30 days. Both my buddies hit 100 silvers during this time to my 20. I tested them side-by side, and the V3 did not see coins that the ETrac was screaming out loud and clear. I spent countless hours tweaking and testing. After a month of this, I was done with it.
Mind you, I was a White's guy through and through. I was VERY happy with my MXT (until the silver dried up), so I was very disappointed when I had to give up on the V3.
Kolby72
Forum Supporter
Fair enough man! I can see how you could get frustrated about that. I think you might have had something wrong with your detector. I have not seen a detector that could find stuff my V3i couldn't find. A guy in our MD club just got an E-Trac so I can finally do a good side by side comparison.
Kolby72
Forum Supporter
His friend wants a well rounded machine that can hunt anything from what he is saying. Finding old quarters does not appeal to me at all. I would rather find old relics. I have enough experience with my V3i that I know for sure I would be able to find any target that an E-Trac user could. Just because there are more E-Trac users it doesn't make the E-Trac a better machine. I only see posts about finding coins with the E-Trac I hardly ever see any posts about relics being found.
Rattlehead
Forum Supporter
No doubt about it, the Etrac is an outstanding machine. However, so is the V3i. I think the V gets a lot of bad press about being "overly complicated" and having a "huge learning curve" (both of which are not true IMHO) and this tends to sway potential buyers away from them. From what I've seen, Etrac owners here probably outnumber V3i owners by 4 to 1.. So of coarse they'll be posting more finds. But I can tell you this.. The V3i has absolutely no trouble seeing deep silver. Several of the coins that I'm pulling out of my current hot spot are close to a foot deep. Some of the other coins have had square nails within an inch or two from them. You just have to learn what the machine is telling you and know what to listen for.
dingodog
Full Member
Got my V3i a year ago, Love it!
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
My point is that when someone says "a machine to find anything", they don't have an understanding yet of what they will really be enjoying the machine for yet, and to the bulk of people that will be coins. I will enjoy all the quarters I can get, in hopes of silvers and a surprise piece of jewelry here and there. By the generality of the question, I still stand behind my opinion of the Etrac over the V. My v3i can certainly find relics, in fact if finds those along with more trash than I care to carry home. The "E" simply makes for a lot more fun in currency, day and day out.
I am happy that your V3i gives you what you want. I do think that the mere fact that there are more Etrac users does indicate the validity of it's performance though. martin
Dirty Money
Elite Member
And the debate rages on. However, after someone pulls gold from where you just covered with the silver hound, all around takes on a whole new meaning.
MikeSatter
Elite Member
I appreaciate all the comments but still feel confussed! I have looked around for a possible rental place for the Spectra V3i or E-Trac but around here there is not any. I spoke to kenneth yesterday, and he just purchased one yesterday morning, and I guess time will tell.
pulltabMiner
Forum Supporter
A very experienced admin in this forum has used both and this is what he has said (I paraphrase):
"For pulling deep silver out of a hunted-out park, you can't beat the Etrac. For everything else, go with the V3i"
As for finds with the V3i, not very many users here use the V3i. In other forums, finds with the V3i are plentiful.
My feeling is, if the silver is there, I will find it with the V3i.
"For pulling deep silver out of a hunted-out park, you can't beat the Etrac. For everything else, go with the V3i"
As for finds with the V3i, not very many users here use the V3i. In other forums, finds with the V3i are plentiful.
My feeling is, if the silver is there, I will find it with the V3i.
