Big Boys Hobbies

If you had to choose one detector for life, what would you choose?

I use different detectors for many different places I detect, some work better than others for some places.

Notice I didn't list any detectors that I choose to use, that way my choice of detectors is not attacked by anyone just wanting to argue about nothing.
 
graybeard said:
I use different detectors for many different places I detect, some work better than others for some places.

Notice I didn't list any detectors that I choose to use, that way my choice of detectors is not attacked by anyone just wanting to argue about nothing.
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I agree. That's also why I own several different detectors.

BUT, the OP said if we could only own one, which would it be? So with that in mind, I'd choose the one best suited for the type of hunting I do and the places I hunt most often. For me, being a coin shooter with worn out knees, that would be the CTX 3030. That doesn't mean I think it's the best detector overall and that everyone else's choice sucks.. It just means that's what works best for me.

I'm sure it's already been said a million times. There is no perfect detector for everyone. Probably never will be.
 
This is an enormously open topic. People are of all ages, of all health conditions, and that's just two variables. I asked a good friend, a veteran detectorist the question a few weeks back. He quickly said, "an Etrac" with no hesitation. Without his name, he answered in this thread, "A Deus." I'll let that dog sleep, but people have more complex reasons in answering such an expanse topic like this one.

If every one of our single bodies was equal, not 60-70-80 years old and not rheumatoid, or worse, and they can still swing a lot in weigh, well then, the Deus, the Equinox, or any other light based metal detecting model wouldn't be automatic in answers.

This is a multi dimensional, expansive topic. A subject like this is like asking, "Which machine is the best?"
 
The detector that I would use for life hasn't been built yet. The one that came the closest was my White's Eagle II which I bought in 1988 and used until I put it out to pasture in 2014.
 
diggin4clad said:
The detector that I would use for life hasn't been built yet. The one that came the closest was my White's Eagle II which I bought in 1988 and used until I put it out to pasture in 2014.
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Same here but if Minelab does build a top dog Equinox with fe/co and keep the Nox's speed, that could be my lifetime machine.
 
Underworld said:
So many people love that E-Trac, anyone has a few personal bullet points why that machine is so good?
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I can give you my reason for a good opinion of the E-Trac.

I have tried all the top-end detectors, and many mid and lower-end that have had a better than average posted opinion. Most all have had something that gives them the reputation they have for good or bad. To this day, the E-Trac is the ONLY detector I have used that can still pull the occasional keeper from our city park.

I have taken all the super fast processor, and top rated at pulling goodies out of heavily iron saturated sites to my heavy hunted sites and found nada. I can take the E-Trac and still pull that occasional goody from those sites. The E-Trac is not my go to detector for tot lot gold, but when I need to know I have my coil over a deep coin, especially silver, nothing does it like the E-Trac.

I have once again taken every detector I have owned to all my sites that have produced keepers in the past, and they no longer are producing. I can take the E-Trac to those places, and in my experience, have the best odds of going home with a keeper or two.
 
Underworld said:
Very nice Detector! how is it on gold prospecting and relics?
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As I said the E-Trac is not a real gold killer, but when you know what to listen/watch for it does pretty good. I believe it has around 1500 conductive target ID segments which is the highest I know of. The more target ID segments, the more precise the target ID can be. Most of the detectors produced today only have from 30-50 target ID segments.

As a relic detector, it is good on hard packed ground but struggles a bit on the freshly plowed ground. Weight is a problem for me when relic hunting.

There is a good reason a 13 year old detector can still bring a hefty price.
 
Underworld said:
So many people love that E-Trac, anyone have a few personal bullet points why that machine is so good?
Click to expand...

For FBS detectors in general:
*Unique 2D discrimination which allows you to walk right past round rusty iron targets (steel bottle caps, etc) which sound good on other detectors.
*Accurate Target ID - even on deeper targets where most other detectors tend to get "iffy".
*Accurate depth meter with numeric read out (CTX). Much better than the depth arrows or symbols found on some detectors.
*Hits deep silver with an unmistakable tone. Once you've heard it, you remember it.

To sum it up, FBS detectors like the Etrac and CTX give a lot of information about the target pre-dig. This information tends to be pretty dang accurate too. So once a user is able to master putting all that info together (tone, depth, ID, and a good understanding of FE-CO discrimination), he is able to cherry pick good targets like nobody's business... even from the trashiest places. For these reasons I feel that FBS is outstanding for coin shooting, hunting on time limited permissions, hunting permissions where you have to be careful about appearance (well kept lawns where you can't dig a hundred holes), and for those of us who simply aren't able to "dig it all" anymore due to health reasons such as worn out knees or spine problems.

There are plenty of faster detectors that will see targets that FBS may miss.. but I've yet to find a machine that can match them for cherry picking or coin shooting.
 
Rattlehead said:
For FBS detectors in general:
*Unique 2D discrimination which allows you to walk right past round rusty iron targets (steel bottle caps, etc) which sound good on other detectors.
*Accurate Target ID - even on deeper targets where most other detectors tend to get "iffy".
*Accurate depth meter with numeric read out (CTX). Much better than the depth arrows or symbols found on some detectors.
*Hits deep silver with an unmistakable tone. Once you've heard it, you remember it.

To sum it up, FBS detectors like the Etrac and CTX give a lot of information about the target pre-dig. This information tends to be pretty dang accurate too. So once a user is able to master putting all that info together (tone, depth, ID, and a good understanding of FE-CO discrimination), he is able to cherry pick good targets like nobody's business... even from the trashiest places. For these reasons I feel that FBS is outstanding for coin shooting, hunting on time limited permissions, hunting permissions where you have to be careful about appearance (well kept lawns where you can't dig a hundred holes), and for those of us who simply aren't able to "dig it all" anymore due to health reasons such as worn out knees or spine problems.

There are plenty of faster detectors that will see targets that FBS may miss.. but I've yet to find a machine that can match them for cherry picking or coin shooting.
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Rattle, thanks for the detailed response! You're the best!

You must have been doing detecting for years!

P.S. Love your detector lineup, damn!
 
GroundSweeper said:
Toss up between Nox 800 and Compadre…
Click to expand...

interesting answer and makes tons of sense if the detectorist has many years of experience. the compadre, along with it's derivatives ie: 'Mojave" "Bandido 2"
"silver sabre" and "vaquero" coupled with small concentric coils make for a great match up with the mighty nox 800."if learned", these Tesoros can stay with the 800.

(h.h.!)
j.t.
 
vanquish 540 w/2 coils, and yes!..the little Tesoro Mojave w/7" thin concentric coil
vanquish for large "very old" parks, and Mojave for "curb strips"

(h.h.!)
j.t.
 
I like taking my Equinox 800 behind the Etrac and CTX. If there is no EMI on the site. That's the Equinox's greatest limiting factor in my opinion. If no EMI I'm pretty confident in finding stuff other detectors missed including the Etrac and CTX.

I freely admit the Etrac and CTX are better at I.D.. The only caveat would be when they are in trashy spots. There I think most, but maybe not all Etrac and CTX users get fooled into walking away from good targets that don't give them the I.D. they like. I think that Ferrous-Conductive I.D. has left many a challenged target in the ground.

If the target is not challenged at all then boom the Etrac and CTX gets that tone and I.D. the user is looking for. It's a no brainer! Both Detector and Rattle have mentioned they are somewhat Cherry Pickers these days. I cut my teeth in the trash on the Equinox. I'm not saying I'm all that or anything, but most of my silver comes from places that it's a challenge to find. I'd like to hunt behind them someday with my 800 just to see.
 
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