Yeah, I'm still using the E-Trac Terry (Detector) sold me used forever ago, which has found over 1400 silvers, including a reasonable amount this year, at least IMHO (best year for me since 2013, and I don't get out like I did in the old days).
Its a bit beat up now, and the headphone jack is failing, and when it does who knows what I'll do, but I agree location trumps machine. An hour doing research beats an hour arguing on the forum which machine is better.
That said, tell a fisherman or a hunter you could buy 1000 fish or 1000 packs of meat for the cost of their gear, their boat, their truck. They will look at you like you have 3 heads, and rightly so.
Life is about experience. The cold math says all of this we that do is irrational (buying the next round of gear that will find 10 more mercs or catch 10 more fish) , but I will counter with -- "lets keep the experience in life".
I'll be first in line. And this from a legitimate practicing economist who studies this sort of stuff. I'm not saying buy the next machine just to find 10 more mercs; buy the next machine, or line of fishing gear, if it improves your experience.
I think we tend to forget the experiential aspect of life sometimes, and I think we shouldn't.
JMHO, as always