Minelab E-trac still worth it?

Ethane

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I'm planning to buy a new detector for my two other friends.

But I was wondering if its still worth buying the Minelab E-trac nowadays?

Im doubting between the CTX and the E-trac. But to be honest the CTX is a little above the budget and since the equinox came out we have some good deals on the e-trac.

I readed some topics and the opinions where a little devided. Some say e-trac over ctx and vice versa. My main area's are old demolition fields with medival waste from out of the city. So all my hunting area's are moderate to heavy iron invested. Why I'm doubting is: there is a really huge arsenal of 3rd party coils for the e-trac. Does the smaller coils make the reactivity difference between the E-trac and CTX zero-ing out?

PS. I already own the equinox and deus. So its just about the ctx and etrac ;).
 
If I didn't have my NOX 800 I'd have an E-Trac. Still a great detector. The only reasons I chose the 800 over my E-Trac was weight, I'm getting old LOL, and gold.
 
The E Trac has better target ID over what you have. That is great for limiting the holes in nice yards or parks where unwanted holes are kept to a minimum. If this is not a priority then I fail to see why you need either of the two detectors you have questions on over what you have now. Unless you like spending money on dust collectors.
 
The E Trac has better target ID over what you have. That is great for limiting the holes in nice yards or parks where unwanted holes are kept to a minimum. If this is not a priority then I fail to see why you need either of the two detectors you have questions on over what you have now. Unless you like spending money on dust collectors.

He said he was buying for friends.
 
The E Trac has better target ID over what you have. That is great for limiting the holes in nice yards or parks where unwanted holes are kept to a minimum. If this is not a priority then I fail to see why you need either of the two detectors you have questions on over what you have now. Unless you like spending money on dust collectors.

Reducing holes is not a priority ;). I dont hunt in parks or yards simply because we dont have them a lot and we have plenty of farm fields with the goodies. I was just thinking of adding it to the collection just caus the equinox cant get me, something is missing on that machine (personal). Spending money is not a hobby but I like to try all kind of detectors and some I just keep. Never had a FBS machine and I would like to try one. I believe or type of hunting is very different than you guys are doing over there. I just seek relics/coins of medieval times or older.
 
You'll see some people trading a CTX for an E-Traq but seldom the other way round.

Why I don't know, never used a CTX but presently use an Etraq and both are quality FBS detectors.

Perhaps ETrac accessories/coils are more plentiful and not as expensive?
 
The Etrac is a great detector, but given the choice I’d definitely pick the CTX. The additional features make it worth the extra $$$ to me. I find Target Trace extremely useful for hunting in iron and trash. Not to mention the ability to set up tone bins, more separation modes, waterproof, better display, better balance, trigger style pinpoint button, etc.

Both are outstanding coin shooting machines but neither would be my top choice for relic hunting.


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The Etrac is a great detector, but given the choice I’d definitely pick the CTX. The additional features make it worth the extra $$$ to me. I find Target Trace extremely useful for hunting in iron and trash. Not to mention the ability to set up tone bins, more separation modes, waterproof, better display, better balance, trigger style pinpoint button, etc.

Both are outstanding coin shooting machines but neither would be my top choice for relic hunting.


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Hmm oke, why you would not chose neither of them for relic hunting?
 
Hmm oke, why you would not chose neither of them for relic hunting?



FBS machines can find relics too, but it’s strengths are higher conductors and accurate ID. Awesome coin shooting detectors, for US coins anyway. For small low conductors (where a lot of relics tend to fall) there are better choices IMHO. Something capable of higher frequencies and faster recovery speed. Deus, Equinox, etc.


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FBS machines can find relics too, but it’s strengths are higher conductors and accurate ID. Awesome coin shooting detectors, for US coins anyway. For small low conductors (where a lot of relics tend to fall) there are better choices IMHO. Something capable of higher frequencies and faster recovery speed. Deus, Equinox, etc.


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I dont have a clue how FBS is responding on hammereds.. My main searching is coins but yea on those places its loaden with relics as well ;).. so why not pick em up while coin hunting :P. The fields where I hunt are full of 1200-1800's coins and relics.
 
I’ve never had the pleasure of hunting on your side of the pond, but from what I’ve seen from other detectorists in your area, some of those ancient coins are really low conductors. I’d love to detect there some day.


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For relic hunting I don't think it will make that much difference. If I had to go be the design alone I'd say the CTX would have an advantage. The Issue is FBS, which is both the CTX & E-Trac love high conductors like silver and copper but low conductors, and freshly plowed fields are not where they are best. The reason I give the advantage to the CTX in relics is the faster processor should do better in high iron trash sites.

I've owned them both but didn't do that much relic hunting when I did. The relic hunting I did do I bought a Deus because I could tell I wasn't getting the depth out of the CTX or E-Trac in most fields.
 
I have ran about every make of land machines and currently own a CTX3030, E Trac, 800 and 600 Equinox and the Deus as well as a few others.
I will always keep an E Trac in my arsenal because it really suits my style of hunting which is mainly coinshooting for old silver.
For the type of detecting you are doing I would definitely go with the Deus. If I am hunting an old homesite littered with iron the Deus is my go to machine. That does not mean the others will not pick up a good target next to iron, just yesterday I pulled a silver dime out of hole that also had an old nail in it BUT if there is a lot of iron you cannot beat the reactivity speed of the Deus to pick the high conductors out of the carpet of iron.
 
"PS. I already own the equinox and deus. So its just about the ctx and etrac . "


Sorry about my above response as I failed to see this statement in your post.

As I said I mostly coinshoot but several times a year I go hunting for Civil war relics and many of the sites are like those that you hunt, covered with old iron. I have seen many of the FBS machines struggle in this environment. Yes, I have seen a few good finds made including a guy dig 5 Civil war breast/belt plates with a CTX3030. BUT it seems to be an exception.

Most of my finds have come with the Deus. I do have some new settings to try out on my CTX this fall so that may sway my opinion.

The suspicious side of me says that maybe since you own the Deus you may not want your friends to run such a capable machine and cut in on all the good finds:laughing:
 
"PS. I already own the equinox and deus. So its just about the ctx and etrac . "


Sorry about my above response as I failed to see this statement in your post.

As I said I mostly coinshoot but several times a year I go hunting for Civil war relics and many of the sites are like those that you hunt, covered with old iron. I have seen many of the FBS machines struggle in this environment. Yes, I have seen a few good finds made including a guy dig 5 Civil war breast/belt plates with a CTX3030. BUT it seems to be an exception.

Most of my finds have come with the Deus. I do have some new settings to try out on my CTX this fall so that may sway my opinion.

The suspicious side of me says that maybe since you own the Deus you may not want your friends to run such a capable machine and cut in on all the good finds:laughing:

Haha.. By the way do I know you from the AKA forums Choppa?

Hmm oke, for now I use my AKA Sorex (a-gain) to do the heavy depth coin hunting. And i was thinking of trading my sorex in for an e-trac.

Interesting post, does the noise cancel channel shifting help in iron invested places? And I readed that TTF is not always a good option in iron invested places...

I have some old church sites (demolished at around 1200's) that are full of iron nails etc. My only friend that is hunting is my dad (with his ctx) and he did a good job on those sites. I rehunted them with my deus and HF coils and didnt found much after him leaving the site. Another detector that did great was the rutus alter 71 with its speed and CC coil!! Was quite amazing!


I mean with my friends 'my detectors'. So no one is handling my deus ;).

After all you guys post I'm not really convinced yet..
 
Haha.. By the way do I know you from the AKA forums Choppa?

Hmm oke, for now I use my AKA Sorex (a-gain) to do the heavy depth coin hunting. And i was thinking of trading my sorex in for an e-trac.

Interesting post, does the noise cancel channel shifting help in iron invested places? And I readed that TTF is not always a good option in iron invested places...

I have some old church sites (demolished at around 1200's) that are full of iron nails etc. My only friend that is hunting is my dad (with his ctx) and he did a good job on those sites. I rehunted them with my deus and HF coils and didnt found much after him leaving the site. Another detector that did great was the rutus alter 71 with its speed and CC coil!! Was quite amazing!


I mean with my friends 'my detectors'. So no one is handling my deus ;).

After all you guys post I'm not really convinced yet..

Yes, I am also on the AKA forum. I have a Sorex pro (non A gain) and it is probably my deepest machine but it sure is a pain in the @ss to set up for specific sites. But once it is dialed in it is deadly deep. I have consistently dug coins at well over a foot Deep.
As far as the E Trac, the noise cancel will only help pick the best channel without outside interference so the ground composition really does not come into play here.
I never had much more luck running TTF in any iron infested spots but to be truthful I have not done much of that style hunting with the E Trac.
 
I have a CTX 3030 and have used it quite a bit in heavy nails with the 6in coil but it would not be my first choice out of the detectors I own if hitting a site like you mention for the first time. I would probably opt for the Deus with the 9in x35 coil or VGG with super six, possibly even the Multi Kruzer with 7in concentric. Out of the two you are talking about though I would opt for the CTX, handles iron much better etc.
 
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