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CTX 3030 Comparisons - WTH

M

Mikeconley

New member
So I just bought the E-Trac after a long internal debate about spending that much money. I found a used one in great shape for $925 so I feel pretty good about that.
I have been out around 5 hours total, no great finds, just learning and experimenting at this point.
I happened to read a thread about the CTX 3030 which lead me to look at comparisons between the two. Probably shouldn't have done that. After reading many of the reviews by people that have owned both, I am left feeling like the E-Trac is all but worthless! Now I know that is now the situation by my gosh, reading these comparisons sure makes it seem that way.

Sorry.....Just had to get that off my chest!

Mike
 
Not so Mike........The E-Trac is a very good detector and should give you many good finds. I have had two Explorer XSs, an E-Trac, and now the CTX. I made very nice and rewarding finds with all of them. The CTX has many other features, but the E-Trac in the hands of someone that really knows their machine can do extremely well in the "finds" department.........You have not messed up by going with the E-Trac........All I can say is not to worry about the CTX, just learn the detector that you have and things will be Good........I wish you the best of Luck..........
 
I have a ctx and my son uses an etrac. We hunt together most of the time and he has found 97silvers with his etrac and I have found 60 with my ctx. Makes me question my judgement about upgrading, but I have no regrets. The etrac is a great machine, give it time.
 
I can tell you this..........I have used my etrac for almost 4 yrs now, my buddy has a CTX and he has yet to get a signal that my etrac can't get, we compare signals when we hunt and I am not missing anything. He told me he doesn't feel it is any better (he upgraded from etrac)

I will even tell you this.......I have had the offer from two dealers and.......... NO I will NOT say who they are, they both offered me a CTX at wholesale and I turned em both down. I LOVE my etrac and have absolutely no reason to change to the CTX, learn your etrac and you will be pleasantly surprised at its abilities.

I have 600 silver and over 500 indians with my etrac, it has paid for it self 3x over.........of course it helps that one of those 600 silver was a 1916-D merc..lol
 
I have found that the ctx is more comfortable to swing, and the processor seems faster. My etrac is now my backup and I would not go back to it full time.
 
I feel just the opposite, I used the CTX of my buddies for an hour and a half and my forearm hurt it seemed so unbalanced to me, you absolutely HAVE to put your arm thru the arm band strap and I hate that, I don't like using it on my etrac, too uncomfortable to me
 
Hello Mike; I,ve never owned a CTX 30 30 and have never saw one but I do have an E-trac and have found a lot
of Indians and a lot of old silver coins ,silver rings 1 gold ring, alot of Wheaties,tokens (not as much as G4E,:nopity:)
but still very very happy I got it.:clapping: I would never trade my Etrac for a CTX and I believe there is a lot of others
that feel the same way. HH
 
Goes4ever said:
I feel just the opposite, I used the CTX of my buddies for an hour and a half and my forearm hurt it seemed so unbalanced to me, you absolutely HAVE to put your arm thru the arm band strap and I hate that, I don't like using it on my etrac, too uncomfortable to me
Click to expand...

I've never used a CTX - so I didn't know you had to wear the wrist strap.
I took the velcro strap of my machine's arm cuff when it was brand new - all I found it was good for is getting the in the way and slowing you down !
 
This is my first season with an Etrac. This week alone (approx 5.5 hrs of swinging) I found as many silver coins as I had with my previous 3 machines combined over the last 3 years. Granted that was only 5 but I never ever would have imagined how well I'd do with the Etrac. You also mention the cost of the Etrac. I got anew one for a little more than what you paid for the used one. I haven't heard of a CTX selling for less than $2000. Plus I don't like that I can't put a Sunray probe on the CTX. You can't on an Etrac any longer either but you can still find them used for a decent price. Check out my YouTube channel for some of my finds so far this year - Ohio Digger
 
A little too much 1) insecurity and 2) bragging throughout this thread for my liking... I think I'll go do some detectin'.... ;)

Joe
 
the 3030 "should" be better, it costs twice as much money.

your etrac is a powerful detector, give it time. you are putting yourself at a disadvantage by losing confidence in it because of what you read on the internet. it will take time just to learn its language and that will require your patience and concentration.
 
Worthless? hardly, but I would say the CTX is a better machine.

I ran both the E-Trac and CTX head-to-head for quite awhile and came to this conclusion. Like Goes4ever commented, the CTX found nothing the E-Trac couldn't also hit, BUT! there were several the CTX made the better and more accurate ID on. I had several that were iffy on the E-Trac but the CTX called good or bad and the CTX was correct. We had some the E-Trac leaned toward junk and the CTX leaned toward good, and the CTX was correct. We had some the E-Trac leaned toward good and the CTX leaned toward junk, and the CTX was correct.

My conclusion was both have about the same depth, although possibly a slight depth advantage to the CTX in my soil, but without a doubt the CTX was more accurate at a greater depth.
 
You must be happy with you first.... The Etrac was, and still is a fine detector. Sure the CTX is a step forward .......But maybe it isn't a step forward for you.......and you might hate it. LOL...:laugh:
 
Mike, I can solve this "worthless" problem for you. Package up the e-trac and mail it to me. Then you will make two people happy - me - with my "worthless" e-trac and you with your new CTX. In all seriousness, read through the gazillion of e-trac posts and see what people have found with this "worthless" e-trac. You have one of the best lethal weapons and it is in your hands.....you just have to devote time in the field and learn its language to understand what the machine is telling you. Do youself a favor, don't make any rash decisions. Dedicate 50-75 hours in the field with this machine. Most of all there are short cuts to learning the machine by reading the "stickys" and posts here in this forum. After dedicating 50-75 hours in the field you don't like the machine or it "isn't for you" or you just don't fall in love with its language, I have a good feeling the CTX won't be for you either. JM2cents. Hang in there and I wish you the best - Jim

Mikeconley said:
I am left feeling like the E-Trac is all but worthless!

Mike
Click to expand...
 
All great comments but please don't get me wrong, I know the E-Trac is a great machine and I don't regret my choice at all. It just amazed me how these comparisons made the E-Trac look as if it was completely incapable compared to the 3030.
It was really more of a rant than a second guessing my choice.
Getting ready to go on my first serious hunt today. I have been researching a park that was used as a fairgrounds in the late 1800s. I fully expect there to be lots of trash as this is a very popular park today.It should be a great learning experience.
I went by the park yesterday to find areas that have been untouched in terms of development.
Couldn't believe my luck when I got there. There was an elderly man sitting on a bench so I stopped and introduced myself. Turns out he has lived in the area for all his 87 years.
Icing on the cake when he told me his grandfather was the groundskeeper in the late 1800s/early 1900s. As a young boy, he would often stay at his house located on the property. He talked about how the park looked back then and pointed out the areas that haven't really changed expect for the pavilions put in place.
There is a very large hill in the park that is in somewhat of a bowl shape. He said they would perform plays at the bottom while the audience sat on the hill. It makes the perfect amphitheater.
Should be fun, looking forward to the experience!

Mike
 
I had an original XS...went to the EXP II....... I hated that machine and wasn't again pleased with Minelabs till the Se Pro came out.. Then I tried a E-Trac.. Nope I still wanted to use the SE Pro.
I tried another E-Trac and it was LOVE at first Hunt... Goes4ever settings made the difference for me with the Etrac..

Will I try a CTX 3030 ........ I'm sure I will. Once I justify to myself the price.. Will I love it.???.. Only owning one will answer that question for me..
 
Mikeconley said:
All great comments but please don't get me wrong, I know the E-Trac is a great machine and I don't regret my choice at all. It just amazed me how these comparisons made the E-Trac look as if it was completely incapable compared to the 3030.
It was really more of a rant than a second guessing my choice.
Getting ready to go on my first serious hunt today. I have been researching a park that was used as a fairgrounds in the late 1800s. I fully expect there to be lots of trash as this is a very popular park today.It should be a great learning experience.
I went by the park yesterday to find areas that have been untouched in terms of development.
Couldn't believe my luck when I got there. There was an elderly man sitting on a bench so I stopped and introduced myself. Turns out he has lived in the area for all his 87 years.
Icing on the cake when he told me his grandfather was the groundskeeper in the late 1800s/early 1900s. As a young boy, he would often stay at his house located on the property. He talked about how the park looked back then and pointed out the areas that haven't really changed expect for the pavilions put in place.
There is a very large hill in the park that is in somewhat of a bowl shape. He said they would perform plays at the bottom while the audience sat on the hill. It makes the perfect amphitheater.
Should be fun, looking forward to the experience!

Mike
Click to expand...

Mike,

Sounds like you need a friend to detect with? Where do ya live? :drool

: I expect you have the stock coil and that coil is a killer in the right hands. You should do just fine. I look forward to seeing your finds.

Jeff
 
Did not read beyond the first sentence before starting to write this.

I have had all the Explorer's and the ET a few times and have had the CTX , but I felt the CTX was missing something and although it has other features and you can put more programmes in and it waterproof and it has ground balance and you can put tones for a certain area of the screen , it does cost a bloody site more and doesn't perform to that extra amount . If anything its 5% better ??? and not on all sites .
The best places where it will out perform the ET are under water and in extremely irony sites but with any discrim it will still nul and that is the same as the ET.
I sold my CTX and kept my ET and always feel far better off and with a RNB battery pack it will last near on 40 hours in the field where the CTX might last less than 20 and the wireless set a bit less.
In fact last week I bought a new ET as a back up , cant beat the best STILL. :thumbup:
 
I think you're smart to stick with E-trac. I went the CTX route and am still not real happy with it. It absolutely kills my forearm. Places I hunted previously with E-trac, I pretty much cleared out.
 
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