E-Trac vs V3

[JT]

I am considering buying both the E-Trac or the V3. I do not know a lot about Minelab or the E-Trac and would love to get your feedback. I am a little concerned about the V3 because the number of positive comments I see seem to equal to the number of negative comments. Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks, Joe

 

[Larry (IL)]

Both are top notch machines and each excel in their own ways. If you hunt primarily deep coins, I think the E-Trac would have an advantage, I know my SE Pro had a slight depth advantage anyway. The V3 is starting to take a firm foothold in the Relic hunters environment and the V3 has always had the advantage in the jewelry and small gold department and target ID. Some buyers like to consider whether a product is made in the USA or not with service centers all across the country with turn around time being two to five days on the average. For more positive than negative feedback on the V3, you will probably have to go to the V3 forum.

Many here knows that I'm just at home with a Minelab in my hand as a V3 and I'm just with them. It really boils down to what kind of hunting you are going to do and you can't go wrong with either one of them. Pick one and learn how to use it and your rewards will be many.

 

[Ray-Mo.]

Larry gave a very fair evaluation and I would add that it would be best to actually make your decision by observing both in the field by experienced users and swinging both with them giving pointers.If that is not possible the next best thing is to actually play with both at a dealers shop and see which one" feels right" for you,Ray.

 

[JT]

Thank you, Larry. I look for coins and relics and not too big on jewelry. Although, sometimes I do like to get out to the beach. Does one do better than another at salt water beaches?

 

[space_weaseal]

I was in the same situation as you just a few weeks ago and could not decide between the two. I hosetly was leaning towards the V3 becuse i had a MXT300 and loved it and i really liked the idea of having a color screen. I went to a shop to look at the V3 and i did like the screen but the graph and everything else just confussed me. When i got to handle the Etrac i knew it was the one for me and got the E. Now at first i was alittle confussed with the etrac but after reading the etrac book and watching the videos online everything is clear. I really love how sleek the etrac is but i think the V3 is ballanced better. I made the right decison for me and love the etrac but you need to get your hands on both to see what works for you.
Both are great detector and you cant go wronh with either one, but you have to decide which on fits you best..
Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[Larry (IL)]

OH Ray, what happened to the good ole days when we had knock down drag them out bar fights over which was best..............I expected lightning bolts coming from your fingertips and defining thunder...... Heck, the Harley guys are riding with the Metric guys......what is this world coming to? Old age you say? ......................... I suppose so......

 

[Larry (IL)]

If you hunt beaches, I would think jewelry would be high on your list of priorities. I really don't know how the E-Trac stacks up to the beach hunt, ( I would guess very good), but the V3 has a salt water mode and being very sensitive to the gold, has been very popular on all beaches except the black California sand.

 

[Jack Flynn]

OH Ray, what happened to the good ole days when we had knock down drag them out bar fights over which was best..............I expected lightning bolts coming from your fingertips and defining thunder...... Heck, the Harley guys are riding with the Metric guys......what is this world coming to? Old age you say? ......................... I suppose so......

Like going to a Chevy dealership and asking about a Ford.

 

[Ray-Mo.]

I know which one is best for me by a long shot.And when I feel the need to start one of those panties in a wad mines better n yours I dug a Barber dime at 14" blah,blah,blah nock down dragouts I will come over to your V forum
Us E-Trac guys are a more refined class of folks on this finely tuned forum and prefer to post our superior finds rather than get in a spittin match over detector choices

 

[jimmyk]

I had the V 3 and traded it for my E-Trac. The V 3 has some nice features, but I have proven to myself the E-Trac finds more coins than any other machine I've ever owned, including the V 3. Found no silver coins with my V 3, but have found several with my E-Trac, including a six inch Barber dime at an old school yard I previously hunted with a V 3. I haven't looked back since I made the trade.

jimmyk in MIssouri

 

[jimmyk]

Check through the finds on the V 3 forum as well as the E-Trac forum and see who is finding the silver. The E-Trac people are winning that contest hands down.

jimmyk in Missouri

 

[The Beep Goes On]

I've used the E and the V on the beach. The E is awesome and gets excellent depth, etc. Some falsing if you push the sensitivity too high in wet salt sand...Auto is good. The V's Salt Compensate mode works much better than expected and I could pull targets at depth without falsing. I could make it false by pushing the Gain up too high. I own both, I love both...I use them for different purposes determined by the strengths of each machine (which I won't get into ;-) ).

 

[jer4004]

Check through the finds on the V 3 forum as well as the E-Trac forum and see who is finding the silver. The E-Trac people are winning that contest hands down.

jimmyk in Missouri

I don't think that's a very accurate way to pick a machine because of various reasons. But if I were going to use that method I think the explorer forum not the etrac would win that one hands down. If the minelabs are better at finding silver than the V3 its because of separation not depth the V3 is very deep and it doesn't need big coils to achieve the same depth as minelabs plus it hasn't been out long enough for anyone to really master it yet.

 

[shwebb]

I had the same experience. Bought the V3 in march when it first came out. Found lots of coins but very little silver. Got the E trac and within about 3 months found around 35 silver

 

[Ray-Mo.]

Quote: I don't think that's a very accurate way to pick a machine because of various reasons. But if I were going to use that method I think the explorer forum not the etrac would win that one hands down.
I doubt if even the Explorer forum would win over the E-Trac if you take into consideration that it covers 4 models of Explorers released over a period of several years while the E-Trac has been out only a few months longer than the V3.
Any way you want to slice it the E-Trac and Explorers are head and shoulders above Whites regardless of model when it comes to pulling old coins and especially silver ones out of hammered sites like parks,fairgrounds and those kind of areas.
Is this to the point enough for you Larry

 

[jbow]

I agree totally. They are both deep and personally I think that the V3 is a little deeper BUT... in minerals, trying to get partial masked targets the E-TRAC may excell with little tweaking... however... with a proper understanding of the V3 and with the recovery speed properly setup and the correct filter and swing speed... I doubt the E-TRAC will find anything that the V3 wont find. The key is getting the V3 set up correctly for the conditions at the site and the target you are seeking. I have used an E-TRAC ever since it came out and it is awesome at "unmasking" targets, at finding goodies that other hunters and detectors have missed. You have to depend heavily on the conductive number and IMO hunt in ferrous 2tone because it will not false set that way and the C number is usually dead on, the ferrous number will be in an "acceptable" range.

I have not used the V3 as much and it has a much steeper learning curve, especially if you have not used a White's machine before. I am convinced that the V3 is on par with the E-TRAC when it is set up right and once it is understood and I am not quite there but i'm getting there... I know that it is deep, at least as deep as the ET, probably deeper. That is my opinion as of now.

I wouldn't sell either of them at this point... unless I had to and then i'd probably keep the V3. You have to put in some serious time and thought to learn the V3.

J

 

[Ray-Mo.]

You may have some valid points jbow . I liked the Vision I had well enough.I just did not feel like spending a year or more of my valuable time learning how to tweak it for every site so it would compete with the performance of my E-Trac after only using it for a month or less.I think any one who loves to tweak and tune and fiddle with endless combinations of settings will prefer the V3 hands down.On the other hand if you are the type who likes top performance with a hand full of favorite settings learned in 40 plus hours of infield practice the E-Trac will be your machine.I am aware that I did not learn the V well enough to know full well what it was capable of but in the time it would have taken I dug several hundred old coins from hunted sites with my E-Trac so I am satisfied.And that is what detecting should be about is it not,coming home at the end of the day with a big smile and a little less stress,Ray.

 

[rbholt80]

hey get whatever you want and have fun. research sites and learn your detector then post your finds and stories and things you learn.
good luck and happy hunting.

 

[RacerX]

You may have some valid points jbow . I liked the Vision I had well enough.I just did not feel like spending a year or more of my valuable time learning how to tweak it for every site so it would compete with the performance of my E-Trac after only using it for a month or less.

Thats my favorite thing about the ET over the V. Turn it on, noise cancel and forget about it. You might have to adjust the sensativity once in awhile but theres not a lot of thinking involved. Less second guessing = more fun.

That said I think the V will outperform the ET in the right hands. As time goes on the users will get better with it and we'll see an evolution like we did with the DFX but taken to the next level. You won't see my V on ebay anytime soon.

 

[jbow]

that is what detecting should be about is it not,coming home at the end of the day with a big smile and a little less stress


I agree, that is why I do it... I have a great time. Going to hunt a new.old yard tomorrow just east of the "Mud Creek line" hopefully there will be something there for me!!

J