etrac vs v3

[oophotography]

I posted similar se vs dxt several months ago. I received more than adequate response but never bought either. I still do not own or have ever owned a metal detector. The 'sport' is intriguing and am very close to pulling the buy trigger. Now for the new dilemma. Etrac vs V3 - Any comments or suggestions? Please and Thank You!

 

[cvs]

If you have never owned or operated a metal detector your best bet is buy a used older machine and see if you have the will and want to really do this hobby. Buying top of the line (real expensive) right off the bat isn't really that smart in my opinion unless you have money to burn but that's me.

 

[CROCK of COINS]

You would do better to find a local dealer and do a test swing.

A LOT of detectors end up in a closet and just set :-(

Good Luck
Jerry

 

[Nick A]

If you have never owned or operated a metal detector your best bet is buy a used older machine and see if you have the will and want to really do this hobby. Buying top of the line (real expensive) right off the bat isn't really that smart in my opinion unless you have money to burn but that's me.

Agreed. Local dealer or local detectorist is a good bet. Post here or on other forums and see if you can find someone in your area willing to show you the ropes.

I absolutely would not buy top of the line to start. Get an entry level Garrett, Fisher, White's or Minelab machine and see if the hobby is for you. You can always sell the machine in the forum classifieds when you decide to upgrade and recoup most of your investment. As for used machines that are easy to use, the Fisher CZ is simple and a great machine. I have seen them used for as little as $300.

Many good finds have been made with $200 detectors. Spending more doesn't necessarily get you more.

 

[ghostman]

You would have to go onto the Minelab forum and ask them what a E-Trac is like, reports from the Uk are saying they can detect coins up to 18 inches, but they are very complicated detectors to use+ there very heavy.

Whites detectors are quite easy to use, are well balanced, i doubt the V3 can beat any minelab for deapth


I would agreee if you have never owned or used a detector before, then you start of with somthing simple, a lot of people buy a detector hoping to get rich, when it does not happen,the detector is sold usally at a big loss.

Personally if someone put a gun to my head and said chose a V3 or an E-trac, i would go for a V3, minelab detectors are not for beginners,people in the Uk are buying them and after a couple of weeks there up for sale.

 

[xarget]

I respectfully disagree with the above posts, I can not speak for the Minelab but the v3 is very easy to use and a great machine to start with, I bought a garrett ace 250, dug as much trash as I did coins and was getting frustrated with it, (I am still a beginner), with the v3 I dig a lot more coins and less trash, sold the garrett to buy the v3 and wouldn't trade it for anything. A lesser machine may turn you off as it did me, and if u decide you don't like the v3 I'm sure you won't have a problem getting your money back.

 

[ghostman]

Hello xarget

I stated Whites detectors are quite easy to use, and are well balanced, and i would chose one over a minelab.

The E-Trac is the most complicated machine i know of, i do not like the tones minelab machines make,there confusing,even to experienced users

Beginners should remember it does not matter what machine they have, or how much it cost, the important thing is knowing how to use it.

someone with a basic machine that is proficient at using it will always have more success than someone with the most expensive machine if that operator can not use it properly.

xarget i am glad you are pleased with your V3 confidence in any machine will always bring you more finds

 

[Sonny(IN)]

Stand corrected. The e trac is not complicated to use and I am not from the UK. I own the vision and the e trac.

 

[ghostman]

setting up the discrimination programmes on the E-trac are not complicated ? if you own both machines which in your opinion is the deeper of the two,or which is the better machine ?

 

[Sonny(IN)]

You would have to go onto the Minelab forum and ask them what a E-Trac is like, reports from the Uk are saying they can detect coins up to 18 inches, but they are very complicated detectors to use+ there very heavy.

Whites detectors are quite easy to use, are well balanced, i doubt the V3 can beat any minelab for deapth


I would agreee if you have never owned or used a detector before, then you start of with somthing simple, a lot of people buy a detector hoping to get rich, when it does not happen,the detector is sold usally at a big loss.

Personally if someone put a gun to my head and said chose a V3 or an E-trac, i would go for a V3, minelab detectors are not for beginners,people in the Uk are buying them and after a couple of weeks there up for sale.

womderin if you have ever used the vision or e trac. The whites vision is a lttle complex in my opinion.

 

[ghostman]

I have used an XLT and a DFX both are extremely easy to use

Setting up the discrimination patters on a E-trac looks very complicated,as do a lot of the other settings.

The multi tones of the E-trac need a very steep learning curve, there confusing and i would not recommend the machine to a beginner

Which machine do you prefere and why?

The E-trac is suppose to be the deepest machine on the market today, how does the V3 compare

 

[woodchiphustler]

Features you can compare.Performance has allot to do with your local soil conditions and your experience as an operator. Apples and oranges. Both are fine machines. I own both.

 

[pastyman]

I have used an XLT and a DFX both are extremely easy to use

Setting up the discrimination patters on a E-trac looks very complicated,as do a lot of the other settings.

The multi tones of the E-trac need a very steep learning curve, there confusing and i would not recommend the machine to a beginner

Which machine do you prefere and why?

The E-trac is suppose to be the deepest machine on the market today, how does the V3 compare

Deepest where, beach, fresh plough or pasture?

I'll wager my GT against the E-Trac on wet sand, (and yes I have both), so speaking from experience, last week V3 v E-trac fresh plough, various uk coins buried at up to 9", both machines hit all targets, different setups, you can't compare one manufacturer's coin programme with another.

You may ask, well how deep does it go?

And I ask, how deep do you normally find coins?..........within 9" most of the time I bet!

But I know the GT, E-Trac can hit Vicky pennies over a foot on pasture, and the GT 15" inches in wet sand (if you know how to use it).

I know the V3 in Hi-pro, tweaked, can pull coins from within iron a lot clearer than the E-trac, both will do it, but the V3, I find is a little more conclusive in what it's telling you, the biggest aid being the analyze mode coupled with the good old audio response (as with any machine)

There is no one single machine that will excel in all disciplines, tools for jobs, and jobs for tools, that will always be that way!

So before you ask which machine is best, you need to know where you are going to hunt, and what you are looking for,THEN you source a machine to do the job!!!!!!!!

HH

Dazzer

 

[Willee - Texas]

I respectfully disagree with the above posts, I can not speak for the Minelab but the v3 is very easy to use and a great machine to start with, I bought a garrett ace 250, dug as much trash as I did coins and was getting frustrated with it, (I am still a beginner), with the v3 I dig a lot more coins and less trash, sold the garrett to buy the v3 and wouldn't trade it for anything. A lesser machine may turn you off as it did me, and if u decide you don't like the v3 I'm sure you won't have a problem getting your money back.

Agree.

As a longtime Minelab user (Sovereign, Explorer II, Excalibur) I was never impressed much with the White's detectors I bought and/or tried (XLT, MXT, DFX, Prizm III) primarily as salt water beach hunters.
(The one exception is the BeachHunter ID ... a very worthy beach machine)
But the Spectra V3 is a very different machine.
I have been using it for a few weeks now and at times am amazed at it.
With the pre-loaded programs that White's has developed, this V3 is very easy to use first time out for just about any type hunting.
Of course the longer you use it and the more you learn about how to refine those programs to suit your style and ground conditions the higher level of performance you are going to get with it. However, you don't really need to learn much more to benefit from the technology White's has designed into this new detector.
I bought it thinking I would use the "active analyze screen" to discriminate trash.
Turns out I hardly use it.
The "active search screen" gives a world of information about the target in the ground and I seldom use anything else.

And the Deep Silver program ... wow! ... this is THE program to use at old parks and school yards.
I am VERY impressed with this new White's Spectra V3 and plan on keeping it as my main detector.
There is so much to learn about this new detector I doubt I will get bored with it for a very long time.

I see a few Spectra V3's are starting to show up on the used market.
Since White's will happily transfer the 2 year warranty you can save a few hundred dollars and if you feel the machine just isn't your cup of tea the resell value will be there.

 

[ghostman]

Thanks pastyman good information like this is helpfull sounds like the V3 has the edge over the E-trac, i could never get on with the multie tones of minelab detectors they drove me mad.

I here the French company are bring out a new detector soon, so i will either go for a V3 or maybe the new French detector

Patyman have you had any good finds like hammered coins with your V3 yet?

 

[oophotography]

Thanks Everyone,

I would like to hear about a few more actual (side by side) comparisons. Sounds like the V3 is winning the battle at this point.

Best,
Scott

 

[CROCK of COINS]

Shaun, You NEED a detector NOW. This is the good time to get it and learn the machine so that you will be ready when the fields get turned next!

Just get it. ;-)

Jerry

 

[pastyman]

Thanks pastyman good information like this is helpfull sounds like the V3 has the edge over the E,-trac, i could never get on with the multie tones of minelab detectors they drove me mad.

I here the French company are bring out a new detector soon, so i will either go for a V3 or maybe the new French detector

Patyman have you had any good finds like hammered coins with your V3 yet?

I'm down in Cornwall m8, not that many hammies lurking, but I have no doubt that the V3 is gonna ht them, done some tests with a cut quarter I had last year and it hits it no probs in an air test, of course in the ground is gonna be a different story, yet to be told, but I will be off the some fields that have just been turned over again, very very fluffy, with a high sand content and high iron content, we will see what pops up.
These fields rob the GT of threshold and the Explorer, but the E-Trac with the new pro coil, would run at fairly high sensitivity levels without too much falsing, but I found that it needed to be run with discrim wide open and very slow with Niels programme, to be able to pull stuff from the iron.

but it is still early days, and a lot more swinging time is needed before I decide if I'm gonna keep the E-Trac........close run thing at the moment!!!

 

[ghostman]

Im in Wiltshire, not joking now when i had my XLT I found hammered on every outing, so i am quite loyal to Whites although i was not impressed with the DFX

Once i see what this new French machine is all about, i will make my mind up which detector to get

At the moment the V3 is my number 1 choise

I bet the weather in Cornwall is nice today,hopfully it will last all week

 

[Sonny(IN)]

Thanks Everyone,

I would like to hear about a few more actual (side by side) comparisons. Sounds like the V3 is winning the battle at this point.

Best,
Scott

att.Scott. Who do u think would win when asking on the vision forum? Go to the garrett forum and ask if they like Fisher,Whites,or garrett