Explorer or E-trac:shrug:

[40golf_zulu]

ok this question is for both explorer and e-trac users.
i have an explorer.......but two guys i know hunt with e-tracs and they both tell me to trade it for an e-trac.
now im still learning the explorer and my finds arent as frequent or as good as these two other guys i know and im sure the machine has alot to do with finding good stuff but i also believe that skill with that machine is just as important. now i just need some input on this subject. i think maybe after i become skillfull with my explorer then maybe ill trade it for an e-trac....or am i just short changing my self and lagging behind because of my choice of detectors?
now on the other side of the coin, another hunting buddy of mine uses a Garrett 2500 and he has found some of the nicest and oldest coins out of all of us and my other hunting buddy uses a whites m6, and he always has the biggest coin count out of all of us as well and he also finds his fair share of silver. ive yet to find a true silver coin. i know its probably me and not my explorer which tells me that unless Bryce is hunting side by side to me, an e-trac really wont make to much of a difference. what do you all think? any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[Jason illinois]

Time and experience above all. People who make great finds also go days, weeks or months without finding great finds no matter what they use unless they are unusually fortunate. So long as you are using your detector and its not growing cobwebs either one will do. Heck if you don't mind digging extra you can take a $300 one and find good stuff. The people who search the most and do research will naturally get ahead of the rest. I found a Morgan dollar at 3 inches back in the '90s I'll show you. A toy metal detector could have found it i just got there first.

One way to learn your detector is to go to the same "favorite" place over and over using different set ups. Also at different ground conditions, rain, drought, etc. there is no such thing as a "set up" that works best for every situation. Also learning how to use the detector to max with different soils. All that stuff will eventually with practice keep you from going home empty handed.

 

[jeff & Maria]

I loved my Explorer II but I upgraded to the Etrac not because it will find more, deeper, etc. The Explorer II or even the older XS in experienced hands will find ANYTHING that you need to find so don't think you're leaving anything behind. The reason I chose to get the Etrac was because of the increased stability in MY GROUND here in central NJ. I also like the new screen changes, real time display of sensitivity in auto among other menu items. The weight is balanced differently, can't give you an exact reason but I do not tire with this one after a few hours like the Explorer. The processor is faster so it reacts quicker and this is a benefit in trashy areas, allows a bit of a faster sweep also. If you are serious about an Etrac I would do it BEFORE you get too comfortable with the Explorer because the audio is different and this was the biggest challenge for me as well as others who were long time Explorer users. Some bought the Etrac and went back to the Explorer since they missed what they were so familiar with. If you start with an Etrac you won't be trying to compare the two different audio types. Bottom line is the Explorer you have is an excellent machine and will do you well, so don't upgrade just for the sake of thinking you will have a heavier pouch at the end of the day.

 

[kered]

That about sums things up Jeff, i can only add that any spare coils you have for the Explorer can be used on the Etrac so no loss there if you change over.

 

[Nick A]

Didn't I just answer this same question? Or is it that it gets asked all the time? The moderators should gather all the best answers to this question and pin it to the top. Jeff summed it up nicely. The only difference I have is that I did not think the Exp and E-Trac sounded different. It was easy for me to switch. If you are a coinshooter, you definitely want the E-Trac. If you are more of a relic hunter, I recommend the Explorer. If you have the money, get an E-Trac. If you are on a budget, get a used Explorer with a Pro coil. Both detectors will find the same stuff, more or less, but I prefer the E-Trac screens.

 

[Shambler]

If you already have an Explorer and you haven't found silver -- it's because none have been under your coil. That's it. Keep it and learn it. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, try another detector that's better at different hunting (IE. relic, beach, etc.). That way you have the best deep-silver-finding-turf-hunter ever and something else for those other outings.

My opinion... Minelab screwed up with the E-Trac. Yah, I understand it's faster and lighter (by a few ounces only - and NOT even close to the fastest or lightest on the market). I also understand the screen has better resolution allowing more junk to fit on it, but remapping the ferrous line along a single number while keeping AND marketing the "smart" screen has got to be one of the dumbest decision an MD company has ever made. When we question it, they tell us the FE numbers are largely unimportant anyway, which begs the question, "do they use their own detectors?" That statement would also mean they've lied in previous marketing touting the FE numbers as VERY important - in fact hanging the entire model line on it for 10 years. Heck, their marketing documentation trashing the Spectra V3 probably resulted in more White's sales in the last 4 months than anything White's did to market it.

I'm glad I got that off my chest

 

[40golf_zulu]

i should have maybe mentioned what my coils of choice are......SEF 6x8 and a SEF 10x12 and a minelab 7.5 coil.
went out this morning with my E-trac buddy Art and well for the first time i actually beat him in coin count but he did get me on oldest. he got 3 wheats.a 53',44' and a 1919.the only thing i did different today was i started using the smart screen instead of focusing on fe/co numbers. i just concentrated on tone and that little bitty target being on the correct side of my screen.i did find alot more trash because the tones came across real sweet, even though the target square wasnt exactly where it should be on the smart screen. i dug them because to me the tone was just to inviting to ignore, but i didnt mind because thats how my coin count got so high today because there were some coins mixed in with trash so it worked out.
thanks for all the feedback guys................i think im gonna keep my black beauty but im going to start saving up for an e-trac. i told myself when i got my explorer se that i wouldn't need another detector after this one but considering the vast difference's between the two, how could i not get one.
but please keep the comments coming, they really help me make informed decisions.
thanks again guys............
Bert

 

[Dennis 2]

I have a E-Trac and a Explorer SE both new this year. Before that I had the EX 2 for many years. I made myself use only the E-Trac this year.
The E-trac is a little faster, and that is as far as it goes. I think (as I said .... I think) The Explore give 's way more accurate information on targets ,and the depth that there at.
You can tell what a target is just by the position of it on the screen of the EX.
Just like Shambler says..."remapping the ferrous line along a single number while keeping AND marketing the "smart" screen has got to be one of the dumbest decision an MD company has ever made. "
The E-Trac is more of a turn on and go detector. Does it work well !?! ya..but ...I think the Explore does a much better job of it. Way less guessing then you have to do with the ET.
HH
Dennis 2

 

[dippodigger]

Pretty interesting post with some info i'm curious about. Some people say the sounds are no different while others think they are night and day.
I will ponder further before deciding on what to do.