Gotta ask this

[therover]

OK...I am going to sell a few of my detectors and thinking about a new Minelab...either the Safari or E-Trac. I mostly beach hunt, but will be also coin hunting in older sites and homesteads about 20% of the time.

My question is, will the Safari give me close to the same performance on the beach, as the E-Trac would, running in Relic or All Metal mode. I am looking over the manuals of both units, and the E-Trac got my head spinning a bit. I know the E-Trac will give a lot more target information, and can run with the Ferrous and Non-Ferrous numbers and sniff out the coins better on land, but will it also have that much of an edge in the wet, salt sand ? Especially if I would be running it wide open as well.

Don't want an Excal since I have access to one...same with the GT if need be. Want to get a Minelab ID unit and my thinking is the money saved on the Safari can be used for a few coils.

I just would like to know some opinions, for those who may have used both on the beach, if the additional cost of the E-Trac is worth it.

I apologize if this topic has been talked about before, as I am writing this prior to investigating/searching the site !

JC

 

[Mark ( ohio )]

you will see any additional depth with an e-trac.. I have used the safari at the ocean ( OBX ) and depth of detection is extrordinary!! As you mentioned the e-trac is a feature laiden machine with more bells and whistles then you could imagine.. I wish the safari had a improved # id system then what it has, but as far a s power goes... it sure finds the deep stuff! I think the pro coil is the big advantage over the older 10.5 dd coils from the earlier explorer models..

Just my 2 cents.

Mark ( ohio )

 

[therover]

Thanks Mark,

I was reading the E-Trac manual and watching some videos on it. It looks like one heck of a unit and you can set it up with those discrimination patterns like no bodies business. Lots of bells and whistles which I am sure help out coin hunting.

But I tend to agree for beach hunting running pretty wide open, I am not sure if it has a 2-3 inch depth advantage. The $400-$500 price difference can get me a few coils and still have dough left over !

 

[Prep1957]

I hunted OBX last summer with Safari get a good sand scoop that you push with your foot your going to need it.

 

[edjcox]

Buyers remorse may set in if you get the Safari and start thinking Etrac....

My Safari can do it all and I've done head to head with a buddy and his Etrac. There's no difference in Depth or effectiveness in the comparable settings. What he can do better is read his screen and ID info. Me and my tinnitus kind of do badly as I can't here the nuances in the tones out of the safari. I'll lay odds with good hearing you'll do as well once you learn the "songs of Safari".

Get the Safari and a small coil and maybe get an onboard pinpointer...

My gold Doubloons worth,,,

Adios