MineLab CTX 3030

[marilynbarfield]

Hello everyone.

Is the CTX 3030 worth the $2500. I tried finding a used one, but they are always sold by the time I get in an offer.

Trying to decide if I should just go ahead and pay the full price for a new one. Any thoughts. I am going to go detecting in a "virgin" beach area in South Florida.

Thanks for ANY advice.
Marilyn

 

[KinTN]

If you are willing to learn the machine, then Yes is the answer. If you aren't wanting to invest a lot of time and effort learning the CTX, then you'd probably be happier with a different machine.

 

[MI-AuAg]

Hello Marilyn,

I bought mine two years ago and have no regrets. It is an extremely good machine right out of the box using the standard programs. Once you get to know it's tone responses, target trace, and fe-co numbers, it can be customized by you to make it even more capable for specific hunting situations.

If you shop around, you will find that you won't be paying full price. There are deals that include very useful items.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[electricmetal21]

Is a CTX worth the extra money?

They are a better machine than Minelab's next lowest model, the Minelab Etrac. But, are they worth $2500.00? $2500.00 being $1000.00 more than the price of a new Etrac? I really don't they're worth that much money.

I bought my CTX used for $1850.00. It was worth the price I paid.

Keep in mind that some of the people giving advice on this forum are Minelab dealers, people who make money selling new machines.

 

[frogmaster-rivera]

Will you hunt in the surf?

If yes => go for the CTX3030 or Excalibur II

If not, you want to remain on dry sand, go for the DEUS!

 

[Kieth-Tx]

Have owned and still own quite a few detectors...the CTX out performs them all. It is an awesome water unit that is not difficult to learn. But the downside is weight. If you are going to just hunt land....get the Deus. IMHO-K

 

[MI-AuAg]

Marilyn,

The best way to look at the CTX as a prospective buyer is, asking yourself, .... will I use all/most of it's features? If the answer is no, there are better options.

If you plan on going water hunting ONLY, an Excalibur would be a better option. If dry/wet beach is your thing, a used Minelab Sovereign GT would be a great choice. They are well known for their ability in salt beach conditions. Any multi-freq. machine will do well in salt conditions

The bottom line on a CTX is that you are paying for a large array of features you MAY NOT use, ability to be fully submerged, gps maping/tracking, wireless headphones. The lithium ion battery system is the best rechargable system available, also the most expensive. It has 2nd generation technologies contained in the Etrac, plus the target trace feature.

What you need to do is sit down and take a long look at the CTX and make your decision on that basis. The fact that they go quickly when they DO become available used, tells you bit also.

In the end, ONLY YOU will be able to determine if it is worth it. It's your dime!

 

[hershey1]

Shop around. You can get the CTX 3030 a lot cheaper than $ 2500.00. HH

 

[KinTN]

Shop around. You can get the CTX 3030 a lot cheaper than $ 2500.00. HH

Pretty sure hershey1 means a NEW CTX and he's right.

 

[glenn3-88]

Paid $1775.00 for mine with the Standard Pack which is more than the Basic Pack.
I got it from a Minelab dealer but I cannot reveal who it is because he did this deal
based on the fact that I spent in total a lot of money with this guy. Actually got 3
detectors with 6 coils and 6 shafts if you know what I mean. All this in the last 3
years. I do know for a fact that you can buy them on the "Bay" for $1900.00 in
the standard pack if you are quick to make up your mind. Before I got mine, I was
looking on there for one and saw one for $1995.00, put it on watch and finished
looking at the used ones and by the time I did that the new one was sold. A lot of
people who impulse buy get these machines new, unbox them, look at all that is
available to them on this detector and mistake it for a very complex machine which
it is not. It is different. Like Andy Sabish said, it like but better than all the rest and
operates like any other detector just better with more ways to tweak your settings.
Right out of the box, I promise you you will be finding coins, jewelry on the beach,
and relics also just by using the pre programmed factory programs. No problems.
I downloaded the manual on pdf file after mine was shipped and when it got here
the third item I found was an 18k gold 22" necklace at 7" deep in a local park.
But, like the rest said, some people are more serious about their hunting than others.

 

[MINELABBOB]

I AM SURE
some one can sell you 1 for under 2000.00$ and you will love it. but the e-trac is no slouch!!!!!!! by no means. they are cheaper yet!
and you will have a ball. but if money is no object then GO CTX!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MARK (LI)]

If you are hunting a truly "virgin" area you do not need the CTX......do you have any machine now? I was able to get a virtually new, but used one for $1400...It does go deeper than the excalibur, but I find the excalibur easier to pinpoint the target in surf where you cannot see the coil...the ctx has a lot of extras that are really just not necessary for beach hunting....if you already own a machine, I would try the area with that machine and see how it goes.....hopefully you will find something really good and either reaize you do not need the CTX, or you will get enough for whatever you found to go and buy the machine....for the $1400 I paid I am satisfied with the machine...if I had paid the full price I would not be so satisfied with it....I think that its bells and whistles are more suited for land hunters...HH...Mark

 

[lultank]

I've had mine less than a year I found it with the help of pghmole on here, I managed to snag mine for $1500 and it was pretty much brand new!! After owning the machine I would gladly pay msrp on it.

 

[Johnnyanglo]

If you're just hunting dry land areas and not super-mineralized soil the CTX loses its value compared to dozens of other detectors that are much cheaper and more capable. The strength of the CTX (and E-Trac) is it's ability to TID at greater depth than most any other detector (more important as soil minerals increase) and it's ability to ignore iron while hitting high conductors (silver coins). But, most coins are found relatively shallow so you don't need to worry about depth too much. And TID isn't all that - if it hits in a known good range you're going to dig, even if you don't have exact target data.

Look for a first detector with reasonable depth and good target separation abilities, should be light, not too expensive, and fit your personality. Buy used to get more detector for less.

 

[jas415]

I usually dont suggest anything except figure out what you are going to do with the machine, hat you are going to search for (coins, jewelry or relics) then do your research for what you are going to target. If you are going to hunt the beach I think the CTX is a great machine for that. It is quiet, stable, a bit heavy on land but exceptionally well balanced, but in the water that is not a drawback. Some have said it has features you may not need, but I really like the GPS so I can track where I have hunted on the beach, or in the water.

Is it worth the money, that is just an opinion and everyone has at least one or two. The learning curve is not all that steep but it can be trying. This site (Findmall) has some of the best, if not the best, detectorist in the world and they use the CTX!

As for the E-trac, I found it was not all that well balanced and it killed my arm. The CTX hangs on the fingertips. Both are great machines, but the CTX is waterproof, to a degree. The really great thing about the CTX, and to a great degree the E-trac, is the identification of the target! The CTX is phenomenal at that. I am on my second CTX and the money spent was well worth it. Since I got the first one in July of 2012, I have dug over 20,000 coins, over 500 silvers, almost a hundred silver rings, and I am 73 years old. I dig almost exclusively in demolition sites and the ability to separate iron and tine from coins is exceptional.

 

[Justme]

I've had many detectors. The ctx is the best all around unit for me. I do several types of hunting including water

 

[Drjohn71a]

Being an off and on user, I only have 3 detectors. The AT Pro was my first waterproof model and introduced me to the fun of mud and creek and quick hunt forays. I got involved trying to find underground electric lines (shallow) and water lines on my farm and some were too deep for the AT Pro. Also, on salt water beaches, the AT Pro was a bit erratic. Of course, now there are a number of new first detector models around.

Deciding I'd rather have one versatile detector over several specialized models, e.g. Excaliber, I bought the CTX 3030. It is heavy, but I usually use the vest with double arms and clip a shovel/scoop on one side and the detector on the other.

While not used all the time, the GPS mapping is really nice when you're returning to large areas as you can review the previous findings at home on your computer and plan the next foray at leisure. It's great in Salt water and, to my thoughts, can be easily used with the default settings while allowing you to easily narrow the search when looking for a lost wedding ring, etc.. I generally want to hear everything as I like old iron tools, silverware, pots, farm equipment, etc. I'm wanting to have a pretty good idea of what's below on my old farm. So far I've found three old, pre 1860, foundations, 7 buried cans, buckets, barrells, on top of the broken water lines and electric lines. The GPS mapping helps to find patterns when you load it on a map at the home computer. I'm very happy with the wide range of the CTX 3030.

While deeper probing detectors sound good, the increased depth of the CTX over the AT Pro has required deeper digging. Instead of dozens of 6-8 inch holes, imagine dozens of 8-14 inch holes in one day... And I've found a 55 gallon barrel buried with the top 3 foot below the surface which I finally gave up on retrieving since the gophers fill the hole back up everytime I stop. Maybe with a backhoe, someday I'll recover that. I've accidentally found a Mammoth Jaw in a mudbank while digging a deep signal one day. No, the bone itself did not signal, but some trash near it led to the dig.

It is heavy, so you may want a smaller lighter model for quick hunts, but I keep using the CTX due to it's easy to use interface (yes you can make it complex, but you can use the standard settings or slightly modify them easily too). With the vest, I don't support the detector at all. It's set and balanced to be almost weightless and allows both hands free for phone or blowing your nose.

Joh