Safari weight and balance compared to E-trac

[Canewrap]

I have an X-terra 70 and I love this machine, but I'm looking to add another, newer machine. This X-terra is a fairly hot machine and gets excellent depth, but after having tried another X-terra 70 and a 705 it's unlikely that I can just replace what I have with the same or comparable model. This has prompted me to look at one of the FBS machines.

Frequency (7.5), weight, and balance are my chief concerns as they are what really works with the X-terra 70 I have. With the current setup I have (10.5" DD MF Coil) it goes about 3.5 lbs, but I have it reasonably balanced. This is the reason I'm looking at the Safari before the E-trac (about 3.6lbs for Safari, vs 4.0lbs for E-trac). However, can someone that is familiar with both the Safari and the E-trac tell me anything about how balanced these units feel, compared to each other?

 

[Surfinsafari]

I have both machines and with stock coils, I cannot tell the difference in weight or balance on either. The Etrac grip is a different angle than the Safari and some guys will argue that it makes a huge difference but I disagree. Run any machine for 5 or 6 hours and see how your shoulder feels. I run smaller coils on my machines so it changes the balance of whatever I am running for the day. I have just learned to switch hands and I can go for a long time before I need to quit. I have a big 15x12 sef and I haven't ran it much but it makes a huge difference on either machines balance.

 

[psyvad]

I had an E-Trac and traded for a Safari because I like the simpler operation. The E-Trac did seem better balanced to me, but not a huge difference. The difference I really feel is going from my Safari to my F75. After the Safari, the F75 feels feather-light.

 

[mas0n83]

I have the safari and my buddy has the E-Trac and i cant tell the difference

 

[Will1877]

I cant tell a difference myself have both.