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Spectra V3i comparison to F75 and E-Trac first post

S

shelby

New member
I am going to buy my first MD in the next 2 weeks and have narrowed it down to one of these three. This decision has been based solely on what I have read on forums and one long time friend's opinion. I have seen and held a Spectra V3i at a local dealer and only read about the minelab's e-trac and fisher's f75 ltd. I live in western Kentucky and will be hunting mostly for coins, CW and other relics. After reading some post by "jbow" and noticing he had all three detectors I decided to make this my first post on this forum to hopefully get his and others opinions on these detectors. I have been unable to find where you can send personal messages on this forum. Thanks ahead of time for the responses.
Steve
 
Welcome to the forum Steve and you will gain access to the PM feature when you have been with us for three months and have a couple dozen posts under your belt.

We tend to shy away from comparing detectors (feature for feature) on the forums because of personal preferences in the top models you mentioned. All three are great detectors, all three will get the job done and all three have their strong and weak points depending on your ground, hunting style, experience and what you are hunting for, so it is not that easy for someone else to say what detector is best for YOU. For some, the company behind the machine is equally important, others not. I suggest reading the forums, trying some of the detectors if you can and see what others in your area are using and if they like them or not or what they would do differant.
 
I have own/have owned all 3 and feel I could give a non-bias opinion. Though Larry is spot on, no one is best in all areas and much depends on what you are hunting for primarly. The problem is you are far from knowing that. Even if you think you know what you're after, that can change.

F75 LTD.
Pro's: Light. Fast.
Cons: While overall light it's balanced poorly. Poor target ID (you'll dig lots of trash). No rechargable battery included. Limited coil choice.
Summary: I didn't care for mine and sold it. I don't feel it did anything the V wouldn't though it may have been slightly faster in the trash. This detector shines relic hunting when your any an area where alost everyting you dig is old and interesting. Although I didn't care for it, reading your post it may be a great choice.

Etrac
Pros. Deep with minimal user adjustment. Pretty good target ID. I dig very little trash.
Cons: Heavy. Slower, Wider detection field (terrible in iron fields such as ghost towns). Made in indonesia (now). Warranty work/service takes a long time.
Summary: My go to detector when I'm after deep coins and don't want to think about my settings much. Not sure I'd want it in a relic field if there's much iron around.

V3
Pros: Light enough and well balanced. Taget ID is best of all the machines AFTER you learn to read what it's telling you. Great depth, even similar depth to Etrac when set properly to conditions. Huge coil selection. Whites customer service is second to none.
Cons: The V is complicated. It works well for new detectorists but doesn't really shine (on deep stuff) until you really understand the machine and learn to set it correctly to your soil and conditions.


In my opinion the V is the best all around detector.
 
For versatility, the V3i is hands down the winner. I've been running with the V3 since they came out and just sent it in for the upgrade a few days ago and my dealer gave me a loaner V3i to use 'til it came back. (Thing runs like a dream.) The other two top machines have done very well also, but can only say this box is becoming very much a part of me and seems to adjust for everything well. I've played with everything that adjusts and have found that there is just a core group of things that really matter for performance and the rest is just for personal taste. If you can,get out with someone that has one, you'll see how truly incredible it is! Smooth as silk. Whichever machine you get, you'll do well. (Just learn them well.)
 
I have a V3, F-75 LTD and a Explorer SE Pro

All three are great machines and you cannot go wrong with any of them. I agree with almost everything RacerX has stated

The LTD is very fast, but real noisy and that takes some getting used too. Reminds me of my old 1265X. regarding balance, I find it the best of all of my machines. I was recently hunting 5 hours straight in the woods without to much problem. And yes the target id does not compare to the V3, it bounces around alot. It does go real deep though, deeper than my V3. Gotta keep the sensitivity down though cause it will false alot. And it is built pretty good.

My Explorer just like the Etrac is also heavy. Out of any of all the machines I've had in the past 25 yrs, I find this one to be the hardest and most complicated one to learn. I do like the tones, and does go deep, very well built. I have only 20 hours on it, so I havent had it long enough to really say I have gotten to know it. I would definately not recomend the Etrac or Explorer to a someone just getting into the hobby.

I have had my V3 for almost 8 months and have over 120 hours on it. I would have to disagree regarding it being complex. I would have to say its as complex as you want to be or as simple you would like it to be. I mostly stay with the coin/jewelry program and have found 2 gold rings lots of silver coins and jewelry. Although I am going to start using Hi-Pro now that I have the new "i" software. This machine is really well balanced and built like a tank. I have hunted in the pouring rain, and just had the Whites cover on the box and nothing on the pod. It is totally weather resistant.
The target id works like a dream. I love the tones and the wireless headphones are just plain killer. This is without question my favorite out of all my detectors and the best machine I have ever owned.

The choice is yours, do your research and choose wisely.
HH! Aaron
 
Well for me the new whites did not help me find what I could not find with my other detector. I didn't like the programing. I didn't feel it was as fast as the LTD or as deep or had very little air gap. So I am a LTD user all the way.
 
Ok! ... I'll chime in and give my two cents.

I think every person must ask themselves this question first.
Do you want a machine that is simple to use or something that is more complex.

I owned the V3 (the old version) and I felt the unit was complex, has a good learning curve and if you read all of the
notes on the boards .....it can be a challenge getting it to run at peak performance.

Without a doubt it will take some time to master. I can't speak for the new version but the old V3 model
factory settings did not impress me either. Everything needed some tweaking to make it run better.

Some have said the new V3i factory settings are much better. That would be great! If someone knows what
they did to make it better on the factory settings .... I would love to know.

No doubt, The V3 is an outstanding machine that is very capable of great finds. The question is how much
tweaking, adjusting, and re-tweaking are you willing to tolerate. Then again, the menu system is not the best.

For instance, the Minelab Safari has the best menu system that I have ever seen in terms of easy to use
and make adjustments. That's the good news. Now the bad news..... if you ever have an service issue
then you will play a waiting game .....trying to get it repaired. Thank God ... I never had any service issues.

I also noticed from posts on the board that many people that run the V3 tend to favor one frequency over one
of the other two on the V3 depending what they are looking for. Many people don't hunt using all 3 frequencies
that are available on the machine although its nice to have it.

So if you want something simple ....I tend to lean towards a single frequency machine that will be easy to use
and let you enjoy the hobby without being frustrated. I have my best finds with the Whites M6 in the foil range
and it is truly a turn on and go.

Now ... comes the Whites MXT Pro 300 which has new features etc .... It will be fairly easy to use, hits hard
on gold rings, and ..... comes with the best service in the industry only offered by Whites.

Just remember to figure spending at least another $150-$200 on any detector you are going to buy.
The DD coils are the best and many companies don't include them as a stock coil.

In the end .... even though I sold my V3 .... I would have no problem buying the V3i if the menu system
was improved. I don't think Whites mastered that yet. If Whites would take a lesson from Minelabs Safari
and see how they have it set up ....... then I would consider it again.

Happy Hunting!
 
Low-Boy/LCPM said:
Well for me the new whites did not help me find what I could not find with my other detector. I didn't like the programing. I didn't feel it was as fast as the LTD or as deep or had very little air gap. So I am a LTD user all the way.
Click to expand...

I am glad you had time to work with the V3. Did you have time to do any video testing?

Jerry
 
I am not sure who you asked about the video testing but ....If you directed the question to me ....
No ... I did not any video.
 
Sorry Larry, That was to "Low-Boy/LCPM". He does a good job on his videos.

Jerry
 
Steve,

The only one of the three I would consider recommending for anyone getting their first machine would be the E-_ _C. It is the most user friendly of the three and it still can be overwhelming if you try to hunt in multitones and conductive sounds. If you get it just stay in ferrous/2-tones to begin with.

However... for your first machine I would recommend something like a Teknetics Omega-8000, a Fisher F-5, or a Garretts AC-250. from what i;ve been hearing i'd push you toward the Omega-8000. It isn't nearly as expensive, it's easy to use, it's light, and some very experienced detectorists are beginningto use it as their "go to" machine.
You may hunt for a month or two and decide that this hobby isn't for you. You may not like sweating like a pig, getting down on your knees a hundred times and bringing home 1.85 in change... There are those days though when you find a great site and begin to make great finds but its not that often for most people. No matter what detector you get you'll find that at first you won't know what is going on and why that nickel turned out to be a pulltab, why that quarter was part of a coke can, why that dime was some other trash... but if you keep at it you'll begin to learn... but you still have to dig to know. In old parks the only good sounding signals are either new clad coins or trash... sometimes a piece of jewelry if you dig a lot of pulltabs and foil. In old parks the good targets just give a hint of being a good signal, they aren't soild and you have to learn to read them... they are partially masked and they are only still there because other people didn't take the time to investigate them. The E-T is good at this but from what I am hearing the O-8000 is also. I ordered an Omega today. I need a lighter machine.

No matter what machine you get you will have to use it for many hours and dig up many, many targets before you become good with it.


Also, you need to get a Lesche digger and something like a "ground shark" shovel. Don't carry a garden shovel into a park or into someone's yard. Never dig all four sides of a plug and when it's hot and dry even digging three sides will leave a brown spot. Always take the junk you dig up with you and never leave a hole anywhere... not even in the woods.

So. If I were you i'd spend a little less on my first machine and grow into something more expensive... give's you something to look fowrard to and really... technology has gotten so good that the 0-8000 may turn out to be all the machine you need if you take the time to really learn it. A friend got one last week and he said it will hit a bullet he has buried in his backyard at 11", the bullet has been buried there for 20+ years. It hits it and IDs it... that is good enough and better than a lot of machines that are more expensive.

Think it over before you jump.

Julien
 
Julien's advise is good if you are of the type that doesn't have at least moderate patience and plan to have more than one machine to run with eventually. (I wouldn't sick any top machine on anyone that doesn't immediately enjoy a learning process.) There are too many decent and simple mid-range machines that perform well, keep up with the big dogs for most targets, and aren't too involved. If you know you that buying one of the least expensive machines wouldn't be expected to be a long term thing, buy one of those from only a top manufacturer though. Basic skills and concepts can be learned well with them and resale,keeping as a back-up, backpack machine or a generous gift would all be good uses.

If you are a self starter and enjoy digging in and growing with something....get the best your budget will allow. I'm working with two guys now that are like that and they are beginning to really "get it". Silver and nice stuff is in there pouches and even though they've only had the V3i for a short while...no looking back for them at all. Lot's of guy's ,into detecting ,get their relaxation from the intense distraction of learning something involved. (Others take the same situation and all it does is add to present stress levels.)
There is no "better" between the two...so just get a machine that fit's your type and needs.
 
For what it's worth, my first serious detector was the V3, and I didn't find it hard to use at all. Yes, there's a learning curve, and yes, you have to put in the time to learn the machine, but that will be true of any machine. I primarily use the Coin& Jewelry program, and only tweak the sensitivity and gain. I routinely dig pennies and dimes at 8" and deeper with solid tone and repeatable VDI. Maybe I have easy ground, but the point is, I wouldn't worry too much about learning curve and ease of use -- it doesn't have to be hard.
 
larryk56 said:
In the end .... even though I sold my V3 .... I would have no problem buying the V3i if the menu system
was improved. I don't think Whites mastered that yet. If Whites would take a lesson from Minelabs Safari
and see how they have it set up ....... then I would consider it again.
Click to expand...

Not really a viable arguement. Minlabs menu's are only easier because there is MUCH less available to adjust.
 
When I sold my MXT I quit using the MXT forum. I saw no reason to go there and tell them my V was better. If the V wasn't for you fine, leave it at that and move on. We like our detectors, if we didn't we would get one we liked better. I'm really not interested that the V was too complicated for you. The menu on the v as as logical as can be. Anyone who can operate a computer should have no problem.

The purpose of this forum is not to compare detectors but to help people operate theirs as best as they can. [attachment 165211 2010-06-17_163705.jpg]...........Rob
 
Excuuuuuse me! This was my first post and I was under the mistaken impression that this forum might have been for informational purposes, including but not limited to, individuals wanting to get started in metal detecting. I never said a "V was too complicated" for me or anyone else, I never said, "the menu on a V was not logical". I was also mistaken in assuming that a moderator would be able to READ the post. If this is the reception demonstrated by a moderator, I'm obviously at the WRONG place. Thank you to those members who so graciously answered a beginners question, I greatly appreciated your efforts and opinions!
 
If you read more of the forum and replies you would know I wasn't referring to you. Unless you were the person who sold his V3 and continues to bash the V on this and other forums you would not have questioned what I wrote. I never said you didn't like the menu he did. I stated a fact, If you didn't like the V, and you sold it why are you still here? Just because I am a moderator doesn't mean I can't state my option or have to listen to people tell me why my detector is bad. The forum is for learning to run the V3i not comparing detectors. Rob



I owned the V3 (the old version) and I felt the unit was complex.,
Without a doubt it will take some time to master. I can't speak for the new version but the old V3 model
factory settings did not impress me either. Everything needed some tweaking to make it run better.

Some have said the new V3i factory settings are much better. That would be great! If someone knows what
they did to make it better on the factory settings .... I would love to know.

No doubt, The V3 is an outstanding machine that is very capable of great finds. The question is how much
tweaking, adjusting, and re-tweaking are you willing to tolerate. Then again, the menu system is not the best.

For instance, the Minelab Safari has the best menu system that I have ever seen in terms of easy to use
and make adjustments.

I found out that the MXT was such a good machine that I no longer needed the V3.
I sold mine before the upgrade came out and I spend more time hunting and less time
tweaking and tinkering!
 
If you get a machine that is hard and you can't figure it out then you will get discouraged and not enjoy the sport and quit. The MXT is a super machine and so easy to learn to use. And Whites stand by their product to the upmost.
 
I agree with Dirtdigginlady - the MXT was our first machine and it was fast and easy to learn and we had many fun hours with it. We then each got V3s when we were ready to upgrade and there definitely is a bit of a learning curve with it. We recently upgraded one of our machines to the V3i version and my partner is still in the learning phase for that. I have gone back to using the MXT right now as I am enjoying a bit more simplicity, even if it is a bit noisier than my V3. I fiddled quite a bit with my V3 and never really got good depth, but it is a constant learning process for me and I still have a ways to go.

Either way, metal detecting is a GREAT hobby and you got some great input from a lot of people which should help you make a good, informed decision. More than anything, it should be about having fun :)

Nugget
 
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