Okay folks....I have a problem...I have been metal detecting for years with Whites xlt with good results but I want to upgrade to a machine that can separate the goodies from the trash and iron....I am torn between T2, Omega, or a E trac...I know the T2 has a solid following across the waters, but how is it in the States?...I live in West Virginia and I hunt old homeplaces, churches parks, Civil War sites you name it....Please offer serious advice about all tree machines--the pros and cons, and I would really like to know if the Omega is really as good of a machine as the other 2 , and why it is so much more cost effective, and does it separate the goodies as well as the E trac claims to do.
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Teknetics t2 vs. omega vs. E-trac
- Thread starter Keithbar
- Start date
Big Boys Hobbies
Well-known member
Omega is a VERY good coin machine. Not really fair to compare it to a $1549 E-Trac. For the money of an Omega 8000 the gap is very very close.
Thanks Bart...But I'm trying to find out if I really need to spend $1549 for an E trac if an Omega or a T2 can get the job done....The T2 is the machine I am really leaning toward. Bottom line is the E trac really twice the machine at twice the price. Can the T2 pull the coins out of the iron and high trash areas like the E trac, or am I better off with the E trac?....Am I getting half the machine in the T2 if I pay $800?.......I can recoup from $800 much better than I can from $1500...I just really want to know if the E trac really outshines the T2 to the tune of $600 or $700 more....If there is a machine that I am overlooking please point me in the right direction.
Big Boys Hobbies
Well-known member
The T2 is a very deep machine. It will hit everything the E-trac will maybe more but wont id deep coins as well. Hope that helps.
MrBranton33
New member
The T2's target recovery time is way faster than the E- trac, so picking up targets close to iron is alot better as well as target separation in general. The T2 works well with a quick swing, so you cover lots of ground in open field type areas. If you work it slow in heavy iron with low disc the good signal will creep trough the grunts.
TerraDigger
New member
What is the level of mineralization in the areas you will be hunting? Low-medium-high? Or a combination of two or more of the three levels? Are you going to rely (dig/not dig) heavily on dead accurate target ID's or will 'in the ballpark' suffice?
I currently have the T2SE and have an eTrac coming. Not used the Omega though. I can tell you the eTrac has a much larger after market item...all kinds of goodies for making it better. The T2 is limited to basically a handful of coils. It is a power house machine but IDs in "real time" so the IDs are usually very jumpy with each pass across the target and don't usually stay locked unless its something really shallow or big. It is more of a set the disc and sensitivity, ground balance it, and dig everything machine. Yes it has several modes and tones but with such a broad jumpy ID, you can't really be confident in trusting it. In good ground I've dug Civil War bullets that normally read between tab and zinc penny....I've dug them just 6-8 inches that bounced all over from iron to 10
Texashunter61
Member
Maybe Bill S will chime in. He has the Omega and the Etrac and I've seen his excellent videos on YouTube finding deep coins with both machines. I'm interested in upgrading from an Omega to the Etrac but allso wonder if the machine is that much better for the price.
[size=large][size=medium]I usually do not reply to a lot of questions on the forums. I just like to read what is going on and if something different or new is found with a machine I own. This is one subject I can talk about since I have two of the machines you are talking about and they are the E-Trac and the T2 SE. The Omega is not something I can discuss, but Bart is most likely dead on with his comments about it. Now to the E-Trac and T2 SE....
The E-Trac:
I have owned and used the Explorer XS, Explorer II, and now the E-Trac. I have owned the E-Trac for about 20 months or so and it is a wonderful machine. I have seen and dug great things with it and I still use it today, BUT not as my first detector of choice. I am a Civil War relic hunter 99.9% of the time but I do like the old home sites that produce a wide variety of coins and other relics you do not normally find searching Civil War areas alone. One reason is that the Minelab E-Trac, like all of there machines, are so darn heavy and this just kills it for me after three to four hours of swinging in the thick woods and ravines. The speed at which you have to hunt the E-Trac is so slow that it is difficult to remain a patient hunter and slow down to grid or work small areas all the time. Where I think the E-Trac excels and from what I am reading from your question is hunting the coins and trashy areas. The E-Trac can simply get in and discriminate out the junk and cherry pick the good stuff (coins in your case). If you can slow down your approach and learn to be patient the E-Trac will reward you handsomely. It does have a learning curve that must be learned in order to receive the full benefits of this machine. If you are looking for a true turn-on and go machine, the E-Trac is just to much $$$$ and time for that purpose. When I enter a new site, I will always pick up the T2 SE and sweep the area to see if it is holding any relics or other goodies. If the site holds promise and is just to trashy for my liking I will turn to the E-Trac to see if it can get in and sniff out the goodies. If you have the time and the money, the E-Trac is a machine you can grow into and have for a very long time. Better start working on those shoulder and wrist muscles.
The T2 SE:
What a wonderful machine this has become for me. It has everything to like, LIGHT, FAST, DEEP, and WELL MADE. The price is great also! Turn-it-on-and-GO! I will go on record and say that my first two trips out with this machine I wanted nothing more than to throw this machine out in the street and run over it. I was not used to a chatty machine and this machine CAN be very chatty at times. There are times when you will just have to walk away and re-group when hunting with the T2 SE. After a while and developing patience for the noise I began to really LOVE this machine. The depth is hard to believe in the right soil. I have dug some very deep bullets and plates with this machine (12" +) To find relics at 8"+ is very normal for this machine. The speed at which the T2 recovers is the fastest on the market, only my Tejon comes as close. The one flaw that the T2 has is trashy sites. I have yet had it get into a trashy house site and have fun with it. It is just to jumpy and chatty and once you start turning the sensitivity down to compensate for the noise, you have just lost several inches in depth. Na, I will switch to the E-Trac and cherry pick my way through it. BUT, hold on tight when you get into some nice wooded areas with minimal trash....the T2 will just tear it up and you can cover some serious ground and feel confident that not much has been missed. With the E-Trac this will not happen you hit iron and it nulls...by the time it recovers you have moved several feet and just missed anything in that area that may have been there. Not with the T2!
So, can you go wrong with either machine? I would say no. Do they both have PROs and CONs, yes they do. But, the real question is what you want in detecting and how your personal style is. If you like to hunt fast to see what a place has to offer before you invest your time into it and you want a light detector to assist then the T2 SE is your answer. If you always hunt slow and grid every spot you detect and do not mind a sore arm the next day, then the E-Trac is your machine. Personally, if I was a die hard coin hunter and had the $$$$$ to invest in a machine I would buy the E-Trac. You can buy after market coils to assist with weight issues and other flaws you may encounter. Either way you have narrowed your selection down to two very good machines and you will be happy either way.
Good luck and HH!
Wes-N-VA
(Wesley)
Visit my you tube page wesnvirginia to see my videos hunting with the T2, Tejon and E-Trac. You can also type Wes-N-VA on the top of the you tube page and it should bring up my videos also. Thank you![/size][/size]
The E-Trac:
I have owned and used the Explorer XS, Explorer II, and now the E-Trac. I have owned the E-Trac for about 20 months or so and it is a wonderful machine. I have seen and dug great things with it and I still use it today, BUT not as my first detector of choice. I am a Civil War relic hunter 99.9% of the time but I do like the old home sites that produce a wide variety of coins and other relics you do not normally find searching Civil War areas alone. One reason is that the Minelab E-Trac, like all of there machines, are so darn heavy and this just kills it for me after three to four hours of swinging in the thick woods and ravines. The speed at which you have to hunt the E-Trac is so slow that it is difficult to remain a patient hunter and slow down to grid or work small areas all the time. Where I think the E-Trac excels and from what I am reading from your question is hunting the coins and trashy areas. The E-Trac can simply get in and discriminate out the junk and cherry pick the good stuff (coins in your case). If you can slow down your approach and learn to be patient the E-Trac will reward you handsomely. It does have a learning curve that must be learned in order to receive the full benefits of this machine. If you are looking for a true turn-on and go machine, the E-Trac is just to much $$$$ and time for that purpose. When I enter a new site, I will always pick up the T2 SE and sweep the area to see if it is holding any relics or other goodies. If the site holds promise and is just to trashy for my liking I will turn to the E-Trac to see if it can get in and sniff out the goodies. If you have the time and the money, the E-Trac is a machine you can grow into and have for a very long time. Better start working on those shoulder and wrist muscles.
The T2 SE:
What a wonderful machine this has become for me. It has everything to like, LIGHT, FAST, DEEP, and WELL MADE. The price is great also! Turn-it-on-and-GO! I will go on record and say that my first two trips out with this machine I wanted nothing more than to throw this machine out in the street and run over it. I was not used to a chatty machine and this machine CAN be very chatty at times. There are times when you will just have to walk away and re-group when hunting with the T2 SE. After a while and developing patience for the noise I began to really LOVE this machine. The depth is hard to believe in the right soil. I have dug some very deep bullets and plates with this machine (12" +) To find relics at 8"+ is very normal for this machine. The speed at which the T2 recovers is the fastest on the market, only my Tejon comes as close. The one flaw that the T2 has is trashy sites. I have yet had it get into a trashy house site and have fun with it. It is just to jumpy and chatty and once you start turning the sensitivity down to compensate for the noise, you have just lost several inches in depth. Na, I will switch to the E-Trac and cherry pick my way through it. BUT, hold on tight when you get into some nice wooded areas with minimal trash....the T2 will just tear it up and you can cover some serious ground and feel confident that not much has been missed. With the E-Trac this will not happen you hit iron and it nulls...by the time it recovers you have moved several feet and just missed anything in that area that may have been there. Not with the T2!
So, can you go wrong with either machine? I would say no. Do they both have PROs and CONs, yes they do. But, the real question is what you want in detecting and how your personal style is. If you like to hunt fast to see what a place has to offer before you invest your time into it and you want a light detector to assist then the T2 SE is your answer. If you always hunt slow and grid every spot you detect and do not mind a sore arm the next day, then the E-Trac is your machine. Personally, if I was a die hard coin hunter and had the $$$$$ to invest in a machine I would buy the E-Trac. You can buy after market coils to assist with weight issues and other flaws you may encounter. Either way you have narrowed your selection down to two very good machines and you will be happy either way.
Good luck and HH!
Wes-N-VA
(Wesley)
Visit my you tube page wesnvirginia to see my videos hunting with the T2, Tejon and E-Trac. You can also type Wes-N-VA on the top of the you tube page and it should bring up my videos also. Thank you![/size][/size]
TerraDigger
New member
I owned the T2 and now the Omega. The Omega has some distinct advantages. When outfitted with the 11" DD coil it becomes another detector. It becomes a T2. Well, almost. It will have approximately 2" less depth than a T2 on a U.S quarter, which is still awesome. Its ultra fast response time is on par with the T2. It will handle tough mineralization like the T2. Has just about the same sensitivity as a T2. The precedeing qualities of course being due to the 11" DD, which is stock on the T2.
What is doesn't have is a very jumpy ID like the T2. It also can be used in trashy sites without driving you crazy like the T2. Remember this. The T2 is a couple of years older, and I think First Texas made the Omega as a T2 for coinshooters and improved on some of the flaws of the T2. The T2 cannot use a concentric coil, which has advantages in many situations. The Omega comes with a stock 10" elongated concentric which is far superior to the standard round concentrics in trashy areas. Both units can use the 5" DD, which in my opinion, is the most productive coil I have ever used. Its simply amazing for its size. Incredible depth and target seperation. Thats my two cents.
Just make sure you buy from a authorized dealer, or you won't get any warranty coverage. First Texas is very firm on that.
What is doesn't have is a very jumpy ID like the T2. It also can be used in trashy sites without driving you crazy like the T2. Remember this. The T2 is a couple of years older, and I think First Texas made the Omega as a T2 for coinshooters and improved on some of the flaws of the T2. The T2 cannot use a concentric coil, which has advantages in many situations. The Omega comes with a stock 10" elongated concentric which is far superior to the standard round concentrics in trashy areas. Both units can use the 5" DD, which in my opinion, is the most productive coil I have ever used. Its simply amazing for its size. Incredible depth and target seperation. Thats my two cents.
Just make sure you buy from a authorized dealer, or you won't get any warranty coverage. First Texas is very firm on that.
on what settings you checked?TerraDigger said:2" less depth than a T2 on a U.S quarter,.
TerraDigger
New member
Dioramix..you are correct....let me re-adjust that statement...using the 5" coil - indoors airtest - the T2 standard model on U.S. Quarter:
Coil - 5" DD
Tones - 4
Sensitivity - 60
Disc 70
8 1/2" depth reading
The Omega using same coil & above settings gets 8".
Should have relied on my testing notes, not my memory.
Coil - 5" DD
Tones - 4
Sensitivity - 60
Disc 70
8 1/2" depth reading
The Omega using same coil & above settings gets 8".
Should have relied on my testing notes, not my memory.
Big Boys Hobbies
Well-known member
I would LOVE to get a review by you one one. You love the omega as much as I do, be interesting to see your take. Omega is a heck of a coin machine for sure!
Big Boys Hobbies
Well-known member
I would LOVE to get a review by you one one. You love the omega as much as I do, be interesting to see your take. The Teknetics Omega 8000 with 11" DD coil is a heck of a coin machine for sure! Sure is easier to swing for longer periods of time than the E-Trac.
TerraDigger
New member
No Bart. I easily could, as all the guys I hunt with use them. Been offered many times. It is a literal E-Trac fraternity. I know they are awesome machines in most situations...boy!! do I know. But I am old school and use what I have. I have seen them pull stuff out of parks that no other machine could hit. E-Trac's reign supreme in highly mineralized ground and are the undisputed King of deep turf silver in tough soil. Trac's ID capability is unsurpassed. And my buddy John is somewhat of a master with his E-Trac. However, I keep up by going where others don't or won't go. Nothing illegal of course. Just high visibility areas like sidewalk parking strips etc. I use alot of intuition & backwards thinking as to what I think folks in the past were doing on a given property. Do alot of research. I also learn what 'My' machine is saying. I have had three different machines in 20 years.
Now the Omega can't be touched for the money. I never can fathom why a person would try to compare them. One is $750.00 (thats with the extra 11" DD coil), the other is 1500.00. I get about 90% of the Trac's real world performance/results. So which is the better unit. Price/performance ratio, the Omega. Hands down. Sheer depth with good ID in nasty ground, the E-Trac. But you do pay handsomely for the privilege. I do not like the weight of the Trac...nor its balance. I think years of using it will cause quite a few pepole to develop tendon/ligament problems. My buddy John is built like a linebacker and thats no exaggeration. So I don't think it will bother him. But as you know the above complaints of the Trac are well known. Both excellent machines in my book.
The 11" DD is a depth monster, but I do love that little 5" DD. I will venture to say that there is no other mfg who has a better performing coil of the same size as the First Texas 5" DD. Dave Johnson & crew are so awesome.
Now the Omega can't be touched for the money. I never can fathom why a person would try to compare them. One is $750.00 (thats with the extra 11" DD coil), the other is 1500.00. I get about 90% of the Trac's real world performance/results. So which is the better unit. Price/performance ratio, the Omega. Hands down. Sheer depth with good ID in nasty ground, the E-Trac. But you do pay handsomely for the privilege. I do not like the weight of the Trac...nor its balance. I think years of using it will cause quite a few pepole to develop tendon/ligament problems. My buddy John is built like a linebacker and thats no exaggeration. So I don't think it will bother him. But as you know the above complaints of the Trac are well known. Both excellent machines in my book.
The 11" DD is a depth monster, but I do love that little 5" DD. I will venture to say that there is no other mfg who has a better performing coil of the same size as the First Texas 5" DD. Dave Johnson & crew are so awesome.
Big Boys Hobbies
Well-known member
TerraDigger said:No Bart. I easily could, as all the guys I hunt with use them. Been offered many times. It is a literal E-Trac fraternity. I know they are awesome machines in most situations...boy!! do I know. But I am old school and use what I have. I have seen them pull stuff out of parks that no other machine could hit. E-Trac's reign supreme in highly mineralized ground and are the undisputed King of deep turf silver in tough soil. Trac's ID capability is unsurpassed. And my buddy John is somewhat of a master with his E-Trac. However, I keep up by going where others don't or won't go. Nothing illegal of course. Just high visibility areas like sidewalk parking strips etc. I use alot of intuition & backwards thinking as to what I think folks in the past were doing on a given property. Do alot of research. I also learn what 'My' machine is saying. I have had three different machines in 20 years.
Now the Omega can't be touched for the money. I never can fathom why a person would try to compare them. One is $750.00 (thats with the extra 11" DD coil), the other is 1500.00. I get about 90% of the Trac's real world performance/results. So which is the better unit. Price/performance ratio, the Omega. Hands down. Sheer depth with good ID in nasty ground, the E-Trac. But you do pay handsomely for the privilege. I do not like the weight of the Trac...nor its balance. I think years of using it will cause quite a few pepole to develop tendon/ligament problems. My buddy John is built like a linebacker and thats no exaggeration. So I don't think it will bother him. But as you know the above complaints of the Trac are well known. Both excellent machines in my book.
The 11" DD is a depth monster, but I do love that little 5" DD. I will venture to say that there is no other mfg who has a better performing coil of the same size as the First Texas 5" DD. Dave Johnson & crew are so awesome.
Great post Terra! I agree 100% on what you said about both. You CAN NOT beat the Omega on coins for the price! Thanks for all your posts. You help tons of people on here with your information! Much appreciated from a personal, dealer and manufactures perspectives!