Which Machine to Compliment the CTX

[flysar]

I've owned my CTX for a little over a year and have used it as well as a few others... AT Pro, AT Gold, MXT Pro, XLT, M6, Outlaw, Vaquero, and CZ3D just to name a few. Since 90% of the time I grab my CTX, and will continue to do so, I've sold the others except for a Compadre for the grandkids to use. Of those I liked the Outlaw the best because of how quiet it ran in iron, provided excellent separation, and was very light. In nail infested areas I'd grab the Outlaw otherwise it was the CTX.

I'm considering a second machine but looking for something that will do what the CTX won't, possibly a Fisher Gold Bug for small jewelry that will double as a coin machine? I rarely see saltwater but do hunt freshwater, also schools, parks, yards, homesteads, etc. My soil is highly mineralized, many times seeing 8 as a suggested sensitivity setting.

What is your compliment machine to the CTX and why?

 

[Rick73]

I have several machines but the one I like to grab to take along with the CTX is the Omega 8000. It is great for parks and house yards. It is very light in weight and very easy to use. I believe it is probably the best coin machine for the money out there. Otherwise I take the etrac with the X-8 Sunray and X-1 probe.

 

[kammerer1]

I'm in a very similar situation. Still looking for that perfect secondary machine to use as backup, for a friend, or when I just want to try something different. Hope some others out there will offer some insight. A friend of mine always kills it with the AT Pro, I've used the Etrac alongside the ctx but they are so similar, and it's hard for me to justify having two high end machines being so much alike. Recently, I've gone old school, and I am trying an analog machine from the mid 80's for fun ( a White's 5900 di pro). I'm also intrigued and have heard good things about the Makro Racer, and Minelabs new go find series machines may be an option as well.

 

[BigTony]

Buy a used EXP II and a WOT coil. Also get a Garrett orange pro pointer. This Explorer is different then the Etrac or CTX. You can select different audio response to give you a longer tail on the target hit. I found that it helps me plenty

 

[mudpuppy]

I remember a guy last year asking the same thing...He eventually went with a light fast rig to complement his CTX or maybe it was an ATX? It was a big heavy workhorse though (Fisher F series, either a 5 or a 70 I cant remember) and used it to sort of speedily 'get the lay of the land' target wise, then waded in there with the heavy artillery! Its a valid concept on a big area, or quickly working a totlot etc..your Compadre should do this right?.
Mud

 

[flysar]

I remember a guy last year asking the same thing...He eventually went with a light fast rig to complement his CTX or maybe it was an ATX? It was a big heavy workhorse though (Fisher F series, either a 5 or a 70 I cant remember) and used it to sort of speedily 'get the lay of the land' target wise, then waded in there with the heavy artillery! Its a valid concept on a big area, or quickly working a totlot etc..your Compadre should do this right?.
Mud

My Compadre won't touch a small stud earring even though most say it is best on the small stuff. I was looking through my notes and the only machine that did sound off on the earring during air tests was my AT Gold at about one inch in Disc 1 but the Gold and Pro in my area sounds like a machine gun in the mineralization and I can't completely disc out iron either.

 

[Jason in Enid]

If you want a good compliment, look at the DEUS. The CTX is great at sniffing out deep silver and the DEUS is lightning fast for dealing with heavy trash. CTX is rainproof so you can use it if you are worried about sudden rain showers. DEUS is extremely light if the CTX is getting to your arm or shoulder.

 

[jas415]

I havent had a wide arsenal of machines, just a whites, excalibur, E=trac, CTX and now as a backup to the CTX I bought a new F75. It is lightweight, stupidly fast, deep, unbelievably quiet regarding emi, and with the small 5" coil is pretty darned good on really small stuff. Only real drawback for me is the VDI numbers are not as reliable as the CTX. I use it on really trashy demo lots. Seems to me to get better depth than the CTX, but I dig a lot more trash with it.

 

[amberjack]

anything with a GB/GG easy ones are Omega / Fisher F19 or a Tesoro with a GB knob.

AJ

 

[martygene]

XP Deus... i have the CTX as well and the Deus is so fast in trashy parks and in heavy iron nails around old homesteads ...Since i got the Deus i do not use the CTX nearly as much...

 

[Southwind]

Deus or AT Pro.

Deus is obvious but expensive. The AT Pro kills on gold where the CTX lacks.

 

[Des D]

I've owned my CTX for a little over a year and have used it as well as a few others... AT Pro, AT Gold, MXT Pro, XLT, M6, Outlaw, Vaquero, and CZ3D just to name a few. Since 90% of the time I grab my CTX, and will continue to do so, I've sold the others except for a Compadre for the grandkids to use. Of those I liked the Outlaw the best because of how quiet it ran in iron, provided excellent separation, and was very light. In nail infested areas I'd grab the Outlaw otherwise it was the CTX.

I'm considering a second machine but looking for something that will do what the CTX won't, possibly a Fisher Gold Bug for small jewelry that will double as a coin machine? I rarely see saltwater but do hunt freshwater, also schools, parks, yards, homesteads, etc. My soil is highly mineralized, many times seeing 8 as a suggested sensitivity setting.

What is your compliment machine to the CTX and why?

"Easy...get a Fisher F 19.

Why?

Like you said, it will run well where your No.1 choice doesn't do well."

 

[amberjack]

I've owned my CTX for a little over a year and have used it as well as a few others... AT Pro, AT Gold, MXT Pro, XLT, M6, Outlaw, Vaquero, and CZ3D just to name a few. Since 90% of the time I grab my CTX, and will continue to do so, I've sold the others except for a Compadre for the grandkids to use. Of those I liked the Outlaw the best because of how quiet it ran in iron, provided excellent separation, and was very light. In nail infested areas I'd grab the Outlaw otherwise it was the CTX.

I'm considering a second machine but looking for something that will do what the CTX won't, possibly a Fisher Gold Bug for small jewelry that will double as a coin machine? I rarely see saltwater but do hunt freshwater, also schools, parks, yards, homesteads, etc. My soil is highly mineralized, many times seeing 8 as a suggested sensitivity setting.

What is your compliment machine to the CTX and why?

"Easy...get a Fisher F 19.

Why?

Like you said, it will run well where your No.1 choice doesn't do well."

AJ

 

[striderida1]

I agree with the guy that said watch for the Minelab Go-Find, i think that is going to a great little killer backup detector. I have a Safari and Pre-Ordered a Go-Find 60. It collapses to just throw under your car seat, has bluetooth that will sync your finds with an app, the target separation and recovery speed looks awesome, has a back light for at night and has auto ground tracking. All this for $309....they even have 2 models below it, the Go-Find 40 and Go-Find 20, both have less features than the 60 but for a price point between $179-$309 between all 3 models...it will make a killer backup machine that can hold it's own with even the $500 detectors.

 

[sprchng]

Racer---according to the shills the CTX will become your backup

 

[D&P-OR]

Yeah---right!-----That'll be the day!quote=sprchng]
Racer---according to the shills the CTX will become your backup[/quote]

 

[mrwilburino]

My back-ups for the CTX:

Omega with 5" coil for hunting in dense non-ferrous trash.

Deus with 9" coil for nail infestations.

 

[DICKENS48]

AT Gold it works for me very well

 

[amberjack]

So I guess you are as about as wise as you were before you asked the question

pretty plain to see everyone has their favorite other machine .

something light and something that has a GB and something that's fast.

I only swing the Big Banger as I call it when I need too, otherwise its a light faster machine for me, why use the big banger to find modern drops ??

its is good at what its made for the CTX but its far from perfect its hard to get in and out of its long and does not rest easy on my body its a gangly thing good at what its made for no doubt.

I have several and they all find stuff and have found the Tesoro's find the gold probably for multiple reasons one being there is no screen to consult, they are light and fun to use and they seem to hit it.

what ever you chose sure it will find stuff they all do

AJ

 

[flysar]

So I guess you are as about as wise as you were before you asked the question

pretty plain to see everyone has their favorite other machine .

something light and something that has a GB and something that's fast.

I only swing the Big Banger as I call it when I need too, otherwise its a light faster machine for me, why use the big banger to find modern drops ??

its is good at what its made for the CTX but its far from perfect its hard to get in and out of its long and does not rest easy on my body its a gangly thing good at what its made for no doubt.

I have several and they all find stuff and have found the Tesoro's find the gold probably for multiple reasons one being there is no screen to consult, they are light and fun to use and they seem to hit it.

what ever you chose sure it will find stuff they all do

AJ

I figured there would be a few different machines thrown in the mix.

Deus is out, I don't need two $1500+ machines with always one in the closet, but sounds like a good one. Maybe I'll pick up a different unit for the occaisional water hunt, sell the CTX and buy a Deus for land?

AT Pro/Gold are out, they run to noisy in my ground and it's nearly impossible to tell a good target with all the chatter unless shallow.

F19 sounds interesting but so does the Gold Bug. I'll call Fisher on Monday and see what they have to say. I had a CZ3D but it got fooled by my iron soil more often than my Tesoro's or CTX so I let it go.

Who knows I may be looking for another Outlaw, liked it more than the Vaquero.

I agree that GB is a must in my ground even though a Detectorpro Wader ran very stable without GB.

Thanks to all members who replied.