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X-Terra 705 vs. Safari/Etrac ?

P

PanhandlePoorBoy

New member
Considering a Minelab X-Terra 705. I'm wondering if it will detect just as deep as the Safari or even the Etrac... in real world target finding. I know the difference in the FBS and single freq. Was just wondering from 705 owners... if it would punch down as deep. The 705 I know also... has 3 freq. to chose from with coil selection. If basic difference is only the bells and whistles then I can save some money and still find the same targets. Thanks
 
I currently own both an Xterra 705 gold pack and an Etrac. While I'm fairly new to Etrac, I put in 5 years with the Xterra. I am finding that the depth is much better with the Etrac, average finds depth for my Xterra was 5-6" while I'm now im consistantly finding targets now at 10" with Etrac. Head to head, you'll do well with the Xterra and do so for half the investment. But if your budget will allow the extra cost of the Etrac, I highly recommend it.

Keep in mind that Etrac doesn't come without its minor issues, the visibility of the display is terrible. At the end of the day you'll hunt mostly by sound anyway and you'll find that you can deal with the display glare. Etrac batteries are rechargeable and you need to recharge every outing, they take 12-15 hours to do so. Xterra batteries get changed about twice per year and take 4 AAs. Etrac is heavier than Xterra, the first couple of outings you'll really notice the extra weight, but you'll get used to it. Etrac is transmitting multiple frequencies at once, you have to swap coils on the Xterra and the coils are $150+ each. Take that into consideration and the Etrac cost starts to come more in line. Think of it this way, an Etrac is an Xterra on steroids using more than one coil at a time.

The Xterra guys will say they're as good as an Etrac, and on average that's true, but who wants to be just average and miss some of the good/ deep stuff. I'm and Xterra guy too so I'm not knocking it, IMO it all comes down to what the budget will allow.
 
Get the rnb lithium battery for your etrac...lighter weight and longer run time...plus shorter charge time.
 
hotrod53 said:
I currently own both an Xterra 705 gold pack and an Etrac. While I'm fairly new to Etrac, I put in 5 years with the Xterra. I am finding that the depth is much better with the Etrac, average finds depth for my Xterra was 5-6" while I'm now im consistantly finding targets now at 10" with Etrac. Head to head, you'll do well with the Xterra and do so for half the investment. But if your budget will allow the extra cost of the Etrac, I highly recommend it.

Keep in mind that Etrac doesn't come without its minor issues, the visibility of the display is terrible. At the end of the day you'll hunt mostly by sound anyway and you'll find that you can deal with the display glare. Etrac batteries are rechargeable and you need to recharge every outing, they take 12-15 hours to do so. Xterra batteries get changed about twice per year and take 4 AAs. Etrac is heavier than Xterra, the first couple of outings you'll really notice the extra weight, but you'll get used to it. Etrac is transmitting multiple frequencies at once, you have to swap coils on the Xterra and the coils are $150+ each. Take that into consideration and the Etrac cost starts to come more in line. Think of it this way, an Etrac is an Xterra on steroids using more than one coil at a time.

The Xterra guys will say they're as good as an Etrac, and on average that's true, but who wants to be just average and miss some of the good/ deep stuff. I'm and Xterra guy too so I'm not knocking it, IMO it all comes down to what the budget will allow.
Click to expand...
Did you ever hunt with a coil as big as the Pro coil that you have on your E-trac with the Xterra? If not, then you're kind of making an unfair comparison.
I've hunted with my FBS detector (Explorer SE) and coils as big as 18", and I haven't found it to be any deeper in my ground than the 15" 3kHz coil on my 705.

You're right about one thing without doubt.....budget is a factor.
 
The MB lithium is definaltely in my future. Lighter, lasts longer, and the charger indicates status unlike the stick charger.
 
Friday I've made an air test, my 705 with 10,5" 7,5 khz versus Etrac with standard coil. The Etrac won the test with 1 inch.
In ground, I guess it's different but not so much in depth. The FBS will make it better on the discrimination thou. And the rod is definetly better on the Etrac.
In the end, money talks !
 
PanhandlePoorBoy said:
Considering a Minelab X-Terra 705. I'm wondering if it will detect just as deep as the Safari or even the Etrac... in real world target finding. I know the difference in the FBS and single freq. Was just wondering from 705 owners... if it would punch down as deep. The 705 I know also... has 3 freq. to chose from with coil selection. If basic difference is only the bells and whistles then I can save some money and still find the same targets. Thanks
Click to expand...

For me the etrac is deeper than my 705 but the real advantage of the Etrac is its audio and visual ID. That is superior to every machine Ive ever used and that is a big help when selecting what to dig.
I really wish minelab had put the etrac/explorer guts in the xterra housing. Sure looks like they could have....so much easier to swing the xterra compared to the etrac.
 
A friend who lived about 50 miles from me used a Xterra 705 when I first detected with him. He was generally happy with it's performance. He was NOT happy with the need to change coils to change frequencies, nor the cost of said coils. He said he was unsure of what coil/frequency would be best at times. Long story shortened, he sold his 705, and went with a FBS machine. He was totally happy with his choice! Far less coils/coil changes needed, performance as good, or better, depending on the circumstances.

I think that is one thing many overlook with the 705. It's initial cost is less than a Safari, or Etrac. The downside is that to equip it with a good array of coils medium/large and small, in DD,concetric, configurations for three frequencies, to optimize performance, can cost a bucket of $$$$. It requires frequent coil changes for different situations, and requires carrying/storing all those extra coils also. With an FBS machine you can usually achieve similar results with far less coils ($$). In the end a 705 fully equiped with coils is not necessarily less costly than a FBS machine.

If gold nugget hunting is a part of your general detecting time, a 705 would be better. Multi Freq. machines don't do well in that domain.
 
Frankly my T2 is every bit as deep as my Explorer SE Pro and a whole lot lighter.
The 705 will get down there BUT remember the display numbers will be skewed. Pay attention to the depth meter. If it is showing deep and the numbers are bouncy dig it
 
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