AT PRO vs Minelab CTX 3030

[Diggin Dude]

I've been using the AT Pro for about a year now it has increased my finds immensely lots of silver coins and other good older coins down deep.

I have been reading about the Minelab CTX 3030 on the treasurenet forums, and I have started doing some research on the internet about the CTX. The machine looks too good to be true and the stories seem too good to be true.

I'm asking has anyone went from the AT Pro to the CTX?

Have you seen great improvement in discrimination in finding coins in very trashy areas?

Have you rechecked areas you thought were hunted out with the AT Pro with the CTX?

I would appreciate any input concerning the AT Pro compared to the CTX. I am considering buying a CTX but they are very expensive..

Maybe I just have G.A.S. !!!! ( gear acquisition syndrome)

 

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[Digger]

Just because you pay more for a item does not make it better ...

Does too!!! LOL

Actually, "Better" is a matter of opinion. The beep-N-diggers have no need for a visual display and so put little to no value in a good display, whereas a selective hunter, like myself, places great value in the ability of a detector to accurately ID a deep coin.

 

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[Keppy]

LOL!!!!!!!

Here is someone that doesn't want any competition.

.. You mean you did not know that all metal detectors were made to find metal ? .. I use a Garrett detector and a Minelab detector and they both find metal… WOW i guess i will have to give some classes here ..

 

[Keppy]

[/COLOR]

Does too!!! LOL

Actually, "Better" is a matter of opinion. The beep-N-diggers have no need for a visual display and so put little to no value in a good display, whereas a selective hunter, like myself, places great value in the ability of a detector to accurately ID a deep coin.

.. Well my Sovereign will find any thing your 3030 or E-trac will ...

 

[Keppy]

I don't detect in his State! LOL! no competition here LOL

Well i don't detect in your state either so you are lucky.. There are still things in your state to find...

 

[OBN]

Well i don't detect in your state either so you are lucky..

Next time Keppy comes to Maryland the state police will be blocking the roads off, he did not leave much behind his last trip here.

 

[Diggin Dude]

Diggin Dude...
Which coil do you have on your AT Pro? I have read many comments that the stock 9x12 DD coil is great, but for trashy areas the 5x8 DD is far better. So, if you don't have the 5x8 DD, it might be a worthwhile upgrade, and bing like $128 dollars, it beats buying a new machine... unless thats what you really want.

have the 5X8 and the small stealth coil they work good. No rush on buying the new machine, just looking for answers if Minelab is so much better and worth getting to make hunting more enjoyable in trashy area's.

 

[Keppy]

So far the info from all of you has been helpful. My AT Pro has been great for me in low to moderate trash areas but becomes very chatty and I can't find good targets in high trash areas where I believe their is great stuff. Some of the oldest sites I've tried to hunt are extremely trashy, I understand there is a process of cleaning out sites of trash to get to the good stuff but this will take forever, if having a CTX will make a BIG difference in cherry picking in high trash areas then I will get one. If there isn't much difference between the Etrac and the CTX other than water proofing well that's another thing to consider. I don't need the GPS bells and whistles Google map program stuff but I want the best machine to cherry pick in trash CTX or Etrac sounds the way to go.

I figured it's a leap from the AT Pro but I'll make the leap if it's worth it in enjoyment and quality finds. I don't sell my finds so there is no "paying off" my machines, if I had to I could pay off my AT Pro a couple times over but that's not what I'm about. I don't want to waste time and money constantly upgrading through different machines, I want the best for cherry picking very trashy areas. So with that said please keep your experiences and info coming Between AT Pro and CTX I guess it would be beneficial to me at this point if you share experiences concerning Etrac vs CTX also.

Thanks everyone!

If you upgrade you will still not find more if your coil does not go over it you will not find it…I like your point about upgrading that is very true .. For some every time a new detector comes out they have to have it .. And it will not do more than there old detector .. It will in there minds only. or in there dreams..

 

[HollandsBrook]

As others have said on this thread, it's not really fair to compare the two. Different technologies and built for different markets. I went from AT Pro to E-trac to CTX and I can tell you the CTX mops the floor with the AT Pro. But again not really fair to compare these two machines.

 

[Diggin Dude]

If you upgrade you will still not find more if your coil does not go over it you will not find it…I like your point about upgrading that is very true .. For some every time a new detector comes out they have to have it .. And it will not do more than there old detector .. It will in there minds only. or in there dreams..

I get out there! LOL an upgrade (if it really is) will be used! Just want to make the right choice once. Maybe I'll just stick with the AT Pro.

 

[SavageHunter]

I can't speak for the CTX but, I have the AT Pro and the ETrac, and when I compare both machines with the stock coils on, both are comparable with the edge going to the ETrac. The ETrac hits harder on deep dimes. However, the AT Pro with the 5x8 coil will cut through a high trash area with surgical precision.

 

[DiggerinVA]

I can't speak for the CTX but, I have the AT Pro and the ETrac, and when I compare both machines with the stock coils on, both are comparable with the edge going to the ETrac. The ETrac hits harder on deep dimes. However, the AT Pro with the 5x8 coil will cut through a high trash area with surgical precision.

Thank you for being honest and posting a good, helpful reply....
I get frustrated with posts that the ctx or the etrac are waaayyy better than an ATP, but they dont say how they are better. I want to know how they are better? Do they seperate in modern trash better? Do they seperate in old iron filled areas better? (no) Are they just deeper? Maybe they are deeper than the ATP....its not a depth demon to begin with. But neither will compare to my fisher for depth, so what will i be gaining that is soooo much better by purchasing a ctx? Noone has answered this question thus far on this post.....and that was the original question. I know that the ctx "should" mop the floor with the ATP but how?

 

[RustyGold]

If you want it, buy it! Have fun with it and most importantly learn what its telling you! Consider your ATP as a back up when the CTX may or may not need repair! Best of Luck!

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

I use both, but spend more time now on the CtX. The CTX excels in iron. The trashier sites is where it gets the edge. Moderate trash, either detector will do well. I have a friend who hunts house demolition sites . he does the firsst pass with the AT Pro, then goes back and picks out some high tones in the iron with the CTX. They are all tools in your toolbox, pull the best one for the job at hand.

Wayne

Wayne

Www.metaldetectingstuff.com

 

[cudamark]

For good ground and 6" deep targets, there is no significant difference between them. You get in bad ground (mineralized), trashy ground, with or without deeper targets, and you will see quite a bit of difference. The CTX has target trace where you can have multiple targets on the display at the same time. With a small coil and using 2 tone ferrous, it's a hard to beat combination by ANY other machine, although the E-trac is close. Here again, the choice is not only in the detector but also the coil. Assuming similar operator experience, search site, coil size, and operating frequency, the CTX is superior in every aspect. Salt water beach hunting, the CTX is far superior. Nugget hunting, neither one would be my choice but they are close in performance with the CTX getting the slight nod if you use a small coil. Comparing the CTX to the AT Gold, I'd give the nod to the AT Gold.

 

[gleaner1]

I went from at pro to ctx3030. If you do. .. you'll never want to use the at again. Ever. The ctx just murders it in every single aspect. That's why its so expensive.

OK new guy and welcome to Tnet, yer gonna fit right in with us tecter nut cases. Please tell us how long you been tectin and what machines you cut yer teeth on. Please tell us why you use the ctx at the old park and your experiences with it in the drink.

 

[pinkdx]

I have the AT pro with a 12x13 nel tornado coil, and my friend has the ctx3030, we detect trashy roman sites in England and rivers and streams, without the nel coil the at pro doesn't go as deep as the ctx but seems to be slightly better weeding out in the goodies amongst the iron . however with the nel coil the at pro detects as deep as the 3030 but you then seem to loose the edge over the 3030 in the iron areas. ive had many different detectors over the years but for the price even with the added extra for the nel coil the AT pro has to be the best detector for the price at the moment, less than half the price of the 3030 . also it is a lot lighter than any minelab, after 3 hours in the field my friend starts to feel it in his arms swinging the 3030. also the iron audio is a fantastic feature on the At pro. im not knocking the 3030 in any way, it is superior the than At pro but not in every way and it is horrendously expensive for little gains. hope this helps

 

[beerguy]

This has been all about performance, one of the things I value about the CTX is the ability to set up the machine to sound the way you want it to. Also, tracking 2 targets beneath the coil. And switching between modes.

From a feature standpoint, the CTX is above all others.

I am a bit biased, tho...