Minelab CTX 3030 vs Fisher CZ3D vs Tesoro Tejon Ground Test

[Silver Searcher]

[/COLOR]

HUH? The CTX is every bit as deep as the E-Trac which in my opinion is as deep as it gets here in Kansas. Now I understand depth may have different requirements over across the pond, but a blanket statement like that is just misleading.

Not so much the depth, as most detecting (for me anyway) is on ploughed fields, recovery speed, is the key factor on heavy iron infested sites, especially saxon sites, the filtering of tiny silver coins out of areas with high contamination.

SS

 

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[U.K. Brian]

So your saying the E Trac is a deep machine ? Before commenting on any detector you should do what I've been suggesting for years. Dig a proper test bed, a wide trench is best so the targets can be inserted sideways and not disturb the soil matrix. Select one type of coin, silver, copper doesn't matter. Then insert that single coin type at increasing depths from say five inches to twelve or more. Then select your wonder machine of almost any brand and check each target in turn and see at what depth the I.D. on a good target turns to being a ferrous one. Its sooner than you would think.

 

[Digger]

LOL I've always got a kick out of what I see being said.

The CTX 3030 isn't as deep as the E-Trac, which isn't as deep as the Explorer SE, which isn't as deep as the old Explorer II which wasn't as deep as the old Explorer. Manufactures just keep making detectors that won't go as deep as the model before it.

 

[Silver Searcher]

LOL I've always got a kick out of what I see being said.

The CTX 3030 isn't as deep as the E-Trac, which isn't as deep as the Explorer SE, which isn't as deep as the old Explorer II which wasn't as deep as the old Explorer. Manufactures just keep making detectors that won't go as deep as the model before it.

Yes that's right, but people keep buying the newer models, because they believe the newer version will be deeper than the one it replaces.

SS

 

[U.K. Brian]

Thats why you have an E-Trac not the newer CTX 3030 and people only upgraded to the XLT from the slight deeper and smoother running Spectrum to save on weight and gain more programme slots.

 

[Digger]

I have the E-Trac ONLY because I sold my CTX 3030 at the end of last season with plans to buy another. I ended up getting a super deal on the E-Trac. I'm still planning on getting another CTX 3030, because for me, it was the best I've owned. I have the V3i and AT Pro for hunting tot lots and standard yards. My E-Trac is strictly for our city park.Our city park is 120+ years old and sits along side the Arkansas River which used to flood on average ever 30-40 years. As a result of the floods coins are extremely deep. In some areas as deep as 24". For some 20 years my buddies and I would hunt that park and never found any keepers but the occasional wheat. I was one of those diehard beep-N-dig detector users with my Tesoros. Whenever one of us bought a new detector the first place we tested it was this park.In the early 90's, being the last holdout to the old machines, I decided it was time for me to upgrade.

One of my buddies had upgraded to a Garrett Master Hunter and the other a Tesoro Toltec 100 I decided on a White's Eagle Spectrum with the new fangled VDI. We took it to the park, like many times before, and after tuning the first thing I hit the ground and got a good clean target at 6 1/2". My buddies checked it with their machines and the Garrett MH made no sound while the Toltec 100 chirped, but nothing he we recover. I decided since it was a new machine, and sounded so good, I would recover it. Turned out to be 3 silver dimes, 2 mercs and a barber, 3 wheats and 1 silver war nickle all in the same hole. I could walk two steps without repeating the same over and over again.For the next several years I pulled out over 2000 old coins from that park we thought was void of old coins. Needless to say my buddies upgraded and also began to find the old keepers. After many years the park started running dry with old keepers. Seems 7-8" was about the limit of our detectors but I knew there was still plenty of keepers even deeper. Having leanred a valuable lesson about how new technology can bring out the goods, I decided to try it again and bought a White's XLT. Didn't get me any more depth than my Eagle so I sold it and bought a DFX. The DFX opened up a whole new depth and the goods began to come again.

This lasted for about 7 years and the park started to dry up again. Once again I'm thinking maybe technology can spark new life in this park that still had many goodies left to give.I had heard a lot about the Minelabs so I bought a Explorer SE Pro. It was slightly deeper than my DFX but after 7 years with my DFX I could get nearly the same depth and liked it better so I sold the SE and bought a E-Trac. The E-Trac opened a whole new depth again. I was taking hands full of keepers home from the same areas my other detectors had stopped producing, and was freaked to find not 1 but 2 walking liberties halves from the small area I had cleaned with the DFX & SE Pro. New technology had once again proved its worth, but then nothing last forever and after a few years, and my buddy getting a E-Trac, the park began to dry up. Enter the CTX 3030. Not an extreme depth improvement over the E-Trac, but I was again taking home the keepers. The CTX was pulling keepers the E-Trac had missed.

This is why I believe in technology and keeping up.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Now why did you sell your CTX ? You posted, or am I wrong, that you had an unexpected tax bill of $3000 so had to sell a couple of your detectors. Somehow you have forgotten that you use to have a line on your posts "To many finds to post" I think. Someone questioned this and you said you have boxes of silver and gold ! Now why not sell just a few of these gold and silver items and pay the debt.

As for technology you would always say new is better whilst at the same time saying the opposite on here. You said the SE is the deepest detector you have used the other year but also posted " The Whites Spectrum does get deep. Used one for 13 years and I can honestly say I could get as deep with my Eagle as with my DFX or Minelab SE".
Then you had your post saying that older detectors could be quite good in the hands of an experienced user but "don't be fooled into thinking they are any match for even the low end machines of today".

To get back to the original subject of the post I've used an Explorer series 2 (with SEF coil) that is deeper than the E-Trac or CTX BUT the CTX has improved from the point of view of I.D. (if you want it) and recovery speed. G.P.S. is just a gimmick and something else to go wrong so I'll ignore that. The Fisher and the Minelab will both get rings from the wet sand whilst this is a major weakness of the Tejon. On the other hand there's hammered silver on the U.S. East coast and not that much gets picked up because many detectors just don't see it. The CZ is one unless ground balanced as if being used on land. Then it will work but at the price of large rocks just under the surface sounding like a metal target and on coins/rings you have to make the recovery almost on the first of the spade as directly the first sand is removed the hole sounds of as a large signal.
So what I'm saying is we haven't got a true test of these detectors abilities because lack of ability is being ignored.

 

[Digger]

You might also take the time to read that I've been selling my found gold and silver to help buy my new toys. I've added a picture of some the cheapy rings I didn't sell because they have more personal value than monetary. There are no beaches in southwest Kansas so all these were found in the dirt. I'd gladly trade both my E-Trac and V3i for a CTX 3030 in a heart beat.

I have a lot of other hobbies other than metal detecting. During the winter, when the Kansas ground is frozen, I fly RC planes and copters and restore classic cars. Both very expensive hobbies. It's a lot easier for me to sell a CTX 3030 than a DFX for good money. I've also added a picture of some of my projects over the last 6 years and some of my RC's.

I guess you don't recognize sarcasm. If I've ever said the SE was deepest detector I have ever used then it was as sarcasm. In fact I remember saying I sold my SE because it wasn't finding me anything more than my DFX did. Older machines can be good in the hands of experience, but will never match that of the newer technology in the same experienced hands. FACT!

Once again I say everyone had their own opinion, but FACT will rise to the top naturally. You think a majority use the E-Trac simply because of marketing or they don't know better? You got a real mental block son. It doesn't matter if it is cars, guitars or whatever popular happens for a reason and that is it naturally rises to the top of the other products because it works better for a majority. Don't fool yourself, or even worse, fool someone else. You prefer to believe that for some insane reason technology has gotten worse and the simple old detectors are better than the new high tech one ones. Fool yourself much? That's fine, but please don't feed someone new to detecting such a ridiculous concept. It's just not right.

If you have any doubt head on over to my site at Index of /detecting you'll find all my documented finds. I've been uploading seasonal finds since 2006.

 

[U.K. Brian]

Just have a look at what you have posted on the "Friendly Forum" and remember when your spinning tales on the forums they don't disappear the next week. Everyone has other hobbies. If your any good at restoring classic cars you should be making money at it.
Now if we go to your post of 2008 "The Whites Spectrum does get deep. Used one for 13 years and I can honestly say I could get as deep with my Eagle as with my DFX or Minelab SE" just who is trying to fool new comers to the hobby ?

Now you told Joe TX that if he was pulling coins out at 10 inches (with older machines) he was the only one! You wrote, "if you could pull coins at six inches in depth it meant you had mastered that detector....new machines can get 10 inches or more"). Funny that I have some of the older classics and they can still locate medium sized coins at twelve inches.

This suggests you either used poor detectors or just lacked the ability to set them up correctly.

 

[Digger]

I guess I'm missing it Brain. Everything you quoted there Is what I believe. Show me someone recovering coins at 10" with an older machine, and I'm not talking just a few years, and I'll show you a fib. Until around 1990 10" was impossible other than MAYBE in the sand.

I had one of you old machine fanatics come to hunt our city park awhile back. He brought a bunch of those good old analog machines to pit against our E-Tracs. He left with a whole new perspective on new technology and I saw just what I expected. He got about 6" at most. He heard a few of our 7-8" coins but told us he wouldn't dig them cause they sounded like junk. All were coins.

As far as restoring my classic. I don't restore them to show room condition because I live in Dodge City Kansas. The resources just aren't here. I find them in a field or barn for around $1,500 to $2,000 and get them back on the road and then sell them to someone with the resources for about $4,000-5,000. Not a big profit that's why it is a hobby not a living. I do it because I enjoy doing it. If you did a search then you also know how often I have sold my found gold and silver and even seen the receipts.

 

[liftloop]

I like how the tesoro beeps when he doe's move it
and at the end I like how they run it unstable and shake it to get it to sound off you can have the malty tone
I don't buy it
the fisher what is up with that thing
boy there's suckers born every minute...

 

[fella]

I like how the tesoro beeps when he doe's move it
and at the end I like how they run it unstable and shake it to get it to sound off you can have the malty tone
I don't buy it
the fisher what is up with that thing
boy there's suckers born every minute...

Just curious how the Whites did and sounded in the Vid? Oops never mind!

 

[Muddyhandz]

I guess I'm missing it Brain. Everything you quoted there Is what I believe. Show me someone recovering coins at 10" with an older machine, and I'm not talking just a few years, and I'll show you a fib. Until around 1990 10" was impossible other than MAYBE in the sand.

I had one of you old machine fanatics come to hunt our city park awhile back. He brought a bunch of those good old analog machines to pit against our E-Tracs. He left with a whole new perspective on new technology and I saw just what I expected. He got about 6" at most. He heard a few of our 7-8" coins but told us he wouldn't dig them cause they sounded like junk. All were coins.

You know, we have something in common but it's reversed.
I follow behind people like you with their "New technology" and find all the deep coins that their miracle machines can't reach.
I've done it time and time again.
I can't believe I happened to come across this thread 2 days after coming back from an out of town park that an E-trac user told me that he just cleaned out! Honest!
He said that he found two 50-year old silver dimes and a few pennies that he was able to find with his high-tech, new technology that obviously no one could find before - beyond 8 inches.
I spent the gas money because I love these type of challenges!
Yep, after an afternoon, I had found several old pennies, a bunch of old style nickles, (including a U.S. silver war nickle) 5 silver dimes, 2 silver quarters, and a nice pile of old collectibles. The quarters were 12 to 14 inches deep, and 2 dimes were 8 to 10 inches deep.
The main thing is that most of my goodies came from amongst the thick beds of bottle caps at around the 6 inch mark.
My old technology was able to pluck good non-ferrous out of junk piles where as I know that E-trac can't handle heavy trash.
It would suffer big time from masking.
I have one witness that was with me all day and saw some of my deep finds being retrieved.
Sure, I bet the e-trac can lock on to the odd deep silver coin if the ground is fairly clean but overall it lags in many departments.
Sure, I bet you out did that one guy with his old analog detectors but you have never faced me and my 1266x!
I have specialized in pulling out coins beyond a foot deep and have called at least a dozen different hunters to come over and try one of my deep signals only to hear silence. Then they watch as I dig to China and pull out a coin or goody. I've done this to countless new and expensive detectors.
I'm sure that most reading this post will be in disbelief as you probably are but I don't care! You all can have your new technology!
In fact, I prefer if everyone uses the latest and greatest. That way, there will be lots for me to find!
One final note. The Nautilus could blow your precious e-trac away for depth any day of the week. Yes, the Naughty is new but it uses OLD TECHNOLOGY.
Good old crystal electronics. Can't be beat.
I'm sure I entertained you with this post. Probably just as much as you entertained me with your claims.
I still have my finds from that park in my pouch, all dirty and you're welcome to see them.
Cheers,
Dave.

 

[Silver Searcher]

You know, we have something in common but it's reversed.
I follow behind people like you with their "New technology" and find all the deep coins that their miracle machines can't reach.
I've done it time and time again.
I can't believe I happened to come across this thread 2 days after coming back from an out of town park that an E-trac user told me that he just cleaned out! Honest!
He said that he found two 50-year old silver dimes and a few pennies that he was able to find with his high-tech, new technology that obviously no one could find before - beyond 8 inches.
I spent the gas money because I love these type of challenges!
Yep, after an afternoon, I had found several old pennies, a bunch of old style nickles, (including a U.S. silver war nickle) 5 silver dimes, 2 silver quarters, and a nice pile of old collectibles. The quarters were 12 to 14 inches deep, and 2 dimes were 8 to 10 inches deep.
The main thing is that most of my goodies came from amongst the thick beds of bottle caps at around the 6 inch mark.
My old technology was able to pluck good non-ferrous out of junk piles where as I know that E-trac can't handle heavy trash.
It would suffer big time from masking.
I have one witness that was with me all day and saw some of my deep finds being retrieved.
Sure, I bet the e-trac can lock on to the odd deep silver coin if the ground is fairly clean but overall it lags in many departments.
Sure, I bet you out did that one guy with his old analog detectors but you have never faced me and my 1266x!
I have specialized in pulling out coins beyond a foot deep and have called at least a dozen different hunters to come over and try one of my deep signals only to hear silence. Then they watch as I dig to China and pull out a coin or goody. I've done this to countless new and expensive detectors.
I'm sure that most reading this post will be in disbelief as you probably are but I don't care! You all can have your new technology!
In fact, I prefer if everyone uses the latest and greatest. That way, there will be lots for me to find!
One final note. The Nautilus could blow your precious e-trac away for depth any day of the week. Yes, the Naughty is new but it uses OLD TECHNOLOGY.
Good old crystal electronics. Can't be beat.
I'm sure I entertained you with this post. Probably just as much as you entertained me with your claims.
I still have my finds from that park in my pouch, all dirty and you're welcome to see them.
Cheers,
Dave.

What I would like to know is, how can coins get to that depth, in park land..(12-14" quarters) (8-10"dimes) when relativity speaking they haven't been lost for that great a time.

SS

 

[Digger]

Well Brian I’ve heard your story 1000 times as I’m sure you’ll claim you’ve heard mine. My job does not afford me the option to happily meet your challenge, although lord knows I’d love to take you to school lol, but I’d sure be willing to send you an invite to my city park to put your money where your mouth is. I’d be will to pay your entire expense should you pull more goods than my E-Trac. It’s a free trip if you pull deeper goods than my E-Trac, if not, you foot your own bill. This is a standing offer for anybody I’ve had for years. A few have even tried. Send a friend?My city park is unique in that I can guarantee there are old coins if your detector can get the depth. Years of flooding have buried the oldest coins up to a measured 24” in areas. The depth increases from south to north as the floods left more mud behind. This makes for a detector tester’s dream site. You just walk from south to the north until your detector stops finding coins and you’ve reached the depth ability of that detector. The deeper your detector can go, the further north you will keep pulling coins. It’s simple and fool proof.I would love for someone to prove me wrong and show me a deeper detector than I could keep pulling keepers from my park. As you can see I've tried just about every machine with a claim to depth. So far the E-Trac has been best. Several came very close.

 

[xr7ator]

I have been at this on and off since 1984. My old machine and my many many foot or deeper silver dimes back in the the late 80's must have been a dream, huh, Digger? This was at a very old collage and no sand. Garrett master hunter 7 with 12" coil and knowing the machine very well. I dug quarters in the sand at the beach at over a foot with the regular 7.5" coil. You just get a very slight tone and since it is so easy to kick 6" or so of sand outta the way...you get a better signal, kick some more sand and a better signal until you know it is a quarter and go ahead and dig it.
I have an explorer se pro and have about 80 or so hours on it. I'm not impressed and I have been told by a minelab dealer the the se pro is deeper than the e trac. I don't have enough hours on it yet....
I have an at pro and have probabaly 2000 hours on it. I am still worried about depth, that is why I bought the minelab. I think I'm going to sell the minelab and try somehting else. I WANT DEEP coin sized object recovery.

I pulled an indian head at 9 inches with the AT pro. No visual id at all but the tone was right and repeatable. had it ground balanced very well at the time. (obviously) I found a half dollar sized copper token with the minelab at about the same depth. I haven't found any coins deeper than about 5-6 inches with the minelab yet.

I know that my old machine and all it's weight and the horrible battery life (with the optional 12" coil) will get deeper coins than my newer machines with factory 11" and 12" coils.

Just got an at gold for the right price. With the all metal mode (one tone) and a big coil, I might be able to match the deepth of the old machine.

Thoughts from the wise?

 

[Fletch88]

Well Brian I’ve heard your story 1000 times as I’m sure you’ll claim you’ve heard mine. My job does not afford me the option to happily meet your challenge, although lord knows I’d love to take you to school lol, but I’d sure be willing to send you an invite to my city park to put your money where your mouth is. I’d be will to pay your entire expense should you pull more goods than my E-Trac. It’s a free trip if you pull deeper goods than my E-Trac, if not, you foot your own bill. This is a standing offer for anybody I’ve had for years. A few have even tried. Send a friend?My city park is unique in that I can guarantee there are old coins if your detector can get the depth. Years of flooding have buried the oldest coins up to a measured 24” in areas. The depth increases from south to north as the floods left more mud behind. This makes for a detector tester’s dream site. You just walk from south to the north until your detector stops finding coins and you’ve reached the depth ability of that detector. The deeper your detector can go, the further north you will keep pulling coins. It’s simple and fool proof.I would love for someone to prove me wrong and show me a deeper detector than I could keep pulling keepers from my park. As you can see I've tried just about every machine with a claim to depth. So far the E-Trac has been best. Several came very close.

I'm loading up an 18 x 15 sef and coming! Lol my choice is an Etrac too! Georgia's a long way from Kansas though may have to save for a while

 

[Digger]

I'm loading up an 18 x 15 sef and coming! Lol my choice is an Etrac too!

OK, now that would be a good option. I have been thinking a larger coil for my E-Trac was about my only option at this point.

I have been at this on and off since 1984.

Well then surely, being around since the 80's, you'll recognize my avatar. It was in the Treasure Found magazine back in the 80's highlighting my goodies. You do know all one has to do is actually read one of the mags from the 80's to know 10" was out of the realm of possibility at that time. Even in sand, which I gave the benefit of the doubt, would have been a fluke. Don't believe me? Just read the old magazines. The only talk of 10" would have been with a 18" coil on and or a can sized target.

You should visit the thread http://www.findmall.com/read.php?18,1681798 talking about what detecting was like back in the days. None of these people were finding those 10" coins. You must have been remarkable.

 

[Fletch88]

I'm thinking of trying the 15 x 12 SEF or an 13" Ultimate on my Etrac. I just think the 18 may be too much coil for me. I've been using the 13" Ult. on my GT with hip mount setup and its light as a feather. It has good depth and great target separation. It gets a little jumpy when under saltwater but is manageable with a little tweaking of sensitivity.

 

[Newfiehunter]

No one mentioned the performance of the CZ 3D. Even though it is an older analog detector and a little on the heavy side, it is underestimated when it comes to performance. Just my 2 cents.