Why the E-trac would make the ATP look like childs play.......................

digger460

Silver Member
Sep 19, 2015
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Southeast Grundy, Illinois
Detector(s) used
EQ600, EQ800 and a Carrot
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Hi all,

Was just reading this thread http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garrett/510090-search-coils-pro.html, and normsel had said if you upgrade to $1200, it would make the ATP look like child's play. (I think he use's an E-Trac)

I've been using the ATP for almost a year now, and while not an expert, I'm getting pretty used to what it's telling me.

What unique differences would I notice with the E-Trac. Is there that big of a difference.

I'm pretty impressed with the ATP when you really listen to the sound. Is the E-Trac or comparable unit tell even more?

This isn't a Ford/Chevy question, just would like to know for future purchases.

Thanks all, HH
 

Hi all,

Was just reading this thread http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garrett/510090-search-coils-pro.html, and normsel had said if you upgrade to $1200, it would make the ATP look like child's play. (I think he use's an E-Trac)

I've been using the ATP for almost a year now, and while not an expert, I'm getting pretty used to what it's telling me.

What unique differences would I notice with the E-Trac. Is there that big of a difference.

I'm pretty impressed with the ATP when you really listen to the sound. Is the E-Trac or comparable unit tell even more?

This isn't a Ford/Chevy question, just would like to know for future purchases.

Thanks all, HH
The machine is only as good as the ears that are listening to it and the research that came before that. To me those two things are the most important part of success.

HH RN
 

I hunt with a buddy who swings an etrac.its a great machine and I have swung it many times.the truth is that me and my atp hold my own just fine against the etrac.in fact he would tell you that I'm "luckier"as I generally win the beer bet.It really is all about the operator maximizing the machines potential.
All this being said I sure do prefer the balance and weight of my atp over the etrac.I do believe that the etrac will see silver a bit deeper but the atp will pull the silver out of multiple signals a bit more effectively....so there you have it.:occasion14:
 

I've hunted side-by-side with my E-Trac and a ATP. There were deep silvers that I heard easily with the E-Trac and the ATP either couldn't see it at all or it responded as if it was iron.
 

Never underestimate the force of the ATP. I don't own one but my son does and it kicks buttocks. I would say they both have plus and minuses.
 

Hello,

I think both machines used in the correct setting are fantastic! I have used both and they each have their pro's and con's.

Although, I think it's not apples and apples, since one is priced at ~$594.0 dollars and the other at ~$1200 dollars. Plus many of the features are not the same.

My advice, for what it is worth, is to really understand you machine and it's good and bad features. Then decide if you need a different or a complement machine(s). Most of us have multiple machines for detecting different hunting conditions.

Just my 2 cents

Doc
 

I would say if hunting in 5ft of water I will take the AT pro, but if Im hunting wet sand at the ocean or bay, I will take the Etrac.

Neither has a good balance feel to it like say a T2/F75.
 

Folks,

There's been multiple threads along these lines....pretty much any branded machine can find the goodies in the hands of an experienced detectorist.

My boring Tesoro DeLeon has found all the gold rings in my avatar and then some....go with the machine that works for you.

Regards + HH

Bill
 

I would say if hunting in 5ft of water I will take the AT pro, but if Im hunting wet sand at the ocean or bay, I will take the Etrac.

Neither has a good balance feel to it like say a T2/F75.


LOL, maybe he meant that after swinging the E-Trac, the physical weight of the ATP would be childs play! I loved my E-Trac but that thing was an arm killer!
 

Jason in Enid,

You have a very good point about the Minelab machine weight. I use them a lot and use a detector harness sling, can swing it all day; not so much without it.

Regards,

Doc
 

Every time there is a discussion that can pit 2 machines against each other, , some people will take it as an attack on the machine they are currently using. As has already been said,, every machine has something about it that can be improved.
My first machine was a mail order "Beep & Dig" unit. It was purchased in 1970 while I was in the Navy.
We have come a long way.
My decision to purchase an AT PRO, was driven by a number of factors. The PRO is manufactured by Garrett and they have an excellent reputation as a very responsive "After Sales" company. The PRO is much lighter and better balanced than the Master Hunter CX II that I was using. I don't think anyone will dispute the water tight integrity advantage that the All Terrain PRO has. I used the PRO for 2 1/2 years. I truly enjoyed using the PRO. It found gold and silver jewelry on land and in fresh water. The clad I recovered paid for the machine in 18 months. I used the 5x8 coil because of it's ability to see through the trash. Mostly pull tabs and bottle caps. In both 2012 and 2013,, I recovered 25 silver coins each year.
Now let's move on to the E-Trac. Most of us have shared a hunt with a fellow hobbyist. At least I have. I had the good fortune of being invited to hunt a closed down psychiatric hospital by my friend Frank, aka, HungryGhost. He used an E-Trac while I used the PRO. Going over the same terrain over numerous hunts, Frank would out-silver me, 4 to 1. In 2013, Frank set a goal to find 100 silver coins. I believe, at the end of the year, his final tally was 110. Totally convinced that it had to be the machine. I began a search for the best price on an E-Trac. I purchased an E-Trac from a forum member for $900. The forum member had used it 3 times and couldn't make heads or tails out of it. He also wasn't crazy about it's weight. I took it off his hands.
I followed the "100 Hour" suggestion trying to understand what the machine was trying to tell me.
I noticed right away that the E-Trac will scream at you when it's coil passes over silver. It also has the ability to get your attention when a silver coin is sharing a hole with a piece of iron. It can see through the mask that iron puts out. In my first year (2014), using the E-Trac, my silver coin finds, jumped to 81 coins. In 2015, I set a 100 silver coin goal. I finished the year with a total of 158 silver coins.
One shortcoming I always worried about with the E-Trac was the fact that it doesn't like water. On numerous hunts, a plastic bag was at the ready to be placed over the unit's control box.
The E-Trac isn't known for it's ability to find gold. Although I have found gold with the E-Trac, the PRO has done much better.
Today, my primary machines are the CTX 3030, and the DEUS. I have pulled out the E-Trac to go over a few silver producing spots that have gone dry.
Someday I may just dedicate a few hunts with the PRO to investigate all signals from 40 to 65. I would like to know how many gold rings I may have ignored because I didn't believe the tone was right.
Well there you have it. I enjoy my PRO as well as my E-Trac but they are 2 different machines. In giving an unbiased opinion based on the production from both machines,, I believe that the hobby of Treasure Hunting is a school from which there is no graduation. There is always a new tool, machine , research, location, book, or tip to be investigated.
I will allow you to make your choices and advance at your own pace. HH
 

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I hunted side by side with my friend having an At-Pro and me having an E-Trac all last fall and winter. The E-Trac absolutely goes deeper. I found coins his machine couldn't even get a chirp out of. Proven in the soil here time and time again. he sold his At-Pro and now owns an E-trac.

However, you cannot compare the machines. Not fair to compare a mid level and price machine to one that costs twice as much. One thing for sure the Pro has an advantage on. It is great in fresh water. It is not locked into salt mode like the CZ-21 or the Excal. My only problem with wanting to own one is I would drown the poor thing.
 

Every time there is a discussion that can pit 2 machines against each other, , some people will take it as an attack on the machine they are currently using. As has already been said,, every machine has something about it that can be improved.
My first machine was a mail order "Beep & Dig" unit. It was purchased in 1970 while I was in the Navy.
We have come a long way.
My decision to purchase an AT PRO, was driven by a number of factors. The PRO is manufactured by Garrett and they have an excellent reputation as a very responsive "After Sales" company. The PRO is much lighter and better balanced than the Master Hunter CX II that I was using. I don't think anyone will dispute the water tight integrity advantage that the All Terrain PRO has. I used the PRO for 2 1/2 years. I truly enjoyed using the PRO. It found gold and silver jewelry on land and in fresh water. The clad I recovered paid for the machine in 18 months. I used the 5x8 coil because of it's ability to see through the trash. Mostly pull tabs and bottle caps. In both 2012 and 2013,, I recovered 25 silver coins each year.
Now let's move on to the E-Trac. Most of us have shared a hunt with a fellow hobbyist. At least I have. I had the good fortune of being invited to hunt a closed down psychiatric hospital by my friend Frank, aka, HungryGhost. He used an E-Trac while I used the PRO. Going over the same terrain over numerous hunts, Frank would out-silver me, 4 to 1. In 2013, Frank set a goal to find 100 silver coins. I believe, at the end of the year, his final tally was 110. Totally convinced that it had to be the machine. I began a search for the best price on an E-Trac. I purchased an E-Trac from a forum member for $900. The forum member had used it 3 times and couldn't make heads or tails out of it. He also wasn't crazy about it's weight. I took it off his hands.
I followed the "100 Hour" suggestion trying to understand what the machine was trying to tell me.
I noticed right away that the E-Trac will scream at you when it's coil passes over silver. It also has the ability to get your attention when a silver coin is sharing a hole with a piece of iron. It can see through the mask that iron puts out. In my first year (2014), using the E-Trac, my silver coin finds, jumped to 81 coins. In 2015, I set a 100 silver coin goal. I finished the year with a total of 158 silver coins.
One shortcoming I always worried about with the E-Trac was the fact that it doesn't like water. On numerous hunts, a plastic bag was at the ready to be placed over the unit's control box.
The E-Trac isn't known for it's ability to find gold. Although I have found gold with the E-Trac, the PRO has done much better.
Today, my primary machines are the CTX 3030, and the DEUS. I have pulled out the E-Trac to go over a few silver producing spots that have gone dry.
Someday I may just dedicate a few hunts with the PRO to investigate all signals from 40 to 65. I would like to know how many gold rings I may have ignored because I didn't believe the tone was right.
Well there you have it. I enjoy my PRO as well as my E-Trac but they are 2 different machines. In giving an unbiased opinion based on the production from both machines,, I believe that the hobby of Treasure Hunting is a school from which there is no graduation. There is always a new tool, machine , research, location, book, or tip to be investigated.
I will allow you to make your choices and advance at your own pace. HH

Between the CTX and Deus which do prefer and why?
 

Between the CTX and Deus which do prefer and why?

Wow,, that's putting me on the spot
I know that the choice of weapons in Brooklyn is the CTX 3030. I say one thing that can be contrived as criticism, and someone is going to call Donnie Brasco.
The CTX is much heavier than the DEUS by about 4oo lbs. It can find anything that the DEUS can find. You don't have to worry about bottle caps, or the non-conventional depth meter. But that is park hunting.
Right now,, I have the luxury of swinging both. I would venture to say,, if you're going to be exclusive in your hunting, say civil war relics, or hunting the fields of England for Roman Artifacts, then I would tell you to go with the DEUS.
If you are starting to get on in age and looking for something that will be a little easier on your physique, then again, go with the DEUS.
Me,, I'm going to continue to use both.
 

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