Whats the better one - Garretts AT Pro or a Minelab E-trac ?

[vabuckhunter]

Deepseeker I have to ask if you have ever used an AT Pro? Like I said I am still new to the E Trac and 6 months from now my answer may change.

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

Deepseeker I have to ask if you have ever used an AT Pro? Like I said I am still new to the E Trac and 6 months from now my answer may change.

I confess to be an early Garrett guy, DeepseekerADS III. When I came back went with the Ace 250 - disgusted with it. Got an Etrac, and partnered with a fellow using the AT Pro. He liked his Pro okay, but went back to his previous detector, as I was learning my Etrac - whole LOT of learning there!

So, I've NOT used the AT Pro, just walked along side of it. Beep, you dig. Etrac? There's science in the ground. And the science is? Hmm.... You want to figure that out and go beyond? Or do you just accept the dig signal?

It's all up to you as to how far you wish to push the limtis.

 

[vabuckhunter]

Deepseeker the readings on an AT Pro are usually really accurate and 9 times out of 10 a man thats good with the AT Pro knows whats coming out of the ground. No one is arguing which machine is better, there is no doubt the E Trac in the right hands is a superior machine but the downfall is the learning curve and the price difference between the 2. Is the E Trac worth 3 times more than the AT Pro? As of right now and how many hours I have on the machine it is not.

 

[DiggerinVA]

Alas, another comparison.... And there really is none there - comparison that is....

Do you want to metal detect, or do you want to be detectorist? That about sums it up. Your choice.....

Right here is where it came from.....a detectorist really? so you have to own an Etrac to be a detectorist? I know guys who have found more than you will dream of and have only used "beep and dig" Tesoros....

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

End it now or I will.. Please obey our rules.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Oh my, I spoke what I knew as the truth. Been around the block metal detecting, over 30 years. Played with toys, like for instance the AT PRO. gave my honest opinion on that. And you called me a small man.

So now I guess it is time to diffuse this before we both get banned. Oh you bethcha I could go from here. I did, for your information, mention this to the PM's.

If Ya want to take this further You better NOT think about that,

And in person, you might just like me - OR OTHERWISE.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

FYI I knew it was not a threat deep, it was being taken out of context.

It still does not belong on the forums.

 

[DiggerinVA]

I am sorry to all.....and am done with this post. Thanks.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Diggenirva, We could have been friends, We're both in Va.

I have my preferable detector.

I spoke the truth as I saw in detectors. I have mine, you have yours.

Truce, and friends? I will forget what you said, let us forget this and go beyond?

 

[DiggerinVA]

OK ....sounds good.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Ok my friend, where Ya'll live? I'm only a few hours away. I'm SW of Roanoke.

Let's go play in the dirt and forget this carp!

 

[DiggerinVA]

lol...we're about 15 minutes from Harrisonburg.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Hey digger, We're 3 hours away. I'll come up to your space, or you can come down to mine.. Tis a Saturday night and I welcome You into my condensed world. Couple more than the typical brandy night. I sincerely apologize for taking offense. There is far more beyond us than this, there is history to discover. I'll certainly share my world with you, though right now I'm chasing colors (I've yet to find) in my creeks versus coil on the ground.

 

[tcornel]

I own 2 ATP's with small coils and the NEL attack coil. They are great waterproof machines on land and fresh water. My experience is that while they can operate in wet ocean sand it loses its depth. This past week I saw a guy coming down the beach waving a machine like it was Harry Potters wand. He stopped and pulled out a toe ring about 7" deep right over a spot I had just covered. He was using an Excalibur. I priced an Excalibur and by the time you are done with a used one you would spend 1200 or so. Etracs would be same range or perhaps a little less.

My solution was to buy a 3030, 5 months old, with Grey Ghost waterproof headphones and wireless pack for 1700. After 4 hunts of 3 hours each I realize the apples/oranges and Chevy/Cadillac comparisons were right on. Clarity of signal, pinpointing, target seperation, ability to detect 2 targets, waterproof, gps tracking.

I love my ATP and it gives a great bang for the buck. Garretts service is second to none. But if you are looking to spend over a grand on a machine then I would skip the rest and go to the 3030. Compared to what people are writing everything else is a compromise.

 

[atomicscott]

I know the ATpro is not the "do-all" perfect machine.....that is why i own more than one. But why is it always put up against machines costing twice as much? That alone tells me it's holding it's own pretty well. It shouldn't be "ATpro versus Etrac" .....it should be "ATpro and Etrac" as i feel the work well together and make upp for each others short comings....

It has alot to do with the tv show "Diggers". AT Pro was known to be bulky, ergonomically awkward & heavy feeling & not super reliable after being introduced. Sales of the AT Pro increased immensely due to the popularity of the show when newbies saw all the goodies the 'Diggers' found with their AT Pro & AT gold machines.

 

[atomicscott]

Just because you prefer to run a less expensive machine, you dont have a reason to knock people down who choose to spend more on their machine. Until you try them back to back, you dont really know how much better one machine may be. I learned that spending $100 more to get my current machine, would have saved me a years worth of frustration digging more trash than treasure. For about the price I paid for my XT 505 I could have gotten an AT, (either of which would ID more accurately than my Vaquero) but I prefer the flexibility of the Minelab.

 

[The Silver Pirate]

For what it's worth, here is how I go about selecting a new machine. First of all, I take out any brand loyalty. Then I think about what type of hunting I will do, or why I need a new machine in the first place. I usually start with the frequency. Then I make a spreadsheet that includes all the machines that are in a range that I deem acceptable for my purposes. That usually narrows it down to about 5ish. Then I chart all the features of each machine. If you don't want to do that yourself, do it on KellyCo's website. I also consider what coils are available for the unit down the road. If I am stuck with just the original coil, then that is a serious consideration, but not a deal breaker. After several comparisons, I am always shocked to find out that the one that really fits my needs, is hardly ever the one I started out wanting.
Then, and only then, I will ask someone who has that machine how they like it. Asking someone to tell you which one of two is better gets you no where.

 

[against the wind]

Great post,,
Let's do it again sometime, , lol

 

[Patriot 1776]

Greetings fellow diggers -
This is my 1st post - my name's Bruce and I live in southern Oregon - ... although I've had the detecting bug since the early 80's - I'm still using the older Garretts master hunter 7 as my primary machine as it's produced alot of great finds - however - now that I am retired and plan on spending more time digging - I've found that the 'ole #7 has gotten a bit heavier then I recall and am looking to upgrade to a newer and lighter machine - having had great luck with the Garrett's I've researched and found that the At Pro might be the one - however I have also found that there's a large group who consider Minelab's E-trac a far superior detector because of it's depth - and as we all know deep is better - but is all that glitter not gold? - granted it lets you hook up to your computer & save settings - but is the price worth the difference ? Please help - thanks

E-Trac if you plan on hunting in salt water
AT-Pro great coin shooter detector

need to talk give me a call
dennis

 

[DiggerinVA]

I would not recommend either of these "in" saltwater......as the Etrac is not waterproof and the AT pro cant handle the wet sand being a single freq. machine.
And the Etrac is not always deeper.....i have personally seen cases(here in Virginia) in bad ground that the etrac would null on minnie balls 7-8" deep that the AT pro or Gold could find......this is side by side testing not an opinion. The Etrac however, is the better coin machine for those deep silvers in "most" areas......it also has unbeatable TID at depth.(as long as your not in really hot soil)