Whites Spectra V3 Vision VS. Minelab E-trac

Woodland Detectors

Gold Member
Nov 23, 2008
12,712
141
Toll Free ~ 855~966~3563
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I have seen the White's, AT pro and Etrac running in the same field. In a environment where there are high EMF situations, nothing performed better than the Minelab Etrac. I saw the White's -Garrett encountering unstable unmistakeable chatter near hot wire fences and power lines, where the Etrac was whisper quiet. Amazing! This opens a whole new avenue of places to detect where other machine couldn't hack it. I have taken my etrac back to places my last machine reacted to the same EMF disturbances mentioned above and dug relics standing under power lines , or in the CW farming hot wire fences that were undetectorable in the past. The Etrac has the muscle over the 2 mentioned above. Since the hunt with the White and Garrett machines, the friends using them have since traded their machines for new Etracs.
 

Digger

Hero Member
Mar 24, 2003
740
186
Dodge City Kansas
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, E-Trac, Makro Racer 2, DFX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Since the hunt with the White and Garrett machines, the friends using them have since traded their machines for new Etracs.

Hey I've got a very nice E-Trac I'd happily trade for a V3i, and I'm quite serious. Just in case you find another friend looking to get out of a V3i and into a E-Trac.
 

Viddy

Sr. Member
Aug 16, 2011
447
220
Harrisburg, PA
Detector(s) used
Xterra 705, F2, Etrac, T2, V3i, AT Pro, CTX3030, Equinox 800, Vanquish 540, Go-Find 66, F5, Q60, Apex
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Lot of "THE E-TRAC INTHE HANDS OF A NEW USER CAN FIND GREAT STUFF"... and "OUT OF THE BOX, THE ETRAC CAN FIND SOME GREAT STUFF"... and "EVEN WITH THE LEARING CURVE E-TRAC USERS CAN FIND GREAT STUFF...

...and the posts of "ONCE YOU LEARN YOUR VX3...." and "VX3 USERS WHO LEARN THEIR MACHINE AFTER A WHILE..."

.... What about the 'Etrac user that is NOT new and KNOWS their machine very well? How does THAT compare to the VX3 user?

...Compare the E-Trac user who hunts every day, uploaded custom programs from their laptop to their machine for their specific hunting area, and knows their machine well.... to the 'after time VX3 owners who learned their machines'....

THAT IS APPLES TO APPLES.....

Compare the EXPERIENCED to the EXPERIENCED... with their machines....

Cmon man!
 

Smudge

Bronze Member
Jul 9, 2010
1,532
44
Central Florida
Detector(s) used
A Propointer tied to a stick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I am part of a metal detecting club and I know of two members who very serious detectorists. One owns an E-Trac and one owns the V3.

One thing is absolutely clear: they both put in a lot of hours with their machines and they have both made fantastics finds, both in terms of jewlery, coins and relics. I cannot see where one had the upper hand over the other in any of the hunts we have ever done together (I myself use the humble Tesoro Golden uMax :wink:).

There is something else they have both done: they both switched to after market coils of 6". They both dumped the stock coils. They were simply too big and too many of the areas they frequently search are too trashy. That was the one mutual complaint thye have had. The coils are just too large for most detecting environments save for large, open areas.

Their depth was even by all appearances, but they found the machines performed better with the smaller coils.

From my observations, which machine is better is not an issue. They are both first rate. Are they worth the cost? Can't answer that one for you, but I know they have both already paid for their machines a few times over with their finds.

It all comes down to how often you detect, where you detect, and if you pass your coil over the right spot. :icon_thumleft:

Good luck and happy hunting!
 

liftloop

Silver Member
May 7, 2008
3,140
390
lakelinden mi
Detector(s) used
MXTdeepscan 8by14dd, bulls eye 2, 5900diprosl Maxima1500, Master Hunter cx plus Treasure Hound, surf
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Way to go smudge

love the good in put.
 

youart58

Greenie
Apr 7, 2012
16
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I had the e-trac, couldn't see the screen in sun light and didn't like the read outs, had the v3i and didn;t like the carzyness of it going all over. but almost went back to the e-trac work better. if going to spend big bucks go with e-trac
 

mntnflyr4fun

Jr. Member
Jul 12, 2012
41
19
Oregon
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Etrac with 6x8 SEF & ML 11" Pro coil, MXT PRO with D2 coil, Whites V3i
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Owned both....

Spent a year with the V3i, and if you like to spend all your time setting up your machine, its the way to go....nice display, cool 3 freq. graphics, but VERY hard to learn and setup properly and discrimination is very hard to stabilize on deeper targets (ie 4"+). I reluctantly traded it off and got an etrac...first day, same park I had pounded with the V3i resulted in a silver dime....never dug one silver with the V in over a year...3rd time to same park another silver dime....haven't looked back since....Etrac is a sophisticated easy to implement tool with great depth and discrimination with solid ID's at 6" or more. I still own a Whites GMT and wouldn't trade it for anything, but as far as discrimination ability, ease of use and great results...ETRAC all the way...

I had the e-trac, couldn't see the screen in sun light and didn't like the read outs, had the v3i and didn;t like the carzyness of it going all over. but almost went back to the e-trac work better. if going to spend big bucks go with e-trac
 

bobcat

Jr. Member
Aug 18, 2012
64
20
nebraska
Detector(s) used
whites - eagle 2 sl, eagle spectrum, xlt, dfx, V3i
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
As Yoda said.......become one with the metal detector that you are using......then and only then will the force be with you.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top