Etrac vs. AT Pro?

[Tired Rooster]

Have never owned, nor do I own an ATP. Never even used one. There sure seems to be an awful lot of them out there though and a lot of people seem to like it. But I also have wondered why ATP owners want to compare it to the Etrac. There are a TON of detectors out there that would make a better comparison. The Etrac, as has already been mentioned, is a different technology from the ATP. Not knocking a detector I have never used or one that seems to do a good job at making good finds, but the Etrac is in kind of a different class of detectors. And as far as separating good targets from trash.....like Fletch said, open the screen up and use TTF or even 4TF.......very impressive!

 

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[dirtscratcher]

I'm wondering if OP has done any comparing signals with his friend and how did it go if you did?

 

[marjam]

I have thought about getting an at pro for water hunting, but I have the etrac and wouldn't trade it for any other land detector. It is amazing the depth it gets and the accuracy in determining what is in the ground at depth. I have a whites dfx too which is a fine machine, but since I have had the etrac I havent used it. The etrac finds the deeper targets and it should. It isn't cheap by any standard to own one. Is it worth it? that's subjective for everyone. If you like to have every odd in your favor i can't recommend enough the minelab fbs machines. I have had mine since September of 2013 and I am sold on minelab.

 

[gunsil]

I have an ATP and a Safari. I like them both. As others have said the ATP has a faster recovery time and can be swung faster. The Safari is much heavier and gets tiring on long hunts where there are few targets to stop and dig. I sometimes hunt with a couple of friends, one with an ATP, and one with an Etrac, and I use one or the other of my machines. No one of us consistently out hunts the others. No matter what machine you use you still have to get the coil over a target. There is no substitute for LUCK when detecting. Most coins in an undisturbed (never graded or landscaped or re-sodded) area will not be below six inches in depth even if the site is 200 years old, and I believe extreme depth capability is overrated for many hunting situations. Experience with one's machine is paramount, a person well experienced with a lower end machine will often do better than a person with little experience with a high end machine. I would try to use somebody's Etrac for a full day before you change up and buy one. A Safari has the same FBS technology and depth capabilities as the Etrac but is not backlit and has less target interpretation and is a less expensive alternative for the Etrac. Of course there is no real reason not to have more than one detector, many do, and use different ones in different situations.

 

[Silverfishin]

Not sure this applies with everyone but...I was using the Etrac and my wifey used the ATpro..she would find just as much clad even more at times then me. But, i would dig less trash, and i would find more silver, and dig a tad deeper. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ATGoldGuy]

That is about the same results my buddy and I have been seeing. I love my Pro but I think I might give the Etrac a try and keep my AT Pro for river hunts and rainy days.

 

[Rookster]

Minelabs like a higher mineralization soil. I had a lab explorer and for my soil the AT Pro I have now is better. Also I like a faster response. The Minelab is a slower machine. I know it sounds like I'm dawgin the lab but it depends on your soil. Just my thoughts on your subject.

 

[flakefinder]

I have two ATPros but will be adding to the tool box with a Etrac this'll spring , I have done real good with the ATP but sure I can do a little better!

 

[DiggerinVA]

It sounds like to me that comparing these two machines is like comparing the ATPro to the Fisher F75 ltd. I have both and like both for certain applications. Alot depends on the experience the user has with the machine. But a better comparison that i would like to see is the F75 ltd and Etrac... closer in price!

 

[christo000]

And hear I always thought the rival to the etrac was the v3i

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I have an E-Trac, and it took some getting used to. It IS a difficult machine to get used to, will drive you crazy for a bit and make you question whether it is working properly.

I LOVE it now

If you like your current detector, you can keep it!

 

[marjam]

I have an E-Trac, and it took some getting used to. It IS a difficult machine to get used to, will drive you crazy for a bit and make you question whether it is working properly.

I LOVE it now

If you like your current detector, you can keep it!

Thats exactly how I feel. I hope no one but me owns an etrac in my neck of the woods lol. We have a few detectorists where I live but most own other brands. They can keep them, and I'll keep my etrac.

 

[christo000]

I think we all know it will never change everyone has there,opinion on what's best we all think we have the best & as long as companies are making newer & better its never gonna stop, what is said is true if u like what u got use it bells & whistles won't pull more out of the, ground knowledge on what ur using will, & just cuz its,a $1500+ machine it still isn't gonna make more items appear in the ground if its there its there. Which is why that's another thing to consider when you want to upgrade & spend the cash do you have enough spots to enjoy it either way lol its still hands,down the best hobby

 

[Longhair]

Where the rubber meets the road....is in the market place. Anyone that thinks that an ATP is as good as an E-Trac, should try to sell theirs for what a used E-Trac sells for.
The fact is that an E-Trac commands it's price for a reason. And I'm sorry if there are Garrett owners that can't understand that you really do get what you pay for, and that their ATP is a $500 detector with $100 of waterproofing design. It does not compare to a $1500 machine in any universe but theirs.

 

[VERDE]

Hey Fletch88!! Yea I agree with your comment!! No one should use a MLab Etrac!! Too Heavy, Slow, and Complicated!! He He!! Why would anyone consider finding anything deeper, thinner, or more lucrative!! He He!! GOOD LUCK and GOOD HUNTING!! VERDE!!

 

[DiggerinVA]

The undeniable truth is that people are constantly comparing the ATPro to machines that cost 2 or 3 times its price.....so it has to be a very good, capable machine. And i know this from experience(hundreds of hours) and a LOT of nice coins and relics. Is it as good as the Etrac? IDK....it shouldn't be.....but i dont care....it IS GOOD and thats all that matters. I also believe that nearly as many ATPros would have been sold if the price would have been say $200 more. My ATP paid for itself in less than 6 months. Will the 'high priced' machines do this? You better have some good huntin' spots, thats for sure! I have to question how long it will take my fairly new Fisher to pay for itself. And i also know that the enjoyment of the hobby is payment. So the thing everyone needs to remember is we do this for enjoyment and if you enjoy using a $150 Tesoro...great! If you prefer a $2500 CTX....thats fine also. Thanks, everyone and good luck!

 

[Fletch88]

The undeniable truth is that people are constantly comparing the ATPro to machines that cost 2 or 3 times its price.....so it has to be a very good, capable machine. And i know this from experience(hundreds of hours) and a LOT of nice coins and relics. Is it as good as the Etrac? IDK....it shouldn't be.....but i dont care....it IS GOOD and thats all that matters. I also believe that nearly as many ATPros would have been sold if the price would have been say $200 more. My ATP paid for itself in less than 6 months. Will the 'high priced' machines do this? You better have some good huntin' spots, thats for sure! I have to question how long it will take my fairly new Fisher to pay for itself. And i also know that the enjoyment of the hobby is payment. So the thing everyone needs to remember is we do this for enjoyment and if you enjoy using a $150 Tesoro...great! If you prefer a $2500 CTX....thats fine also. Thanks, everyone and good luck!

I've spent 10's of thousands of $$$ to go fishing, scuba diving, metal detecting, camping, hiking, motorcycling, etc. If you added it all up I'm about 20k in the hole vs finds and food in the freezer! It's all about what makes each of us happy! If I had to justify mortal detecting based on my finds, I would have to sit home. I usually find enough to buy a hamburger and a coke ( southern term for pop or soda ), but enjoy every minute of it! For me it's more about the history of an area and finding things that were possibly held by someone several decades or even centuries ago. Happy Hunting! Walt

 

[DiggerinVA]

I've spent 10's of thousands of $$$ to go fishing, scuba diving, metal detecting, camping, hiking, motorcycling, etc. If you added it all up I'm about 20k in the hole vs finds and food in the freezer! It's all about what makes each of us happy! If I had to justify mortal detecting based on my finds, I would have to sit home. I usually find enough to buy a hamburger and a coke ( southern term for pop or soda ), but enjoy every minute of it! For me it's more about the history of an area and finding things that were possibly held by someone several decades or even centuries ago. Happy Hunting! Walt

I agree with u 100%......some of my favorite finds are worthless or nearly so to most people. My reference to the ATP finding enough to pay for itself was merely to support the fact that it is a good machine....At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that we use a machine, hunt a spot, spend our hard earned money on what suites us each personally and makes each of us happy! And i guess with my money spent on deer hunting, deer meat is at around $100 a pound...lol! Thanks...

 

[Fletch88]

I agree with u 100%......some of my favorite finds are worthless or nearly so to most people. My reference to the ATP finding enough to pay for itself was merely to support the fact that it is a good machine....At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that we use a machine, hunt a spot, spend our hard earned money on what suites us each personally and makes each of us happy! And i guess with my money spent on deer hunting, deer meat is at around $100 a pound...lol! Thanks...

Do you much Civil war digging DiggerinVa ? Isn't y'all's soil highly mineralized in many places?

 

[huntindog1]

If you want a cheaper option go with the Safari. I have seen used ones for good prices.

I heard all the arguments and when I got my etrac then got a CTX 3030 when it came out all the arguments dont matter now , its no contest that ML is superior.