Which one :)

[rhoffart]

Ok, joined the forum and now I just going to jump out there and ask the question. I have a budget in mind of around 1K. I'd like to buy a good detector, that I can take camping, hiking or just go out and enjoy the outdoors. Just from glancing at a few posts I see I need a Garrett pro-pointer, a detector and some digging tools. I don't want to buy a starter unit then turn around and want something better in a few months. I live in Central Texas so I have no clue if rocky ground makes a difference. I don't know enough to ask questions so I'm just looking for general feedback -or- if there is "the one" to buy in that price range please let me know. I'd like to jump in both feet ... and maybe pick one up real soon. Is it better to buy local or internet? Thanks Rick

 

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[halfstep]

Ok, joined the forum and now I just going to jump out there and ask the question. I have a budget in mind of around 1K. I'd like to buy a good detector, that I can take camping, hiking or just go out and enjoy the outdoors. Just from glancing at a few posts I see I need a Garrett pro-pointer, a detector and some digging tools. I don't want to buy a starter unit then turn around and want something better in a few months. I live in Central Texas so I have no clue if rocky ground makes a difference. I don't know enough to ask questions so I'm just looking for general feedback -or- if there is "the one" to buy in that price range please let me know. I'd like to jump in both feet ... and maybe pick one up real soon. Is it better to buy local or internet? Thanks Rick

How much are you wanting to pay for a detector? Do you plan on mainly coin/jewelry hunting or relic hunting? Do you plan on hunting any beaches?

 

[Jesse Lermon]

Get a e trac dude i wish i had gotten one as my first detector to think all the silver i missed over the years.Go to big boys hobbies he will cut you a hell of a deal if you call him.

 

[Jesse Lermon]

P.s i hunt rocky creeks and rivers and it does great in rocks

 

[rhoffart]

How much are you wanting to pay for a detector? Do you plan on mainly coin/jewelry hunting or relic hunting? Do you plan on hunting any beaches?

I set a budget of around $1,000 plus or minus a little. Honestly I don't know what I will be hunting ... I would guess coin/jewelry. Creeks, Rivers, Lakes, a few old ranches to start. I would like something that would break down that I can fit in my kayak or pack it on my back for a few hour hike.

The E-Trac looks good, I will do some research. If I want to go look and touch one what it the best place to go, Bass Pro, REI, Cabala's, Academy?

 

[rhoffart]

Another newbie question ... What is the difference between the Safari and the E-trec?

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

While it is below your budget, the At Pro would be a good choice based on where you will be hunting. If you are going into rivers and lakes, you will want the waterproof capabilities. It fits well in a backpack and is a great relic machine for Texas soils.

The E-trac has additional features over the Safari, usb connectivity, more discrimination options and customization, ferrous and conductivity numbers on target ID. The coils are waterproof, but don't get the control box wet.

Wayne

 

[norbyx]

I agree on the at-pro, it is a detector that is quite simple in standard mode and gets better in pro mode. Also if you have a $1000 for all your gear than you have to divide your money in detector, and accessories.
You will want a pro pointer, and a good digging tool. Also will need a pouch for your stuff and eventually some extra coils for the detector. When you add everything you might just get into the $1000 range with the AT-Pro.

 

[halfstep]

If you are not familar with detectors, the learning curve on the high end detectors will be long. The safari is a great choice if you don't have detecting experience. The learning curve of the safari isn't long. But it will still require some practice and time to learn it. Learning how to set up and use the detector, learning the sounds, leanring the numbers and understanding what the detector is saying is where success and failure are seperated. The etrac sounds promising to anyone new to detecting but it requires knowledge and experience to use one properly. I bought the safari for the simplicity. Now that I have learned the safari, I could step up to the etrac and have a good idea on how to get the most out of it. The safari is a great beach machine and does great as a land detector. It is not waterproof so if you are around water, caution must be given. You can run the coil down into the water but don't pick the coil up higher than the control unit or water will run through the tube and kill your detector. The etrac and other high end detectors are for advanced swingers. I would reccommend that anyone starting out buy a push and go detector. I like minelab detectors but there are other brands that are nice as well. Each brand has their own characteristics and unique language. People like different brands for different reasons but it all boils down to the person behind the detector.