DDLoopscreamer --
I have a 3030, AND an Equinox, and before that, I hunted a Minelab Explorer (the "little brother" of the E-Trac) for 7 years. From my perspective, I dig no more iron, than I do/did with either the 3030, or the Explorer. It took awhile to "learn" the Explorer; once I did, I learned how to recognize most iron (rarely would I get TRULY fooled). Once I got the 3030, its similarity to the Explorer allowed me to rather quickly learn how to "tell" iron, from most of the coin-type targets I seek. Again, only on occasion, when "reaching" for really deep signals hoping for a fringe-depth dime, will a bent nail fool me.
Now that I've swung the Equinox for well over a year, I find the same thing -- I rarely have a nail entirely fool me. Occasionally, a very deep, bent nail will pretty closely mimic a very deep silver coin. But, as others have said, once you learn the machine, you learn most of the "tells" that allow you to significantly reduce the number of times you are "fooled" by iron. I can honestly say that at the end of a hunt, I have no more nails/iron in my pouch if I hunt with the Equinox that day, versus a hunt with the CTX.
After swinging a new machine for only two weeks, I personally would not EXPECT to be able to understand the nuances of the unit, such that I wouldn't be digging more iron that I was used to digging with my prior unit (of whatever brand/make), that I had substantial experience with...
Steve