40 hours on the Minelab CTX 30/30 update

[Woodland Detectors]

June 1st 100 hours on the Minelab CTX 30/30 update

Ok folks just keeping you updated on MY PERSONAL field testing on the CTX. The first week was a little slow. I intentionally took the CTX to some very well pounded out Etrac sites I have hit for years with great success using the CTX's little kin machine. I can honestly tell you the CTX does NOT get any more depth than the Etrac. It is genuinely the same. I have recently hit sites with the machine in Va, NC, and Ga. This weekend I got to use it in Tennessee. I met up with a couple friends Treasurehound, and Guy Lambert, and about 40 members of my Knoxville Tn. club hunt. They got to see the machine, and me using it if you need some references, and their opinions. I did have a great day yesterday in the Mineralized soil where Civil War troops camped finding some good lead, and a really nice carbine sling buckle. There is a big learning curve for the new users, but if you are an existing Etrac or explorer user, you will catch on in a week or two. As you all know, the ones that buy from us get a tutorial, which seems to be very helpful. There are some things I am not crazy about like the extra weight (but balanced well) and a few other things I will go into later. The machine is a good machine, but please don't expect any added depth than the Etrac. I do like the fact the unit is now waterproof...After the hunt yesterday I took the water hose, and simply sprayed the machine down with no guilty concience. I would like to see a tall man shaft for this unit introduced (like the etrac/explorer accessory) There are only 2 coils available for this machine at this time, and would like to see Coiltek manufacture some aftermarket 12x8's, and even the proven Joey 10x5. SOON! Currently you can only use the stock coil (similar to the DD Explorer pro coil) a 6 inch coil, and 17 inch coil . I don't see using a 17 inch coil any time soon.....Anywhere. All in all, the machine seems to handle some mineralized soil with good success. I will be heading to the highly minerlaized Culpeper Va. soil this week, and will give you the honest test feedback when I get back from that one.(there's where the proof in the pudding lies) I know many of you are waiting with baited breath to see what happens there! . All in all, it has some cool new sparkly features, (some I will use, and some I wont) and I am really enjoying it for the most part.. My arm was a bit sore after swinging for 7 hours or so because of extra weight, but it is nothing a decent aftermarket cuff, (In Design now) and good neoprene strap wont fix. If you have any more questions on this machine, please feel free to call me 7 days, to ask. I don't have much time with the new store, and babies to reply to this thread so feel free to call if you have any questions. I do have these units on a pre order basis if you insist on owning the latest and greatest. You can pre order from our website Woodland Metal Detector Sales, or call us up. As you all know, we try to learn our machines, before we sell them to better help the consumer. I will ALWAYS provide honest, and fair opinions to you the consumer.

Below is a couple finds I dug yesterday including the Civil War Carbine sling buckle in mineralised soil around 13 inches. Note: The confederate round balls were dug last week with CS Sentinal in Willimasburg area using a Teknetics G2, and Tesoro Tejon

Have an awesome day!
Your friends,
Woodland Detector Sales
Black Mountain North Carolina
Toll Free 855-966-3563

 

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[DKinPA]

Ya gotta love a salesman who would rather tell the truth than blow smoke and sell machines!! If you all don't know it yet, you can trust Mike when it comes to detector sales!!

Good luck with the store again Mike!!

Dave

 

[jimzilla]

Mike I was at the AC event and was told this machine was great in iron separation. I currently have the etrac and love it. I was thinking of selling it and buying the 30/30. Do u think this is a good move? You said you did well in testing the 30/30 in old etrac sites. Why do you think this was so since the depth was the same? Thanks in advance.

 

[cadman20]

It is refreshing to get a honest down to earth opinion.

Thanks,

Joe

 

[bootybay]

I think Mike is the first person ( on all the forums I read) to be drop dead honest on this.. I appreciate it big time.
You are tops in my book.

 

[SusanMN]

The weight of the 3030 is a major disappointment. I was hoping for something lighter for us smaller people who can't carry an Etrac. I guess we just have to go with the Deus.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

100 plus hours now folks. It's a decent machine. Not a super power house, but a good machine.

 

[markincypress]

I have several detectors costing a mere fraction of this machine and decent is how I would describe the least expensive of my detectors. Thanks for your honest assessment. What factors played the biggest role in making your decision? I have never owned a Minelab so I appreciate your thoughts for someone like me who doesn't have an E trac or similar detector to the CTX3030.

 

[firefighter254]

im getting one it will be here Wednesday i had to do it there's way to many good things about it ive been reading watching and going back and forth and decided to get one

 

[PullTabPete]

Thanks for the honest review. I'll probably get an e-trac as my next detector as it doesn't seem the 3030 has enough additional features for the extra cost.

Pete

 

[MINELABMIKE]

i think this is the first time i have seen an honest opinion and especially from a dealer, thank you

 

[tmanly]

Mike, I went to your website and did not see the CTX 3030 listed for sale. Do you sell Minelab machines?

Tom in SC

 

[Jeff in Pa]

My guess is thats probably NOT a good thing. Mike is a great guy to deal with and he is very honest.

Jeff

 

[dubyaj]

Minelab site states Woodlands is no longer a authorized dealer.

 

[norbyx]

Minelab site states Woodlands is no longer a authorized dealer.

Maybe they didn't like the comments on the 3030... ? I just don't know why sometimes we can't accept that the latest detector is not always THE BEST detector in the world. I mean if every new detector was just the best out there than we would have to sell all our detectors every single time something new came out. I have one idea, I never buy a new detector that just came out on the market. I rather have people test it, find out the good and the bad about it and after it has been fully tested I decide if it's the detector to buy or not.
Everyone that has bought the 3030 in the latest month loves it, and I have seen JUST ONE detector go for sale on the used classifieds, It is just how it is, every one loves the latest model, untill they have tested it for maybe 6 to 12 months and realize that it also has defects. Only then we will have objective reviews on the detector in question, only after the whole new toy fever calms down.
For now I rather keep my prooven detectors and wait.....

 

[Woodland Detectors]

LOL I can't say they did like my reviews, but as my clients know, I will not deceive the consumer. We have since parted ways amicably, but I still stand by the wHITES dfx300, and Teknetics t2 LTD as dominant machines. I have since purchased both machines, and am finding things I had missed with both the etrac, and 30/30 I have hit extensively in the past. Both James Bibb, and Sentinal (josh) will attest to this. Bothe American made machines, Whites, and Tek work well in the minerlaised soilk in culpeper Va CW grounds, where the Ctx, and etrac fell short. If you live in the N Va. area or where there are high minerlas present, do yourself a favor, and purchase either the Whits, or Tek units. Both work well in ALL soil conditions. I'll be releasing a video very soon on the comparison that will show settings and recoveries on NON seeded relic recovery in the N. Va. area.

 

[IWillFindTheGold]

Honesty is the only policy.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Honesty is the only policy.

Thank You. Sometimes it is painful, but I will never mislead you the consumer

 

[norbyx]

Ok there is something I don't seem to get from your first reviews of the 3030 you stated that it was good in hi mineralized soil, now on your last review you state that whites are good in mineralized soil where the 3030 and etrack fell short.
Look I am one guy that likes Whites detectors very much and I am happy that you make good reviews on them, BUT, I am also a guy that can admit when a detector works fine or not. Now you first stated that the 3030 was a decent machine that worked well... now it seems it was not a decent machine and it could be outperformed by many lower cost machines.
My very personal opinion in all this and not just my own but of many users that read your posts is the following:

You are no longer selling minelabs you are now selling whites and teknetics so now minelabs becomes dog poop and the other brands are gold and diamonds.

Many quesiton your credibility right now, and you should do someting about it.... otherwise I don't see how people can trust you. Do you have evidence that the whites are better than the minelabs? Any videos made one machine agaist the other?
I am just saying this because I like honest people with honest opinions that can actually backup their opinions with facts, otherwise like clint eastwood once sead opinions are like the balls every man carries it's own ....

 

[tnsharpshooter]

You need to qualify your statements when you talk about mineralized soil and the white's machines being superior. Let's face it not everybody lives or detects in culpepper va. And when you're using the white's machines in culpepper va, aren't you running in all metal and digging everthing that reasonably sized? That's ok but all metal hunting is not the only hunting to be done inside the US. I read where the CTX is doing well in birmingham al and the soil there is not weak by any means. How does the white's stack up against etrac/ CTX in other places in the US. And to add the CZ3d will crush the white's machines on silver dimes at depth at most places in the US. And the fisher f75se will find gold as deep if not deeper in a beach environment. So when you make your statements please be specific in your detecting location and soil type. I look forward to your videos, and I expect to see some comparison videos from others places around the US besides east TN, western NC, western VA. I'm sure if a metal detecting company only goal was to have the best VLF detector to detect in culpepper VA with the ability to use discrimination it could be done; however I feel that same detector would struggle at many other places in the US. And the cost of one would start approaching pulsed machines and you still wouldn't be able to get the depth of the pulsed machine.