I am looking to buy an Etrac or the CTX 3030...I like looking for coins and relic's, appreciate anyone's input and or advise.. yes I am aware of the obvious, the price but I would like to know your thoughts, thank you!
I have the Etrac and Sunray probe, not to mention a lot of coils; but if I were starting out, between the two, if money were no object, I would probably choose the CTX, just because its design is a few years newer. I also have the Equinox, Minelab's newest multifrequency machine, which gives so much bang for the buck that you really might want to consider it. The Etrac gives more accurate ID and depth info than the Nox (this would also be true for the CTX, maybe more so), and I prefer the Etrac for coins if iron is not too much of a problem; however, the Nox is very good on separation and unmasking in trashy iron-filled ground and will find coins (and other things) where the ET/CTX are nulled out. And the Nox is wireless and waterproof, with a great display, and very light (compared to the ET/CTX). Relic hunters in particular really seem to like it. Depending on where you hunt and what kind of hunting is most important to you, it might be worthwhile taking a look at the reports on the Nox. While no one but Minelab knows, I suspect the Nox is probably the scaled-down version of what will be the next machine in the Explorer/ET/CTX line.
I agree with Waterscoop you can't go wrong with an Equinox
I have both the 800 and 600 and they are the best detectors there are out of the box on the market. They are awesome. I have found in excess of $115 in clad and two rings in less than 30 days. Great depth and great target separation. Simple to use and simple to discriminate. Great for all kinds of detecting.
I have an E-Trac I put in mothballs after I bought my Equinox.. Not sure what I will do with it but haven't used it since I bought the Equinox 800 & 600