The F4 is an F2 with manual ground balance in all metal, (only), and a different DD coil, although you can get that coil on the F2, also. I never believed this unit held all that much more value over the F2 especially if you tend to hunt in disc and not all metal...the F5 would be a better choice even though it does cost more. As far as unit to unit, the new ETP is superior with some features and abilities that no other units at this price level have had to this point. If I had these two choices when I bought my F2 I might have, probably would have gone that route. On the other hand the F2 is not only a very capable detector for all around hunting but the great value in this unit has to do with the multiple coil packages that are offered as much as anything. Using both the standard coil and the sniper I have managed to find enough clad, coins and jewelry to pay for my F2 about 10X's over. Much more with the sniper coil than the larger ones. Not to mention relics and all sorts of other great targets, although I have been mostly a jewelry hunter most of my career. To get that pretty much free sniper coil at about the same price point is nothing to be sniffed at, and I am a huge fan of sniper coils hunting in some extremely dense trash filled sites as I do and being so successful with coils of that type. You can get a sniper for the ETP also, but it is an Omega coil and can be used on that unit if you ever upgrade so that is good, but it costs a good amount of money to get one so if you are also going to hunt in some trashy sites, can see the advantage of using that type of coil and this decision is price sensitive that should be taken into account. Also the 10" coil for the F2 which will cover large areas a little more efficiently and get you deeper than the standard 8" is also a great value at about $60 but that cost would be about the same whether you buy it in the 3 coil package or aftermarket down the road sometime. I never had any problem with iron infested sites using my F2, but the ETP has that iron audio feature that will come in handy especially for newbies, but even veterans use it to their advantage. The ETP has set the bar at a new level for entry models, of that there can be no doubt, and it doesn't look like there is anything on the horizon coming out to compete with it in the near future. If you are going to hunt mostly large areas and not concentrate on the mostly trashy ones like me the newer ETP would be the way to go. If you hunt both kinds and get the Pro I would try to find a ton and then save up and get that sniper coil somewhere down the road for it if you choose this one and don't start of with the F2 which as you can probably tell to me still has a place in this world, value-wise, considering the multiple coil packages.
