I dont know what my next move is

[mr helton]

I don't know what my next move is



I own a Fisher F2, but have been borrowing my grandma's Spectrum XLT (and love it). I have a trip to Ohio planned out for the middle of next month, but last night my grandma called and said she needs her Spectrum back! There's no way I can go back to the F2 after being spoiled with the XLT like that, so I want to sell it to put towards an upgrade.

The thing is, I can't decide between an AT Pro or an E-trac. Both have their advantages in my eyes, AT pro being waterproof and cheaper, and the etrac and it's discrimination and depth.

Everyone says to use Bart from Big Boys Hobbies to get a good deal, but all I see are package deals and I already have the extra gear. Can you usually get a deal on just the detector or do you need to buy the package? The etrac is the one I ultimately want, but it's so much more expensive than the AT Pro, and I know they're both great detectors. It's such a hard decision, and I'm feeling rushed because this trip is only a couple weeks out.

What are your thoughts?

 

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[wvplug]

Bite the bullet. Spend the extra money now and be happy. Otherwise you may just regret it later and that will cost you MORE money.

 

[mr helton]

Bite the bullet. Spend the extra money now and be happy. Otherwise you may just regret it later and that will cost you MORE money.

That's the direction I'm leaning toward, however I fear that I'll feel the same way if I get the etrac and come across a lake that I want to detect in. That's a big factor too. I want the best of both worlds and can't have it. I'm definitely leaning etrac though

 

[wvplug]

I love my AT PRO but having said that I don't have anything that I can compare it with. It is the only detector I have enough time on to know really well. The waterproof feature was a big reason I purchased the AT PRO and for the money I can't imagine a better detector at this point in my detecting. As far as water I will tell you that unless you are planning on getting really wet most detectors coils are waterproof, though I'm not familiar with the etrac. Think about this, if you are hunting in water just above your knees you MIGHT be able to dig your target in chest waders but anything deeper than that will fill the waders or get you completely wet because it is just too deep to see and dig anyway and you will end up swimming/snorkeling/SCUBA to dig and retrieve your target anyway. I have found that if I am much more than knee deep then I have to swim/be prone to dig the hole and then I need mask and snorkel to see well enough to find the target anyway. So ask yourself, am I planning to go to that much trouble or am I happy digging the waters edge and up to knee deep with my waterproof coil?

 

[cooper1841]

That's a tough one. In two weeks can you learn, and be profeicent enough, with a new machine, to be successful? Better take the f-2 since you know it. Read all the threads about expensive machines with inexperienced operators vs cheaper machines in the hands of experienced users. Just saying!! Good luck!! HH

 

[BryanM362]

I've used both and I prefer the e trac by far.

 

[parkgt]

Just call Bart, at BBH he will will sell you just what you want.

 

[mr helton]

That's a tough one. In two weeks can you learn, and be profeicent enough, with a new machine, to be successful? Better take the f-2 since you know it. Read all the threads about expensive machines with inexperienced operators vs cheaper machines in the hands of experienced users. Just saying!! Good luck!! HH

That's a good point, but I've been eyeballing both of these detectors for a year now, and have watched all the tutorial videos I could find, so I figure I've got a decent start at least.

 

[releventchair]

Gonna be cold water. AT Pro can see a wet coil and shaft though. Learning curve on the minelab you might be short on time so if going that direction I,d run the f2 on Ohio run. I guess you misunderstood the recommendation for Bart. Call Bart. The reason is a dealer can only advertise a certain lowest price. Ask for what you want as far as a bare bones unit. Have a good trip.Turkey season will be open I believe so wear some hunter orange if near huntable areas. Red,white and blue can be poor color choices during season as well.

 

[mr helton]

I emailed Bart and he responded in like 2 minutes! He said Minelab is strict with their prices so he can't budge on that, but I guess that's where all the bonus loot comes in (which I guess I could just sell to get back some of the money if I end up getting that detector)

Not sure about the AT Pro yet

 

[cudamark]

If you can afford the E-trac, get it....or the CTX for that matter since it's waterproof. Sometimes a dealer can substitute other items you need in their packages. If you don't need anything in their set package, maybe trade all that for an additional coil. Nothing wrong with the AT Pro either as long as you don't need it in salt water. It's just isn't quite in the class of the E-trac. There will be a certain learning curve so any major change in detector might not be the best for a special detecting trip until you have a few dozen hours behind you.

 

[mr helton]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I decided to go for the AT Pro this year, and start saving for the etrac for next year. I realized that the reason I couldn't decide between the two is because they both have features that I want. I want the superior depth of the etrac, and the water abilities of the AT Pro, so I decided to get both a year apart.

I was thinking about getting the 5x8 coil to go with the standard 8.5x11 coil. Is it worthwhile? From the reading I've done it seems like most people prefer the 5x8, and they both get about the same depth.

 

[RobRieman]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I decided to go for the AT Pro this year, and start saving for the etrac for next year. I realized that the reason I couldn't decide between the two is because they both have features that I want. I want the superior depth of the etrac, and the water abilities of the AT Pro, so I decided to get both a year apart. I was thinking about getting the 5x8 coil to go with the standard 8.5x11 coil. Is it worthwhile? From the reading I've done it seems like most people prefer the 5x8, and they both get about the same depth.

Get the 5x8 for sure. You will never take it off. Better yet, see if Bart will sell you one with the 5x8 instead of the stock 8.5 x 11. Yeah it's really that good.

 

[luvsdux]

You started this thread commenting on how much you love the XLT so why not look for a good buy on a used one? Especially as you are already familiar with operating it.
luvsdux

 

[mr helton]

You started this thread commenting on how much you love the XLT so why not look for a good buy on a used one? Especially as you are already familiar with operating it.
luvsdux

I do love the XLT and that's a fair point. I've had my eyes on these two detectors for a while now though, so I saw this as an opportunity to upgrade. It didn't make sense to do that when I had the XLT though.

My dad is gonna go that route though, he can get a used one on Ebay for around $300, so he's gonna do it because I'll be able to teach him the ins and outs.