I think Im leaning towards the V3i...nudge me?

[RobRieman]

Great info in the posts here. If there was a "best" detector, we would all own the same one and every other company would be out of business.

 

[FreeMindStuck]

I've been detecting with the v3i for 2 years. I hunt with guys who own a variety of detectors and never get "spanked"! Lol The list of things I don't like about the v3i is shorter. So here goes: 1. The battery it comes with doesn't last long enough. 2. I wish it would detect ground mineralization and automatically switch ground filters when I wanted it to. 3. Stock coil is a little more susceptible to emi then my other coils.
Having said all that I love my v3i and would recommend it to anyone.

 

[ecoast]

let me sum it up----
WHATEVER you buy, sooner or later, you WILL buy again.


....so no more 'analysis paralysis'---- get that CC out and BUY...


ps- I too, had a hard time choosing, upgrading from atp...
v3i, etrac, deus were on the radar...

 

[Rookster]

I can't find it anymore on my PC but there is a detector comparison web site. It maybe Kellco where you can compare detector against detector as for as weight, amount of batteries , frenq. etc. They don't tell discuss depth but it some good imfo. I used it to make a decision before. I have the Fisher 75 Limited and its pretty deep. As well as the AT Pro, and the White M6 turned wide open or all medal. Good luck.

 

[Nomadnailer]

You may have already updated but there is no comparison between the two detectors mentioned. The V3i is a far more superior machine I have had mine since 2010 and love it. The learning curve is huge. If you already have a base knowledge of detectors you should be alright. The V3i is the way to go

 

[Big Red]

I had the V3i and here in oregon, had a really hard time with it. I would say, it really depends on your soil? I also was very impressed with everything you can adjust on it and you being a techie, unlike me, heck you will love that! It was actually too much for me, so sold it (been detecting for 45 plus years but I am 66, so the old brain is slowing down some? Don't seem to retain things, like I use too?) Heard good things about the 3030, but really don't like the Minelab flootie sounds (if it still has those?) But, that 28 frequencies, hard to beat that! agree the 2500 is becoming a dinosaur and did not like the one's)(have owned several Garretts, from old to now!) I had, at all. Great features, but some did not even work!
But, everyone has opinions, including me and I have used many of the detectors out there, for many years from Garrett, Whites, Fisher, Compass, Tesoro, Minelab, Teknetics, Discovery Electronics, DRS, Sorex, Cobra, etc. I currently own 25 detectors, some very old, some very new and I am still searching for that "perfect detector"?.....It probably does not exist! (at least for me!) Well, it probably does exist? Only inside several different detectors? Not in one? Probably the closest I ever came, to Nirvana was the V3i? (A techie's dream! Just massive adjustability!) Leave it to Whites! As for me, Just bought (another!) old White's detector, a Gold master 4-B Prospecting Machine! But, the search goes on (and on!.....) Don't let anyone ever tell you this "Hobby" isn't addictive! And you will soon join the ranks of so many of us, who collect, or trade, or sell detectors we either don't like anymore, or "Just saw the newest detector and have to have it" syndrome?.....But, don't despair, we "love it"! And it is our passion! "When I die, they will have to bury me, with my two Favorite detectors, one in each hand!" Ha,ha! Love it! Anyway, consider yourself nudged! Big Red

 

[JPrice]

E-trac not in the picture?

 

[GreenMeanie]

Unless you're in clean ground don't get your hopes up for correct ID's on the screen. They will be jumping all over the place and that is with any Detector you should buy.
I have used many Detectors in my life time and some of the middle priced ones are just as good as the high end models. I never did get to try a GTI 2500 but want to someday.

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

I'm very happy with Etrac and the CoilTek 8 x 12 DD treasureseeker. Have the 6 Inch DD treasureseeker ordered now for some super trashy areas.

 

[McKinney_5900]

The thing that rubs me the rawest about the V3i is how people I detect with follow in my tracks and pull 4-6 inch quarters I missed. Sure,,,you can adjust the heck out of it, but what's that worth if a $200 F2 or a Bounty Hunter finds shallow targets the V3i just missed!

I've owned a V3i since 2010, probably will keep one. My M6 will out hunt it in any clad/coin hunt. Have I found good stuff? Yea. The dry spells inbetween are relentless at times. As odd as it sounds, I'm not giving up. Besides, selling it would be tough since I've berated it in 3 forums for a while.

Add to all this, none of my truely tenured detector friends I personally know own one. Etracs abound but the V3i lags big time here in north Texas. M-Series Whites is way more prominent here by far.

jm2c martin

 

[stickyfingers427]

I have the V3i, CTX3030 and XP Deus. They are all good machines. You would not be unhappy owning any of the three. Being "techie" the V3i might be a good choice for you. I too consider myself a techie and have enjoyed all the settings, displays, etc.. that the V3i can bring to bare.

In an ideal world you could test all three in your area and make a better decision, but that not being possible, pick one and don't second guess yourself. Neither of the three are "magic bullets" so to speak. All good well made machines.

**Treasure Mt Det. comments are spot on

HH
Robert

If I owned all 3 of those machines I'd be so confused which one I would be taking out all the time

 

[gabbyhayes]

I have all three of the machines you have mentioned....GTI2500, V3i and the CTX 3030.
I still use them all depending on what I'm looking for.
If you are a clad coin hunter the GTI2500 is the way to go. A small explanation is needed to clarify.
Modern clad tends to be fairly shallow and not worth much...pennies, nickles, dimes....hardly worth bending down or getting on your knees for? All three machines will find the clad but the least expensive gives you the biggest band for the buck. And if you want to get more serious, it will also fill that need.
I often hunt with an ACE250 if all I'm searching for is modern clad around kids swings etc.
It gets the job done and does it simply and easily. Also nice and light to swing. I usually hand out this detector for friends that want to tag along. They can find stuff with very minimal instruction and they don't constantly ask questions while I'm trying to hunt.
The machine I hunt with the most is my V3i and if you take the time to learn it you will do very well and I usually find way more and dig less than my buddies.
If I'm looking for old deep silver where there is alot of trash I tend to grab the 3030.
Depending on what you are hunting will determine what machine works well for you.
If you are new to metal detecting the 2500 will be the easiest to learn, and subsequently the most productive out of the gate.
I still like my GTI2500 and for $500 you will find more than your share.
Depending on how techie you are the V3i can be overwhelming initially.
The CTX3030 is somewhat overpriced in my opinion but having said that I do own one. I like the GPS feature that is built in, and use that feature as well.
So it really comes down to the style of hunting you will be doing and everyone tends to migrate to a particular style.

As another example you wouldn't use a rifle to go duck hunting.

 

[fmrUSMC_0844]

I had a minelab safari and I couldn't stand it. I was used to Whites machines. And I have found more stuff with a V3i than any other machine I have used. I couldn't get used to the safaris number system and could not stand the way it sounded. And for the price, it felt like it was cheaply built. I sold my V3i to get an MXT Pro, kicked myself in the ass for it, and ended up getting a great deal on a VX3, which is what I use now. Its basically a V3i without some of the adjustments that I never really adjusted anyway. And people that say they get spanked by Minelab users, I have spanked Minelab users and got spanked by them hunting. What it really boils down to on that is how well you know your machine and where you put your coil. I think the V3i is very comparable to the etrac. If not a little better. IMHO.

 

[Gold Itch]

Geeze, A lot of mis-Information here,

First Off, MineLabs Don't have 28 Frequencies,,, They Have One Frequency and It use's 28 Harmonic's of That Frequency,

The V3i Is the Most Adjustable Machine On The Market, As In It is Not Restricted to Factory Preset's, It Can Be Customised to Suit nearly All Hunting Conditions,

Minelabs BBS and FBS systems are Useless in Iron Filled Sites Due to the Slow Recovery Speed, Because when it Nulls out the Coil Can Be 4 or 5 feet Away by time it Returns the Threshold Comes back On, So How Many Good Targets are Left in that 4 or 5 feet Area Un Detected.??

Also Having Tested the Minelab systems I ask If they are so good at Discriminating then why do they give you up to 10 sets of Figures when they ID One Item,

When I asked the Dealers they Say Ignore the Screen, Well If you are Supposed to Ignore the Screen then Why does it have One, ??

Seems to me that Minelab are Missing the Point here with their Machines.

 

[TomIDXproMaryland]

I have seen the v3 and the tdi in operation, both are excellent detectors, v3 is the dominate unit though. The tdi would be my second choice if I had to pick.

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Tapatalk

 

[PostalTwo]

i have the v3 my best friend has the 3030 . his id's are more stabil on deep targets but he v3 still tells me to dig . get the v3 is u wanna have control of everything and u want many sources of info on the target . get the 3030 or etrac if u just wanna turn on and start swinging . with the v3i u gotta pay attention to what its telling u

 

[Gold Itch]

i have the v3 my best friend has the 3030 . his id's are more stabil on deep targets but he v3 still tells me to dig . get the v3 is u wanna have control of everything and u want many sources of info on the target . get the 3030 or etrac if u just wanna turn on and start swinging . with the v3i u gotta pay attention to what its telling u

Yep the 3030 is A Big step up compared to the Etrac, The Etrac was no where near as stable with ID's

 

[PostalTwo]

oops

 

[PostalTwo]

The thing that rubs me the rawest about the V3i is how people I detect with follow in my tracks and pull 4-6 inch quarters I missed. Sure,,,you can adjust the heck out of it, but what's that worth if a $200 F2 or a Bounty Hunter finds shallow targets the V3i just missed!

I've owned a V3i since 2010, probably will keep one. My M6 will out hunt it in any clad/coin hunt. Have I found good stuff? Yea. The dry spells inbetween are relentless at times. As odd as it sounds, I'm not giving up. Besides, selling it would be tough since I've berated it in 3 forums for a while.

Add to all this, none of my truely tenured detector friends I personally know own one. Etracs abound but the V3i lags big time here in north Texas. M-Series Whites is way more prominent here by far.

jm2c martin

i would suggest that it wasnt the machine that missed that 6" quarter it was he user . afterall the machine dosent swing itself does it . if that happened to me i would be looking at where everythig was set on he machine and your physical swing speed and rd. with the v3 coin come i different when there deeper. when there close to the surface they practally jump out of the ground at 6" not so much especially if ur sen is too high. the v3 dosent need to be hot to run deep . it has to be just right . ive got better signals jn the field by lowering sen not raising it

 

[Fletch78]

I myself am looking for a barely used Minelab Explorer 2. I have a Whites GMT near mint and Fisher Gold Strike as new that I will trade. Both machines for the Explorer 2.