Both have a lot similar from Minelab, but I think that some things on the ETrac that the Safari does not have, make it so much different. I have the ETrac and was out a few times in Pittsburgh with a guy, John, (from other forums) who uses a Safari and got to compare them.
Some of the differences are significant such as the ETracs signal analysis of information compared to the Safari. The Etrac does more of the work for you. Example, is a wider range of target ID segments. Etrac =1750 and the Safari=51. The Etrac has a faster recovery than the Safari, an adjustable gain for those deeper coins, a hold pitch for those slight tones, and more which I can make a nice list to help find more targets and help determine dig-or-no-dig. The stock turn-and-go programs are fantastic. #1 Turn on. #2 noise cancel #3 set Coins Mode program off drop-down menu #4 start swinging. The stock Coins program is great and I still use it a lot, but you can tweak the programs and save a few to best suit you, your hunting style, your ability, you hunting locations, and most important...WHAT you are hunting for. The Etrac is like the sports car that you can set it in automatic transmission and cruise along the strip or put it in manual and go all out through the hills and turns at maximum speed. Those are just a few of the significant differences between the ETrac and Safari.
A few, and there are a lot I could list, are other differences some people might not see as 'significant' but make a difference... displaying the sensitivity in Auto mode, backlit display, and the ETracs set up was tweaked, very mildly from the Explorers, Quatros, and Safaris to be more comfortable using over long periods of time. The weight might be close on them all, but the angles of the grip, screen, etc. were re-worked when the Etrac was designed. The safari has no ferrous sounds. These are great around old cellar holes. Not only does the ETrac separate trash better in general, but running on Ferrous really picks through the iron. Its not good in parks because aluminum sounds too good in Ferrous mode. If you hunt old sites and get used to the Ferrous mode, you wont want to live without it. As for the USB jack? It's good for uploading hunting programs to and from your computer, and rumor has it that it was also designed to offer software updates for the ETrac from Minelab in the future (?). We'll see how true that is. It would make sense though from a $business$ standpoint, you know?
Depth Depth Depth. From what I have read from some engineers and heard from some long time hunters, the depth of a machine has nothing to do with it's processor. The processor runs it's programs like a computer running it's OS and programs. The depth of a machine is based on the coil size and shape and how much power is sent to it. No processor is needed to do this. Perhaps this is why a machine like the Tesoro Vaquero will go as deep as a E-Trac. Also, some frequencies go "deeper" or collapse later than others so this may make a difference how a machine "sees". hence depth.
Under the right conditions the Safari will perform just as well as the E-Trac. Question is, how often do you expect to hunt under these 'right' conditions? In most conditions the E-Trac will out perform the Safari.
Bells and whistles, Bells and whistles, Bells and whistles..
I was told my Volkswagen was a Porsche without the bells & whistles. Go figure...
Viddy
life sometimes is sad, but your example is not sad because you learned something, remember I and other experienced explorer people can be 99% successful with safary like with Explorers and for start for you its perfect and 100% the same deep. Learn and next stop make in Etrac station.
