I ran the CTX for 3 yrs then it shut down, repaired, died, and been sitting there pouting on it for past three yrs now. I will get it sent in soon as I have a # from the Minelab for the repair.
Having had the Explorer, SE, ETrac, and the CTX, and now the Deus each one was a better machine in it's own right.
There wasn't anything complicated about the machine, as the sounds were close to the previous production models.
There's features that in my own option are useless, like I don't need GPS, or tracking, or
else on that side of the program.
Folks will play Caesar with every machine made, it either lives or dies in their eyes.
Given that I have a few thousand hours on each of the machines I would say the SE was better on silver, but not on separation. The CTX was better balanced than the previous three models.
Swinging it non-stop for hours and digging a target every 15 minutes will wear on the arm.
I have swung each of these machines numerous times on hunts that were 10+ hrs a day for 13.5 straight days.
So at the end of the day digging targets, or just not, was the answer to how one felt.
Digging a 1000 pieces of foil/tab/what ever junk to get a gold well that's just frigging park hunting.
I nailed gold or multi golds with every one of these machines digging on the beach, park, but never in 50 yrs would I even dig a 100+ pieces of trash for a piece of gold.
It's just not worth the effort in my books, never has, and it will never will be.
So I'll leave them lay for the ones that dig everything in that foil/tab range to sniff out the yellow metal.
You can make it as easy as apple pie-or so difficult on one's brain at at the bells and whistles going off with the CTX. But lets work on the K.I.S.S method.
A machine that retails out at $2500 for less than half, but one could buy something new for that-that isn't 5.5lbs.
Goes deep-no arguments there.
Has programs that one may never use-gee I haven't used the cigarette lighter in any vehicle for the past 31 yrs either.
Had rear heated seats in a luxury Lexus never got to use them either.
These holes in the dash/counsel for charging up things there's another and the list goes on.
I took the ripper and guards off the table saw as I value my parts more than these devices are intended for.
So my point is there's lots of Negs. and positives when it comes to a machine.
Gets all muddy and wet, wash it off with a hose hang dry and it's pretty again. Try that with some of the other machines-dare you folks.
Minelab has the processor of a snail, slower you go the more you'll find.
Swing low and slow-and they hate air! That meaning long grass (field hay) it better be a big greenie because little targets aren't going to be there in the headphones.
Oh ya the headphones that come with the detector great if your head is square, other wise buy a pair of Grey Ghosts they work well.
Keep the tones down to dull roar, my brain couldn't process the multi tone settings, but it could tell if it was high or low.
I ran it wide open just about, just a thin line on the left and on the bottom for discrimination, and on relic mode. Noisy? Oh ya! But it really stepped up to the mat when over something.
Now the price point is high-granted so is the Deus but it slammed down the Etrac at many cellar sites, sniffing out multi buttons and tokens (coinage) where I was scratching the noddle thinking what the ....
It has huge options in coils as everything else, and I found each had their place. I always have a hard time detecting with a 4" coil. it's like painting a barn with an artist paint brush. Takes for ever it seems to cover any ground-but great on a small patch of iron.
Go find someone that you can try out the machine for a day.
Put in the time with any machine and it will be the best machine you'll own. I base this on putting in a 1000+hrs on any machine before I can give it a thumbs up or down, by then its friend so I take the good and the hick ups that go along with that friendship.
Best of luck on your choice of machines-listen to the gut most times as it will guide you well through these brain testers.
