Which is Best: CTX3030, Deus, or V3i? Need Advice Please!

[Higgy]

Got me an AT Pro, and while its a very good rig for a lot of different uses, its time for a new machine. I want a detector that goes deep, and is very customizable. I want a detector that has wireless headphones.

I've been looking at the three mentioned in my title, and honestly right now I could go for any of them. I have never swung any of them by the way. I love the way the CTX is built. I love the way its got GPS and full color screen. I like the fact that it can connect to my PC and download data and settings. The trouble I'm having is the price. $2500 is making my you-know-what pucker.

So enter the Whites V3i. Very programmable. Very flexible. Deep. A $1000 less. Never owned a Whites, but this may be a game changer for me. I'd love to have some comments on the V3i.

Then we have the Deus. Totally wireless. Very lightweight. Customizable. From all the videos I've watched, I can tell that I would also love this detector. I'm looking at about $2000 to get what I want to get with this. By the way, these are all gleaned from Bart's website prices.

So what do you guys think? Of these three, which one would you buy? Why?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[masterjedi]

Deus for sure.....how about the Fisher F75 SE though? You can set them all up wireless if that is a deal breaker...

 

[Ism]

I think you already answered your question.
The Deus is truly wireless, not a dongle hanging off a headset's 3' coily cord (unless you want that, then you can with the Deus)
Instead of trading your detector in for the next upgrade at a significant cost, XP has given the software upgrade to their users 3 times for FREE thus far (from 2.0 to 3.0, 3.1, 3.2).
It's ultra light. The control box can be waterproofed by putting it in one of the waterproof cases available for Ipods.
It can be set up to detect relics, coinshoot, jewelry hunt, prospect, or for fresh water hunting. The only negative is salt water use.
It uses cam locks instead of a twist nut and pins to adjust the shaft (so it is infinitely adjustable within the length of the shaft).
It's easily broken broken down and highly portable for remote locations.
Those are some of the reasons I like mine.

 

[Higgy]

Deus for sure.....how about the Fisher F75 SE though? You can set them all up wireless if that is a deal breaker...

Why do you like the Deus more? Sorry, but the F75 really doesn't turn me on. I haven't seen any factory Fisher add-ons that allow for wireless headphones. If you have a different method for wireless in mind, I'd really appreciate a link.

 

[NiagracountyNY]

I would recommend the Deus as the best all around machine out of those three,and really the best out there in this range.You can turn the Deus into a few different detectors with the 4 freq,its the lightest out there,once you swing the deus its hard to pick up the other's lol.I own the ctx and the deus..Ive never used the whites.The ctx is a great cherry picker...but its a TANK,and slacks in Heavy iron.There are some great used packages out there right now that come with alot of extras and 4 1/2 years of warranty left. Good luck with your choice.All of these machines are nice. Jim T

 

[Higgy]

I think you already answered your question.
The Deus is truly wireless, not a dongle hanging off a headset's 3' coily cord (unless you want that, then you can with the Deus)
Instead of trading your detector in for the next upgrade at a significant cost, XP has given the software upgrade to their users 3 times for FREE thus far (from 2.0 to 3.0, 3.1, 3.2).
It's ultra light. The control box can be waterproofed by putting it in one of the waterproof cases available for Ipods.
It can be set up to detect relics, coinshoot, jewelry hunt, prospect, or for fresh water hunting. The only negative is salt water use.
It uses cam locks instead of a twist nut and pins to adjust the shaft (so it is infinitely adjustable within the length of the shaft).
It's easily broken broken down and highly portable for remote locations.
Those are some of the reasons I like mine.

Thank you, Ism. It looks like two votes for the Deus so far. I like the big headphones for the Deus. I like the quality look they have. My choice meter needle is leaning in that direction, unless someone jumps in and pumps me up with some Minelab or Whites goodness.

I'm not sure what you mean by, "Instead of trading your detector in for the next upgrade at a significant cost, XP has given the software upgrade to their users 3 times for FREE thus far (from 2.0 to 3.0, 3.1, 3.2)." I won't be trading in, only adding to my detector stable. I'll be adding an Anderson shaft to it, and a sniper coil, and using it primarily for river hunting.

One question I have is this: Concerning Deus headphones, are they capable of easily switching between the WS-4 headphones and the WS-5? I would like to have both, because on really hot sunny days, I like to wear a straw hat. The WS-4 would be excellent to accommodate that. On frosty, late-season days, a cap and the WS-5 covering my ears would be nice.

Do any of you Deus owners do this? Does anyone else have any Pro-Whites or Pro-CTX advice/comments? I would surely welcome it!

 

[Higgy]

I would recommend the Deus as the best all around machine out of those three,and really the best out there in this range.You can turn the Deus into a few different detectors with the 4 freq,its the lightest out there,once you swing the deus its hard to pick up the other's lol.I own the ctx and the deus..Ive never used the whites.The ctx is a great cherry picker...but its a TANK,and slacks in Heavy iron.There are some great used packages out there right now that come with alot of extras and 4 1/2 years of warranty left. Good luck with your choice.All of these machines are nice. Jim T

Thank you for weighing-in, Jim. I was hoping that you would. How is the feel of that pistol-grip on the Deus? One thing that I find interesting that in the last 15 years or so, no manufacturers have designed a decent finger-grip handle, or one that more-formed to your hand for less fatigue, etc. The Deus looks like it is quite comfortable and easy to grip.

 

[Goose MKII]

I would recommend the Deus as the best all around machine out of those three,and really the best out there in this range.You can turn the Deus into a few different detectors with the 4 freq,its the lightest out there,once you swing the deus its hard to pick up the other's lol.I own the ctx and the deus..Ive never used the whites.The ctx is a great cherry picker...but its a TANK,and slacks in Heavy iron.There are some great used packages out there right now that come with alot of extras and 4 1/2 years of warranty left. Good luck with your choice.All of these machines are nice. Jim T

I've noticed you own a Makro CF77, I'm curious about your take on that detector.
It's supposed to get great depth. Have you tried to test it out by yourself?
That's one of the detectors on my wish list, and I loved to hear from an experienced member his opinions on this machine

 

[Higgy]

I've noticed you own a Makro CF77, I'm curious about your take on that detector.
It's supposed to get great depth. Have you tried to test it out by yourself?
That's one of the detectors on my wish list, and I loved to hear from an experienced member his opinions on this machine

Do you have a CTX, V3i, or a Deus? There is a lot of stuff out there about the V3i, but I rarely see someone mention theirs here.

 

[masterjedi]

If your only interested in wireless? My goal is the best finds....

 

[Higgy]

If your only interested in wireless? My goal is the best finds....

So tell me something. Give me some info on what I should do in your honest opinion.

I too would like to find better finds. I just met an old timer today, who's been MDing for 35 years. He only hunts the wooded areas now. He found a large cent and showed it to me. I was hunting and heard the unmistakable ooo weeee ooo weee oo weee of an Etrac, and there was a guy detecting right up behind me. He also found a nice colonial metal coat button. He's not a Tnet member, sadly. He was like the New England version of an old desert rat. He sure seemed knowledgeable.

So what do you have to tell me, brother? In my mind, if I have to spend that kind of money for a top-end machine, it better danged well be wireless. I only chose three machines that had wireless headphones capability.

 

[Goose MKII]

Do you have a CTX, V3i, or a Deus? There is a lot of stuff out there about the V3i, but I rarely see someone mention theirs here.

No, I don't own either.
All I can tell you is that if you're looking for a wireless detector the choices will then be already narrowed down for you...

I've been doing my homework in search for a top of the line detector, and for what is worth, the CTX and the Deus always come up in conversations about best detectors to have...

 

[masterjedi]

Be careful... The CTX 3030 will mask a good target where the Deus will not....

 

[NiagracountyNY]

The Deus handle is great.The angle is nice and the handle just fits into my palm really nice.The rubber they used is very high grade,washes easy and wont wear out anytime soon.The overall design and weight is unlike anything else atm.I dont think anyone could complain .Goose I do own all the mentioned machines.I have compared the cf77 to the ctx on the one shootout video,that was a discrimination test .I havent put them side by side for a depth test,but using them both I feel the cf77 is deeper than the ctx.For $550 dollars you wont find that kind of machine anywhere else in my opinion.Its a beast on the fields.Works great in the parks but only discrims out iron.Has 3 tones tho so just use your ear.Its very deep. To be honest I havent used my ctx in a longgg time.I dont like how it performs in Iron.The deus really shines in Iron.And Im getting more depth from my deus than my ctx also.Not alot but its noticable.The deus has more options for adjusting the way it performs than the CTX. I wish I had info on the whites for you.Thats a unit I just was not interested in personally. I should add that the one thing i really do like about the minelabs and why I think so many folks do well with them,They have really acurate VDI up to 8 inches.I always know when Im digging a coin on the ctx.Super acurate target ID.Slow in Iron.

 

[mrwilburino]

Higgy, that's a tough question to answer without knowing what you're hunting for and where you're hunting for it. The CTX and Deus are very different machines.

The CTX is great for a deep accurate ID. It handles modern trash very well. Good park hunter. Hot on silver and higher conductors. It can't touch the Deus however, for target separation and iron handling ability. I like the wireless module because it allows me to use any headphones I want. I'm not a full size headphones kind of guy, so I'm not stuck with using something I'm not comfortable with. The machine is heavy but very well balanced, with the majority of the weight being supported by the shoulder rather than the forearm and biceps like the etrac/explorer. Even so, I had some shoulder soreness at first until I got used to it. Now I don't really notice the weight much anymore.

The Deus is great for hunting non ferrous targets in older, iron infested sites. Good selection of frequencies for higher or lower conductors. Great target separation; crank up the reactivity level and it's like hunting with a laser beam. Struggles a bit with modern trash, and can't touch the CTX for ID accuracy. I learned early on to set the tones for my target ranges and go strictly by sound. Love the backphones, but most seem to prefer the full size headphones. The machine is light as a feather with the stock 9" coil.

Both machines will find what the other missed.

I don't have any experience with the V3i but I'm sure it's a worthy contender.

 

[Higgy]

Higgy, that's a tough question to answer without knowing what you're hunting for and where you're hunting for it. The CTX and Deus are very different machines.

The CTX is great for a deep accurate ID. It handles modern trash very well. Good park hunter. Hot on silver and higher conductors. It can't touch the Deus however, for target separation and iron handling ability. I like the wireless module because it allows me to use any headphones I want. I'm not a full size headphones kind of guy, so I'm not stuck with using something I'm not comfortable with. The machine is heavy but very well balanced, with the majority of the weight being supported by the shoulder rather than the forearm and biceps like the etrac/explorer. Even so, I had some shoulder soreness at first until I got used to it. Now I don't really notice the weight much anymore.

The Deus is great for hunting non ferrous targets in older, iron infested sites. Good selection of frequencies for higher or lower conductors. Great target separation; crank up the reactivity level and it's like hunting with a laser beam. Struggles a bit with modern trash, and can't touch the CTX for ID accuracy. I learned early on to set the tones for my target ranges and go strictly by sound. Love the backphones, but most seem to prefer the full size headphones. The machine is light as a feather with the stock 9" coil.

Both machines will find what the other missed.

I don't have any experience with the V3i but I'm sure it's a worthy contender.

Thanks a whole bunch for your thoughts, mrwilburino. You've helped me a lot. I think that the needle on my choice meter has just leaned a little bit more to the Deus side.

After the ground thaws in the spring, I like to hit the woods real hard. When May rolls in, so does the blackflies. I hate wearing repellent. I used to smoke a pipe which kept the bugs at bay quite well, but I quit, so this year I'm thinking that a brimmed hat with the WS-4 headphones, and a bug net over all of it may just give me some peaceful detecting. Oh yeah, I'll look like an old fuddy-duddy, but I guess I already am.

Yep, it sure looks like the Deus is top contender in this race so far, but I'm still waiting for someone to weigh in on the V3i.

 

[TabWhisperer]

I agree with mrwilburino. The other thing is how much fiddling and customizing you like to do. One of the reasons I let my V3i go was because of the complexity of the menus and settings and no way to reset it back to defaults. The CTX and Deus both have a lot of customizing but for me they are not overwhelming and easy to follow. I would often forget a tweak I had made on the V3i, go out the next time and couldn't figure out why it wasn't working right only to have to plod through menus to find what I had changed. I sold the CTX because of the weight and struggling to use it in high trash areas like ghost towns. But it had excellent TID and the Deus does not have accurate TID past about 4 or 5 inches in my experience which seems weird. Like all of them it takes some getting used to and playing with to fit your environment and needs. As for wireless, I have the WS4 package with the 11 inch coil. I remove the headphone module from the backphones and then slide on the WS4 headphone adaptor and then plug in a 1/8 to 1/4 audio adaptor and slide the unit in my shirt or pants pocket. That in effect give me wireless headphones using whatever phones I want. For control and TID readout I just keep the regular LCD display mounted on the stem like an average detector setup. Technically the Deus can run with either of the remotes, or both running.

 

[Higgy]

One of the reasons I let my V3i go was because of the complexity of the menus and settings and no way to reset it back to defaults.

I dont think I would like that either. I'm not a set-it-and-go kind of guy. I do like to fine-tune my gear. The ATP leaves much to be desired in this regard. I'm leaning toward the Deus because it seems to be as technical as I want to be, yet simple when I get onto a sweet productive spot.

The CTX and Deus both have a lot of customizing but for me they are not overwhelming and easy to follow. I would often forget a tweak I had made on the V3i, go out the next time and couldn't figure out why it wasn't working right only to have to plod through menus to find what I had changed.

Absolutely. I suffer from memory issues resulting from a bad motorcycle crash. Its my short-term memory most of all. I can do something in the moment no problem but then the CRS kicks in and I am right back to start again. It sucks too. Being in my line of work, I have to remember dimensions and it just makes my job more difficult because I have to sometimes measure something 3-4 times before I can get it on paper, or adjust a machine. Consequently, everything I do (at work) takes 3-4 times longer. So I guess I'm saying that anything that is not easily-revertable to defaults is not for me.

I sold the CTX because of the weight and struggling to use it in high trash areas like ghost towns. But it had excellent TID and the Deus does not have accurate TID past about 4 or 5 inches in my experience which seems weird. Like all of them it takes some getting used to and playing with to fit your environment and needs. As for wireless, I have the WS4 package with the 11 inch coil. I remove the headphone module from the backphones and then slide on the WS4 headphone adaptor and then plug in a 1/8 to 1/4 audio adaptor and slide the unit in my shirt or pants pocket. That in effect give me wireless headphones using whatever phones I want. For control and TID readout I just keep the regular LCD display mounted on the stem like an average detector setup. Technically the Deus can run with either of the remotes, or both running.

Thanks for your detailed comments, Tab! Just what I was looking for!

 

[FindandDetect]

I'm actually leaning with the V3i for my next detector, but that's just me. I'm someone that likes to take things apart and see how it ticks. I've seen other posts on other forums that if you liked to take your toys apart when you were younger (or still do) then the V3i might be for you, but if you just liked to play with them and if it's broke it's broke then it's probably not for you and the other two may be more for your liking (I've heard people say the ctx is more accurate VDI, and the Deus is more listening to the tones). On the V3i I like the fact you can run 3 frequencies at once, the polar plot, and sizing. There's a few comparison videos on YouTube.

 

[PostalTwo]

I am also in the market for a new machine and right now the v3 I is top of my list. The headphones are built in with no dongle which is nice. The ability to use 3 frequently at once is a plus especially when pp. If u get a false high and pp on the 22.5 u no its likely a low conductor.

The ability to adjust the v3i is what I like about it and u should know that there is a restore to defaults option should u get it all messed up.

I had an opportunity to use the v3i for a couple hours and I loved it found a silver dime in a trashy park within just a few minutes.

The ctx does intrigue me however mostly for its id at depth. What's stopping me is the price and it's reported iron handling.

Gl with ur search