White's v3i or Minelab e-trac

[Usaflaginmaine]

So I've moved my considerations up to either a whites v3i or a Minelab e Trac. Anybody have recommendations on either one?

 

[vpnavy]

Until a member(s) pipes in - don't forget to browse the Brands > White's and Brands > Minelab Forums...

 

[Deft Tones]

What you hunting?

Never used a Minelab but they have a great reputation for deep high conductors.

 

[Terry Soloman]

So I've moved my considerations up to either a whites v3i or a Minelab e Trac. Anybody have recommendations on either one?

If you are a gold prospector looking to find nuggets - neither of these machines will do.

 

[Usaflaginmaine]

If you are a gold prospector looking to find nuggets - neither of these machines will do.

Yes I aready have a gold racer. Looking for something to hunt coins, rings and old silver. Beach hunting as well.

 

[Deft Tones]

Yes I aready have a gold racer. Looking for something to hunt coins, rings and old silver. Beach hunting as well.

I'm biased as a V3i lover, but my requirements were like yours. Jewelry, coins, relics, with occasional FL beach. Those were my intended use with an emphasis towards jewelry.

Eventually I'm going to replace this ATPro and it won't be an E-Trac, but only because I don't feel it's needed for my hunts. I do confess an interest in the CTX, but can't justify that purchase based how far I live from the sea.

The V3i is very flexible so that can prolong the learning curve and wear your patience at times. I could never trade or sell mine.

 

[Usaflaginmaine]

I'm biased as a V3i lover, but my requirements were like yours. Jewelry, coins, relics, with occasional FL beach. Those were my intended use with an emphasis towards jewelry.

Eventually I'm going to replace this ATPro and it won't be an E-Trac, but only because I don't feel it's needed for my hunts. I do confess an interest in the CTX, but can't justify that purchase based how far I live from the sea.

The V3i is very flexible so that can prolong the learning curve and wear your patience at times. I could never trade or sell mine.

How does your v3i do with iron? Nails? Silver coins?

 

[Honest Samuel]

I have a Minelab 705, goes deep, but, hard for me to learn how to use it. Good hunting and good luck.

 

[Deft Tones]

How does your v3i do with iron? Nails? Silver coins?

It does very well in my soil. I very often pull co-located ferrous and non-ferrous targets. I have a live dig video (not uploaded) where I pull 3 targets from one coil footprint - penny, a ring, and a bottlecap right from the edge of a park shelter. I've pulled coins from areas I've watched worked with an e-trac....not silver, but masked wheats and buffs. Then there are thin chains. I've read reports the minelabs struggle with them. I've found a dozen or so this year....and that's with the Deus eating around 350-370 hours into the V's time in field.

At times I'm still experimenting against the Deus in nails, and the hours spent with each machine are never going to be equal, and the V3i isn't limited to a 9" coil, so with a shooter coil mounted I can best the Deus at the moment.... but not out of the box!

No other machine that I know of can be configured like the V3i can be configured exactly to one's needs. I don't care if you get one or not. The more I use mine the more I love it. I admit the first year learning curve was steep as a noob, but then after 1000hours field + days worth of reading, studying, and searching out answers to my questions, when all the pieces clicked... boom!, the great finds shot through the roof. It just keeps getting better. every. year.

I'm sure that's how it goes for anyone who is determined to master a machine. It's said mastery=10,000hrs. I'm almost 1/3 the way there.

 

[cudamark]

I had the same decision to make a few years ago and went with the E-trac. I'm glad I did after seeing both in the field (figuratively speaking). The E-trac is simpler to learn and is a better wet sand/salt water machine than the V3i.

 

[Usaflaginmaine]

Ended up winning an etrac on ebay with just under two years left on warranty for $900.

 

[RobRieman]

I have them both. Etrac is much simpler to learn, great depth, and like Cuda said is MUCH better in the wet salt on the beach. I will take the V3i any day over the Etrac in the iron. And the V is much faster, once you learn the Spectrograph in 3 frequency you can come real close to knowing what your going to dig. I still grab the Etrac most of the time though. Both are great detectors for sure.

 

[civil_war22]

Ended up winning an etrac on ebay with just under two years left on warranty for $900.

Congrats my friend. That's a great price for a killer machine. You will be amazed at the amount of coins you pull up with that bad boy