2nd detector dilemma

[chipper97]

Guys, I've posted about this a couple months back on the general forum and got some helpful advice from several of you. However the post was removed for some reason and I'm still sitting in limbo trying to decide what detector to buy next. My problem is one that's been discussed here and in other forums countless times before. I've read a bunch of them. But I personally want to ask advice from those of you who may have struggled with the same problem and see what you decided and why, and how succesfull you feel your solution was.

Ok, I have a Minelab Se Pro. I don't feel like I've mastered it but I'm very comfortable with it, how to interpret the tones, the screen info etc. I've been moderately succesfull pulling silver and Indians and old copper coins. I've even found two gold rings, wedding band and class ring. Not to belabor the point, I like my machine. But I've read all the "slow processors" "not good in iron", "slow separation in trash" etc.about the FBS's and I'm wondering if I need a complimentary detector to hunt in heavy iron trash. Disclaimer: ( I've hunted primarily old school sites over the last year and a half with an old home site and couple of old millponds thrown in. I have not to my knowledge been in really iron infested sites. But I have every intention of hunting more old "former" home sites in fields and woods. So there's the likely- hood that these iron dense areas will pop up). So I want to add a new detector. Regardless of all the "complimentary", "upgrade", what have you talk, that's the bottom line. I've had the Se Pro for a year and a half and I really like it but I've got the itch for another machine. Based on my experience with the Se Pro I'd love to have a new FBS unit. The E trac intrigues me with Quick Mask and TTF. Oh I forgot to add that my budget will allow something in the $1000-1100 area. Of course the CTX 3030 but don't know if I could afford that. The extra coils, rods, everything is so expensive. If I got the E trac I'd be sharing coils from my Se Pro. The E trac would satisfy my yen for a new machine but would it's performance differ enough from what I have to see a real difference in the sites I've been hunting and in iron infested sites. As much as I love Minelab's FBS machine's maybe I should seriously think about adding a superior separating machine like the Deus, the Racer, or other quicker machines. Not expecting anyone to make the decision for me, just need some feedback. Love the FBS machines, looking at an E trac but wondering if it will do the job for sites I'm anticipating running into down the road. Thanks in advance.

 

[Davethejunky]

I would look for a machine that could handle heavy trash. Your SE pro has the depth but not the separation, and I don't think you will be gaining much depth with the etrac, just more info that you may or may not need. I use an Explorer XS, have for 12 years and won't use other Minelabs because it works for me. I also have a Racer and AT Pro with smaller coils for when my arm starts to hurt, or when iron gets too thick.

 

[chipper97]

Noted Dave, thanks. The Racer seems to be well regarded for separation and decent depth.

 

[Fletch88]

You're SE pro has iron mask which is same as quick mask as far as I'm concerned. You're pro also has multi tone ferrous which allows you to run wide open screen and hear all the low tone iron grunts while listening for high tones amongst "iron laden sites". There's not enough to gain IMO to just go to the Etrac or CTX.
I would look at the T2 Classic or G2+. Both are proven workhorses and very well balanced compared to the S shaft of exp/ Etrac.

 

[chipper97]

Thanks Fletch88. I know next to nothing about those two machines. I'll give them a look-see.

 

[IDXMonster]

Chipper....have you changed the Tones to Ferrous and tried your iron sites? It's the ONLY way to hunt in heavy iron,and with a small-ish coil and slow sweep I'm not sure how much more you're going to see out of your places with something else. An INCREDIBLE number of variables are in play here,angle of approach to a good target with iron in the immediate vicinity is really important. That's why it's so important to grid and attack from many angles in a place like that. Sure,a different machine MIGHT get you more but nobody can guarantee that. ANY suggestion might make your day or waste your money. You already have a killer machine,I don't know what would COMPLIMENT it. I know I'm not of any help really in your quest for greatness in iron....

 

[Davethejunky]

From my 12 years using FBS I can say that they S-U-C-K in iron infested areas and slow with a small coil doesn't really matter. I have hunted a heavy iron park with my other machines and went to get my explorer to check out a good signal with a small coil at the same angle about the same settings and nothing. This has happened multiple times and I'm convinced that FBS can't do the job in heavy iron. That's probably why you see those using minelabs have other machines listed that will cut through the iron.

 

[chipper97]

IDX, I've never tried ferrous sounds. When I started out I read a bunch of stuff on different forums and got the Andy Sabisch book. I was hunting for deep silver primarily and the majority of users seemed to be partial to conductive sounds. I'm not a tweaker or tinkerer with my settings. I'll adjust sensitivity some if the site warrants it but by and large stay within the Bryce Brown playbook. Speaking of whom, Bryce made a point in many of his posts to assure Explorer users that their machines would signal a good target through nulls. That is if you slow down when you get in nulls. Way down. It's seemed to work for me. I've found a fair share of silver and copper in holes with iron in them, so they were definitely co-adjacent, whether beside, below or on top not always sure. I've got several Barbers and Mercs with rust stains on them so there was iron present. I'm like you, I really need convincing that the Explorer's and E trac can't hold there own in iron if you go slow and attack from different angles if you get the slightest whiff of a good target. I just thought it would be instructive to get some different perspectives. Everyone's experience differs. Going back to Bryce, he certainly made a strong case in my mind that Explorers/E tracs could compete in iron. In fact that is the type of site (iron laden) that he liked to attack with his machines and his success is/was very evident. For the heck of it I will look into using ferrous sounds some and see if I like it.

 

[IDXMonster]

Chipper-Just so you know,the idea is to dig most everything that isn't a low "bump bump" tone,you'll immediately know how that sounds. Depending on how many signals you're getting,of course you can be more selective if you want. Usually an old home site,farm or whatever is going to have the possibility of nickels,Indians,etc. that don't have the perfect silver tone. For that matter,many of your silver targets probably won't have that perfect silver tone either,that's kind of the idea I think of digging all coin sized targets above iron,if it's possible to size it up and that's all you're after.
Also...just a thought...in my short experience with the Explorer2 it isn't iron that bothers it so much as EMI. There are a couple places I cannot run the Explorer,and a few others that I can if the time of day is right. In a local park,I cannot hunt one corner in the morning,but at 5-6 pm I can. If you can't get a decent channel to come up on auto Noise Cancel then you can obviously try doing it manually but the EMI,to me,is a bigger enemy than iron. I'm sure that opinion has much to do with the types of places I go as well.
Ferrous is great,I use it all the time....everywhere. The machine isn't "seeing" anything different,it's just different to your EARS so you might decide to check something out you wouldn't have otherwise in Conductive. Its another preference thing,I hope it helps you out in some way.
Good luck!
Kevin

 

[chipper97]

IDX, I'll give it a shot. I'll try it in some of my familiar sites and "see" what I can hear. It might unlock some good targets i couldn't hear in conductive. Thanks for the suggestion. One thing that concerns me about running in ferrous is being barraged by sounds. I run iron mask of 22 in conductive and I usually have a modest number of targets sounding off. If it could bring more good targets along with it though I think I can adjust. I've run into few problems with emi but have noticed a slight increase in good targets later in the day as opposed to earlier.