Coils

[reffitt20]

I understand different coils do different things when it comes to coverage, discrimination, depth, and so on but I have a question to you educated E Trac pros. If you were buying a new etrac would you prefer to start with the pro coil or an aftermarket coil?
This leads me to my next question,,,Are the after market coils truly better coils than the pro coil? I have heard the name 6x8 or 8x6 SEF something thrown around a lot. Whats your number one coil for old farm yards and small town lots? I watch a lot of these E-trac youtube videos and almost all of them have after market coils so something must be legit there. So whats your favorite coil and why?

1.If you were buying a new etrac would you prefer to start with the pro coil or an aftermarket coil?

2. Are the after market coils truly better coils than the pro coil?

3. Whats your number one coil for old farm yards and small town lots?

4. So whats your favorite coil and why?


Thanks for the Info and time.

 

[Goes4ever]

the pro coil is an excellent coil and I use it 80% of the time, my other coil is the SEF 6x8 coil and I use it in super high iron areas.

Starting out I feel the pro coil is more than sufficient for majority of areas to hunt. Been five yrs with my etrac and the pro coil has served me well

 

[bottle collector]

The pro coil is a heck of a coil and is hard to improve on for WHAT IT IS DESIGNED FOR. Now to get down to brass tacks- it is designed to get both good depth and good coverage and it excels as an all around coil in areas that are not very trash laden. Aftermarket coils are not really "better" in my opinion they are just more adept at certain things. Here are the coils in my arsenal for my etrac:

1. Pro coil
2. 6x8 Sef
3. 6" Excellerator
4. 13" Ultimate (currently on it's way from Kellyco)

In the past I've owned.

1. 12x15 Sef (sold because too heavy for the little depth gained)
2. 10x12 Sef (sold because I see no difference from Pro Coil and the Sef is a little heavier so it's outa here)
3. 6x8 Sef (sold this then repurchased a new one 3 months later because it serves a real purpose in certain areas and I should have never sold it)
4. Pro coil (sold this then repurchased a new one. When I sold it I figured I'd use the 10x12 Sef but I liked the Pro better so I dumped the 10x12 and went back to the Pro as my primary coil)

Now for my two cents on all the aftermarket coils. I don't think any of them are a better quality than the Pro Coil but some are better at certain things. For squeaking the last little bit of depth out of your machine in clean areas the really big coils will do that. Is an extra inch of range worth $200 to you? It may or may not be.

The smaller coils will help you hunt in trashier areas (which many older locations that hold goodies are) by increasing your odds of only having one target under the coil at a time instead of 2,3 or even 4 targets at one time under the coil thus confusing you and your detectors about what is there. These smaller coils give up some depth in the process but are still often worth their weight in gold for detecting certain areas. I would highly recommend a small coil or even two for your arsenal but they are not mandatory. If I were doing it again I'd buy 2 smaller coils. I'd buy the 6x8 Sef (it is truly a great coil for hunting in moderately trashy areas- as the older farm yards and older small town lots often are) and I would buy a 5" Sunray X-5 for the really heavy trash and locations that are prone to vegetation "stubble". The 6" Excellerator and 5" Sunray are not "open web" coils and this is a blessing when hunting areas with "stubble" that will constantly snag coils with open webs.

Now for the "favorite" coil question. Leaving the 13" Ultimate out of the equation since I've yet to use it, I'd say my favorite two out of the 5 I've tried so far are the Pro and the 6x8 Sef (btw the 6x8 and 8x6 are the same coil, some people just flip the numbers when talking about it). If for some reason I could only own two coils those would be the ones. Don't make me try to pick between the two because it will make my head hurt.

 

[bik-il]

Great post b-c.
Thanks much!
I became quite adept with the Sunray x-8 and the excelerator 6in behind the Sunray x12.
The pro was sold and replaced with the x12 as my primary coil mainly for it weight and coverage.
If I could have just one coil- for my hunting in mostly trashy areas I would keep the x8.
Nice weight, 'just right' size, decent depth and separation. I haven't tried a 6x8 but I'm guessing the x8 is a similar performer.
I do well with the x8 and 6in excelerator using two-tone ferrous as well.
I have to say I've never used a bad coil on the etrac. Each has their own strong points but overall every one I've uses has performed well.
Hope this helps.
Cheers

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

My favorite is the 4.5x7 Excelerator. I hate open coils catching on stubble in the ghost towns I typically hunt. On the rare occasions when I park or yard hunt, I actually prefer the 15" WOT. Great coverage, pinpoints well and lighter than it looks!

 

[reffitt20]

Thanks guys that is some good information for me to mull over before making a purchase. Thanks for your help!

 

[surfchunker]

my favorite is the Coiltek 10x5 ... still goes pretty deep ( dug dimes at 7" ) and works great in trash ... I had the SEF 8x6 and sold it and bought the 10x5 ... glad I did, the Coiltek coil is way better. also put the Sunray X8 coil up against the 10x5 also and it worked better also. seemed to lock onto the proper ID a lot faster. Guess that is what you get when you buy a coil that Minelab works with the Company that makes them

 

[sprchng]

my favorite is the Coiltek 10x5 ... still goes pretty deep ( dug dimes at 7" ) and works great in trash ... I had the SEF 8x6 and sold it and bought the 10x5 ... glad I did, the Coiltek coil is way better. also put the Sunray X8 coil up against the 10x5 also and it worked better also. seemed to lock onto the proper ID a lot faster. Guess that is what you get when you buy a coil that Minelab works with the Company that makes them

If they work so closely together I wonder why the coils on my two Coiltek coils are too large to slip through the shaft (6" Treasureseeker and 15" WOT) and the SEF 6x8 and the Ultimate are coiled tight enough to slip right on through?

As to the OP--it's hard to beat the procoil/6x8 sef combination in that order.

 

[surfchunker]

are you talking about the plug end ? yeah it won't fall thru but that is due to it being better made and more heavy duty made ... I just drop a string down thru it and tie to it and pull it thru ... the tones on the 10x5 are so much better, sharper/crisper than the SEF 8x6 and I love it being solid so it slips right over stuff

 

[sprchng]

I have found the string method seems to stretch the poor cord coiling of the Coiltek's even more and prefer to start the coils and then swing the shaft briskly----cord goes right through then. Don't use either coil much more any more though as the SEFs seem to produce better in my dirt.

 

[reffitt20]

My favorite is the 4.5x7 Excelerator. I hate open coils catching on stubble in the ghost towns I typically hunt. On the rare occasions when I park or yard hunt, I actually prefer the 15" WOT. Great coverage, pinpoints well and lighter than it looks!

What kind of depth you getting on a 15"WOT? any good on Separation?

So sounds like its a battle 10x5 vs the 6x8

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

My favorite is the 4.5x7 Excelerator. I hate open coils catching on stubble in the ghost towns I typically hunt. On the rare occasions when I park or yard hunt, I actually prefer the 15" WOT. Great coverage, pinpoints well and lighter than it looks!

What kind of depth you getting on a 15"WOT? any good on Separation?

So sounds like its a battle 10x5 vs the 6x8

I personally have never dug anything more than about 8 inches while using it in parks and yards. I did, however, witness my detecting buddy dig a nickel at 12+ inches using his Etrac with the WOT at a local mud volleyball court. Separation is great!