Comparing the CTX 3030 to the Whites V3i and Teknetics T2

[msviking]

As background, I started taking the hobby serious a little over a two years ago. I mainly coin shoot hunting out silver, but occasionally relic hunt old civil war sites as well. I started out with a Teknetic

 

[jas415]

Excellent report! Thanks! I was born in Yazoo City, but now live in a Houston Suburb. There is a great really old fairground there in Yazoo City loaded with coins! Even a few Civil War sites around there also.

 

[Altamaha]

Thanks for the very fair & balanced report, regarding the CTX & V3i. I own both and would not part with either. As you reported both are great detectors, just different!

 

[diggerdick]

Great comparison of three differ brands of detectors. Nice to see this I have three different brands and like them all. The brand bashing is getting old. Outstanding post msviking.

 

[electricmetal21]

I own a Minelab CTX, a Whites V3i, and a Teknetics G2. I agree, all are good machines, just different. And, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. To get good with any one of them you have to spend a lot of time swinging the detector.

That said, a couple of observations on something that I find irritating:
With the V3i, rusty bottle caps tend to look like quarters. When, you detect the target, it looks like a quarter, When you dig it, you find out it's a rusty bottle cap. You see this same type of thing with the Fisher and Teknetics machines. Bottle caps look like quarters.
With the Minelab machines you don't see this. To a Minelab machine, rusty bottle caps look like rusty pieces of steel. With the Minelab machines, if it says it's a quarter, there's about a 90% chance it's a quarter and not a rusty bottle cap.
What I don't understand is that, if Minelab can make machines that reject rusty bottle caps, why can't the other brands do the same?

But, that said, If I wanted a high end machine and I was on a tight budget, the nod would go the Whites.
If I was not willing to invest the time to learn the machine I would go with the Teknetics.
And, if weight was an issue, I would definitely go with the Teknetics machine. All Minelab machines and the Whites V3i machines are heavy to swing machines. But, Tekenetics machines are very light and easy to swing.

 

[Rob (IL)]

Electricmetal, you need to visit the V3i forum. The V3i ID's rusty bottle caps for you. When you get that quarter signal, pinpoint the target. If the 2.5 bar is longest it's a quarter. If the 22.5 is longer its a bottle cap.

 

[Celtic Dragon]

Well written. Your post would make a good article in one of the treasure magazines.

 

[Southwind]

Very accurate!

 

[sprchng]

Good summarization of the features and esthetics of the different machines.
If you decide to do a comparison of the more important performance aspects with some empirical data , be sure to include ground balance(soil mineralization) readings as it would be a great opportunity to compare the manufacturers different numerology systems on the same ground.

 

[DaveV3i]

had v3i and the ctx I think the xp outdoes both of them quieter much lighter and can get you one for 1600.

 

[Larry (IL)]

The XP I had didn't come nowhere close to the performance of my CTX and V3i Dave I suppose a lot depends on your ground and what you are looking for. I hunt for silver, copper and lead in the 7 to 10 inch range in medium mineralized ground. I was lucky to get 7 inches with the Deus and the target ID was non existent at that depth.

I think Robert in Mississippi is right on with his opinion of the CTX and V3i.......

 

[Roland58]

Is the Teknetics T2 about the same machine as the Fisher F75 Standard? Other than the screen layout, they sure look the same!

 

[D&P-OR]

Robert------Excellent, accurate & well written post!

 

[steve herschbach]

Excellent post! For me it was V3i, CTX 3030 and F75. The one thing you do not mention was the biggest factor in my ending up keeping the CTX while the F75 and V3i are now gone. ElectroMagnetic Interference (EMI). Interference was a constant issue with the F75 and V3i and basically a non-issue with the CTX 3030. Sad too since the V3i is a dream detector for a detector nerd like me. I so much wanted to be able to use it but got tired of taking it someplace and having it freak out on buried power lines. I actually tried two since I thought maybe it was just the first one I had that had problems but a couple years later another one was no better.

Anyway, thanks for putting in the effort for a very fair and honest evaluation.

 

[GoVidGo]

good review! I have a V3i and Etrac and have had a T2.... I agree the V3i has a learning curve. Once learned and programmed for your area (Magic's Program for me)... I have found targets that my 2 freinds I hunt with, one has a CTX and the other a Deus do NOT even hit on! I have had my ProPointer totally in holes 12"+ deep and found 2 musket balls from a 1700's fort that they couldn't even pick up! My finds of the year! I also had the T2 with the SEF 12x15" coil and it was a beast! you are talking about hitting targets 15" when run totally hot and a lightning recovery speed, + the light weight! ! ! I will NEVER get rid of my Etrac, and my has the similar CTX... with the XX-XX read out... you can filter through the garbage and cherry pick the silver. When you hit silver of the Etrac/CTX.... you know it! it stops you in your tracks!

keep hunting and best of luck!

 

[Jedi]

Thanks for the honest well thought out post. I have been wanting to try a V3i.
I currently have a CTX. I have never used any of the whites machines. The Deus
is fast. You can swing it very fast and it will still give good tones. It only uses one frequency
at a time. I think there is an advantage to multiple frequencies.

 

[flhunter]

I have both ctx and v3i, they both compliment each other rather than complete with each other.

Most of the time, I use the minelab, but it depends on the trash/target types.

I wouldn't want to hunt without either.