I was asked many times about which machine I felt was deeper and which machine they should get (explorer vs. E-Trac)...this was my reply:....
I have found 11" deep dimes with the Explorer 2...SE...and the E-Trac...so there is no difference in depth for me.
The following few statements apply to some hunters (not all). They are my OWN personal opinions and I am not trying to "start" a debate...so I hope it doesn't turn into one.
What I am stating comes from 1000's of fairly successful hours on the explorers training my ears to listen for only ONE thing....DEEP coins.
NOT jewelry...relics...trinkets....or even nickels (they aren't on my coin list
)...etc...ONLY deep coins...more specificlly... the sound of deep silver and injuns'.
For some people I feel that if you really never got over the "hump" and broke into the 10" deep coin barrier with the Explorers...then the E-Trac seems like the "answer".
IMHO it is smoother than my SE and might ID visually at depth slightly better when hunting with some iron mask...which might give that same explorer user what seemed to be perceived as "more depth".
However IMHO my SE ID's better by sound at depth than my E-Trac.
The key to success at finding deep or previously masked coins with the Explorers is 100% SOUND...and sound alone.
If a person somewhat "mastered" the deep silver sound of the explorers...and finds the deeper and older coins in the 10" to 11" range...then the E-Trac won't do as much for you as it did the explorer user who truthfully just never was able to learn the sounds and language it spoke over deep and masked coins. It comes ONLY with experience and 1000's of hours at different sites...in different conditions...with different iron levels...and different trash levels...etc.
Many people try too much too fast...this setting...that setting...instead of just getting out there...having fun...experimenting over deeper targets...and just plain old learning the machine.
Do I feel I have "mastered" my machine?....NO WAY. I feel I learn something each time out.
Me personally and honestly...YES...I have found some deep and walked over coins with the E-Trac that I myself missed at some of my pounded sites with my SE and EX2.
WHY??...possibly because in some spots the E-Trac ID'ed better visually at depth at those particular sites.
The flipside....I have also found deep, walked over coins with my SE that my E-Trac missed.
WHY??...because for me it ID's better by sound than the E-trac...and because of the RAW power it has..which I run pretty much maxed with high gain and highest possible sensitivity for that particular site.
ALSO...because I have spent a gazillion hours training my ears to listen for deep coins in iron and trash...more particularly to discern deep coins hiding in iron FROM deep iron falses and chirps.
Is it foolproof?....NOPE I dig my share of iron...but I also find my share of seated and older coins.
Anyway...my opinion of the E-trac being deeper than the explorer is what it is. I do not feel it is deeper...and I did the best I could to explain my personal opinion.
The key to this response though is what you directly asked...and that was...
"if you think that there is an advantage of going with the Etrac over and SE PRO if someone had zero experience with minelabs, IE no relearning new VDI numbers".
My answer would be an honest...yes...possibly...because I do feel the learning curve is less on the E-trac than it is on the Explorer for a new user with absolutely no minelab experience. It is just a smoother machine IMHO and you don't hear as many sounds (pops and chirps) which make up the strange language the Explorers speak to new users.
Once that different language starts to "click" for you though...I truthfully feel the Explorers are the best deep turf silver coin finders made.
It just takes most people a little longer to get used to all the sounds...where the E-Trac seems to be a little smoother when transferring those sounds to the ears.
IMHO...no way the E-trac gives me that same unmistakable high pitched "silver warble" that I get with my SE....and as I said...sound is the key to the explorers success.
