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CTX 3030 or XP Deus

S

Southerndiggerr

New member
Hello everyone hope all is well. I need some advice I am stuck between the ctx and the deus at the moment and have no idea what to get. I currently own the AT pro so anything will be an upgrade for me. I live in southern Mississippi and I am looking for something that detects deep and can do good in iron and trash. Look forward to hearing some advice. Thanks:twodetecting:
 
Either will be great in iron and/or trash; much better than your AT Pro. I have gotten significantly better at predicting trash vs treasure before I dig with the CTX compared to the Deus though. There is a lot more audio variability in the CTX that probably accounts for most of that. My experience is that the CTX is slightly deeper consistently, but it's a tough call given the wide variety of ways both machines can be set up. In my test garden though, I can always manage to hit the deepest with the CTX after fiddling with settings till I'm numb on both of them. The Deus is great in trash because it is so fast in recovery. It's down right incredible how fast. But the CTX accomplishes excellent trashy site results due to its ability to distinguish multiple targets under the coil with the target tracking visual display and uncanny ability to separate the multiple targets.

The Deus is a whole lot lighter. I mean a WHOLE LOT. it also breaks down quickly to a much smaller size for transporting. I take it on my motorcycle a lot and really can't figure out anyway to do that effectively with the CTX.

Both machines have a significant learning curve, but the CTX is a bit steeper. Not to say you can't use either right out of the box with stock settings, because you certainly can. But you will totally master the Dues a good bit earlier than you will the CTX. I have been swinging the CTX for a year and a half and I'm finally at the point where it is really talking to me. We are one.

The CTX is waterproof. That might mean something to you and it might not. If you spend a lot of time at the beach in the wet sand or surf, the CTX is the far better choice. It can be done with the Deus with modification, but it is nowhere the beach machine that the CTX is; not only due to the waterproofing but due to FBS2 (multi frequency) on the CTX. .

After saying all that, I will take the CTX just about every time and leave the Deus behind, or loan it to a hunting buddy, unless I'm heading out on the bike. But I also use a harness with the CTX to keep from destroying my elbow. Using a harness with a Deus would just be silly.

I also have an AT Pro so I can tell you without hesitation that either machine is going to wow you.
 
I would say it is close to a tie. I'm lucky enough to own them both and not giving either one up.The CTX is probably a bit better, the XP ( in my opinion only ) more fun due to its weight and compactness.
 
I too live in Mississippi and have both the CTX3030 and the XP Deus. I enjoy using them both and I feel they compliment one another and that one is not really better than the other, they are just different, quite different. I agree with most of what RoyW stated above. I hunt a lot in old groomed parks and here the CTX is fun as I can use the 17" coil and really cover every inch. In more woodsy grown up areas I hunt the CTX coils is a pain as it grabs every thing. They Deus is so light and compact I can take and use it anywhere. You would be pleased with either machine if weight and compactness are important def. go with the Deus otherwise I might lean towards the CTX.

they both excel in iron and trash but in diff. ways. The Deus through it's lighting fast speeds and the CTX through is processor and display screen (can display both simultaneously)

What type of areas to you mainly hunt?

HH
Robert in central MS
 
Thanks for the advice everyone I sure do appreciate it. I usually hunt old home sites, fair grounds anywhere that I can pull a nice silver from. There are a few places that I hunt that are trashy and have a lot of iron. A lot of the places I hunt are very old and all targets are pretty deep I have found Indians at 8 inch with my at pro. There are a few plowed fields that I hunt but everything is pretty shallow in those areas. I know I miss a lot with the at pro and I just want to feel like I have found most of the stuff at a location. I love south of the meridian area msviking so I'm probably hunting about the same dirt you hunt in that good ole mississippi clay.:twodetecting:
 
The closest hunting ground for me the local community park that I can walk to. Since it's so close, I probably have hunted it twice as many hours as any other place. It has your typical tot lots, swings, ball fields and wide open spaces, along with a community beach. It dates back to the 1930's as a park, and before that was part of a farm back to the 1700's. It is loaded with iron. There are old square nails, horseshoes, farm relics everywhere except for the beach. But even worse are the pull tabs and aluminum shrapnel. I flat guarantee that every swing of any detector in the open areas will get you at least 4 aluminum hits and at least two iron hits. The aluminum only goes down about 4", but the iron goes deep. Plenty of clad, also in that top 4". Between 4" and 11" there are all the Wheaties you could want, a few Indians and scattered silver. I've pulled two nice gold rings from that park in the past year as well, and a few gold and silver pendants and such.

I started hunting that park with the AT-Pro. In 6 months I got lots of trash and lots of clad. A few interesting iron farm relics as well but not one wheatie and no silver. But there was just too much masking of the deep good targets for the AT-Pro to be successful. I had great results with the AT-Pro in less trashy areas though.

The first time I hit that park with the CTX I pulled two mercs, a 1960 quarter and 13 wheaties in about three hours. I had never pulled anything like that with the AT-Pro in hundreds of hours. I really didn't know the CTX at all at that point, but I was blown away at how I was pulling those old coins in the same hole with nails and tabs. 6 months later with the Deus, I had similar results at that park.

I bring all this up just because you mentioned that you hunt fair grounds and other iron infested, trashy areas that are likely just like this. I just want to assure you that either way you go, you are going to be totally blown away. In that type of ground, the difference compared to your AT-Pro is going to be stunning. You really can't make a wrong decision with the two choices you are looking at. If you are a technical geek like me who loves bells, whistles and color screens, go with the CTX. If you want to swing easy and fast and pack light, get the Deus. Either one is going to get you smiling.
 
Thanks bud I sure appreciate all the advice I'm going with the ctx cause I love bells and whistles and the weight of it probably won't matter to me at all and if it does I'm going to suck it up and keep on going. I have found a lot with the at pro including a shield nickel as my oldest coin so far but that's digging everything that even beeps it bounced so much I just knew it was trash. But I'm going to go with big boy hobbies and order my detector. I usually use Kelly co but they don't give as many goodies as Bart does lol. But I appreciate the advice bud I'll post my finds on here when I do receive the ctx. Thanks again :minelab:
 
This is a really good post, I'm in the same boat deciding between the two detectors. I keep going back and forth trying to decide, but this post help a lot hearing from people with both detectors. I have had Etracs and love them, so I lean toward Minelab. Until I place the order which should be within a week I will probably be on the fence.
 
It' a no brainer really if both machines have similar performance.If weight is a really big issue go with the deus,if weight is not an issue it's got to be the minelab.The minelab has two massive advantages over the deus,it is fully waterproof and it will totally outperform the deus at the beach.If you find yourself in the situation where you need either of these attributes you will be disappointed if you choose the deus.
 
I would have gone with the Deus if land only or to keep the price down if not in the water then the E.Trac. Good luck.
 
I just went to the Deus from a CTX. I swung the SE and Etrac for 6 years and never had an issue. After swinging the CTX from May to November of 2013, I've had X-rays for forearm pain, a visit to an orthopedic surgeon and now I having an MRI on my forearm on the 27th and another visit to a specialized orthopedic arm, wrist and hand specialist/ surgeon.
 
Minelab go it wrong this time , with all the new technology they should have made a lighter not heavier machine. Trouble is what would they charge for it ?
 
I have owned 4 MineLab machine and was a loyal customer until the design, ergonomic mess up and overpriced price tag. They blew it on the design of the CTX as far as I'm concerned.

I absolutely love to metal detect so I'm hoping the forearm pain the CTX has caused me is easily remedied before the nice weather comes.
 
The thing is that Minelab machines are the best for target i.d. and tones but the weight can be a problem , I know some people will say I am wrong but for me the CTX is user unfriendly. :(
 
I even put the extra expense into the ProSwing harness. They know the product is heavy and unbalanced so they developed a harness for it. I'm very anxious about using my Deus in areas I've hunted with the SE, Etrac and CTX. if it delivers in those spots, I will be showing off what the MineLabs missed.
 
DukeOBass said:
I even put the extra expense into the ProSwing harness. They know the product is heavy and unbalanced so they developed a harness for it. I'm very anxious about using my Deus in areas I've hunted with the SE, Etrac and CTX. if it delivers in those spots, I will be showing off what the MineLabs missed.
Click to expand...

I don't think it will miss much , if you go over it and the machine is able and set up right it will find it . Its not even unbalanced , its just very heavy and they know that .
As for the harness well that's just ridiculous for price especially when on another forum there is a man selling another very good one for less than a third the price on this side of the pond.
 
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