E-Trac stock 11" DD vs 6x8 SEF coil

[Southwind]

Are there any advantages/disadvantages between the stock 11" DD and the 6x8 SEF coils? I just can't see that there would be much, if any, advantages between the two. Don't both have basically the same pattern? It looks to me as if the stock 11" would weigh less than the 6x8 and technically have better depth, so what am I missing?

 

[wildherre]

The 6x8 has a smaller footprint than the Pro coil with as good or better separating abilities and close to the same depth.. What you are missing are good targets in close proximity to bad targets in moderately trashy area.. In very trashy areas go with the X-5... Id say the the 6x8 is the best coil available for the FBS machines.. If you try one you will never sell it or probably even take it off.. wildherre

 

[utahshovelhead]

Hi Wild,
I might agree with you on the 6x8 SEF being about the best coil except that you need to define the area or lot that you are hunting in. The 12x15 inch coil separates extremely well and adds depth to the finds by a few inches. So if you are hunting deep targets and ignoring shallow targets then I would take the larger coil. This is what I do on some of the parks I hunt. If on a construction site where ground has been removed or on a site that all targets are desirable shallow or deep then I would first use the smaller coil then the larger to clean everything up. My point being that there are advantages for different coils depending on the site you are going to hunt.

All around hunting I would probably chose the 6x8.

good luck
utahshovelhead

 

[wildherre]

Here are my quick field test results

sites hunted out with 10.5" Explorer coil
Pro Coil. old sites good again
sites hunted out with Pro Coil
6X8 coil, sites good again
sites hunted out again
10x12 SEF, a few deep finds in very clean ground
X-5 coil a few more finds, not a lot but a few
sites hunted out again
12X15 SEF, No new finds
12x15 sold
I run high manual sensitivity and high gain & found no advantage with the 12x15..Some one running auto sens & lower gain may find the 12x15 to be deeper...
I may try another 12x15 just to make sure I didn't have a dud but I'm thinking the results will be the same.. Hope not.... wildherre

 

[rc2125]

Very small coverage with the 6x8, easy to miss targets, ideal for sidewalk tearouts or spots previously hunted with the larger coil. I have a large, fairly extensive test garden, the little coil misses all but one of the coins buried at exactly 8 inches, but does fine on every one shallower than that (providing great i.d.'s). Depending on the soil conditions, the pro coil usually hits all the various coins at 10 inches and some beyond that. Decided I needed a tougher coil than the pro, recently got a 10x12sef, which is providing better i.d. on deeper targets, great stability on max sens, and a very very slight increase in depth.