Manticore over E-trac

[Mark kus]

Try the Manticore using Low conductor mode it’s the best!
Mark

 

[Kresa]

If normal conditions means not too much surface trash and mild ground mineralization, probably not if you are just looking for silver/high conductors.

If there is lots of non-ferrous, mixed alloy trash and any thing worse than mild mineralization, the Manticore will have a big advantage.

I owned an Etrac and still own the Manticore. I often hunt in moderate to heavy modern trash with moderate to high iron mineralized ground. The Etrac running it the recommended way which is with tracking ground balance, would end up on sensitivity 10 to 12 which means 6" depth at the most where I detected with it. The equivalent on the Manticore would be running it at 14 sensitivity. If I turned off the automatic tracking and tried to run my Etrac at a higher sensitivity, the ground noise was impossible. I can run the Manticore at 26 to 28 sensitivity on the same ground with no ground noise. So huge advantage to the Manticore for ground mineralization handling.

Weight and target separation/recovery speed have already been mentioned. Targets on edge, partially masked targets, other targets besides high conductors, other sized targets besides coin sized, not waterproof, no wireless audio, no internal rechargeable battery, no lightweight collapsible shaft system, no big audio options and most important for me, no restrictions on where I can hunt with it and what I can hunt for....... Manticore beats Etrac silly except on deep silver and that is only true for almost perfect ground conditions.

Minelab are not dumb. They knew that the Etrac was just for a very specific situation. If you were a person like me that did not hunt in that specific situation, you were screwed until the Equinox and Multi IQ was released.

I found 2 silver coins here in Colorado using the Etrac for a year in public parks. Same public parks, I found 89 silver coins and 48 silver rings last year using the Manticore along with some deep gold rings. All were 8" deep or deeper.

Nice pile of silver, hope my 800 performs half as well LOL

 

[BootyHunter]

But they have there are actually 2 ferrous screens that have different functions, No one else offers this much ferrous info, I repeat no one.

Interesting discussion! I am a longtime user of Minelab machines, started with the Etrac, used TTF alot, went to the CTX3030, Equinox 800 and it was a game changer for me. Now I started off as mostly a coin shooter looking for silver in older 1880-1940 house yards, got bit by the civil war relic bug when I found a couple of cw bullets and then a South Carolina Button in an old yard. Found alot of silver coin and indian heads, wheats, buffalos, some barbers with the Etrac and CTX, had started hunting more for Civil War relics by the time the Equinox 800 came out and let me tell you, it ran circles around the CTX in my mineralized soil and heavy iron. It also loved silver, took it to an old yard 1st hunt out of the box and found 3 silver coins on that first outing. I picked up a Manticore when it came out, thinking it was the CTX and Equinox hybrid I had dreampt of. And while it kinda is, I just didnt gel with it the same as with the Equinox. It didnt seem to hit as hard on bullets and brass as the Equinox did, and not with the same precision. On the Equinox a CW bullet is almost always a solid 17, on the Manticore the ranges from 55-62 and seem to not be consistent. I just decided I would stick with the Equinox for relic hunting. Sold that 1st Manticore, picked up another one when they had the good sale with the 2 coils, tried it again, same results. So sticking with the Equinox for relics and using the Manticore in old yards. Don't get me wrong its a fantastic detector, but I still think it is fooled by iron more than the Equinox 800. Just a couple weeks ago was on a civil war site at a group hunt and a buddy was using the Manticore and I was using my Equinox 800, we were not too far apart and he was saying he had the best signal of the day, I walked over and he said listen to it with the Equinox, it was jumpy negative numbers with an occasional 18, I turned 90 degrees, same thing. Told him "sounds like iron to me" he showed me, Manticore was showing nice tight dot, 80's tid, he dug it. Random piece of iron. Yes the Manticore is awesome with tons of adjustments, but for me, the Equinox 800 does a great job of telling me when its iron, the Equinox 900 has this same falsing on iron issue. Whatever they did with Multi-iq2 messed up the ability to clearly and confidently distinguish iron. Its the "New Coke" of the Metal Detecting world if you ask me. Alot to like about the Manticore, but being fooled by iron when it has all those ferrous limits, colored numbers etc is just inexcusable to me. Still love my 800 and Im picking up another CTX soon for those places I cant dig tons of holes, the CTX with its fbs 2 is super accurate in id'ing targets. Manticore still has its place but its not the be all end all some make it out to be imho.

 

[Odanscoils]

How do I find them ?
Haven't seen them in settings.

Sorry guys. Don't have a clue how my post multiplied.

 

[woodbutcher]

Nothing better for deep silver than FBS. Manticore ID is way to jumpy and even worse at depth,....I think the manticore is more relic than coin, I had one and didn't see anything from it that would dedicate it a coin machine..I mean, what guys aren't saying about the manticore is they're digging 10 bad targets to 1 good coin target..If you want a few coins and a pouch full of junk buy a manticore, if you want just coins buy a etrac or ctx 3030..I know some guys are gonna defend the manticore cause they own it but I'm just saying lots of people owned it and moved on, it's really a over hyped relic dig all type of machine

 

[BootyHunter]

Nothing better for deep silver than FBS. Manticore ID is way to jumpy and even worse at depth,....I think the manticore is more relic than coin, I had one and didn't see anything from it that would dedicate it a coin machine..I mean, what guys aren't saying about the manticore is they're digging 10 bad targets to 1 good coin target..If you want a few coins and a pouch full of junk buy a manticore, if you want just coins buy a etrac or ctx 3030..I know some guys are gonna defend the manticore cause they own it but I'm just saying lots of people owned it and moved on, it's really a over hyped relic dig all type of machine

It must be a jack of all trades and a master of none because I am a relic hunter and its not a good relic machine either. Equinox 800 runs circles around it and the 900 for relics. It doesnt hit hard on lead and brass or lock onto a single number like the 800 does. Seems like with all the fancy they put on it, they degraded the main part, the detection abilities.

 

[woodbutcher]

It must be a jack of all trades and a master of none because I am a relic hunter and its not a good relic machine either. Equinox 800 runs circles around it and the 900 for relics. It doesnt hit hard on lead and brass or lock onto a single number like the 800 does. Seems like with all the fancy they put on it, they degraded the main part, the detection abilities.

I think the 800 was the best machine minelab came out with too as far as newer tek, alot of guys up my way feel the same

 

[Nauti]

Any advantages when hunting mid to deeper silver, no heavy iron sites just normal conditions.

The etrac is still a great machine that in real hunting conditions will pick up all the targets any other machine will.......and that goes for all the other top machines on the market today........the manticore won't miraculously increase your finds rate over the etrac which is what we are all looking for if we are honest......a new machine that actually helps us come home with pockets full of treasure.
All the top machines have their stronger and weaker points but most,in real hunting conditions,will find the same targets picked up by another machine.

 

[Odanscoils]

Why can't minelab stay with what works ?
Bring back the Explorer and 3030 in a submersible and Ulta Light machine.
I'd be Very Happy.

 

[Chop-a-holic]

I'd love to see a lighter 3030. Probably one of favorite units i've owned

 

[woodbutcher]

Why can't minelab stay with what works ?
Bring back the Explorer and 3030 in a submersible and Ulta Light machine.
I'd be Very Happy.

I have a 3030 and a Deus 1 , opposite sides of the room as far as where they excell but imo the two best units available to cover everything,,IMO , these are the top of the line as far as park silver and field relic goes..if I had to put one machine in the middle of these two machines that isn’t as good as either but a mix of both that’s the best mix of the two on the market ,,it would be a Deus 2…