MINELAB E-TRAC

[rattpack55]

I have not metal detected before and I'm looking for feedback and reviews for the E-TRAC. I am thinking of buying this unit and the reviews I have found most rated it about a 4 our of a 5. I was looking for someone that has used the E-TRAC and can tell me how they like it? Is it really a 4 out 5 rating? I'm a novice or newbie at this but I wanted to buy a good metal detector. I was thinking of this one or the White MXT. Please give me some advice. I hope to be a coin and relic hunter for a long long time. I will be retired soon and I think this will be my new profession. I can travel so I can end up anywhere. Thank you Mark

 

[cginn]

Mark, I bought an Etrac two weeks ago and it has been easy to learn so far. I did a little detecting in the mid 80s with a White's Coinmaster and the technology sure has changed. The Etrac emulator and online videos are great tools to help get acquainted with the Etrac. I practiced in my yard for a few days before hunting an elementary school where I found a 1908 Barber dime within ten minutes of turning the Etrac on. I actually had access to a White's V3i and used them side by side for several days. For my skill level, the Etrac was much easier to use and it nailed the deep coins much better than the V3i did im my test garden. I am planning to retire next year so maybe our paths will cross.

Carl

 

[rattpack55]

Hi Carl, thanks for the reply. I went looking at detectors and didn't plan to spend more than $1,000 but I think I might pull the trigger on the E-TRAC after all. I hope I can get a chance to use it before it gets to cold as I am in north Chicago and it gets bitter cold here. I have to work outside in the winter part of the time here and I never get used to it. I have to say I have had the itch to detect for coins and relics for years but I think i'm finally going to scratch that itch. I would love to cross paths with you sometime. Congrats on the Barber Dime. Thank you for the reply. Mark

 

[cginn]

It is just getting cool enought to hunt here in south Mississippi and I am looking forward to winter. We never have to worry about frozen ground or snow. I ordered my Etrac from Ron Shore at Windy City Dedectors who is located right in your neck of the woods. Give Ron a call and he will give you a good price and he is a super nice guy.

Carl

 

[rattpack55]

Hi Carl, funny you should say Windy City Detectors and Ron. I went to his house last night and talked with him and looked at all his shop in the basement. As I said I was looking to buy the White's MXT and he explained a few things to me and i'm researching the E-TRAC but I have not found to many reviews on it and the ones I did find rated it mostly about 4 on the 5 scale and was hoping i would get more feedback from some people on here. Carl thanks again and hope we do run into each other in the future. Take care Mark

 

[Ohio bud]

Mark, If you want to save some money and see if you want to continue in the hobby, check out a good used Explorer 2. You can probably get into one for around $600. It is very close to the E-Trac and just as deep. It just doesn't have all of the settings and display capabilities. The E-Trac is a great machine, but it has been out for two years and they will probably be introducing the next model soon. I think they wasted a lot on the computer connection for the E-Trac, which I have never heard mention as a benefit to detecting. Hopefully, the next machine will just be better without the computer connection. Be sure to get a good digging tool and cut plugs in the sod. Put the dirt on a towel and leave the site so no one can tell that you were there.

Ohio Bud

 

[Ray-Mo.]

Hands down the best machine made for old coin hunting and especially so for a dedicated beginner.If you want a true gauge of what the E-Trac can do just spend some time reading the past post and drooling over all the great finds pictured.It is a much better choice than the Explorer for a beginner by the way because the learning curve is much easier ,Ray.

 

[Cladiator (OR)]

I totally agree with what Ray said. From my experience, it is the deepest, most stable, and easiest to learn detector I've used. You won't be sorry if you get one!

 

[Barry NY]

My opinion is that the E-Trac has a "net cost" of about $300. That's the difference between the cost new and resale if you don't like the hobby or the unit.
I believe the machine is an amazing tool and know lots of people who have owned many machines in the past and swear by the E-Trac. It was my first land machine and it's easy to learn and use and I've recovered many items - both coins and artifacts.
Based on the type of property you are detecting, once you set it up the way you like, you can save those settings to use in the future...so it really becomes a turn on and go machine.
You won't be sorry and Ron is a great guy to deal with - I got mine from him too.

 

[NebTrac]

Mark.

I just started detecting a little less than a year. I wanted the E-Trac, but purchased the X-Terra 305. I made some good finds with it (read my very first post). But I felt I wasn't getting the depth I should have. I've been using the E-Trac since mid March. I'm extremely happy with it. I hunted over a week ago with another detectorist. He was using an MXT. He told me he hadn't been out, only about 20 times or so, but with the E-Trac I was getting IH's, Buff's, V's, Barbers and tokens at 8"+.

I'd call him over to listen to the signal and let him play with it. Then we'd dig it. I think he was surprised. I'm not knocking the MXT at all. I think he just hadn't had the experience with it to learn what a deep "diggable" signal is. So it was good for him to listen. My point is, with the E-Trac there was no mistaking the signal. It was super loud and clear. Good luck in your choice.


NebTrac

You know, looking back, it was/is the shallower targets (3" or less) that take more getting used to.

 

[rattpack55]

Hello Everyone, thanks for all the replys. I did purchase my Minelab E Trac about a week ago. I took it out the first day and left on factory settings. I picked up so many ghosts and false targets it was driving me nuts. So I at first I started digging anything it went off on. I didn't find anything at all only more dirt. I am not sure my E Trac is working right as everything it found was at least showing 4 inches down. I found my E Trac just loves Aluminum foil at the local park ha ha ha. Even some of the foil on the surface would show as 4 to 6 inches under the ground???? After a few hours I just searched only the ones it showed close to the surface and I did find some coins.....after like five hours on my first trip out I recovered 19 Cents. One dime, one nickle and four pennies. I passed on many targets as I did find alot of aluminum tabs and foil. So any suggestions to get rid of the ghosts and false targets? Thanks for your help. Mark

 

[Jason in Enid]

To start, make sure that the signal is repeatable from multiple directions. Also make sure that the signal is sounding as you pass the coil ov er the same spot. Iron falses will signal off to the sides, and not stay in one place. Lastly, make sure the the target pinpoints in the same spots it signals at. This will show off rion falses as well.

Lastly, very small items such as foil will read as being deeper. Then machine is looking for a specific "size" of response. Smaller response = deeper, larger response = shallow. That is why a crushed aluminum can will read as 2 inchs and be at 10.

It takes time to learn the machine. Give yourself at least 20 hours to get used to it. Give yourself 100 to actually start to learn it.

 

[NebTrac]

Your falses and "ghosts", I believe you'll see mainly at the end of each swing just as you start back the other direction. It takes a little time to regulate your swing speed. I mainly have a 3-4 second swing speed in normal 1 or 2 trash signals per swing. When I start to get a lot more nulling and other trash signals I start slowing down usually 2 seconds per one way swing, and maybe down to about 1 if really heavy.

NebTrac

 

[rattpack55]

Thanks for the reply's. I just went to the same park for a little more than an hour. When I find a "TARGET" it first "FLASHES" near the surface and when I go over the same spot it shows it always deeper. I am now thinking that this park has had a lot of top soil on top of the old area. I think I am getting some good coin signals but they are all 6 to 12 inches deep. I did dig a couple of them and found two more pennies Not Wheats. So I need to go someplace else I think as I already ha ha have blood on the palm of my hand from digging. Yes I did fill in my holes. I think as I said there are a lot of new top soil on this park as the park is not that old. I was going to the local school but its posted no trespassing so I didn't try there. Any suggestions? Thanks again Mark

 

[Barry NY]

My suggestion - stay away from parks and schools until you get more comfortable.
Use it on cleaner sites like your own house or someone's private property.
There is so much information coming at you in a trashy spot - it's difficult to learn the best that the E-Trac offers in an environment like that.

 

[NebTrac]

Your falses and "ghosts", I believe you'll see mainly at the end of each swing just as you start back the other direction. It takes a little time to regulate your swing speed. I mainly have a 3-4 second swing speed in normal 1 or 2 trash signals per swing. When I start to get a lot more nulling and other trash signals I start slowing down usually 2 seconds per one way swing, and maybe down to about 1 if really heavy.

NebTrac

Yeah that was real brilliant. I MEANT...2 seconds swing speed on "light" trash places and slow down to 4 and 5 second one way swings speeds when you start to encounter 5 or more targets per one way swing. There, I believe that reads better.

Surface targets will sometimes flash right on the surface on one swing then 8" deep on the next swing. Thats one of the characteristics on the E-Trac. Another characteristic is the 3 or 4 beeps on a shallow or surface target when you swing across it.

Have you put in a coin garden yet??? Wheat, silver dime, IH penny, Nickel 5-6" down??

NebTrac

 

[rattpack55]

Thanks for the message, sorry to say I have not planted my coin garden yet. I went in my back yard and I got two good signals for coins there that showed about 8 to 10 inches deep but did not dig them up yet, I just rent room here but I told the owner of the house this afternoon and she said to dig them up lol. I am sure its ok with her to plant the coin garden. I read the manual twice and most of the explorer book once but still have trouble trying to figure out the quick mask and things like that. I have found targets and then started to dig and check again and the signal is totally gone. That is frustrating to me. its happened several times. I may be slow and figure this out i'm not dumb but this thing makes me look dumb. I will try and plant my coin garden tomorrow. thanks Mark

 

[NebTrac]

Mark,

Make sure you know exactly where your coins are in your garden and make for definite sure there is nothing else there. You'll need to have a completely white screen when searching for the spot to place your coins. Quickmask is simply a way (by the push of a button) to be able to switch quickly to a wider open screen from your discrimination pattern. Its used to check iffy signals, some use it to hunt in 2 tone Ferrous.

Stick with it, and it'll get easier each time you turn it on. For the most part its the 5-6 inch sounds you'll be listening for. Just one beep every pass of the coil, then just one beep ever pass at the 90 degree. Consistency of signal is probably the most important thing. Then take a look at your Co numbers. Use the "sticky" at the top of the E-Trac page to see what target numbers fall under.

NebTrac

 

[jbow]

some people find it to be a little heavy. It can be a pian to swing somewhere like the beach where you have to hold the coil off the ground. They make a harness "swingy Thingy" to help take the weight off. I have a bad back and have no trouble with it but I probably would at the beach after some swinging. If you get one an the weight bothers you try tweaking the length of the shaft a little from time to time... that helps a lot and on the ET it is very easy to do, you just flip a lever and shorten or lengthen the shaft, especially when going up or down a hill.

The ET isn't hard to learn. If I were you i'd look at an Teknetics Omega-8000 to. It is very light and very easy and very powerful... and fun. You can get one much cheaper. Then if you realize that detecting isn't for you, you wont lose much money.

Don't think you are going to make a living detecting. I've got friends in FL who tell me that there are already a lot of "new" people hitting the beaches where people have hunted for years, the old timers know all the hot spots and the old spanish gold only shows up for a short time after a storm pulls the sand off the beach... and on much of the "Treasure Coast" in FL you cannot detect in the water because companies have treasuse leases on it.

Parks are still good but not like they used to be... it is mostly finding masked targets that are harder to find... the easy pickings are gone unless you manage to find some unhunted swimming hole or picnic grove... but you may find a couple in a lifetime.
For hunting modern coins the Omega would actually be a better choice. It does very well at clad hunting, very well. It excells at other hunting too but so does the ET... it's just that you don't know yet how this is going to work out for you. The E-TRAC trumps every other machine in mineralized ground at unmasking targets that are near or comingled with iron but it can be tedious work and takes some time to understand... You aren't going to buy a detector and just go out and start finding relics and treasure. I've seen people frustrated by this before.

If you find a good site, be very careful who you tell because if you tell the wrong person you can come back to your site and find a lot of holes or a big group of people there hunting.

Another detector to look at is the Teknetics G2 which is in the process of being released. I am hearing really good things about it.

If you plan to beach hunt mostly, i'd look at the Sovereign or Excalibur.

Good luck!

Julien

 

[tippyhound]

Rattpack55 - It appears you are located in Illinois as I am. I am located right at 200 miles from my nearest E-Trac dealer. S&W Shooters Supply about 85 miles north of Peoria Illinois.

I made an appointment with Chuck up there and went to see and handle this E-Trac before purchasing my machine. I have a very sever hearing loss being deaf in my right ear and only having 45% of my hearing in my left ear. I needed to know if I could hear this machine and could I hear the tones properly.

I also have a very bad back so weight was a very big concern. I had read over time that the Mine lab machines were a little on the heavy side.

I found the machine to be really easy to hear as It has plenty of volume and it also has the ability to adjust tones that helped my hearing.

The weight also did not prove to be a big problem because of the new lighter search coil. Even adding the X-1 Probe didn't add enough weight to make the machine uncomfortable for me. I can not hunt for hours on end as I used to, but what ever time I can put out there is to my enjoyment.

I have only had this machine three weeks and already have 2 silver dimes. Clad all over the place and this machine is nickle city. The best I have ever seen. I used to own a Fisher CZ-6 Quick Silver and I thought it was the best nickle machine out there, but this one puts it to shame.

The best advice I can give you is for you to buy from a dealer who hunts. Do not buy from a mail order dealer. You are going to need a lot of help at first and a dealer who will back up his machine and will be willing to answer your questions and spend some time with you in the field is the only way to go with this machine, especially if you have no other metal detecting back ground.

You say you are wanting to do coin and relic hunting, you have picked the correct machine, there are no better for either of those types of hunting.

I'm sorry to be so long winded here. Hope what I've had to say will be of some help.