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Hi Ya'll!
I am curious how many of you treasure hunters, if any, have already had their e-trac pay for itself. Just curious since the e-trac is so new to the market.
I have dug up like 3 wheat pennies and about 1.00 in clad, I am gonna be wealthy in no time! Ohh, I am good at finding dimes to.. Cant seem to get one older then 1965 though I think I am tone deaf and cant hear them high tones, Dont matter though because its all in good fun and it gets me out of the house!
Brandon, I honestly think I am tone depth also. I have found 173 coins so far. The oldest is a 1900 V-nickel, 1928 Buffalo nickel and two wheats. But the silver has eluded me so far. Shows that I have not fully learned the machine yet. But I still get a kick out of zinc pennies. Shows how new I am to the sport.
I cant afford to think of it in those terms, I mean, it would be great to have it pay for itself and I know some MDers have that happen or even shoot for that. Im a few years from retirement and this is one of the things I wanna be able to enjoy when that time gets here, fishing the other,lol. I enjoy getting out detecting, going to different places, trying new spots so its not just about the money.
If I were to think about it in terms like that, I would have to hang it up. LOL, can you imagine how much venison would cost per pound factering in all the cost an average hunter spends on that sport. Beef would all of the sudden look very cheap. But there is that enjoyment factor you have to consider.
Gotta love it tho,
John
Hi John,
I understand metal detecting as a hobby. I did not start this post to start a controversy whether it is worth metal detecting or not. However I know that there are some serious hunters out there. I am just curious who has paid for their detector. I am sure there are a few out there that have. Heck, one good ring or coin could do that.
Sorry if you took it that way. I know there are some serious MDers out there, I know some strictly travel and beach hunt. And dont forget the prospectors.
I recall a post once pertaining to making a living metal detecting.
No controversy here, although a lively discussion is good every now and then.
Keeping it kewl,
John
Hi,
Yup, I have a neighbor who has a mine claim here in the Boise Basin area of south central Idaho that makes a 6-figure salary using a metal detector and a Bobcat. My understanding is that he uses the Bobcat to dig up old mine tailings on his claim and spreads the material out, then he uses his detector (minelab eureka) to find gold that was left behind. He showed me a piece that was worth several thousand dollars. It was quite impressive. I have not personally found any gold using my e-trac but I can't fathom why it couldnt be good for nuggets larger than a 1/2-gram.
A fellow detectorist here in Ohio who hunts with an E-trac found a nice 1916d Mercury Dime. Nick can also verify this. That one find will pay for his detector more than twice but he says he'll never sell that coin. It's the find of a lifetime. Now that's a lucky man! I haven't paid for my detector with my finds, but for me the goal isn't to pay for my detector but to have fun. If I pay for my detector in the process then that's an added bonus.
I think in the month of November I found 14 Colonies Francoises 1721 &1722 etc it has found 2 silver dollars and a lot of silver half's half dimes and what not's...the colonies are in the first 30 pages of the red book and 150-350 if you are crazy enough to sell something like that....cause they aint making anymore....I do not know if I have a picture of the group all together and some gold....any way I am to bizzy diggin and I am trying to learn another unit right now but the E.Trac aint going anywhere...
And the back of some that are easier to see Somday I will round em all up # 20 1719(oldest) was just found it is posted on the V forum.... just happen to have the V with me on a bottle dig.... When I say trash I mean your worst nightmare.......That is why coins like these are still out there......
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I hit on a Triple Diamond slot machine Saturday and then my wife drove me over 300 miles (I was to tried after gambling all night) to the closest dealer and the rest is history. I Just took a trip down memory lane back to September 2008 and looked at some of the first post on this E-trac forum, wow there were alot of people mad about the E-Trac back then, they were ready to make Minelab buy them back, how times have change, now they are selling them like hot cakes. I got mine in September 2008 with no money out of my pocket but if I was to add all I have lost at this same Casino since 1999 I could have bought maybe 10 E-Trac's. but who is counting, and Like someone said before, "If you die broke you timed it just right"
Thanks Arturo,
I appreciate your response. Like I mentioned before I did not post the post for fellow hunters to justify the hobby of metal detecting. I totally agree that the sport is fun, healthy, and totally fulfilling. Heck I did not buy a metal detector to make money. It really has enriched me in so many ways. However, I am sincerely curious who has actually paid off their detector in the short period of time the e-trac has been out. I thought it would be of interest to many on this forum. So far after 110 views the only one that has responded was one treasure hunter. I appreciate Jim Pugh sharing his awesome success.
Again please, I am not challenging the sport of detecting whether it is for a casual hobby or serious detecting.
Thanks!
I bought my etrac with finds from the beach with my explorer, i bought the explorer with beach finds from the sovereign, i bought the sovereign with beach finds from the tesoro golden umax, I now also have an excalibur 2, F75 and whites dual field, apart from a good range of coils and accesories. I am lucky, not many beach detectorists in my area, but i also put in some long hours, but it is still only a hobby
I cant remember if i said this or not, Something that metal detecting has done for me.. This is kinda heavy, so hang on.. I have 3 tumors on my lower spine. Its not cancer thankfully, but it does get very painfull. I am not supposed to lift more then a cup of coffee or do any bending.
My Etrac gets me out of the house and away from the depression of knowing I have this crap growing inside of me. It is so against doctors orders its not even funny. I will metal detect, fish and hunt until the day I die. But honestly, since I got my detector awhile back I feel good and I feel like I am living again. Not stuck in a dusty house in front of all of the computers.
For me, metal detecting is not about how much money I find. But the chance of just finding 1 lost old coin keeps driving me, over and over. I dont care if i make .01. Not that I have the money, but I would buy a GPX 4500 if it made me feel like I do now. Hits hard to describe.. maybe freedom is the right word and its all from metal detecting
So there you have it, not exactly on topic.. but close enough Why I like detecting
I know what your talking about. 4 of us in my family and we all have a detector, wife and youngest don't go as much as the oldest girl and me but when we do get out as a family IT'S GREAT times to remember in the future.
And like Jimpugh said why sell them...pass them on. Most, if not all of my rings go to the girls anyway and the $1000 button will be theirs someday as well.
To your Q....Yes, it's paid for itself 10 times over in the time with them and friends diggin. AND IT'S GREAT to go to all those locations I've already hit in the past and find targets that I thought were no longer there!
I didn't take your post in any way negative, you were just asking a question in a way to keep the forum moving. Sometimes a question like "what is your best find with the E-Trac so far", go's down better.
Hi Arturo,
I guess I could of asked "what is your best find so far" and I agree that is a great topic but I was not interested in that when I asked my question. I was just curious who has paid off their e-trac yet since I know there are some serious hunters out there. I did not intend to have people qualify the sport of detecting. I am finding out that maybe I should not have started this post. I apologize if I offended anybody out there by asking a direct question and expecting direct answers from detectorists who have been very successful with their e-tracs.
Thanks!
I think I am tone deaf and cant hear them high tones, Dont matter though because its all in good fun and it gets me out of the house!
I haven't paid for my detector with my finds, but for me the goal isn't to pay for my detector but to have fun. If I pay for my detector in the process then that's an added bonus. 
Why I like detecting