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Would you buy an E-Trac now?

R

Ross Brown

New member
I asked this question on another forum, and interested in your thoughts.

The etrac I'm guessing has been around for over 3 years now, do you think Minelab are due for an improved etrac model upgrade soon? How often do minelab upgrade their coin machines? Would it be worth holding off and going with an improved platform?
Ross
 
hmmm....well to give you my background, i bought (my parents bought for me i should say) a radio shack detector and then a whites 6000 around 1983, 1984. i have used that whites until this past spring when i bought myself an etrac. im still learning this machine. im very happy with it and while im sure their next model might be better, i have no regrets at all nor do i think i would do all that much better with a newer detector. unless the new model is WAY better than an etrac, im happy with what i have. as a consumer, the waiting game is a gamble. i waited 26 years to upgrade i suppose....personally i dont have to always have the "latest and greatest".
 
I'm sure they will come out with a new machine within a year and half or so. I think the E-Trac is deep enough for most users but another 2" would mean you could go back over all your best spots. And a faster processor would mean better iron separation amongst other things. Remember there is a big European market to consider as well.

What would be big for me in a new machine would be one that is lighter first off. But a machine that is 20% deeper or so would sell, plain and simple. Fisher will be releasing a new multi frequency CZ machine around a year from now. So, you are going to have some new and lighter competition. With the Deus in Europe, I'm sure Minelab has something to take back lost sales here.

Unless you plan on hunting in the winter I'd just wait for spring, but keep an eye out on a good deal. I did the latter.

I liked Moonshine's post, well said.
 
I would definitely buy the E-Trac again. Why wait? You can always sell the thing to someone used, they are always in demand.
 
earthmansurfer said:
I'm sure they will come out with a new machine within a year and half or so. I think the E-Trac is deep enough for most users but another 2" would mean you could go back over all your best spots. And a faster processor would mean better iron separation amongst other things. Remember there is a big European market to consider as well.

What would be big for me in a new machine would be one that is lighter first off. But a machine that is 20% deeper or so would sell, plain and simple. Fisher will be releasing a new multi frequency CZ machine around a year from now. So, you are going to have some new and lighter competition. With the Deus in Europe, I'm sure Minelab has something to take back lost sales here.

Unless you plan on hunting in the winter I'd just wait for spring, but keep an eye out on a good deal. I did the latter.

I liked Moonshine's post, well said.
Click to expand...
Fisher better be careful with the "multi-frequency" machines, or it could be a repeat of their demise in the past, infringement of Minelab's patent.........NGE
 
NGE - I am sure that Fisher will be careful. And to patent every way possible of combing frequencies is a little bit far fetched. Also remember that Minelab hasn't patented that much of what they are doing because they actually don't want to give any hints away.

What do you mean a repeat of their demise in the past? Anyway, it does seem that since Fisher/Teknetics were bought as well as bringing on Dave Johnson they have done excellent the last few years.

The more competition the better,
Albert
 
There is no rush for them to roll out a new Minelab detector. The E-Trac hasn't yet reached market saturation, and it will take a huge leap in technology to make any significant advances over the E-Trac.

Don't be in too much of a hurry... look at the mining detectors, a GPX5000 will set you back almost $6000. Are you ready to drop that cash for a coin detector?
 
nge said:
earthmansurfer said:
I'm sure they will come out with a new machine within a year and half or so. I think the E-Trac is deep enough for most users but another 2" would mean you could go back over all your best spots. And a faster processor would mean better iron separation amongst other things. Remember there is a big European market to consider as well.

What would be big for me in a new machine would be one that is lighter first off. But a machine that is 20% deeper or so would sell, plain and simple. Fisher will be releasing a new multi frequency CZ machine around a year from now. So, you are going to have some new and lighter competition. With the Deus in Europe, I'm sure Minelab has something to take back lost sales here.

Unless you plan on hunting in the winter I'd just wait for spring, but keep an eye out on a good deal. I did the latter.

I liked Moonshine's post, well said.
Click to expand...
Fisher better be careful with the "multi-frequency" machines, or it could be a repeat of their demise in the past, infringement of Minelab's patent.........NGE
Click to expand...

I was under the impression that Minelab didn't patten their FBS technology. Just to keep people from knowing what the programming or electronics were.

NebTrac
 
I talked to them at Minelab asking the same thing and what I was told by two different people was why would we come out with a new machine when no one is even close to us in technology.
 
Makes sense.


RafterW said:
I talked to them at Minelab asking the same thing and what I was told by two different people was why would we come out with a new machine when no one is even close to us in technology.
Click to expand...
 
Not knocking Fisher at all, was very sad when Fisher HAD to sell because they lost law suit. It was all because of Fisher's New CZ20 water machine a few years back that used several frequencies. When it was found out how they achieved their results. Now don't quote me here.... Minelab sued them for using their technology and patent for multi-frequencies. Fisher lost to the tune of 7.5 million, Fisher (in order to pay) had to sell out because they didn't have enough cash in the bank. I was sorry to see this happen. Fisher immediately called in all unsold CZ20's (water machines) and they were replaced with CZ21's which are NOT as hot on gold as the CZ20's were. Now, if you were lucky enough to get your hands on a CZ20 and you had to send it in for repairs, you recieved a newer CZ21 in return. I know this only because our club had one involved in a progressive raffle that ended in Nov. of that year. Fisher could not get that one back because it was purchased by our club before the law suit. So what it all boils down to is, If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a Fisher CZ20 water machine, hang on to it, try to have it fixed by anyone but the factory, or you'll get to be the proud owner of a new CZ21! BTW.... I have owned Fisher Metal Detectors for many years including ~ Aquanaut 1280-X, 1260-X, 1265-X, and still have my original 1266-X, now that is one heck of a relic machine and will never part with it. I own 3 machines right now....Minelab Explorer XS -II, Minelab E-trac, and the aforementioned FISHER 1266-X!..............NGE
 
Hi Guys,

Well normally Minelab releases a new detector every 3 years and that should have been in september. So as they do not have technology ahead on the shelf as to come up to whites with colour then its back to the drawing board to develop a detector that is a little better than the v3i. Here in oz the whites CAN discriminate out screw caps that the the e- track cant. I have seen this with own eyes with a guy here that is very well adapted to the e-track and their is no way the e-track can seperate our$1 coins and this screw cap. So when minelab bring out their full colour screen and a few more advancements then maybe they will be cooking with gas.

Regards Beepn.
 
Thanks for the responses there are heaps of angles. Although an E-Trac2 would have improvements over the E-Trac1 just how significant would they be considering how effective the E-Trac1 is.

As mentioned here it's about time for a replacement and it would really erk me to lay down the hard earned bucks to have a newer platform hit the market the following month.

Ross
 
RafterW said:
I talked to them at Minelab asking the same thing and what I was told by two different people was why would we come out with a new machine when no one is even close to us in technology.
Click to expand...

I don't know about that. A Minelab FBS unit is still a VLF unit. If they had a discriminating pulse induction machine and no one else did, then their technology would be so far ahead.
For starters, they could come out with a new unit cause they are some of the heavier units out their currently. And I'm not knocking them, I love the E-Trac. Just being realistic. Their button technology and backlight technology seems to be behind some other manufacturers actually. ehehheh Kidding, I do like the units, but that sales rep was being a sales rep.
 
I really don't think a colored screen would improve the Etrac, I like it the way it is and would buy another if the opportunity arose. I have done too well with it not to believe that... I do wish they would make the control unit swivel left or right so the screen is easier to read...but in all honesty I think they done away with gas and are cooking with electricity on this one...
 
To me, if they would make screen background color the same as the EX-II, it WILL be mich easier to read, at least that's my opinion.......NGE
 
after using my etrac for one season, id say the thing that would grab me as a selling point for a new etrac is if they could reduce iron falsing! or maybe a 3D smart find screen so that highly conductive ferrous items false or sound off with some other kind of sound pattern such as high pitched grunts instead of non-repeatable silver squeals. maybe multiple sounds at the same time for every item it sees instead of just displaying the strongest or best non-disc'ed targets.

one things for sure when the etrac sees silver you WILL hear it!:clapping:
 
moonshine said:
after using my etrac for one season, id say the thing that would grab me as a selling point for a new etrac is if they could reduce iron falsing! or maybe a 3D smart find screen so that highly conductive ferrous items false or sound off with some other kind of sound pattern such as high pitched grunts instead of non-repeatable silver squeals. maybe multiple sounds at the same time for every item it sees instead of just displaying the strongest or best non-disc'ed targets.

one things for sure when the etrac sees silver you WILL hear it!:clapping:
Click to expand...

You are forgetting that E-Trac has no idea what is in the ground. An iron false is coin to it. The only thing it can "see" is the target response. All machines false on heavily rusted iron, nails especially. It's the nature of the game.
 
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