69 of 80 people found this review helpful:

Review by: Wayne Teske

User Experience: 7+ years

Submitted on: Oct 7, 2008

User Rating:

I've been detecting for many years with many different brands and types of detectors. I just couldn't resist the features of the E-Trac. I have changed detectors over the years looking for one that would be lightweight and powerful, but they were either one or the other. Plus this detector gives you some idea of what you're digging. Don't get me wrong. This baby will not find the gold rings for you. you still have to dig your fair share of pull tabs and other things. But the E-Trac will give you a leg up on the competition, plus it is deep as all get out.

The balance on this detector is amazing. I have used detectors in the same weight range before, but this machine feels like it weighs like a lightweight detector with half the power. I can swing this machine at a fairly fast rate for hours without a twinge of pain to the old arm. And I am not a young man.

I have only used this detector for a few weeks and already I am making finds that I passed over with previous detectors. I have found small rings, charms and a small gold earring in an area that I had previously detected with two other detectors. I also found a small Canadian centennial dime about 3 inches down.

Last weekend I recovered a ladies 19K gold ring for a woman who had lost it about two months before and was ecstatic to have it returned. She had gotten her father and some friends to search with their detectors without any luck. The next day I found a minnie ball and a Northwest Mounted Police button near an old fort site.

I would recommend this detector to anyone who is serious about this hobby. Although the E-Trac is a detector with alot of bells and whistles, it is simple enough for a beginner, and will provide years of satisfaction to anyone with experience.

This detector is a treasure machine!

Did you find this review helpful?

Report as Inappropriate

55 of 64 people found this review helpful:

Review by: Mike Tarrlyton

User Experience: 2-4 years

Submitted on: Nov 24, 2008

User Rating:

I have a new favorite! Replacing my Explorer SE is the new E-Trac. Detects deeper, faster, and is easy to use. In fact I'm detecting in areas that I've already searched. For as we all know, a couple inches can encompass decades of history.

The ability to link-up to your computer is a feature for those who want to customize and save specific discrimination settings. I'm much more of a "find it all" type of hunter so I haven't dabble too much with it-even so I find that it's speed and refinement to detection is well worth the extra cost over the SE.

Minelab has shown that they can improve upon perfection! Gave it 5 stars, but it deserves 6!

Did you find this review helpful?

Report as Inappropriate

51 of 59 people found this review helpful:

Review by: Steve Tunder

User Experience: 7+ years

Submitted on: Dec 10, 2008

User Rating:

Having used many detectors in the past including the Explorer, I found the E-Trac to be very easy to use. Being an experienced metal detector user, The E-Trac was easy to adjust to although I was used to the numbers the Explorer model had. So it took a little learning to remember the readings on the screen. The sounds the E-Trac makes can be adjusted to come fairly close to what the Explorer had so finding the goodies with the E-Trac was second nature.

The screen layout is fantastic and although the screen is much improved, the sun glare can be problematic at certain times of the day. At dusk, the back light is quite nice and allows for extended searching at dusk.

I love to hunt parks and beaches along with old home sites and the E-Trac really does well in trashy parks and beaches. The double D coil is excellent and does a good job of finding the good stuff in with the trash. The iron masking on the E-Trac is excellent and allows for hunting in areas where old nails and iron would be a problem.

The E-Trac is more stable in my opinion than any other detector I have ever used. Programming discrimination patterns is easy and the E-Trac exchange makes storing and sharing patterns and settings easy. Target ID is incredible and works well even at depths that other detectors would have a problem with.

For the few weeks I have had the E-Trac, I've already found a couple of gold rings, 7 standing liberty quarters, and several silver dimes, about a dozen Indian head pennies, bunches of wheat pennies and my first large cent. The weather here in Ohio has gotten cold and snowy so the time out with the E-Trac has been short but the quality of my finds have improved. I am not digging as many clads and am getting more silver and gold goodies and older stuff that my other detectors missed. The finds with the E-trac have been deeper in areas that even the Explorer missed due to better separation of the targets in trash.

I would highly recommend the E-Trac to anyone who wants a machine that can do almost all types of hunting. If only they made a waterproof E-Trac, then I could say it could do it all.

I would give this detector five stars and if they had ten, it would be that.

Did you find this review helpful?

Report as Inappropriate

43 of 47 people found this review helpful:

Review by: kevin bamonte

User Experience: 7+ years

Submitted on: Dec 23, 2008

User Rating:

I have been using the E-trac for under a month but have to say it has really impressed me so far. Specifically in it's way to sift through iron fields and pull out coins.

I mainly detect colonial thru mid-1800's homesteads and for anyone who has hit these types of sites, you know that most of the time you will find iron fields near where the home or barn sat.

I've hunted with the Explorer SE for 2 years and have done pretty well hunting these types of sites, but I never had very good success in the actual iron fields. I'd find a coin or two but always felt there was more there hiding under the iron.

Well after reading several field tests of the E-Trac, I specifically wanted to see how this detector would handle hunting in the many iron fields I've encountered.

After learning some of the ins and outs of the E-Trac, I purposely made my the first 10 spots I detected with the E-Trac previous places that I felt I've "hunted to death". I chose these spots because they had mid sized to large iron fields at them. The first site I went to I pulled a total 24 coins, 4 mercury dimes and 3 Indians, & lots of wheaties all from a site I had already "hunted out".

I was amazed, the next day I hit another "hunted" site for a quick half hour - 2 silver dimes and 5 wheaties. I couldn't believe it. This went on and on - I couldn't believe I was finding coins in the iron patches. It felt like they were all new spots, I truly couldn't believe how this thing worked through the iron and gave me coin readings.

Anyway, needless to say - I am VERY please with my new E-Trac ! The only thing that has slowed me down is the snow - but once it's gone I have another whole list of sites that I've hunted out.

It's a whole new ballgame !

Did you find this review helpful?

Report as Inappropriate