Minelab E-TRAC
Price: $1500
Number of Reviews: 32
on 4 pages.
Email this page to a friend.
Also in this price range:
Minelab E-TRAC
Poor
mark in london -
I've had my machine for about 6 months now and what chris from north wales said is so true, their is a big problem with this machine, for £1400 I've dug up more rubbish than good, I would say about 70% of rubbish, so now am selling mine and going back to my fisher75. minelab your product is very poor for the price.
Feb 15, 2009
30 Yes
45 No
Tested the ETRAC
chris in North wales -I have tested this machine for about 6 weeks and have had all sorts of problems with it to many to put down all I can say is it is not worth the money and the performance is not that good. Minelab have got a big problem hear the more I have looked in to this the more the machine is sub stranded in build Quality and performance as it will not pick up all sorts of good targets ranging from a German five mark coin which is silver to a hole host of other things. This is bad news that a machine costs this much money and it cant perform to a simple test like that. Also is the build quality of this machine I have had 2 knew coils from minelab cos the new pro coil as let me down 2 when you look at the coil for instance it is very baldly made and I have read that some people have to use silicone on this coil so water will not get in this is not right at all it only time will tell that this machine will have all sorts of problems so if you are thinking of buying this badly engineered detector then please think again, do not make this discussion that I have you will be sorry there is a other problem with this is that is suffers with moisture in a few weeks I am going to conduct a test with is machine to let people know the issues that this detector as and the very low performance it as compared to other machines and you will all see how bad it is.
Feb 13, 2009
65 Yes
42 No
They don't own one or wish they did
Steve in From Ohio -
This is an update and not a trashing of others.
I have owned my E-trac now for about 4 months.
Over those 4 months, my silver finds have become more common with more deeper finds than ever before.
Those who say it is not worth it do not say that they own an E-trac. They say..."My friend has one" or are very obtuse about their opinions about the E-trac that makes me think they don't have one.
Yes, cheaper detectors can find stuff too. But the technology offered by Minelab allows for better time management. I can identify better what I am over than any other machine out right now. I don't need to dig all the junk. That is a waste of time. And time is money.
I also can buy a very cheap hammer and yes it will drive nails. But a better quality higher priced hammer will do it better and longer. A metal detector is a tool. Better quality tools are an investment. Cheap tools are a waste of money.
All I can say is that I have owned many, many top of the line detectors from every manufacturer and the E-trac has exceeded every other multi purpose detector I have ever owned.
The E-trac is by far the best I have ever seen so far.
I have owned many mid range and low range detectors and all I can say is that you get what you pay for.
The E-trac is more stable, deeper, more accurate in pin pointing and have found in just a short time more silver than any of the other detectors.
Could it be that they don't want anyone else to buy one because they want to find it all?
Feb 08, 2009
8 Yes
1 No
Rubbish
Lee in wales -Fact. This detector is not worth the money. All you need to buy is a simple detector that goes deep. Trust me if your over the object your deep detector will find it. All this high tech stuff you do not need. Trust me, been their and tested it. So dont waste your money.
Feb 04, 2009
63 Yes
36 No
Waste of money, do not buy.
LEE in WALES -I have a musketeer and I would not change it for anything else, the stuff I have found with my musky to the stuff my friend has not found with this machine.(this patten and that patten)rubbish. The diffence between my machine and this one is I MAY DIG A LITTLE MORE RUBBISH UP.WOW.
Feb 03, 2009
42 Yes
14 No
E trac conclusion
Jeb in N Wales in the UK -
Its well built, but its still on the heavy side for long sprees of detecting.
Its more sensetive than the Explorers and has a faster recovery speed for working in and amongst iron.
However after buying it a few weeks later it kickstarted an olde Tennis elbow complaint of mine into action again and after a detecting session lasting 4 hours, it saw my Elbow off.
I had still kept my Fisher F75 on buying the E trac and after selling the E trac, I've realized now, I was a fool to buy the E trac. Because there's nothing the E trac could do that my Fisher F75 can't. The F75 is as Deep and Faster than the E trac in recovery speed, And half the price.
The E trac is without doubt a very capable detector in its own right.
But the F75 is lighter, as deep, and Faster and of the two I'd choose the F75 over it any day.
Jan 11, 2009
30 Yes
19 No
Minelab has landed a winner!
Wes in VA -I have owned several detectors in the past and still own four. I have used White's, Tesoro Tejon, Explorer XS and the Explorer II. I read several forums about the Etac and decided to go with one since I had a few years experience with the Minelab Explorers.
My first impression when I received the Etrac was very good. It was sleek and well built. The hand grip was a great improvement and in the field it is a blessing (trust me!). The Etrac was well balanced and LIGHTER than the Explorers (thank you Minelab!) My only negative with the Explorers was the weight after a couple of hard hours in the bogs and swamps of Southeast Virginia. Etrac has solved that problem.
Finally the field trials....and the Etrac has performed very well. It took just a couple of trips out to learn the new target locations on the screen, but now no problems. Took it to some CW battlefields and camp sites and it has done very well finding bullets and flat buttons and some coins. I am a relic hunter not much of a coin hunter. Depth is what I expected from Minelab 5" to 10" is quite normal for this machine when you have some hours in the field. Target seperation is great and the discrimination is also great, some big iron will sneek through when I am hunting non CW areas.
As a relic hunter and a hobbiest of this fine past time of metal detecting, I will say that the Etrac is one of the best machines I have ever used. It does take time if you are new to the hobby, but do not lose sight of why you chose this to be your hobby...fun, thrilling, exercise, preservation of historical artifacts, educational for kids if you have them, etc.... Learn the sounds, listen to the machine and have fun!
Etrac is a winner!
Thank you!
Dec 11, 2008
21 Yes
14 No
Not worth 1500 No Way
Rich A. in New Orleans La. -After 150 hours use Im still digging nails at 12 inches' My Troy Shadow x5 will smoke this machine!
Dec 10, 2008
73 Yes
39 No
2 1/2 months, and I HATE IT
Dave. in From NW. Indiana -I have been M.tecting since 1995. I have owned Bounty Hunter, Compass, Tesoro, Garretts, Whites, and Troy detectors.
Now..................................
Two and 1/2 months with the E-Trac, and I HATE IT !!!
I am having to dig holes 8-10", sometimes 12",
and at 12" Most of the time I come up with a bent Nail.
If you stopped reading at the last paragraph.....Hopefully you have no plans of buying one.
Now for the rest of the truth.
I made those statements above because to be honest, I have enough competetion !
The rest of the truth is. Once you have about 40-50 hours experience with the machine, you start to learn it. You start to trust what it is telling you. You start digging deeper, and deeeeeper coins. Yes it is true I still dig 12"and + bent nails. But it is mostly because my mind is trying to tell the machine THERE IS! A Deep coin down there. I am trying to FORCE a find !
If I just follow my 120+ hours experience with the E-Trac, and trust that in coins mode it will not often lie to me, then I WILL DIG some solid hits that will be an 8-9" I.H., wheatie, or merc or barber dime.
AN example of a time (after I had more thn 50 hrs hunting time with it)that I got really discouraged was
an hour after I dug a 10" ..1905s barber dime -near a tree- in one area....
(in Black & corroded condition---Sigh---)....I was about 150-200 foot away from the trees, and,
I got another Deep but solid hit...It gave a fairly high flutey tone, and registered in the lower wheaty range, but in my modest experience with the E-T. I determened it had to be deep silver.....The 12" depth gauge was almost burried
so Yes....I will dig.....After some 5 minuites, and 10-11" later......I was still trying to pinpoint it with my SunRay X-1 Probe, and I found it....A decent looking 60's Mem cent...W.T.F.!!!!!..The next 40 minuites or so I dug several other 5-8" mems, and decided that that particular area had to have been back-filled with newer earth in the last 20 or so years...
...............................................
My buddy had convinced me to get an Etrac after I had watched him dig 10 to 1 silvers on me, with his Explorer SE. He said he had ordered an E-Trac, and I followed suit.
There are now 3 of us that hunt together, and we post our finds sometimes on the TreasureNet Forum, in the Illinois section.
................................................
I post either under McNickle, or McEtrak, and my hunting buddies post as GOIO, and Tmanfromtexas, we all live and hunt NW.Indiana and Chicago Ill sites.....So before you decide wheather or not to beleive what I am telling you....Check out our posts there, expecially GOIO's, he was the one with an Explorer SE that convinced me to by an E-Trac....It is now the end of the 1st week of December.....An inch of snow is on the ground today,and this 7am this morning My buddy GOIO called and invited me to go along with him and Tman to a newer site.
........................................
I declined ( Having the runny nose cold).
................................He just called me an Hour ago and said in 2 1/2 hours he found a merc, and Tman found a Rosie...I can't wait for spring because, I found as much silver in the last 2 months as I have in the last 3 years.
Come on Spring 2009!
Dec 06, 2008
27 Yes
51 No
For 1500 it better be the best and it ..................
Steve from Ohio in Cleveland -I've owned many metal detectors in the last 25 years. The most I ever paid for one until the E-Trac was just a little under $1000.
I was a little worried about paying $1500 for a metal detector. Was all the talk about the E-Trac that I have been hearing just hype?
I can now say that I own a metal detector that costs $1500. Can I say that it was worth it?
You bettcha!!!!!
The E-Trac I have found is the most accurate at ID'ing targets and is the deepest detector I have ever owned. The Explorer I had was also almost as or as deep. I sold it to get the E-Trac and I have no regrets.
I've owned White's. I've owned Tesoro. I've owned Garrett. Every one was a top of the line machine from each. All fantastic machines and I would recommend them to anyone.
E-Trac is a machine that I have owned for just a short time. But in that time, I have discovered that none of the machines I have owned in the past can compare to the E-Trac.
The E-Trac is very easy (at least for me) to learn. Very intuitive menu system makes changing settings so easy. The E-trac gives readings for the ferrous and conductive properties and gives you numbers along with a position on a graph to give you the most information of almost all other machines (except of course the Explorer) to decide to dig or not to dig.
Depth measurements are usually off on most machines. No exception on the E-Trac, but it is closer than all the others I have owned.
The E-Trac is fantastic in trashy areas and allows for precise ID'ing of targets which allows for less digging of junk.
The E-Trac has awesome depth and is a real silver magnet. The Minelab machines are legendary for finding silver. The Minelabs are very popular in Europe finding old (real old) relics.
Battery life is OK. If you get rechargeable NIMH 3000 MAH AA batteries, available on the net, you can expect around 20 hours on a charge. The supplied battery pack gets you around 10 hours per charge. The E-Trac has a back light and if used will shorten battery life, but not by much.
If I had to choose a machine that would perform best almost anywhere in the world on dry land, hunting for relics, coins or jewelry, it would be the Minelab E-Trac.
Nov 26, 2008
49 Yes
5 No