What is your price limit??????????????

Seems like a lot of people are going to buy the ctx 3030. at first all I read was that a lot of people was not going to spend that kind of money. well after a little crow diet it seems that a lot of them are. My question is ...Is there a limit as to what a guy or gal would spend on a detector......... some guys even buy 2 at a time...

To me, the potential to find more valuable items that my present machine can or will not find is the deciding factor for me.

If the CTX would have had a true all metal hunting mode, it would have appealed more to me. $2200 is a lot of investment for what I see as a very little return.

And yes, the nice color screen and added features would be nice to play with.

Well put Markg. Im not saying it wont be an affective detector..... but i believe we have just woke up to realize how expensive this hobby is getting. Like anything its nickel and dimeing us to death now. I for one am going to keep my change in my pocket and wait. Even if my detector misses targets there will be a lot i wont if they go under the coil. I still dont think this is the machine to break the piggy bank on. I think it will be disappointing if it turns out to be just an expensive E/T.

Dew

For me, the decision to buy or not, is not the return on investment as in "how many greenbacks will I get for the old coins I find". I have not sold one coin as yet. My wife dosen't get that and I'm a little fuzzy on it myself.
The price of the CTX would probably be my limit,,, depends on the economy. In the remodeling business it's either feast or famin. If I have a good season I have to store up for winter, so the seemingly "extra money" may be needed for the down times. I am also waiting for the new Fisher to be released before I decide to make a move... or not.

Read an account of the CTX going to a previously hunted yard site and he pulled 2 wheats out that the other detector missed. Oh boy, just another 110,000 more yards like that and the CTX will pay for itself. My price limit needs to be in the ballpark of something I think I can pay off in a reasonable amount of time given the types of finds we typically make.

Let's say you sell your E-Trac for 1000.00. Then buy the basic CTX package. At today's spot silver price you only have to dig about 515 silver dimes to make up the difference.

I can continue to go into sites I've pounded for years and find wheats with any of my machines. I think most of us can say the same. Ground conditions/matrix change due to moisture or lack of it and many other reasons.

$2000+ is over the top for me. In this economy anyway. My biggest client is going out of biz next month, so more lost $$$$. Hopefully a leadership change in Nov will help turn around this mess.

one person posted a while back.. GUESS WHO THAT WAS?

Since I am pretty much a one machine guy plus backup, I can imagine a CTX being at the max of my limit. If I was still in IT it would be no problem, but I have to make some sacrifices to pay for it and might.

I see some of you guys have like 5 or 10 or more machines. That adds up. To have one expensive machine is like 3 mid range machines. (Yeah, that is just justification!) ehehe

I'm just thinking of waiting a bit right now. Goodmore mentioned the heat in another thread and I really think he is right - I probably won't detect a ton - we'll see. Anway, I got that shallow Jupiter to play with for a few months ;-) Still eying a CZ on ebay...
I doubt prices of the CTX will go up at all, maybe they will even go down if it doesn't shock the detecting world...

Albert

Too many variables and what works for one won't for another whether it be finds, cash flow, personal finances and on and on.

Having said the above this is a hobby and the only way one would pay for a unit is to buy a cheap beep and dig and hit the tot lots or perhaps an expensive find or key date coin or perhaps a valuable cache..

In any case certainly a personal decision and whatever works comes to mind which is certainly applicable to many aspects of life and certainly respect each individuals decision.

Personally I wouldn't be first in line especially with all the new units hitting the bricks and certainly would wait for feedback and test the water for depth and temp before I jump in...

Pretty shure some of the new machines have reached it.

Pretty hard to realize/admit that $1500 is my limit...now. Just a couple of years back $400 would make me nervous. In another post (on another forum, in another universe, far, far away) someone reminded me about the $500 big coil.

Well that is an "accessory" and doesn't count.

HH Joe

If you are finding good targets with your current detector & enjoy the hobby...why switch?

I don't get it.............see ya yardhunter

The CTX, as far as I can tell, for what it's offering, is PAST my limit...

Steve

I think the detector prices have just about reached their limits. Many are jumping on the new Minelab. I hope it all works out well for them. But I am seeing a few posts here and there from men in the hobby that have my respect as far as detecting goes. There are a few grumbles. Times are tight for many.

I purchased the Deus. It took everything I had put aside plus a few detector sales to swing the deal. A great detector. I'm glad I did it. Detecting is fun with that detector. So if I price it out and give you an answer it would be about two grand. But it takes a while for me to put two grand away. Maybe next year.

I would rather have a few new sites. I know I posted that before. But I'll be darn if it isn't the truth.

It all depends how much money I have at any given time, right now times are tight, my kid is going to a high end college $40,000 a year, it blows my mind, seeing I went for $100 a year back in the 70's, if oil dropped in price and the unemployment rate was back down around 5% not 25 %, we will see after Nov., if the country is going in the right direction, maybe I will spend some of my cash, I would spend up to 2000, I know I could make it up in the first year

I'd pay $2300 if there was a substantial advantage over the current crop of $1200+ detectors. The V3i display at first seemed to be an advantage, but after further consideration - not so much. The E-Trac silver bias and IDing ability seemed to be an advantage, but is it really that much of an advantage over the Deus, Spectra, CZ or even a F75SE/T2SE/G2/Omega? They all have certain advantages and disadvantages that attract and repel.

I'd say the CTX-3030 will have its time in the spotlight, a bit of fame, until the next big thing comes along and bumps it off. Then you'll be able to pickup the 3030 on e-bay for a big discount, or some othere once hot must-have dectector. This hobby is a great bonus for electronic-gadget-tinkerers - many toys to play with and there is always e-bay when the charm wears off.

For me, I just want a single detector that does everything to perfection with unfathomable depth and unparalleled targeting disc capabilities . . .of course useable anywhere from beach to gold-fields, durable, balanced, and lightweight, but reasonably priced. Until then, it's a cluttered field of wanna-bes.

$1,500.00 is about it at this point but by the time I am ready to hunt again who knows what will be on the market..

LowBoy

TAKE A LITTLE TIME KICKBACK AND WATCH SOME OF MY DETECTING VIDEO'S BELOW ON YouTube

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If you don’t dig it, then how are you going to know what you’re missing!
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limegoldconvertible68 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Read an account of the CTX going to a previously
> hunted yard site and he pulled 2 wheats out that
> the other detector missed. Oh boy, just another
> 110,000 more yards like that and the CTX will pay
> for itself. My price limit needs to be in the
> ballpark of something I think I can pay off in a
> reasonable amount of time given the types of finds
> we typically make.


perhaps it would be in your best interests to concentrate
on the beaches then .looking at it from your perspective,
gold and silver jewelry .ie: rings, will certainly speed up the time frame

(h.h.!)
j.t.

In todays economy it would have to be something revolutionary to get me to spend over 1,800.00...

If it was revolutionary I would spend 10,000.00...like a full discriminating to depth P.I. machine 20 inches on a coin with abililty to tell it's not iron but at least something non-ferrous...

It would pay for itself in a month for relic hunting in bad ground...

dont get taken in by outragous claims in this day and time...People want your money more now than ever to stay afloat in these troubled times...Spend wisely ...Use common sense...nomatter what you have in mind remember hard work and knowledge will get you alot farther than a magic stick!

Choose thing's that make sense...if you hunt iron.....get a lightning fast machine with high frequency to snatch the lower conductor's...you want depth get a good all metal mode machine and learn to hunt in this mode...you want flash money get a good I.D. machine....a good iron unmasker can be got for 600.00 used... a super deep all metal hunter can be got for 300.00 and good trash machine can be got new for 600.00...buy 3 cover all bases for 1,500.00

A DEUS is a type machine that is not a gimmick it just does what it does..and it can replace all but he most deep seeking all metal machine..and thats where the price is worth it because it can replace almost all of the best VLF's except for a 300.00 dollar used niche all metal machine.
If the DEUS was locked into one freq...it's a 900.00 to 1,000.00 dollar machine new thats it..

I see some crazy prices on machines you never even heard of ?Be careful!!

Keith

I make decent money and work too d*mn much. Most people have some kind of pastime. My brother has about $25,000 in a Harley, $45,000 in a diesel truck, and who knows how much in a 5th wheel toy hauler. I drive a 95 Buick Century with 58,000 miles on it that I bought for $2000.00. Yes, I have much more than that in the metal detectors that I own. If they made one detector that does everyhing that's all I'd own. But of course they don't. I can't justify or say I can pay my detectors off with my finds. The time I'm out enjoying detecting is hard to put a price tag on. I think the prices on the latest top of the line detectors are however pushing the limits of most dedicated detectorists...

Hi,,,For me it's not even about the money anymore....It's a matter of principle, look at how cheaply made these flimsy wobbly plastic metal detectors are made now...They should not even have the right to call them metal detectors anymore,they should be called plastic detectors....Years ago Metal Detectors were made so good you could even use them for a wheel chuck,boat anchor,door stop,log splitter,wife beater etc. with no apparent damage done to them... These things don't cost hardly anything to make anymore they are mass produced & built by Willie the Wino and his robot machines....Research and development is the main cost but now they are designed by using computers not by trial and error like they use to be...Not to mention that most of the new machines are just spin offs or rip offs of a previous model....Look at the ridiculous price of coils now.... come on people it's just some wire wound around a plastic hoop..LoL..Heaven help us now it looks like if the 30-06,Duce etc. sales go good other companies will follow suit and try to command top dollar on their new-fangled TOYS OF JOY....Save your money now and use what you got or buy a Wally World 202 for about $89.99 and then buy some of your old favorite coins with the $2000.00 plus dollars you will save over buying the expensive ones.....You can buy a house now around here for about the price of these new metal detectors....I guarantee you if you take the money you would of spent on a new detector and use it in the following matter you would end up with more coins in the end....Here's what you do,, you drive around and look for an old house site etc. and you stop and ask the home owner if you could detect it,, if they happen say NO...(here's the fun part) you take out some your new found wealth and start the action off by offering them some money (hint wave it under their nose)....I think most of them will take the cheese like a pet monkey....LoL.....It's been fun but I'm out of here....HIH....JJ

My situation is my family comes first...my daughter needs braces,etc. Be pretty selfish of me to dump two grand in a toy for me,Ill stick with what I got,and maybe pick up an old classic in the $300 range.

For me....it all hinges on the Trace function of the CTX. How much of an improvement is it really? Is it worth another $800.00 over a E-Trac. I just have this nagging hunch that the audio/current discrimination technology on a Trac in the hands of an accomplished operator can do pretty much the same as Trace. Not being a dedicated E-Trac user, I have to ask you guys if audio reigns supreme over visual target information, like it does on high quality machines from other mfg's? I have broached this audio 'hunch' theory at the other place, but feel its importance is being sublimated to the new dazzling Trace function. Opinions on audio importance with the E-Trac would be appreciated from Trac users.
If Trace is as good as what's being intimated, then Minelab may be justified in the pricing. Is its so-so in overall performance/results, it will be argued infinitum on the forums, as to whether it is worth the extra money.

I own a safari pretty much an Etrac with out a display because if you relied on the display you would either find nothing or be digging more holes then a gopher on steroids. So my guess not owning an Etrac but owning a macine with the same technology the answer is yes Audio regins supreme. Now my hunch is that the visual on the new machine along with fully programmable audio plus being water proof does make this worth the extra cost over an Etrac. If some just made a water proof housing for Etracs I am betting a lot of people would pay the 800 for the housing (camera people pay that much or more all the time). Oh yea I forgot fully integrated wireless and GPS. Now I am thinking that they may needd to drop the Etrac price because for the extra you are getting a lot even if it performs the same as an Etrac!

There are a lot of things to consider when making a purchase for this amount of money. What can you replace with the new unit.
If you have a detector for water hunting then you most likely spent at least $600 for it. then you have a machine for park hunting , thats another $600-$1000
A relic machine $600-$800. If you can replace all these with one machine, yea it is worth the purchase. Only time will tell on the CTX3030, as to what machines it can replace.
Right now the Deus is the only unit that comes close but it is not water-proof. Now be honest, how many machines do you have and how often do you use them. To me it is a lot better
to learn all I can about one machine and get all I can out of it. Problem is, that machine has not been made that can do it all.........

Tom in SC

i and numerous pals maxed out on the Deus price, cant see us going much over that unless the proposed buy has major improvements that blow your mind ,and i cant see that happening for many years.............................

My limit is about $1000. Unless I can pay for a machine with finds as rapidly as some do, I can't justify spending too much more on a machine. I am in this hobby to enjoy it and hopefully make some cool finds along the way. I have actually found more enjoyment (and nicer finds) using some the of the older "classic" machines rather than the weighty, more expensive machines I have used in the recent past. It's just my opinion....

The only limit I will put on spending is all dependant on how much said machine can do for me, and what kind of return can I get on my money from the targets I find There are too many features on this machine that I could care less about .....Nice ? ...Sure ? .....Worth the extra $$ to me ? ....NO !!.......Color ? ....Don't need it ......GPS? ....Got one already .......Wireless ? ....I don't need it ....... Waterproof ? .....GREAT STUFF HERE !!....... Seperate targets ? ......Put a chunk of iron right next to a Barber dime down 10 inches .....If I can read the Ferrrous , and the Conductive numbers of each target seperately , without the CTX mixing the two together and coming out with an odd ball number , than that would be worth it's weight in gold !!......This would allow anyone to go into an old park and scour over the old hot spots and probably find a BUNCH more Silver that was being masked by trash .... This is why I said in earlier threads that if the new machine can handle masking , then it would be well worth the price ......I'm not sure it can !!......If it can't , then all that matters to me would be that the CTX is waterproof ......A lot to pay over the price of my E Trac .....To me a detector is a tool .....That tool has to earn it's keep or I dont need it ......JIm