Besides metal detecting, I do other things for relaxation. One of them is playing with the Linux Operating System. I won’t bore you too much with the details other than to say that Linux is an alternative to Microsoft Windows .
Many a religious war has been fought regarding the use of Linux over Windows and vice versa. To me, it always seemed a little silly to entrench one self into a position, an idea, or a product. As an Information Technology professional, having more tools to solve my client’s problem is better not worse. I use Linux when there is an advantage to doing so and I use Windows when the situation calls for it. Simple.
So it is with metal detectors. The very first metal detector I ever bought was a Bounty Hunter. Later I bought a Garrett. Now I use a White’s. My needs have changed throughout the last ten months and I have changed tools accordingly. All my machines have performed as expected.
I don’t understand brand loyalty. There are people out there that just won’t cross brand boundaries. Why? When I was considering the purchase of a high end detector, I looked very hard into various brands. Garrett’s GTI 2500, Fisher’s F75 SE, and Minelab’s Etrac. I settled on the White’s Spectra V3i because its analysis screens appealed to the control freak in me. Whereas the Etrac aggregates the information from it’s multiple frequencies for you and gives you a result, the V3i let’s you be the aggregator. For better or for worse, that’s what I chose. Does it mean that the V3i is better than the other machines? Well, it’s better for me.
So don’t get caught up on the hoopla. Do your research and choose the best tool for you. Be it the Etrac, the AT Pro or the F75. As consumers, we benefit from more choices, not less.
By the way, I am saving for another detector. This time I am looking for raw depth and hopefully I can find it along with a bit of sophistication when it comes to iron. And I am not talking ten inches on a U.S. dime here. I get that with the V3i already. I am talking twelve to eighteen inches on a U.S. dime, as offered by the likes of the venerated Fisher CZ-3D or the all new toy from Bulgaria, the BlissTool LTC64X v3.
Wish me luck.
Thank you for looking!
The Dirt Is Good To Me 
Amen brother!