One thing we all HAVE to understand is that not everyone is the same. Seems pretty obvious,right? Because the only frame of reference we ever have is ourselves, it’s easy to assume everyone is like us, sometimes to a large degree. It isn’t that way. I know of 2 or 3 people who I consider good friends who haven’t got ANY interest in “futzing” with settings...they just want to hunt. Initial setup is even out of their league...it’s not that they’re dumb, they just don’t like the minutia of configuring a machine....even once. My biggest advice I could offer to anyone is to get to know the menus, where everything is, learn what it does and why you should adjust something, if any adjustment is needed.
I was quite perplexed by my Explorer2 when I got it, I came from a single tone machine. That was interesting! But after many hours of using it and seeing what was going on it became second nature to know what was needed....and the sounds became second nature a well.
I can now(after 100+ hours on it) wholeheartedly recommend getting an Equinox. I know very little about the Deus but that’s another possibility. I won’t tell you how to run it or where to use it...I’ll just say that because of the ability to run 2 tones(one “good” one “bad”) the Equinox can be very easy to understand....immediately. Notice I said CAN be...if you’re open to it and YOUR senses are ready to receive the information.
The etrac and Explorers can be a little confusing(OK let’s face it...ALOT confusing) if you don’t spend time with them and build on what you already have learned. They can also be the best coin hunting machine you’ll ever use. But as has been stated, YOU the operator, have to mesh with the machine over a reasonable amount of time, otherwise everything just becomes frustrating, especially when you’re watching others tow home good finds.
If you’re done with the etrac, I’d say go to the Equinox 800. Just my 2c.