I'm not sure why someone thinks that if you go to the Ecollar you can't use other forms of training. I do this all the time. They're not in conflict. One adds to the other.
TriTronics collars work better in water only because their contact points are insulated. You can put TT's contact points on the Dogtra collars. You can get insulated contact points from Dogtra (They're free) but they don't have then in all lengths. And you can insulate the Dogtra points by painting them with a layer or two of liquid electrical tape or that stuff that you dip tool handles in, to make them more "grabbable."
They are equal in quality but other brands, except for two Unleashed Technologies and Innotek are a step down in reliability. Those other brands will work well when they're new but after being knocked around for a while, they start to work erratically.
Both brands have their fans. I used nothing but TT for well over a decade but when Dogtra came along with the 127 discrete levels and the ability to change those levels while delivering stim I switched over. I think they allow me better communication with the dog.
I especially like the new models the 280, the 1900, the 2300 and the 3500 that have the LCD readout showing you EXACTLY the level of stim that you're on.
The earliest Dogtra, since they improved their units several years ago had a problem. You could easily brush the dial and inadvertently change the stim level. But that's been fixed so the dial takes direct "determined" pressure to move it to a new level.
DebbieJ, there's no way to lessen the feel of the contact points unless you go to a device called the SCG (Surface Contact Grid.) That spreads the contact out over a larger area and the "feel" is quite different. But if your dog has become "collar smart" (knowing that he knows when the collar is on and when it's off and that he has to obey when it's on) you've created a problem that needn't exist. It's easy to avoid but now that you've created it, it's hard to break. This can occur with any kind of equipment, it's not inherent to the Ecollar. If you decide to buy, shop around, many people offer them at a good discount.
Jaan, the Dogtra's with the LCD screen, mentioned above, allow for the easy, precise selection of the stim level. I don't care for the Innoteks because it takes a long time to change levels. With the Dogtras you can turn the dial and quickly go up or down, as needed.
If people are having problems in getting contact there are a couple of answers. One is the SCG that I mentioned earlier. Another is to get longer contact points. The longest I've seen is 1 1/4" (Maybe 1"). Another is to get some "thinning shears" from a grooming shop. They cut every third hair and will allow the contact points to penetrate more easily. The operative word when putting the collar on is "snug." If the dog starts to wheeze, it's too tight. But if you can easily move the collar "box" around, it's too loose. Part of the problem is the way that some straps attach to some collars. TT and now Dogtra has changed theirs. It used to be that the strap just ran under the contact points but now the straps run around the back to collar. As you tighten the straps, they pull the "box" in much better than they used to.
Here's a picture of the Dogtra 2300 showing the LCD and the way that the strap attaches to the "box."
http://www.dogtra.com/s_product/photo/D2300NCP_new.jpg