I just read an article where a newbie was asking what would be a good starter detector and the reply from one dealer mentioned a few lower end detectors and ended by saying that the Equinox 800 was the best detector on the planet under $3000. After recovering from a choking fit, I'm here to ask you "what say ye?"

When you say under 3000 dollars you are pretty much letting all the top enders in the conversation, you will get a hot debate with that proclamation. Best under 1000 bucks I would agree with.

Equinox best all around detector made. Does not take much figuring to figure out why either...

BTW I paid for mine so no freebies to say nice things about it....

There's quite a few that come to mind. But....... if the stipulation is: "Good Starter Detector"........ first thing that comes to mind is the Vanquish-340. (One of my prereq's is: saltwater & medium-mineralization dirt usage).

outrageously good as a starter, or regular everyday equipment, especially at the price point!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Nox is a good multi purpose machine. Best? That word only applies to the user..I also pay for all my equipment



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2021 03:31PM by Woodbutcher.

Seems like another “dead of winter” conversation that will likely change the mind of exactly no one. Expecting a dealer to be “objective” is a stretch, though a few good ones are. If I were that dealer I probably would’ve put it this way.....”For the ease of use, the adjustability of the machine to effectively make it several different machines, the outright performance and the price point, you cannot find anything else that will realistically rival the Equinox 800”. That to me would be a true statement, verifiable by testing. EVERYBODY wants to compare the Equinox and the CTX, the ultimate “David and Goliath” tale. In reality they are just two different tools which are exceptionally good at what they do. My venture with the 800 is pretty well known, I sold it last summer. Well...I have another one on the way. WHY? Because I want that tool back to use alongside my other tools. Would that be the right decision for everybody? No. Some don’t like the audio, some think it’s TOO complex, some can’t afford it, some don’t like this or that....all kinds of reasons. But technically speaking, you would be hard pressed to find a better “all around detector”.

Wouldn't the answer be : "Depends on the objectives of what you're looking for, and the type-sites". Right ?

For example, if their objective is nuggets, then there's better nugget machines than the cross-over-Nox. Right ? Or if their objective is caches (and you don't care about, nor want, pesky singular coins) then a 2-box machine is the better choice. If their objective is deep-turf cherry picking, then (ahem ahem) there's better machines. If their location is jet black wet-salt beach mineralized sand, then there's better machines (pulse vs Nox). And so forth till eternity.

Humorously, when you ask the questioner this question, they will usually say "all of the above". As if they can get the "best of all worlds" packed into a single machine.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2021 04:15PM by Tom_in_CA.

The Nox is a excellent machine it finds the goods but I would be just as happy swinging a Vanquish 540 or a XP Deus or a Fisher F75. All of them find stuff and they all have their cons and pros. But in the end if the user doesn't take the time to learn how to use them their results won't be that great.

calabash digger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Equinox best all around detector made. Does not ta
> ke much figuring to figure out why either...
>
> BTW I paid for mine so no freebies to say nice thi
> ngs about it.... Les mon amie, Que vers votre Deus?

Notice I said ALL around...Iron goes to the French...

calabash digger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Notice I said ALL around...Iron goes to the French
> ...Got it

I heard tell beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. But in the case of metal detectors the best is an opinion of the owner who thinks it’s the best



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2021 10:46PM by Bill long.

I have an Equinox 800, a Tarsacci 8000 and XP Deus/ORX in my car and which one is best depends on the day, the ground and my arm/shoulder.

Past(or)Tom
Using a Legend, a Deus 2, an Equinox 800, a Tarsacci MDT 8000, & a few others...
with my beloved, fading Corgi, Sadie

There are other detectors that can perform as well or better than the Equinox 800 at specific tasks. There are better nugget detectors, water detectors, competition detectors, Iron infested site detectors etc. But in my all knowing opinion, There is no better "All Around" do well at all types of detecting than the Nox 800. Put another way: If I could only have one detector and not the ten I have, It would be the Nox 800.

Quote

Tom Slick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are other detectors that can perform as well
> or better than the Equinox 800 at specific tasks.
> There are better nugget detectors, water detectors
> , competition detectors, Iron infested site detect
> ors etc. But in my all knowing opinion, There is n
> o better "All Around" do well at all types of dete
> cting than the Nox 800. Put another way: If I coul
> d only have one detector and not the ten I have, I
> t would be the Nox 800.

Lol. Tom,,, I’d rather have the 10 machines. Much more fun,,, and remember,,, he who dies with the most toys wins ><

Can't run the Vanquish in my hot dirt without disc and without notching out a portion of the iron bin due to the lack of a ground balance adjustment (for the life of me I can't understand why ML didn't even include an auto GB feature or at least a settings save on power down feature because having to set that up every time I powered up the Vanquish for each mode was annoying), therefore, I would have to recommend the Equinox to a beginner if they were going to use it anywhere in my Virginia or Pennsylvania hot dirt sites. Heck even the Simplex and Apex have ground balancing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2021 09:17PM by CTGoldman.

it's why i researched before spending money on the vanquish! the 540 pro-pack is, without a doubt, the
best "bang for the buck" in the industry,IF you know to a "certainty" that you WILL be hunting in "low"
to medium mineralized ground.

(h.h.!)
j.t.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2021 03:40AM by jmaryt.

The Equinox 800 is the best detector under 3000 dollars is a bold statement.

the best detector to start with is the one that will get you addicted

get what you can afford after careful consideration, then enjoy

so many great starters out there ...

I have always paid for my detectors

Id say like a sand scoop.... depends on the conditions you are in. Ill also say..... its not the only machine i own for good reason. Its a great all around multi use machine and personally most only needs the 600 with makes it a killer value with its crazy good warranty. BUT.... we keep other machines to fill those niche gaps where its a good second best. The Nox has always been under priced for its performance id say for a reason.... look at the sales and what it did even to the resale of other machines.... that makes a statement to me with the volume sold. Its a great traveling machine as well so those vacations now include it especially to the beach where their old machines just couldnt get in the water. Thou some wonder about putting it in the water ... lol. I dont know that we have seen yet the price tag for repairs. In the salt water everything becomes equal especially with its reduced power.... but its still comes back to price at half the price of other water machines. Thus .... that second machine. As a starter machine..... shes hard to beat.... just ask any dealer who doesnt sell um. Ive never been give a machine either but certainly jump on the good ones.

If I could have only one machine, it would be the Nox 800. I can't think of any other detector that I would choose at any price.

Any secondary machine for me would be to fill a niche. It might even cost more than the Nox, but it would suck if that was all I had to work with.

Yes, the Nox is the best all-around detector for under $3000.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2021 12:00PM by Badger in NH.

Dont forget to factor in money into the equation. Not everyone can afford a 'top of the line' machine to enter the hobby. A person with a litter of kids and working lots of OT to pay for them probably needs to stay in the lower price range and work his way up.

I must say that i didnt pay for all my machines; i just fronted them the money until they paid for themselves.

I wonder if the dealer also told the newbie that until he spends a couple hundred hours learning the sound coming from his shiny new Nox he won't be able to use its full capabilites...if he is going to be just a casual user...spend half the money for a machine that does 80% of what the Nox does.

i do like mine a lot, though

I get people asking me all the time about metal detecting when I am park hunting, they usually ask me what is the best metal detector to start out with and the sentence usually ends with " I want something that doesn't cost to much" I usually tell them about the Simplex, very easy to understand, very durable, it can take a beating, you don't have to buy batteries for it and it works way above it's price tag.

Are you trying to start a war?

Ron Brown Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just read an article where a newbie was asking w
> hat would be a good starter detector and the reply
> from one dealer mentioned a few lower end detector
> s and ended by saying that the Equinox 800 was the
> best detector on the planet under $3000. After rec
> overing from a choking fit, I'm here to ask you "w
> hat say ye?"


it would appear that Aton of people believe this, and field results seem to back it up!
I'm just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

If you were to ask people to name the top three under 3 grand the Equinox would be on an incredible amount of those lists. I have said it many times on these forums. The Equinox was a game changer that set the bar for the future of the hobby. Price vs performance. My own personal opinion is that it is the best I have ever used. I realize my dirt is different and I have not used them all. But the detector is very very good.

me bro just bought a 600 says it is almost as good as sex!..I told him he should buy shares!
he said he would look into it!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Best detector for me is easy, F75.. It's my favorite machine , most productive for me, and my pick for myself.
I'm not sure if this thread is about what everyone thinks is the best for everyone or what guys posting think is best for themselves?
As for what dealers say,of course they'd say a $950 machine is the best,and everyone should get it.Cant blame a guy for earning a buck