AT MAX or EQUINOX 800

Thanks. What I like is the gold mode that uses the high freq on the nox800.
 

After the research I did on these two machines I'm going with the EQ 800. To me personally it's an easy decision after looking into them (YouTube, articles, chatting on here).
I was going to get both over this upcoming winter but now it'll be the Tejon over the AT Max. I'm not a huge fan of looking at a screen so I'll have to get use to it again. Personally I'd like to cover the screen on the Nox once I get use to it lol.
 

As long as all y’all stay away from the ..... ... you’ll be ok.
Inside joke to those that know me, the quest continues.
 

XTerraman. $800 on a new Equinox800 shouldn't be a problem. There's one on ebay for $808 and I would like to think that calling a few dealers will get a little better deal than that.
Someone stated that they couldn't hit a 5" deep dime with the EQ800 without going to a single frequency. If it can't hit a 5" dime in FBS, ......
I know the Garret's like the back of my hand and I absolutely hate the Explorer SE Pro.
Anyone want to trade a Max for my Explorer? lol
I'm still on the fence on a Nox.
 

I have had both and like the equinox better.

I still like my at pro with a tiny coil too.
 

xr7ator said:
XTerraman. $800 on a new Equinox800 shouldn't be a problem. There's one on ebay for $808 and I would like to think that calling a few dealers will get a little better deal than that.
Someone stated that they couldn't hit a 5" deep dime with the EQ800 without going to a single frequency. If it can't hit a 5" dime in FBS, ......
I know the Garret's like the back of my hand and I absolutely hate the Explorer SE Pro.
Anyone want to trade a Max for my Explorer? lol
I'm still on the fence on a Nox.
Click to expand...


Lol, it's not FBS. whoever can't hit a 5" dime with an Equinox must have the sens. Stuck on 1.
 

I chatted online today with Bart from Big Boy Hobby. He is Military Veteran friendly. If you have your DD214 and let him know, you will be pleasantly surprised on what he can do for you!
I couldn't make the purchase today on the EQ 800. But, will buy from Bart in the near future.
 

As a newb to metal detecting, I choose the equinox 800 over the AT series machines.

Equinox has several advantages over the ATs, that are made apparent with a bit of research.
The main thing I saw was that the Equinox are, literally, several machines in a single package while the ATs are only one machine.
 

Big Wave Dave started the response by saying you may get brand loyalty responses. I know that some take a question like, "AT MAX or Equinox 800" as a Manufacturers Loyalty statement rather than performance question.
From 1985 until 2012, I was using Garrett detectors exclusively. Then I purchased a Minelab Etrac. I really saw a difference in performance and productivity. Garrett is a great company that makes a great product and is hard to match in their after sales support .
Minelab is a different technology and has outperformed the Garrett machines in various applications. I recovered numerous gold rings with the AT PRO, but the PRO will not perform anywhere close to the Excalibur in salt water. Different technology. Since breaking the "Loyalty " stigma, I have added the CTX 3030 as well as the XP DEUS.
I'm watching very closely at what is happening with the Equinox 800. I'm pretty sure it will be my next detector.
 

Last edited:
against the wind said:
Big Wave Dave started the response by saying you may get brand loyalty responses. I know that some take a question like, "AT MAX or Equinox 800" as a Manufacturers Loyalty statement rather than performance question.
From 1985 until 2012, I was using Garrett detectors exclusively. Then I purchased a Minelab Etrac. I really saw a difference in performance and productivity. Garrett is a great company that makes a great product and is hard to match in their after sales support .
Minelab is a different technology and has outperformed the Garrett machines in various applications. I did recovered numerous gold rings with the AT PRO, but the PRO will not perform anywhere close to the Excalibur in salt water. Different technology. Since breaking the "Loyalty " stigma, I have added the CTX 3030 as well as the XP DEUS.
I'm watching very closely at what is happening with the Equinox 800. I'm pretty sure it will be my next detector.
Click to expand...

I'm like you with using Garrett's exclusively from 1994 through 2009 then got an Explorer SE Pro. I'm very open minded and pretty unbiased when it comes to the different brands nowadays.
I will say this though. The XP Deus is an excellent detector from what I've seen even though I've never swung one. But the noise it makes just irritates the hell out of me. It's also the only machine that drives my dog nuts when watching videos lol.
I'd love to see someone compare a machine I use to own, the GTI 2500 against the AT Max.
 

Ronzie said:
I'm like you with using Garrett's exclusively from 1994 through 2009 then got an Explorer SE Pro. I'm very open minded and pretty unbiased when it comes to the different brands nowadays.
I will say this though. The XP Deus is an excellent detector from what I've seen even though I've never swung one. But the noise it makes just irritates the hell out of me. It's also the only machine that drives my dog nuts when watching videos lol.
I'd love to see someone compare a machine I use to own, the GTI 2500 against the AT Max.
Click to expand...

Lol! Same here. They remind me of a Raptor on Jurassic park trying to bust out of the cage.
 

Well I ended up buying the nox600. After researching the differences I didn’t think the extra money for a 800 could be justified considering my metal detecting habits. And if I want to look for gold I can always use the beach mode in multi IQ.
Anyway I received it last night and so far I’m impressed. Very sturdy but light and no wobble in the shafts. I air tested a bunch of coins, rings, etc, and the TIDs are consistent with what others have stated. It’s really sensitive too....my dog walked by the coil while it was on my bench, and it picked up the dog tags from about 2.5 feet away. I will have a learning curve to navigate though.
 

vpierceiii said:
Well I ended up buying the nox600. After researching the differences I didn’t think the extra money for a 800 could be justified considering my metal detecting habits. And if I want to look for gold I can always use the beach mode in multi IQ.
Anyway I received it last night and so far I’m impressed. Very sturdy but light and no wobble in the shafts. I air tested a bunch of coins, rings, etc, and the TIDs are consistent with what others have stated. It’s really sensitive too....my dog walked by the coil while it was on my bench, and it picked up the dog tags from about 2.5 feet away. I will have a learning curve to navigate though.
Click to expand...

Just stay in the high teens on sensitivity until you learn the tone nuances. Otherwise you will be digging iron falses like nobodies business.

The equinox lives at a deeper level than many detectors at lower sensitivity levels too. Especially on smaller objects.
 

vpierceiii said:
Well I ended up buying the nox600. After researching the differences I didn’t think the extra money for a 800 could be justified considering my metal detecting habits. And if I want to look for gold I can always use the beach mode in multi IQ.
Anyway I received it last night and so far I’m impressed. Very sturdy but light and no wobble in the shafts. I air tested a bunch of coins, rings, etc, and the TIDs are consistent with what others have stated. It’s really sensitive too....my dog walked by the coil while it was on my bench, and it picked up the dog tags from about 2.5 feet away. I will have a learning curve to navigate though.
Click to expand...

Just stay in the high teens on sensitivity until you learn the tone nuances. Otherwise you will be digging iron falses like nobodies business.

The equinox lives at a deeper level than many detectors at lower sensitivity levels too. Especially on smaller objects.
 

vpierceiii said:
Well I ended up buying the nox600. After researching the differences I didn’t think the extra money for a 800 could be justified considering my metal detecting habits. And if I want to look for gold I can always use the beach mode in multi IQ.
Anyway I received it last night and so far I’m impressed. Very sturdy but light and no wobble in the shafts. I air tested a bunch of coins, rings, etc, and the TIDs are consistent with what others have stated. It’s really sensitive too....my dog walked by the coil while it was on my bench, and it picked up the dog tags from about 2.5 feet away. I will have a learning curve to navigate though.
Click to expand...

All modes will find gold if the target is big enough. If it's tiny, the gold modes are the best. Whether you'll need the single high frequencies will depend on your hunting area and size of nuggets. The beach mode are not that great for tiny gold in my testing. Gold 1 and 2 were the best, Field 2 next best, and Park 2 a distant 4th. The other modes would not hit on my tiny test gold. These are using factory settings and just adjusting the sensitivity to make the detector stable.
 

Thank you for the advice. Very helpful.
Yesterday was my first time out at a friends property. And I found two wheat pennies at 11 and 10 inches. And the signals were nice and strong. Very impressed so far.
 

vpierceiii said:
Thank you for the advice. Very helpful.
Yesterday was my first time out at a friends property. And I found two wheat pennies at 11 and 10 inches. And the signals were nice and strong. Very impressed so far.
Click to expand...

10-11 inch strong signaled wheat.....you should be sharing your settings! Lol. Nice job. It sniffs out wheats like crazy.
 

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