Thoughts on a detector

[Older The Better]

This may be a common question but I’ll take my turn.
I started with an old radio shack detector, then a whites auction buy, right now I have a Garett ace 400 I was thinking of taking another bump up looking maybe 500-800 range and figured this is a pretty good site for an opinion… I have several coils compatible with the Garett but I’m not opposed to looking at other machines if there’s others that come highly recommended… I prefer my small 6” coil just with the weight and precision. But occasionally I’ll go the other way and put on an i believe 18” coil , but I hunt farmland and woods looking for relics… no beaches no gold prospecting around here… I’d like to hear what you guys have been happy with

 

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[l.cutler]

I've had pretty much every major brand of detector and a few not so major brands over the last 40+ years, but when I got my Equinox 600 it was like a whole new world. I was pulling stuff out of sites I thought I had hunted out. I have since got a Manticore, and while better than the Equinox, not as big a jump as the Equinox was over the Garretts, Fishers, Tesoros, etc. I was using before. I haven't tried a couple of the newer entries, Nokta detectors or Deus II but have heard great things on them as well. I would look at Minelab, Nokta and XP for sure.

 

[Older The Better]

Some good thoughts, was also looking at the step up garetts but was curious if they were all that different… part of me wants to see how a different machine would fare. Like you said about some of your places I’ve got sites I think I’ve hunted out so the equinox sounds appealing.

 

[l.cutler]

I don't have any idea how the new Garrett Vortex detectors are, you may be able to find some youtube videos on them, but I'd take a Minelab, Nokta or Deus over any of their other detectors. My opinion and I'm sure others would feel differently.

 

[Older The Better]

I appreciate the opinion, I’m a little dubious of online reviews, especially the ones that say something like “top 5 detectors of 2024” figured there’d be plenty of people here with real life experience and an informed opinion. Not getting the life I had hoped on the thread but I can’t be the first to ask maybe people are tired of the question, i figured with new detectors all the time some older threads may not be as accurate anymore

 

[pepperj]

I appreciate the opinion, I’m a little dubious of online reviews, especially the ones that say something like “top 5 detectors of 2024” figured there’d be plenty of people here with real life experience and an informed opinion. Not getting the life I had hoped on the thread but I can’t be the first to ask maybe people are tired of the question, i figured with new detectors all the time some older threads may not be as accurate anymore

I've looked at the top rated machines before and was actually 🤬 at the screen.
From owning top tier White's, Minelabs, Then Deus 1&2.
Hunted some sites using 4 different Minelabs, then hunted them again with the Deus 1.
If I had never had seen the the site before, I would have swore that I was the first to hunt it.
Now the D2 pulled more even. Now with 2 years and the new programs even more recoveries.
But it's getting thin now.
Stick with proven reviews from the members.
Folks that have put tge time in on beat sites.
Not the testers that play the game of comparison levels or machines.
The folks that dig actual dirt are the truth on what actually is working.

Keep your eye out in the used market also.
Folks buy and sell alot if machines @ a very reasonable price.
Best of luck.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

It's a common question with a lot of possible answers.

I've using my Deus for almost 9 years now - thousands of keepers.
Ultra light weight (2.2 lbs.) swing all day - very fast recovery speed and it's 100 % wireless.
The Deus with a 9" Coil has a much faster recovery speed in Iron than my E-Trac does with a 6" Coil.

Ever since the Deus 2's came out you can get fantastic deals on new and used Deus 1's.
You can find a lightly used one in the $500.00 range or a new one for around $800.00.

Good Luck !

 

[Older The Better]

Leaning towards a deus 2 at the moment but I’ll let it marinate for a bit… I do like the lightweight part been feeling the Garett more often in my elbow when I go out looking… when I start finding things that tends to go away though haha

Update: so digging into the difference between the deus 2 with the square box roughly 1,400 and the round display around 700… on the surface there’s no drop in capability BUT… the cheaper one isn’t submersible, not a big deal to me, but what IS a big deal, it doesn’t have a speaker, you have to either have it attached to the headphones where you can’t see the display or attach to the machine with no sound unless you use the adapter and plug in wired headphones.

I go almost 100% by sound I only look at the display just an extra clue but I’m already digging it anyway. I’m not a fan of headphones so the cheaper one may be problematic