Time to get back into the hobby.

in your price range I would look for a used equinox 600 or wait for a bit for the new Legend to come out which will be a few more dollars then your max budget

the other detector I would highly recommend is the Nokta/Macro simplex plus it is marketed as a beginners detector at $259 but I will tell you it is a very capable detector, which surprises me just how deep and versatile it is, I purchased one for my grandson and and every time he detects with me using the simplex plus it shocks me just how great of a detector the simplex plus is, it detects way above its price point, the Simplex plus is water proof has a flashlight for hunting at night and vibration mode it is a lot of detector for the price I have been detecting since 2010 and wish they would have had a simplex plus when I first started it also has five search modes which are park 1, park 2, field,beach and all metal it also is wireless headphone capable I am not sure if the wireless headphones come with the standard package but i believe you can purchase a package with the wireless headphones for a few dollars more, The package I purchased came with wireless headphones and a 11 inch coil and a free 9.5 x 5 inch coil and the total price for that package was $339. shipped and no tax which made it a great deal

Based on your specs

I think your looking for a Garrett ATmax

Vanquish 540

At Pro
Nokta Impact
Nokta Simplex
Nox 600.
Vanquish models.

These are the ones I am researching. Ty for the replies.

Steeler1 said:

At Pro
Nokta Impact
Nokta Simplex
Nox 600.
Vanquish models.

These are the ones I am researching. Ty for the replies.

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Out of the ones you have listed the AT Pro would be my last choice, I own one of them and the ATP has never impressed me at all yes it is simple to use but for me I have never got the depth out of it that others say they do, me and the ATP never did mesh together, but it is your money and only you can decide which one you want to purchase, the others you listed I have no experience with except for the simplex plus which as I stated for an entry level detector it has way more features and is way more capable then its price point would lead you to believe

oldkoot said:

Out of the ones you have listed the AT Pro would be my last choice, I own one of them and the ATP has never impressed me at all yes it is simple to use but for me I have never got the depth out of it that others say they do, me and the ATP never did mesh together, but it is your money and only you can decide which one you want to purchase, the others you listed I have no experience with except for the simplex plus which as I stated for an entry level detector it has way more features and is way more capable then its price point would lead you to believe

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I believe you. The AT Pro is out. Ty for your input.

Other machines that you might want to consider:

Garrett Ace Apex - SMF machine. Wireless headphones are fantastic. Very well built, Light weight. Simple machine to use. VDI numbers are reasonably close to those you mentioned in your opening post. 5 tone machine. Can choose from 4 single frequencies, or 2 multi-frequencies. Garrett sells a pin-pointer that can be paired to the headphones. The Apex is a very fun machine to use.

XP ORX. Single frequency machine, but you can select from several frequencies (those frequencies vary depending upon the coil you have). Very light weight, very easy to swing. 3 tone machine. VDI numbers are somewhat in the ballpark (compared to the numbers you listed) for most of the coins. Wireless headphones (called backphones) are good, but some people find them to be uncomfortable. (I like them and find them to be comfortable). Very fast machine. Amazing in iron trash. XP's MI6 pinpointer can pair to the ORX (a really nice feature).

Steeler1 said:

I believe you. The AT Pro is out. Ty for your input.

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You are welcome

Please do not take it that i am saying the ATP is a bad machine as it is not, my wife and I found many good finds with it, but we just never did take to the ATP like others did people say they were hitting 10 inch deep dimes
(I would have to see it with my own eyes to believe it) it was totally the opposite of what we experienced with the ATP, the one we purchased we were lucky if it hit a dime at 5-6 inches it was one of the first detectors we purchased in 2010 and that is the first year the ATP hit the market and was being hyped pretty hard we were new and bought into the hype, again I state my wife and I just never meshed with the ATP but many say they have I am just one person that calls a spade a spade LOL , I have a few friends that had the same experience with the ATP that my wife and I did.

Tahtsadatsago said:

Other machines that you might want to consider:

Garrett Ace Apex - SMF machine. Wireless headphones are fantastic. Very well built, Light weight. Simple machine to use. VDI numbers are reasonably close to those you mentioned in your opening post. 5 tone machine. Can choose from 4 single frequencies, or 2 multi-frequencies. Garrett sells a pin-pointer that can be paired to the headphones. The Apex is a very fun machine to use.

XP ORX. Single frequency machine, but you can select from several frequencies (those frequencies vary depending upon the coil you have). Very light weight, very easy to swing. 3 tone machine. VDI numbers are somewhat in the ballpark (compared to the numbers you listed) for most of the coins. Wireless headphones (called backphones) are good, but some people find them to be uncomfortable. (I like them and find them to be comfortable). Very fast machine. Amazing in iron trash. XP's MI6 pinpointer can pair to the ORX (a really nice feature).

Click to expand...

I will absolutely be looking at these as well. More YouTube watching for me. Ty for your suggestions.

oldkoot said:

You are welcome

Please do not take it that i am saying the ATP is a bad machine as it is not, my wife and I found many good finds with it, but we just never did take to the ATP like others did people say they were hitting 10 inch deep dimes
(I would have to see it with my own eyes to believe it) it was totally the opposite of what we experienced with the ATP, the one we purchased we were lucky if it hit a dime at 5-6 inches it was one of the first detectors we purchased in 2010 and that is the first year the ATP hit the market and was being hyped pretty hard we were new and bought into the hype, again I state my wife and I just never meshed with the ATP but many say they have I am just one person that calls a spade a spade LOL , I have a few friends that had the same experience with the ATP that my wife and I did.

Click to expand...

The AT Pro isn't a bad machine, but it's an overpriced machine. One thing to keep in mind is that the AT Max, which is better than the AT Pro in terms of raw performance (although maybe not in real world applications for certain individuals, depending on their hunting styles and personal tastes). And the AT Max is basically a Nokta Makro Simplex at more than double the cost and with a different form factor.

Steeler1 said:

I will absolutely be looking at these as well. More YouTube watching for me. Ty for your suggestions.

Click to expand...

I'll leave a brief synopsis of my thoughts on the Apex and the ORX (I own both, and 6 other machines).

Apex - A fun machine. Does much better than I had expected in iron trash (early youtube videos suggested it couldn't hunt iron trash areas). A small coil makes it a very good machine in trashy areas (I have the Ripper coil on mine). I like hearing the iron, but don't want it blasting so I tend to have iron volume on 1 or 2. Nearby iron will drag the VDI down (good target) but the good tone will still sound out. I often dig a good target that has iron trash in the same hole. I tend not to pay a lot of attention to VDI numbers - they will bounce around a bit on iffy targets, or good targets that have trash very nearby. A good target (without trash nearby) will give a steady VDI most of the time.

The screen is easy to see, and the menu is laid out pretty well. It's easy to navigate, and simple to use. The wireless headphones are the best that I've used. I typically hunt in Zero mode, or Relic mode: and usually in multi-frequency. The Apex does very well on wet salt sand. The Apex is not waterproof but is weather resistant (don't dunk the control box). It is an updateable machine (one update so far).

There are changes that I'd like to see (on the Apex) but they'd make it a less simple machine. As it is, I find the Apex to be a very good machine at its price and a lot of fun.

XP ORX

Probably the lightest weight, easiest swinging machine available. It's a dream swinging the ORX. Very fast, absolutely amazing in iron trash. I love how collapsible the machine is. A simple machine to use, but the menu isn't as easy to navigate as the Apex menu is. The buttons on the control unit (remote) can be a bit tough to press. The wireless headphones (backphones) are good but not as good as the wireless headphones from Garrett. The pinpoint method is a bit odd - one button to engage, another button to disengage. To be honest, the ORX doesn't need the pinpoint mode - it's super easy to pinpoint the target in one of the normal modes (there are 4 modes, plus two custom slots).

The ORX screen is smaller than the Apex screen. The ORX is more of a tone machine that has a screen, than it is a VDI machine with tones. The screen (remote) is detachable - you can carry it in your pocket if you'd like. The remote isn't waterproof or even weatherproof, but it's really easy to put it in a ziplock bag if you're hunting in rain.

The ORX is not my first choice for hunting an area with a lot of modern trash (aluminum). A lot of the aluminum bits and pieces will give a high tone (same as most US coins) - forcing the user to watch VDI numbers unless digging a lot of aluminum trash is desirable. I'd much prefer 5 tones (or more) or the ability to set tone bins - but those aren't options on the ORX. The ORX will find coins/jewelry in modern trash - it just requires the user to watch VDI's or dig a lot of trash.

For me the biggest issue with the ORX is the lack of tone options. Everything else is either acceptable or really good.

For me the biggest issue with the Apex is the inability to change reactivity - the modes seem to be nothing more than different levels of discrimination/notching.

I like both machines a lot and am happy with both.

The M6 would have been perfect for you.

Tahtsadatsago said:

I'll leave a brief synopsis of my thoughts on the Apex and the ORX (I own both, and 6 other machines).

Apex - A fun machine. Does much better than I had expected in iron trash (early youtube videos suggested it couldn't hunt iron trash areas). A small coil makes it a very good machine in trashy areas (I have the Ripper coil on mine). I like hearing the iron, but don't want it blasting so I tend to have iron volume on 1 or 2. Nearby iron will drag the VDI down (good target) but the good tone will still sound out. I often dig a good target that has iron trash in the same hole. I tend not to pay a lot of attention to VDI numbers - they will bounce around a bit on iffy targets, or good targets that have trash very nearby. A good target (without trash nearby) will give a steady VDI most of the time.

The screen is easy to see, and the menu is laid out pretty well. It's easy to navigate, and simple to use. The wireless headphones are the best that I've used. I typically hunt in Zero mode, or Relic mode: and usually in multi-frequency. The Apex does very well on wet salt sand. The Apex is not waterproof but is weather resistant (don't dunk the control box). It is an updateable machine (one update so far).

There are changes that I'd like to see (on the Apex) but they'd make it a less simple machine. As it is, I find the Apex to be a very good machine at its price and a lot of fun.

Click to expand...

I am leaning towards the apex. Ty for such a detailed reply. I think it checks all the boxes I am looking for. My only concern is at that price point, there are so many other options. I just need to make sure it’s worth it. I do like the headphone and pinpointer syncing together. Again, Ty.

Martin_V3i said:

The M6 would have been perfect for you.

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Couldn’t agree more. I can still get a used one, but am leaning heavily towards newer technology. If I remember correctly, the m6 was a coin magnet.

Steeler1 said:

I am leaning towards the apex. Ty for such a detailed reply. I think it checks all the boxes I am looking for. My only concern is at that price point, there are so many other options. I just need to make sure it’s worth it. I do like the headphone and pinpointer syncing together. Again, Ty.

Click to expand...

I concur with your thoughts about the Apex. It's a fine machine, but I think it's about $50 to $75 overpriced.

If you're willing to buy used and have a little bit of time, you can find some great deals on a used Apex, though.

Steeler1 said:

Couldn’t agree more. I can still get a used one, but am leaning heavily towards newer technology. If I remember correctly, the m6 was a coin magnet.

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I have two of them and wouldn't part with them. Wife told me to get a new up-to-date detector and get-with-the-times, but I haven't been sold on one yet. Still looking and watching though. If you run across a used one I recommend jumping on it. Keep it as a back-up or for friends. But as you know with the MXT...they aren't light weight.

Florida Tabdigger said:

I have two of them and wouldn't part with them. Wife told me to get a new up-to-date detector and get-with-the-times, but I haven't been sold on one yet. Still looking and watching though. If you run across a used one I recommend jumping on it. Keep it as a back-up or for friends. But as you know with the MXT...they aren't light weight.

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eBay has a dfx for $315. I remember when those was the hot seller. It’s tempting.

Another machine you might want to consider is a used Whites MX5. The VDI numbers will be pretty much the same as you listed in your opening post. A simple machine to use and light weight (easy to swing). It's kind of a hot-rod in disguise - it can be ran sparky or quiet. It wouldn't come with wireless headphones, but you can buy "kits" that enable you to have wireless headphones with the MX5 (or any machine). Quest makes a light headphone kit that is quite good.

The MX5 is one of two machines that I absolutely loved (the other is the V3i).

The Whites MX7 might be of interest too. I have no experience with that machine. I did own the MX Sport and liked it but preferred the MX5 and the V3i.

At any rate, the market (currently) seems to favor buyers when it comes to used machines. There seems to be a number of people selling machines so they can buy the Deus II.

For that price you could easily sell it and get your money back if all the settings get to be too much. I love the simplicity and depth of the M6. And the 6-tone ID is great. But with White's out of business and Garrett not continuing their models/accessories, once it breaks...it's done. Sad times for us White's owners.