Which detector should I get??

All things being equal(which they’re not) for the money most will steer you toward the Equinox. And for good reason that you can research easily. If you’re doing “easy” hunting (shallow clad,fresh sports field drops) about anything will do. But as with anything,the devil is in the details,and detecting has many details. I have not used any you’ve mentioned,but from a lot of reading and pseudo-experience,I’d recommend the Equinox as well. Compare the 600 and 800 closely to make sure you’re getting the features you not only want, but may need. Then CALL dealers to see what the actual going prices are and availability. Not many (i.e. NO) dealers are going to want to put any quotes in writing,unless they’re quoting MSRP.

Most of us (besides the ones that will cram one machine down your throat) will need a lot more information to help you.

Where are you from, what kind of detecting do you want to do, what is your budget, what is your experience?

Just land? Land and fresh water beach? Land and salt water beach? Land and water wading? Land and water diving? Gold prospecting?

Welcome to the forum. There is just not one answer that will fit everyone.

Ok there is An Equinox.

The at pro is one of the easiest, most reliable machines made.i would only take a equinox over a at pro for the Backlight,that’s it.And here’s why.

Some will say the equinox is deeper and faster than the at pro.Faster is a matter of perspective,both are fast units and unless you hunt burned down homesites,it’s irrelevant which is faster.

Deeper...I have run a Etrac for a lot of years,one of the deepest machines made.I could count on one hand the number of old coins I’ve found past 7 inches.Even my 1840s coins and up were all about 6 inches,maybe 7 on a good day.Both the At pro and equinox will hit 95 percent of your coins,not test garden coins but actual real world finds.

At pro hits hard on gold jewlery and silver coins.And the visual ID is not jumpy,it’s pretty rock solid.Not so with the equinox.When the equinox sounds off on a coin there’s no doubt it’s there,but what it is is a mystery.Not so with the at pro,I can call it every time,Visual ID is tight and spot on.

Now here’s the main reason I’d pick the at pro over a nox..Coil selection to start,nox only has one coil,the stock.And maybe 2 more if you’ll see them this year,who knows..at pro has a ton of coils made for it,and they are cheap for sale used on a regular basis.Waterproof headphones for the at pro from Garrett and grey ghosts,nox don’t have waterproof headphones out yet.who knows when ,and if they’ll even be good?

At pro is a no muss no fuss machine.pro zero,ground balance and go.Its so easy to use a beginner can make unbelievable finds with it.
The audio on the at pro is far superior to the nox,the equinox audio is ok but not as near informative in my opinion as the at pro.

Customer service,if any problems with your at pro you’ll be taken care of with no problems,I guarantee it.I couldn’t say that for Minelab.

Good luck in whatever you choose,both good machines,,Id take the at pro, I had a nox 600,and although I do regret selling it I’d never get rid of my at pro over a nox.

Go with your gut

Rootssvenhidden said:

Hey, I'm new to detecting and want a good machine. I have right now a bounty hunter which I have owned for a few years but rarely used. I need a new one and I dont know what to get. Any ideas, was thinking the AT pro or max, or minelab equinox 600.

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The AT-Pro are selling at a discount, great Detector, If your a salt water guy , not the Detector for you
Great coinshooter, great for lakes and ponds
dennis

I would suggest getting on line and doing your research. Everyone has their own opinion of what the best detector is. Although it may be the detector they favor that detector may not be the right one for you.

I say this because I saw on this forum how highly AT Pro owners spoke about the it that I got one. But I quickly discovered that it wasn't the machine for me. I got rid of it.

Again do the research about detectors, and where you want to hunt, the soil you have in your area and what you hope to find. Put all of those factors together and you will find the right detector for you and it may not be the Equinox or AT Pro.

Equinox 600 you can use it at a saltwater beach unlike an at pro or other single frequency detector.

Right now it’s a buyers market. Lots of good used detector for sale. I am partial to minelab but deus and fisher are excellent machine.

As already basically said, part of your choice depends on what and where you are detecting.

Having said that, here is how NOT to choose a detector

I can't even begin to tell someone what they should or shouldn't get for a detector but I can say I love my Fisher F2, F4, and AT Pro.

GKL said:

As already basically said, part of your choice depends on what and where you are detecting.

Having said that, here is how NOT to choose a detector
View attachment 414064

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OMG, that is hilarious!!!

Thanks to all who replied

I don't know what I'm looking for, that's the thing. I do know salt water doesn't matter, but it has to be water proof. Other than that I'm looking to find anything other than nails, so how do i know what one to get by that. Thiers nails most places I check. I'm using a 75$ bounty hunter right now so anything seems to be an improvement, I borrowed a Ace 200 once and I liked it over mine.

The AT PRO is a good detector with a nice selection of coils for it. Plus it's not hard to learn how to operate it.

I've had my AtPro for a few years and love it. I am a land hunter is SW Ohio with moderate soil so it gets the job done fine for me. Also waterproof up to 10 feet, Scuba would drown it in a heartbeat but for my hunting it's fine. Also wouldn't even want to try it in salt water but then again I'm a long way from any oceans. Also I've used Garretts customer service a few times mainly because I'm pretty abusive towards it and they have been fantastic, never paid a penny for anything. It's found me silver gold and everything in between, VDI is very accurate though the numbers can be abit small. That doesn't matter to me anyway since I hunt by sound only and as others have mentioned, easy to learn. I'm not going to bash other machines since I've not used very many of them. Started with Bounty Hunter Quicksilver, (still have it) and it got the job done as well just not as much information provided. Check out some youtube videos, compare and see if something looks like it would good fit for you. At the end of the day it will be you swinging it and should be enjoyable and fit your hunting style.

I have only been detecting for about a year. When I first started this fascination I did tons of research and YouTube watching. I kept coming back to the AT Pro. I am biased to this machine, though. It is my first and only metal detector.

Like other posters have mentioned, there are several things to consider. Where will you be hunting, what are you hunting for..etc..... The At Pro, in my opinion, is a solid performer with coins, relics and everyday hunting. It has/ does work well for my needs. I have found silver, gold and several older relics. I have found coins and other items 7-8 inches and deeper.

The ATP seems to be a great machine for beginners. It is very user friendly and easy to operate. With a little time behind it you will know exactly what it is telling you. Admittedly, I find myself wanting a new machine at times. The only reason at this point is to have something that is more suitable for saltwater. I only hunt saltwater beaches a couple of times a year, so I can't justify it just yet.

Good luck on whatever you choose. Regardless of your choice this is a fascinating hobby with tons of room to grow and learn....HH

Doing research online puts you right back to the detecting forums...Manufacturer’s sites will show you their models and functions.....They make it look easy....Garrett is a great company with great detectors, just not for me...Here you can take everyones advice with a grain of salt...Look under the Stories and Finds section and see who found what with their detector...They may be detecting the same type areas you have where you live.....Good luck on your choice....

taltexan said:

Right now it’s a buyers market. Lots of good used detector for sale. I am partial to minelab but deus and fisher are excellent machine.

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Yep...what he said. Buyers market for sure. Have fun with it....IMHO YouTube is your friend....paired with the forums. You can get a listen on YouTube of the tones you'll be listening to for hours at a time. Pick a machine that is audibley pleasing to you.....or at least you don't hate. You'll be glad you did. Lots of choices out there.

You might look into White's machines, in your research, too. Their machines are always built well, and customer service is excellent; just like Garrett. I have no experience with any newer machines to recommend, though. Good luck!

There are many good detectors to choose from and you will find many things with any of them. A detector is only part of the success. Hunting location and perseverance is the larger part of success.

Now with that being said. there is a lot of buzz about the new equinox series detectors. The buzz is for good reason. It is an exceptional detector. It is a true multi-frequency detector giving it a wide range of hunting. It has great target separation letting you find good targets in iron infested ground. It is waterproof, light weight with blistering processing speeds. For the money, it is hard to beat.

As a side not, the ID numbers are highly accurate. The "bouncing effect" of the numbers is due to it's high definition target acquisition. If one just shortens the swing to an inch or so over the target, the ID numbers will remain very steady. If your swing is wide over the target, the detector will read other objects and /or the ground causing the ID numbers to change in a wider sequence.

The "bouncing effect" on some other detectors is instability. The detector may have trouble accurately reading the target/ground/trash at the same time giving inconsistent numbers. But the "bouncing effect" on the equinox is caused by it's accuracy. It will read the target/ground/trash with a high degree of accuracy. This will show rapid change sequence in the numbers on the ID screen. Just settle down over the target in a short swing and the ID numbers really steady up. The wider the swing, the more it reads other targets.

I have pulled some near impossible feats of coin retrieval out of the trash with the equinox. It's super fast reset lets you hear everything in detail once you learn to listen and hear what is being processed.

The tones are very good and can give a lot of info to the target and composition. The tones can have nuances that can be used to identify targets. Things like sharp short hard hitting tones or a interspersed tone from different metals in close proximity, clipped or skirted tones on the fringe of notched out targets on the discrimination scale.

It just takes time to learn the language and to pick good targets out from among a bunch of trash. But with ANY detector, it takes time to learn the details. But it doesn't take long to learn the basics.

A lot of people find theirselves in your shoes in the beginning. So many choices and they all look and sound intimidatingly complicated . Then you get a lot of people who want to throw in even more confusing information talking about speed and target separation and on and on. These are things that you will learn over time but right now you are like so many others who come here looking for advise. I was in your shoes about a year ago. I really didn't know or care about all the bells and whistles or technical lingo I just wanted to get out and find some cool stuff without having to have a PHD to do it. Those things you will learn in time and use. While like Ford and Chevy fans some are diehard to their brand of choice. I have no doubt the new equinox detectors are good ,I wouldn't know never seen one. I chose the AT pro for the simple fact that there are thousands of people who have them, they are a time proven simple to learn machine. Garrett is a Texas based company that stands behind their stuff 150% . A few friends have them as well and we can switch around and try new coils etc before we buy. Mine has worked flawlessly for me so far on dry land and wading in the lake . I've found over 60$ in clad, A small Gold Ring, A silver Ring, A nice gerber Knife, some costume jewelry and lots of dog tags and toy cars. Its fun and easy to use. Who know maybe some day I'll get to try out an equinox and may like it better. Seriously doubt it as I'm plenty happy with my ATP.