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Tasarcci MDT 8000 Vs. Minelab Equinox 800 In Dense Iron!!!


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The Equinox wouldn't be my first choice for working in iron on or near the surface, as has already been said an Orx of even a cheap GM1 would be more inline.

When detecting stubble or rolled ground etc your really only working the top 6" inches, what you miss this time around you'll get when the ground is turned over for the next years crops.

Personally i had thought of buying the Tarsacci for deep pasture detecting on hammered coins, but the Nox with 15" coil and excellent audio accuracy on low/mid conductors is hard to beat for that job.

Apparently there's a number of Tarsacci users already in the uk, but I've not seen or heard any reports.

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How deep were the targets? Oriented flat? On edge? have you tried Park 1 or any other mode? Also, I'm curious how it would react with the F2 setting at 8 or 9 in the iron.

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I agree, the audio in discrimination is pretty bad. In all metal or combined or whatever you call it, it's even worse. I'd be tone deaf in a matter of minutesif I had to use that. Of course, I don't like the Deus tones either. Sounds like my dog's squeaky toy to me.

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10 hours ago, George Kinsey said:

Honestly the MDT will not gain any advantage in low mineral ground.

This has been said by quite a few people now.


Tom D #1 “In my mineral-free dirt.... nearly an air-test!...….. The Tarsacci will acquire a 12" Nickel. . . . just barely. You can tell it's non-ferrous..... and a mid/low conductor. The EQX in my test-garden...… will detect a 15" Nickel. . . . . . just barely. You can tell it's non-ferrous ….. and a mid/low conductor. My test-garden is substantially less-than 1-bar dirt.  On the beach...…. the EQX genuinely (barely) detects a 12" Nickel on the wet-salt slope. The Tarsacci genuinely detects a 14" Nickel..... and with some authority. This is a Salt environment. The Tarsacci genuinely works better in wet-salt.  If I depart my test-garden….and I go inland hunting...… in 1-bar dirt: The EQX will acquire a 13" Nickel...…. just barely. The Tarsacci will genuinely detect a 13" Nickel..... just barely. The playing field is identical/level.  If I get into 2-bar dirt...… the Tarsacci is a clear winner...… with all..... span/range of conductor(s).  If you have extremely low minerals..... do NOT buy a Tarsacci!“ (Emphasis added)

Tom D #2 “The Tarsacci does very well in carpets of nails......and trashy areas......wearing its stock coil. . . . . . to the point of looking like: unique performance.  The Equinox does very well in carpets of nails......and trashy areas......wearing its stock coil. . . . . . to the point of looking like: unique performance.  When the small 6" coil is put on the EQX...….it indeed....can see between targets better; yet, a large amount of the wide-angle-wrap-around performance is lost.“

Tom D #3 “in my (less-than) 1-bar Florida dirt...….. the Tarsacci and the F75 LTD (with boost-process) have nearly absolutely the same depth performance on a: low-conductor Nickel...… and also a high-conductor Dime.”

Tom D #4 “the ID numbers on the Tarsacci will 'bounce' a bit more...….. by about an additional 30% over a standard VLF unit.“

Keith and Learning Curve

The bottom line is simple.... the MDT 8000 performance is highly variable depending on the ground. In very mild ground other machines can outperform it. In average ground... most ground... the MDT will run neck and neck with many popular detectors. Only in the worst ground and / or saltwater conditions are highly skilled operators seeing major benefits. And even those often not until something “clicks” as far as the unique operation of the detector.

This difference in performance according to ground conditions plus the unique tuning requirements of the MDT 8000 are a 100% guarantee of differences of opinion about the MDT 8000 and its performance. People in moderate to low mineral ground may see little or no performance advantages. Those with more severe ground may see genuine advantages, but possibly only after getting their head properly around the detector, which by many accounts is not all that easy.

Anyway, I’ve seen few machines as primed to create arguments as the MDT 8000. Two people on different ground are going to get completely different results. The machine is bound to disappoint some people, especially given the airplay it gets as being something new and magical. Others, who have situations that really benefit from the MDT way of doing things, will be happy. Just another perfect example of why getting opinions from the internet is a mixed bag.

herschbach-tarsacci-mdt-8000.jpg

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