5 Best Metal Detectors 2022

[BigSkyGuy]

As a coin/relic/jewelry hunter in an area with mostly moderate mineralization, my list would be:

1. Equinox 800

2. Tarsacci MDT 8000

3. Deeptech Vista X (have used it only a handful of times, but looks promising)

4. SeaHunter M2

5. Excal

I know, none of these were introduced in 2022, but they will be the machines I use in 2022! For higher mineralization sites with relatively low iron content I will use the MDT, high iron sites the Vista X, and for moderate mineralization moderate iron sites the Equinox. Finally, the Excal, SeaHunter and MDT for water hunting, with the choice depending on mineralization (I don't trust the Equinox in the water).

[Cal_Cobra]

On 3/9/2022 at 4:58 PM, GB_Amateur said:

I could be wrong but I think that's a site that tries to push the detectors they have a bloated inventory on.  Bounty Hunter Platinum the best coin detector?  Even if you said "best coin detector under $400" I don't think that would be many peoples' first choice.  Heck, it probably isn't First Texas's best coin detector under $400.  But I bet they have a stack of them in the back room.  Either that or they can get them really cheap.  First Texas may be wanting to unload their inventory, too, so they can discontinue this model.

Caveat emptor has never been more true than in the social media internet age.

I totally agree that "top detector" list is nonsense haha 

Isn't FTP manufacturing a JIT facility?  The current component shortages throw a wrench into the pot as well. 

Perhaps Geotech can weigh in.

[Jeff McClendon]

Top four are more intermediate to expert detectors that can challenge anyone both with their versatility and adjustability. The last two are buy far the best value for the money for the beginner or slightly experienced. CTX 3030 and XP Deus 1 at least for me are very site specific specialty detectors.

XP Deus ll

Equinox 800

Equinox 600

Nokta Makro Legend

CTX 3030

XP Deus 1

Simplex

Vanquish 440/540

[George1971]

CTX 3030

XP Deus ll

Equinox 800

Nokta Makro Legend

Equinox 600

[Tom T]

As the owner of a Equinox 800 and a Gold Monster 1000, I’d have to say they are both capable detectors, but best or better than???

 What’s that old saying???………. It’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian. 
 If I had to go head to head in a park with my old self in the early 90s using a Whites Eagle ll SL against my current self with a new to me Equinox 800, I’d have to bet on my old self. That may change as I learn this new detector.  Same with my old Goldmaster 2 and the Gold Monster but to a lesser extent because the Monster is so simple to use. I also find it amusing that all vlf gold detectors that come on the market are compared to the Gold Bug 2.

[phrunt]

Everything is compared to the Gold Bug 2 because of it's extreme sensitivity, Other detectors are trying to and almost competing with that sensitivity while using lower frequencies allowing their detectors to handle worse soil conditions and achieve more depth while also having things like auto ground tracking or at least a quick and easy ground balance.  It set the standard for sensitivity, but modern prospecting VLF detectors are better overall.  To me it seems most have moved on from the Gold Bug 2.

The modern detectors aren't compared to the Gold Bug 2 for depth especially in mineralized soils like gold areas, you never see people saying my GB2 found this at this depth I wish [NAME MODERN VLF GOLD DETECTOR HERE] was capable of doing the same.

In saying that there are situations that extreme sensitivity and high frequency makes it unrivaled.

I think this chart says it all, most modern detectors are aiming for that sweet spot zone of the GM.

I was hoping the Legend would have had a 61khz or other higher frequency available for its prospecting mode similar to their Gold Kruzer to make it more appealing than the Equinox, however they decided they'd just replicate the Nox frequencies.  On that chart above the Nox can be that basic detector with it's 20khz manual frequency, it can be that GM1000 with it's 40khz gold frequency and it can use multi-IQ to give it the benefits of multi, single frequency prospecting detectors are slowly dying being replaced my multi purpose detectors I think.  If the Legend had that 61kHz it may have been in my top 5 detectors for 2022.  I've not seen one person say the GB2 is in their top 5 detectors so far.

[GB_Amateur]

2 hours ago, phrunt said:

Everything is compared to the Gold Bug 2 because of it's extreme sensitivity,...

Didn't the fact that it took someone nearly 25 years to build a detector that exceeded it for the smallest size gold have something to do with this also?  They established a standard that everyone recognized.  Pretty sure the Minelab Gold Monster 1000 is roughly equal in performance and much easier to tune (for about the same price).  A year or two after its release the ML Equinox 800 became available and was almost as good for tiny gold as either, better for larger sized gold, and an all-purpose detector to boot, for just $100-$200 more.  (Steve H. touts the 600 model for its nugget hunting ability and it's cheaper than all of the above.)  In fact, if not for the GM1000's simplicity of operation I wonder if there would be much market for it today.  Simon, I forget.  Since you have all three (plus a White's GM24k, right?), which do you grab when you're wanting to swing an IB/VLF?

[phrunt]

Depends where I'm going, generally the Equinox is what I'd use for prospecting with a VLF, however the Garrett 24k works better in some difficult areas and very rocky areas where I'd be bumping the coil a lot, it's really hard to go past an all rounder though. The Equinox is almost as good as the 24k on gold, and better in some ways like the notching for hot rocks plus you can swing for gold in the morning and if you get too hot head out of the hotter areas and swing for coins in the afternoon, all with the one detector, you don't even need to change coils.   The Equinox with 11" coil is really good in my milder soils on deeper bigger gold though, I don't have a bigger coil for the 24k unfortunately as I'm sure it'd do well.

I think the market today for the GM1000 is due to marketing and the impression it's a "gold detector", not due to performance when compared to the Equinox.  The Simplicity would help too for the African market I'd guess as they appear to prefer switch on and go detectors although I don't know why people think the Equinox is difficult to use as a gold detector and the 24k is just as simple as the GM.

I rarely use my GM1000 or Gold Bug 2, use my Gold Bug Pro as a novelty coin detector sometimes for a change.  I could get rid all of them and not notice although I like having them in my collection.  JW often has his GB2 with him, less so now with the GPX 6000 in his stable, as he uses the GB2 for a pinpointer so he prefers the GB2.

I'm in the Gold Bug 2's ideal conditions, milder soil with smaller gold, I personally don't find it the best to use, I like it's bullet proof little coil with no knock sensitivity but the 24k has provided a solution to knock sensitivity by also having coils that don't have knock sensitivity.  Both the Nox and GM1000 have knock sensitivity, especially if you're really cranking up their sensitivity to get the most chance of the tiny gold so that's where the 24k and GB2 excel.  It's depth that I find worse on the GB2, I worry I'd miss the deeper stuff so I'd just use it as a bedrock detector rather than a detector for soil over bedrock.  I don't have to deal with the constant tuning of the ground balance on the GB2 that some others do in worse soil conditions so I'm lucky there.  My GM1000 is also quite fast to ground balance where as others report having to do 10 or 15 pumps to get it right, mine 2 or 3 normally would do it.