Equinox 900 Vs Garrett 24k On Gold

[Lynk]

Given the improvements in target separation in the 900 and the already proven Equinox ability on small gold, what are the reasons to own a 24k over a 900 for purely nugget hunting? The 24k has an edge on price, but when you include an extra coil and wireless headset that gap is pretty much closed.  There are the obvious differences such as frequency, ability to configure the machine, waterproofing, etc, but when the machines are out in the field with all this thrown in a blender is there still a reason to go with the less featured 24k? Is the 24k performing better in more soil types? Do people see more depth given similar coil sizes?

Thanks in advance for all your thoughts.

[Jeff McClendon]

I don't know anybody that currently owns or has extensively used both the 900 and 24K except for Gerry (Gerry's Detectors) and his assistants.

I used to own a Whites and Garrett 24K. I do own the Equinox 800 and 900. So any comparison I make would be anecdotal and based on records that I keep from testing.

I have not been able to do any prospecting yet with my 900. I have taken an 800 and 24K to several sites where I had to turn down the sensitivity to lower than half of maximum on the 24K in order for it to stop overloading due to very high magnetite mineralization. I have never had to do that with the 800 yet. I can usually run it at least at 20 of 25 with no issues.

Also, I am not just a small gold nugget prospector. So having a dedicated single frequency gold prospecting VLF is not necessary for me. I prefer to have more versatile detectors that also do really well gold prospecting when needed.

If I was just using a VLF for gold prospecting, single frequency is all I needed, I didn't need waterproofing and I wanted the best detector for my dollar, I wouldn't hesitate to buy the 24K.

[Steve Herschbach]

I've probably used both more than anyone Jeff!! OK, I admit we are talking 900 but sorry, I don't think that's much different than an 800 when it comes to gold. At least I have not been able to convince myself that getting a 900 would make enough difference in that regard that I'm just sticking with the 800.

They are just two different tools in my toolbox and which one I grab depends on the job. The 24K is slightly more sensitive to the tiniest gold, and it's coils are generally more knock resistant to while using the scrubbing techniques often employed to find those small nuggets. The Nox on the other hand can effectively employ larger coils and more sophisticated discrimination capability. I own both and if I was in a situation tomorrow where I was after tiny nuggets or finely dispersed specimen gold I would grab the 24K and 6" concentric coil. If I was going to search tailing piles full of junk for larger gold I would grab the Equinox with 12" x 15" coil. From an overall usefulness perspective if I had to keep just one it would be the Equinox, but so far I keep the 24K around also as it does have its place. The 24K is also more straightforward in what it does and so if I am going to use a PI, which is usually the case, chances are I'd be tossing the 24K in as a backup unit rather than the Equinox, but it's a pretty close call on that. Again it would depend on the exact situation.

I do think that people used to older VLF nugget detectors would take more easily to the 24K. It's just another nugget detector. The Equinox requires new modes of thinking and is totally different in how it is used to hunt gold. I guess the simple answer is if you just want a nugget detector, that's what the 24K is. The Equinox is a superb do-it-all machine for people that also want coin, releic, and jewelry capability, all in one machine. But those extras might get in the way of some people who just want to hunt gold nuggets.

[phrunt]

For me it's all about hot rocks, the 24k simply handles them better than my Nox 800, well that is many of the hot rocks around this area.  While not perfect it handles a lot of hot rocks better than the Nox does, I end up just notching them out with the Nox, but the numbers vary so much I'm notching all over the place in turn possibly missing some gold but you just have to as the detector becomes wildly annoying to use in some locations.    With the Nox 900 not likely to be much different than the 800 in this regard I would end up using the 24k more.

If the 900 has improved hot rock handling, I will be desperately wanting one as I really like using the Nox with all it's features for prospecting on the occasions a VLF is beneficial.

[Steve Herschbach]

13 minutes ago, phrunt said:

For me it's all about hot rocks, the 24k simply handles them better than my Nox 800, well that is many of the hot rocks around this area.  While not perfect it handles a lot of hot rocks better than the Nox does, I end up just notching them out with the Nox, but the numbers vary so much I'm notching all over the place in turn possibly missing some gold but you just have to as the detector becomes wildly annoying to use in some locations.    With the Nox 900 not likely to be much different than the 800 in this regard I would end up using the 24k more.

If the 900 has improved hot rock handling, I will be desperately wanting one as I really like using the Nox with all it's features for prospecting on the occasions a VLF is beneficial.

Good point Simon, and in general I agree. Lots of hot rocks in my area at least come in on the Nox at around 13, which is about where nickels hit, but more disturbingly, where 1/4 oz nugget would read. In tiny gold areas you can just notch them out, but in larger gold areas it could cost a larger nugget. Some of this will just depend where a person is at and the ground they are encountering.