Jump to content

Why Choose Multi Kruzer Over Nox?


Recommended Posts


Well, a person might prefer how the Multi Kruzer feels on their arm, the menu layout, or how the audio sounds compared to the Equinox. These are strictly personal preference things but they do matter to people. Some people just hate Minelab. May not make sense but it is real.

From my perspective the only real functional difference I can point out is the Kruzer having a superior coil selection, one that includes a concentric coil. Some people really like concentric coils and so that alone could be a factor.

I personally have the Equinox. I do hunt saltwater beaches at least a little every year, and there is no way any single frequency detector is going to match multifrequency for saltwater use. That one factor alone is what makes the decision for me. If I had to choose something else to replace the Equinox however the Multi Kruzer would be it. I like the look of the new Deus X35 setup but ultimately I do prefer a waterproof detector and detectors with affordable accessory coils so for me the Multi Kruzer would be the better option compared to the Deus X35.

I have to admit that having the Equinox now has brought calm to my detector life. I still look at other new models when they appear, but for once feel content that I have all I need when it comes to one detector that can do everything well.

makro-multi-kruzer-vs-minelab-equinox.jpg
Makro Multi Kruzer and Minelab Equinox metal detectors

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have several Equinox rod assemblies, and only the last one exhibited a looseness that might cause a twisting action, but in actual use it has not been twisting any more than the others. It does appear to me that it is an issue that slipped in at the part sourcing / manufacturing level and so could not be caught at the prototyping stage. I would ask Minelab to replace the rod for you since it is a known problem.

I have not used the Multi Kruzer but do have a Gold Kruzer. I can't say I have a preference for either straight rods or S rods. I have used both types and been just fine. I have also had examples of both types that I did not like. The hand grip makes more difference to me, since I do not have large hands. I prefer a smaller grip, with the Fisher F75 defining what my hand thinks is perfection. I also like the grip on the Kruzer more than the Equinox for the same reason. The Equinox grip is just ever so slightly larger in diameter than my hand likes. I have gotten used to it with time however.

From an operational perspective the Kruzer models have more of what I think of as a traditional threshold based all metal mode. The Gold Mode on the Equinox is not quite the same thing - more like a digital disc mode simulating an all metal mode. The difference is subtle but I am sure anyone used to running in a true threshold based all metal mode (nugget hunters in particular) would notice the difference.

One thing I am learning is just how resistant many detectorists are to learning new tricks. I have quite a bit of faith in the prospecting capability of the Equinox, but have been purposefully staying relatively quiet on the subject. Why? Because of the difference in how the Equinox works and acts in Gold Mode as opposed to what most people would expect when running an "all metal" mode. The Gold Kruzer and I am sure the other Kruzer models in all metal mode feel and behave very much like a Gold Bug 2 or Gold Bug Pro (and numerous other prospecting machines) in all metal mode. The difference is mostly heard/felt as the way the threshold connects with both a target and the ground when ramping up and down. The Kruzer models have the standard smooth connection between threshold, ground, and target, with a equally distributed ramp up and down in the threshold. With the Equinox it is almost all on the ramp down side with very little ramping up in the signal. Again, the effect can be subtle, but is more easily heard at low recovery speeds.

Still, having said all that, I have ditched all my other VLF nugget machines in favor of the Equinox. I do believe in leveraging new technology to my advantage as quickly as possible, and I am absolutely convinced that Multi-IQ outperforms single frequency on almost every level. Ironically my main use for single frequencies is to mellow the Equinox out and make it less reactive in bad ground. There honesty is just nothing for me to learn any more regarding typical single frequency all metal modes, and so I am finding some pleasure in discovering just what Multi-IQ can and can't do for me.

Sorry for the long dissertation on all metal performance. Many people would not care about that, but it is an area where Equinox and Kruzer part ways. Anyone wanting that good old threshold based all metal mode will be at home with the Kruzer models. The Equinox Gold Mode is a mode that has no real parallel on any other detector and is more for somebody ready to try something new in the way of "all metal" modes.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started out with the straight shaft BFO then a Whites 6000D from long ago. And I don't have a preference in shaft design either. My hands like a small grip like a Tesoro as I have to keep the shaft short to keep weight off my shoulder. I usually just let the detector rest in my relaxed palm and I don't cover much ground with a swing. I'm not in a rush to find anything anyway. I sold all my other machines and currently have an old Silver uMax with a pinpoint button, a Bandito and a TDI sl special edition that's still in the box. Oh and the 800. I'm using the 800 now since it finds good stuff in trash more reliable. I generally hunt with small coils because they are light and separate well.  The Kruser was just a thought of mine but it has no real advantage over the 800 for me anyway. It's like another knife or firearm I'll never use. I'd love to put the 800 pod and coil on a Deus shaft but it's an expense that has no reason other than it's infinitely adjustable and light. I'll be very happy with a good lower rod and a 6" coil for the foreseeable future. Thanks for the thoughts on the machines. I have learned over the years to consider others opinions over my own this way I can better my ultimate decisions. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't own a Kruzer of any kind, and I don't have an impact, although I've had an opportunity to use it and I do have an Equinox 800. The Impact was an extremely deep machine in the little time I had with it. I don't have a problem with the Equinox depth, but if I had to bet, I think there are circumstances where the Impact or Multi-Kruzer would best the Equinox for flat out depth. Not target ID to depth ratio, but flat out until you just barely get a tone type depth. That does matter to some guys. Many guys in fact, until they begin digging all that way only to find that trash hides pretty deep too. Still there are days where I myself will commit that I'm going to dig a certain number of targets as deep as I can reach. I have my dig everything days as well. Some of the other arguments I have seen guys make are that the Kruzer has a better build, a better IP rating, and as Steve pointed out, a wider coil selection for now. A concentric coil is a strong preference for me in milder ground coin shooting, which is one reason I continue to hold onto and use my V3i, and may eventually get a DFX. The DFX especially has a very wide and large coil selection, some offerings from 18"-21". So I can see why someone would choose a Kruzer, but I wouldn't. In the end, the Equinox offers much more, and if you're like me, if you wanted both you can certainly find ways to own them both. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have both the Equinox and Multi Kruzer.  

I initially bought the Multi Kruzer just because that's how I tend to be with new machines.  There are very few people that I pay close attention to on detector reviews.  So most of the time I will just buy and test for myself.  I initially did not like the MK...I tested it exclusively against the Equinox and in every scenario I put them through, the Equinox was the better unit. So I sold the MK.

A month or two later, the guy I sold it to tells me he is getting out of detecting and asks if I know anybody that might be interested in the MK that I sold him. He had since bought the 7 inch concentric coil, the waterproof headphones, and a waterproof power pack for it. He said he'd sell it all to me for $400.  Heck I couldn't turn that down for a waterproof machine...if nothing else, it could be a backup to the Nox in case it flooded out on me and for people to use if I ever have someone come tag along with me that doesn't have a detector.

So since having it back and getting to play some in the water with it, and having the 7 inch coil that people are raving about....I have came to a somewhat final conclusion about the two.

The Equinox is still my primary unit.  I hunt coins, jewelry, and Civil War relics, on land and in water.  Performance wise, the Equinox goes deeper for me.  I like its audio/tones better. It is the first machine I reach for.

The Kruzer does have a few things that stand out about it though that, at least in my opinion, is better than the Equinox. The control housing is built much much better.  They put a lot of thought into how it is designed.  The menu navigation is EASIER on the Kruzer as well.  There is no scrolling thru the menu to get to changes.  The coil selection is already better for the Kruzer too, and it was announced and rolled out AFTER the Equinox.  In the water, I really like that 7 inch coil but do wish they had a 9 inch round option. Neither Minelab nor Makro have that size available. I feel for freshwater JEWELRY hunting, a 9 inch coil would be about perfect.  However the 7 inch works much better for me than the stock Kruzer coil IN WATER.  The 11 inch Minelab coil is a bit too large for my liking in the water and I haven't been able to get my hands on a 6 inch coil yet.  My fear is that the Equinox will go the way of the CTX, and only have 3 Minelab coils available, and then CoilTek will be the only one to do any others for it...which will be over priced oddball sizes that no one wants.  

--------------

The Multi Kruzer is not a bad choice.  In fact as of this writing, for the Equinox and Minelab haters, it's probably their best newer option for competition against the Equinox.  They are hinting towards something big to be revealed in Sept at Detectival though.  In some ways I would take what they (people on other forums) report with a grain of salt.  Some have a huge agenda and strong animosity against the Equinox and are liable to claim/say anything.  

If I could only have just one machine it would be the Equinox hands down.  

BUT...IF I were a WATER relic hunter that liked chasing big iron....such as guns, artillery shells, etc.  I would have to pick the Kruzer over the Equinox for that.  I feel it gives a better audio profile for sizing targets and would give more audio intel for iron objects.  I have tried this water hunting for relics stuff and it is exhausting if you don't have the correct machine. Water ways have been human dumping grounds for centuries...there's more junk in creek and river beds than probably the city dump.  

-----------

I don't hunt ghost towns or sites like that.  There is something those guys like about the concentric coils over DD coils that do it though and that's another tick mark on the Kruzer side.  I have played a lot with the 7 inch concentric coil on the MK and while I don't find it to be deep...I do like it in around places where home sites have been torn down...ESPECIALLY sites with tin roof or cans.  But to be honest, in testing the Nox and Kruzer in these sites, I haven't found the 11 inch coil to hinder the Nox much.  I've not found any masked targets that only the Kruzer with 7 inch coil could see...if that makes any sense.  Which really has me curious as to how the Nox does handle with a smaller coil on it.  

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

At an even better price point than the Nox, and with pretty much the same feature set, the Kruzer has a lot going for it.  The availability of reasonably-priced coils is a big plus--I wish Minelab would pay attention, but it probably won't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will revisit this thread in the coming weeks.  I was doing a comparison video myself between the two, in different areas....coins, relics, and freshwater jewelry hunting.  I had an older Pentax W90 waterproof camera that I was doing the videoing with but it died on me. It could only do 720p quality video.  I bought a newer camera that goes 1080p at 30 and 60 fps...and the video quality is amazing.  I decided I would redo the video stuff with the new camera since the older camera footage and sound looks and sounds like crap compared to the new camera.  I want people to be able to hear the sounds and see the differences. You'll be able to see why the Nox is my pick.  

I think the better comparison for the Multi Kruzer is the AT Max...just my opinion. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...