mh9162013

I've seen Tesoros go both ways. Some people willing to sell them for super cheap (like $50 for a Compadre) or pricing them like you said, as if they're magical devices (or collectible).

I agree 100% about what people are asking for for used "higher-end" Fisher and Garrett machines. I've had some success negotiating some of these sellers down, but I fail with most of them. Many of them know so little about the hobby that they can't understand why that they bought an overpriced machine to begin with. The problem with percentages is that some machines are already overpriced by the manufacturer. The F75, F70, AT Pro and AT Max are great examples. Yes, they're great machines, but not for a $500 or $600 asking price for just the detector. For example, the base street price of an AT Max with a few accessories (Carrot, wireless headphones, etc.) is $722. But based on what you can buy from other companies (like N/M and Minelab), along with the AT Max's capabilities, it should probably be priced as a package closer to $550...or so. So taking 25% or 50% off of $722 is a lot different than $600.

That makes sense!

I noticed that as well. And the "tiff" between Aquachigger and some other guy has revealed that I think Relic Recoverist may be sponsored by Minelab now...not 100% sure if this is true, but that's a rumor... "Farmwhore YouTubers..."😆

Neither have I.

Interesting. I ask because I know some people use slings to hold their detectors off the ground while they dig or pinpoint. I'm curious to learn more about how that process works and if it's something I should consider in an attempt to keep my machine cleaner and speed up the target recovery process.

Do you have some sort of sling attached to your Equinox, F350?

If JB Weld doesn't fix it, it can't be fixed... Just sayin'

A few months ago I found a chunky sterling silver ring. For a silver ring, it's pretty nice. I'll trade you if you're interested...😁

Perhaps they hope a potential buyer will confuse the old Deus with the new one? I see the occassional Deus online, but they're rare and the seller is usually asking for just a smidge under street price. I think they're uncommon (in my area, at least) b/c most casual detectorists won't buy the Deus. Most of what I see for sale as used machines are Garretts, Equinoxes and entry-level detectors from all sort of companies.

I'm always browsing online sites for used metal detectors.The next best thing to metal detecting is buying a machine you don't have for a great price, then tinkering with it and selling it later to break even or make a modest profit. However, people often ask for way too much money for their machines (except for maybe the Equinoxes). This is especially true with White's and Garrett machines. Apparently, what many people sell their machines for isn't based on what the machine is worth. Instead, it's what the seller originally bough it for. I'll see used AT Pros for $500 and used AT Maxes for $600 or more. Sometimes they have the Garrett Carrot and some other accessories that they got for free from their purchase bundle. But geez... I know this is their thinking b/c the description will say, "asking for $600, but originally paid $700+ for everything..." No honey, that's now how this works. If it was, I have a CD player from the early 2000s that cost me $120, so that means its selling price today is $90...right?

What phrunt said...

I agree, although I wonder if what has unfolded is what they expected and accounted for. Or, maybe they knew it would be an issue, just not as bad as it ended up being. It's a common practice for companies and business to deliberately release a faulty product or service knowing (or at least believing) the cost savings will outweigh the consequences. I can't stand this practice and believe it should be severely punished by the courts. At the very least, these are just metal detectors and not, you know...Boeing 737 MAX airplanes...

If I was a diver, I'd find a way to put the Equinox into a true, waterproof casing, a la SeaGhost.

If I keep my Equinox 600, when its warranty is done, I have thought about the idea of sending it off to Eastern Europe, Russia or wherever and converting it into the SeaGhost or w/e it's called.

I agree that this probably happens. But from the stories I've read, people are getting water intrusion after a light dunking or brief water incursion of only a few feet. I just watched a Youtube video from Gigmaster and he took some close up pics showing cracks in his control pod. I dont' recall how old his machine was, and I think he said the cracks were around the charging socket. He said he wondered if he was getting leaks through these cracks.

I don't see it in the manual either. The only mention of the overall waterproofness says nothing about duration underwater.

Great find and cool pics!

Just to add to what Chase already mentioned, I think another reason is the overall design of the Deus II and how, in my opinion, it doesn't look "dive rated" waterproof. There's a reason Ikelite camera housings look alien and often cost more than the cameras (and lenses!) they house. Real waterproofing is hard to reliably accomplish and requires a special level of engineering and design. Just think about how different the Sovereigns and Exacaliburs look from each other...

I agree, this is a great dialog. I prepared a longer response to your comment, but for some reason I lost it. But the biggest point I wanted to make is that I don't regualrly water hunt, but I want a machine that would allow me to, as hunting a freshwater late or river/stream is something I'd like to try. Also, I know the AT Max CAN hunt saltwater beaches, although I know it's not ideal and will have limited depth capabilities. I also don't mind hunting in heavy rains...like thick downpours that make it necessary to have a windshield wiper on the front of the detector. I have faith the AT Max can handle this. I also occassionally clean my metal detectors and I like trusting the waterpoofing enough to know I can take the control box/pod and washing it in a sink. The AT Max is a bit nose heavy with the stock coil, I'll admit. But I would remedy this with the 5x8 coil assuming I kept the AT Max and not the Equinox. Ideally, I'd have the Equinox's capabilities in the AT Max's form factor. I know, I'm probably the only person in the world that wishes for something like this...

Better waterproofing S-Shaft design Looks better...looks A LOT better The 5x8 coil (makes the detector look perfectly proportional and from what everyone says, makes it very ergonomic) Aftermarket coil selection (especially The Arrow by Detech) Simpler settings (this is a double-edged sword, of course, as fewer settings mean it's harder to "dial in" your machine for different conditions) Garrett's legendary customer service. I hear that Minelab's can be good too, but there are more negative reports about Minelab on than Garrett.

I have no doubt that Equinox, in most situations, will outperform my AT Max. The only question is by how much. But the AT Max has certain advantages over the Equinox, in my opinion. While these advantages may not matter to most people, they matter to me. And no, just "using the Equinox" won't save time. Running tests offers a more time-efficient (and still enjoyable) way to compare the Equinox to the AT max under my conditions, using my method of hunting and taking my preferences into consideration. And logistically, it's easier for me to test metal detectors than actually go hunting with them. Finally, running these tests is teaching me a lot about the Equinox. This doesn't mean results from actual hunts don't matter. But adding a series of tests to my occassional outings to go hunt (which isn't as often as I'd like) is the most efficient way for me to make a decision between the two machines.

I agree, but I think this is what's going to happen: I run my battery of tests and the only settings I mess with in the Equinox will be changing the modes (Park 1, Park 2, Field 1 and Field 2). As for the AT Max, I'll probably just mess with the modes (Zero, All Metal and Custom) and maybe the sensitivity. I have a strong feeling that the Equinox will still edge out the AT Max. Depending on how much better the Equinox does, I'll start doing some comparisons after adjusting for recovery speed, both types of Iron Bias, etc. In other words, I'll make sure I understand the Equinox more to better make adjustments with it and take full(er) advatnage of its capabilities. I just made my test garden. It's just a dime at 4-5 inches down in my highly mineralized soil. This dime is also 1 inch away from a brand new nail. I originally buried these items around 6-7 inches down, but neither the AT Max nor the Equinox could detect the dime. And only on the rare occassion, could either make ANY sort of sound on the nail (or a combination of the two targets). But after burying both items just 4-5 inches down, the AT Max could detect both targets and separate them, but gave readings b/w 11 and 99 on the dime. As for the Equinox, in both Park and Field modes, it could reliably detect the nail and dime. But when hitting the dime, the VDIs ranged from around 18 and 25. So as many of you have already said, the AT Max can often detect what the Equinox can detect, but at "depth," its VDIs are no where near as consistent or accurate as the Equinox. So in just 2 rudimentary tests today, the AT Max is already 0-2 against the Equinox.

I didn't think about the frequency weighting differences, but those could play a role, for sure. I didn't really notice a difference between Field 1 and 2, though.

I don't know for sure, but I figure the Iron Bias settings might have something to do with it; I know the recovery speeds are the same between those modes. The dime was about 2-3 inches below the nail, but still very close to it (in regards to the horizontal, not vertical, plane).