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Good morning all . first off thanks for the acceptance. second I am a retired guy in St.Louis area looking to take us the hobby. I did have a Whites unit or should say do have but not in my possession. I am looking to get a newer,unit and start using it in stead of loaning it out and never getting it back. I am hoping to get advise on a good, high end unit (preowned ) that I can use as a beginner and grow into as apposed to upgrading in the first year or so. Not sure this is the way to go, open to advise. Thoughts on a unit in the $400. price rangee that might work for me? Garrett AT pro? Minelab? White's?

I, like many others have a huge amount of appreciation and trust in the detecting abilities of the Equinox 600/800. My only issues with the original Noxes are its shaft system, well documented water ingress and its too compressed target ID range especially around target IDs 10 to 20. Other than that, the Equinox 600/800 really revived my VLF detecting life. I personally know other detectorists that have had the same experience. I will own at least one of those detectors for as long as they last. Nokta released the Legend back in early 2022. Lots of opinions have been expressed by people that either haven't used one or have used one very sparingly. There have been opinions about the roll-out, marketing hype, Nox cloning, the number of software upgrades (why wasn't it a finished product at release???) and the well known speaker and software update issues many people had including me. The fact is from my dig hole and my soil conditions: The Nokta Legend has at least equaled and in some aspects excelled beyond the Equinox 600/800 from my experience. That is saying a lot if you have reaped the benefits of all that the Equinox 600/800 have to offer. I am not going to talk about the Equinox 700/900 since I don't own one anymore and have moved on. As a USA coin hunter, I can't tell you how many US nickels I have recovered (stopped counting at 100 several months ago) and six gold rings that had the same target IDs as US nickels, from parks that I had pounded with the Equinox 600 and 800. The Noxes didn't miss those targets. They just reported them as having target IDs and sounding too much like a modern oval pull tab which I was tired of digging. With the Legend's expanded mid range target IDs, US nickels (and any gold rings with the same IDs) do not share target ID space with nearly as much regularly occurring aluminum trash. The Legend also does just fine on deep clad, deep silver coins and jewelry, iron trashed sites, and in the same hot ground that I often hunt on that the Nox 600/800 handle well. It has also done very well at the fresh and saltwater beaches where I have used it. If you are in the market for a waterproof SMF detector that detects at least as well with very similar audio characteristics and target ID stabilty as the Equinox 800 but doesn't leak and has a slightly more expanded target ID system in all the right places, has a good shaft system, good coil selection, good wireless capabilities that are compatible with the Equinox 800 Bluetooth gear, and also does just fine in the gold fields, from my experience after almost 1000 hours of use, the Legend is a viable and very inexpensive alternative for an out of warranty Equinox 800 that you don't want to completely wear out or dunk anymore. Just my experiences.

I've asked for detector recommendations on this forum in the past and appreciate all the previous input and advice. This forum is a true benefit to the detecting and prospecting community. So, here I am again. I'd like to focus on rivers and creeks. In addition to panning and sluice boxing, I want to scan the exposed bedrock cracks and crevices for small nuggets. I think a VLF is the way to go instead of a PI machine for this purpose. My only criteria is that it must be waterproof - not just "splash" or "rain" proof. From what I see, the only choices are the AT Gold and the Gold Kruzer. Are there others? What would you recommend? Thank you.

I bought a new Legend when it first released, but never tried the 6" coil or the last 3 firmware updates. At the time, I felt the Impact was just as good or better, so I sold the Legend. I really gel with the Impact and the menu settings for checking iffy targets. It has been really good to me and I believe Nokta hasn't discontinued the Impact yet for a reason. The All-Metal modes are pretty sweet. If it was waterproof and had the ability to switch to 40 khz I would be completely satisfied. I was having a hard time with the Legend in iron and didn't see a depth increase compared to the Impact. I even preferred using my modified Whites IDX over the Legend at the time. I know that I probably did not give the Legend enough time, but I really felt like I had a weak unit, so I parted ways with it. I want to do more water hunting and increase my gold/ring finds this year. I may eventually like to target micro jewelry, but it is not a priority. I will mainly hunt fresh water lakes with the occasional trip to a saltwater beach. My soil is mild. I know the Orx is not waterproof, but the detachable remote can be placed in a waterproof bag. I like this concept, and the hidden cord from the coil reminds me of the Impact. I have zero experience with XP or Deus products, so I'm definitely concerned. Should I try the Legend again or take a chance on the Orx? I'm obviously a fan of Nokta because of the Impact, and the Legend is already completely waterproof and capable of hitting small gold. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I would also consider other detectors that would fit my needs. However, I only want to spend about $600, and so far I have had good luck buying used detectors. Thanks in advanced.

Which machine is the best? Pretty simple, really. It’s the one that you do not hesitate to use most frequently because you know it well and tend to get the results you desire. That’s it. People should just stop splitting hairs on equipment and focus instead on learning the equipment they have and doing the research and legwork required to gain legal access to productive sites. You can do a lot worse than working on social and communication skills vs. viewing endless air tests or listening to anecdotes that have little to no real world applicability to your specific detecting objectives and primarily serve the content provider. I’ve seen this content just serve to provide more confusion and acrimony than legitimate insights, even when conducted in a controlled, scientific manner. Just too many variables out there. It may hold entertainment value for some but I’d rather just see the data and “conclusions” in written form as they generally bore me to tears. OTOH - I love to supplement my learning of a new machine with instructional videos. Nothing like seeing and hearing the machine do it’s thing and gaining tips and tricks from those who’ve taken the time to put in the hours of real swing time needed to truly learn a machine inside and out before they even post their first video. JMO

What will you buy for your Christmas/birthday present to yourself? My list has the Axiom, Manticore and ??? (900, Legend, 6000/GM, kid detector, ...) I can use a detector at the beach much easier than in a goldfield but I really, really like finding nuggets. haha

The video is from Loren Lemcke. I appreciate his logic and objectivity. If you don't want to watch the video, Loren explains bias and poor scientific methodology when it comes to many of these detector comparison videos and tests. He also concludes that when it comes to raw performance, all the detectors listed are about the same. He bases it on physics, reverse engineering, and a lot of "in the wild" target comparisons with these detectors.

From what we know thus far---which detector is the best (Legend or E900) for relic, gold (nugget) & coin hunting (in mineralized ground)?------Opinions?

I have been interested in metal detecting for as long as I can remember. I’m 61 years old and retired. I’m going to purchase my first detector. I’m looking at the Equinox 800, 900 or Manticore. Being a beginner, I’m looking for some guidance in my purchase. I read a lot and watch the videos, but have never been out metal detecting. We are planning to move out of Alaska and look to do some traveling around the USA. Wintering in Arizona is our current plan. I appreciate any beneficial feedback. I plan to quit being a lurker here and probably be asking a lot of questions. I’ll try not be a pest. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.

Greetings Everyone, I would like to get into the hobby and the boss has generously allowed me a budget of $500 for ALL my gear. This would mean headphones, pin-pointer, trowel, and anything you all can think of. I am looking at the Garrett Ace Apex and also the Nokta Makro Simplex as my first detector. If you all can think of another model I may have overlooked please chime in. I mostly have been looking through YouTube videos to have narrowed it down to these two. Eventually I would like to own the CTX 3030 or the XP Deus/Deus II. I am not going to do any beach detecting, just yards and sides of roads, ranch land and parks. I would like to detect rings/coins. P.S. I am complete Novice, I have never detected before and so would like a detector I can grow into but not grow out of anytime soon, hence my budget. Something in the mid-range would suit me fine, right?

So like the topic goes....if you use one machine for the most part and have a backup unit....which one do you use and why??? Curious at what older machines may pop up.

Surprising Detector Rating: Rank 1: Nokta Makro Legend Rank 2: XP Deus 2 Rank 3: Minelab Equinox 600 & 800 Rank 4: Nokta Makro Simplex Rank 5: Minelab Vanquish Series Rank 6: Minelab E-Trac Rank 7: XP Deus Rank N/A: Whites Beach Hunter 300 Rank 8: Nokta Makro Anfibio Multi Rank 9: Garrett Ace Apex Rank 10: Minelab CTX 3030 Source: https://www.iratemetaldetectors.com

Hello! Like an idiot I went and bought The Garret AT Max! I had to the pro some time ago but an accident happened and I had to sell it! At the time Garret AT (pro gold and Max) were some the best I could afford The Deus was out of my price range and still is! But after watching all the new videos on the new technology multi frequency Im planning on getting a new one! It seems the Nokta legend is almost as good or better(build quality from what I hear any ways)) So what one would you suggest and why? I thank you all for your advice and help! I plan on hitting it hard this summer at some ghost towns and other areas!

I am curious as to which machine you prefer for inland gold jewelry hunting and why. Always like learning about other peoples machines and methods. Thank you.

Hello. I had the idea to start this poll because I did own a lot of detectors from different manufacturers myself. Some things differ between the models, but some things are equal, depending to the brand. To me White's is my absolute top favorite. I like the tones, displays, the balance of the detectors and how easy they are to master and to have fun and success in the field. It is not only depth, it is also the amount and quality of finds and how much fun the hunt was. If I let all my hunts pass in review... White's is the winner. Only very few problems and Top Notch service. Oh, did I mention the fun?

Have you ever seen these kinds of lists on YouTube, Google etc, and wondered where they got the idea to include certain detectors in the list, how in the world they ordered it the way they did, and if they’ve ever even metal detected before? So I’m wondering what actual detectorists would say are the best 5 currently manufactured hobby metal detectors out there right now and maybe why. I’ll start: 1. XP Deus 2 2. Minelab Equinox 800 3. Minelab CTX-3030 4. XP Deus 5. Nokta Makro Simplex For #1 some pretty credible people are claiming the Deus 2 is a move forward in the industry. I don’t usually buy brand new detectors, particularly for $1600, but I am now. The Equinox has proven itself as a proper do it all machine. The CTX-3030 is the best discriminator currently offered. Until more is known the Original XP Deus is king of iron infested sites. Finally, The Simplex is the best price to performance ratio on the market. I’m sure that the Legend is going to figure somewhere on many leaderboards, I just haven’t seen enough of it yet to decide where it might fit. My eyes are certainly on it though. The idea is not to debate or argue over anyones choices, but just to see what models are consistently popping up and how they differ from some of the pseudo lists we see from year to year from “mainstream” sources.

Hello all, I recently saw someone state that they didn't fully understand why they sometimes get the urge to buy a certain detector! And for one reason or another, fail to pull the trigger, or asking the question of why not! I, like many here, have questioned why i would want to purchase; and have purchased, what would "technically" be an "inferior" detector! If there is such a thing; they all find stuff!! I think the reason's are as numerous as one can imagine! So i won't bore everyone with what i think their reasons are! I can only speak for myself! Probably my number one driving factor are places like this forum, and other sources for research! Once you really start to get the "bug" for detecting, you begin to understand that it can go beyond just finding treasures! In fact, my reading, and quest for information, far exceeds my actual detecting hours! Of course, there are also "real life" reasons that prevent me from getting out there as often as i would like! But instead of that being a negative; and me being bitter about it! I funnel that energy into trying to soak up more knowledge to make my actual detecting hours more productive! Many here will understand this! So, for those thay are unclear what that has to do with buying older, or less advanced detectors, i will explain! Like many, i detected a few years when i was young! Stopped for a career, and family; among other reasons! And got back to it, a few years before my retirement five years ago! Not being involved for all those years, i went with a new detector; among others i researched at the time! Now fast forward to today! I'm much more knowledgeable than seven years ago; detecting and theory wise, but have barely scratched the surface! I own several detectors for various functions! Some overlapping each other a bit in operation! A few others are just for fun, or for something i feel i missed, in my absent years! Other's were too good a deal to pass up! And I could get a good return for, if i chose to! So, to summarize! In my opinion, the longer your in it, the wider range of technology, legends, varations, etc... you are likely to buy, and try, for no very practical reason! Cost not withstanding; as you advance in this hobby! Or as some jokingly refer to it as a "sickness ", or "obsession "! 🤩 👍👍

Hi all. I've been detecting for two years, this actually being the start of my third season. Started with (and still have) a Fisher F44. I liked it just fine, but mere weeks later I started seeing and reading the hype around the Equinox 800, so I ordered one (took three months to get it because they were still scarce at the time). Since I got the Nox the F44 hasn't left home. I have probably 150 hours in on the Nox and I am getting to know it more and more every time out, and I am impressed with its capabilities compared to my only other experience, the F44. Due to life circumstances and annoying loved ones, I didn't get to hunt as much last summer as I'd have liked, but I am hitting it much harder this year and intend that to continue. My problem is, I'm always in favor of having more options. I have about 20 fishing rods when three or four would do (and since I started metal detecting, fishing has gone by the wayside). I have two chain saws when one would do. I have about 15 crescent wrenches when three would be plenty. (Some of them are dramatic black in color, some of them have a rubber hand grip - ooooh!) That's just how I'm wired. My mind keeps wandering to the idea of upgrading from the Nox and getting another detector, for variety in my detecting experience and expanding my experience in the hobby if nothing else, and I want anything I buy to be an upgrade, not a lateral move. More depth, better target ID, more bells and whistles (I love tech and "tinkering and tweaking"), a 3-D color rendering of the object being detected, a blonde in a neon pink bikini included with purchase to hold my "digging tool". You know, an upgrade. 🙂 I've done lots of reading and everything leads me to the idea that I can't really do better than the Nox unless I get into the $4-5000 range, which is too rich for my blood. I have the budget for a CTX 3030 and have almost pulled the trigger on one a couple of times, but that doesn't seem like that much of an upgrade. Possibly better or more precise target ID in most conditions, and a wider array of settings and things to play with. The Deus sounds like a nice machine, but comparisons say the Nox is pretty much its equal and it seems like a Deus would be a lateral move. I detect in parks, woods, yards, old home sites, playgrounds, fields that show old building sites on maps, and I'm not really interested in getting wet at all. I live in Wisconsin, so salt water isn't a concern. I'm hunting for pretty much anything I find that's interesting to me. Coins (I'm still new enough to detecting that a half-dozen clad pennies is a good day to me), relics, jewelry, an old Coca-cola can, or anything that 'trips my trigger' when it comes out of the ground. Can tabs don't trip my trigger, even if they are 45 years old and still shiny. You guys on this forum have so much experience and knowledge that it makes my jaw drop quite often, so I'm asking for advice. I'm not worthy of shining most of your shoes, so I throw myself on your mercy and wisdom. Should I just stay with my Nox, put a few hundred more hours on it and be satisfied with my first-world problems? Maybe wait a year or two or five and see what earth-shattering new stuff may come out? Or is there a machine out there now that would satisfy my wanderlust for a few years and be an upgrade to the Nox, but not go much beyond that CTX price tag? If I do buy something as pricey as a CTX, that would be the last investment I would want to make for at least five or so years, so might it be better to hold off for now due to any new, awesome technology on the near horizon? Thanks for reading and thanks for any advice you can give, I really appreciate your time.

I already have a V440, GF 66 and a GM1000. I am getting too old to be digging all day and would rather walk in preference to digging. Thus I prefer sites where it is lesser known so it has not been worked to death. I don't dig beyond 6in and work on the principle that the old timers the old have missed the eluvial and alluvial that was lying just below the surface. Also the fact that not many have hunted there. Anyway that's my rationale for gentlemenly prospecting. After waffled on above what are your thoughts on the best detector that will find gold larger than 1 gm down to 6ins ie not interested in the tiny pieces .Also can find coins etc if possible. I am not interested in 2300,7000 etc as they are well outside my price range. If you have any suggestions I would appreciate it thanks.

I'm starting up detecting again so I'm looking for opinions on a new machine. Money is an issue, but I know a descent machine will cost a little bit. So far I'm leaning towards a Fisher F22 or one of the Garret models. By all means, give me opinions on not just those mentioned, but any that would be good for someone not too far above beginner (have to learn everything again).

Hello all, My name is Ron and I'm new to the forum and have been learning a lot from it's members and really appreciate all the time everyone puts into this forum, some really great information comes from this forum. I'm in the market for an upgrade from my current detectors and am trying to decide on which would be the best detector for the worst case scenario as I have currently been detecting in the Siskiyou's serpentine gold belt (pretty much to hot for VLF's) and this gold belt also contains a very large amount of trash. The Equinox 800, Gold Bug 2, Garrett AT Gold have not been able to handle the mineralization of this ground very well. I have not tried any other VLF’s here though. I usually rely on my Minelab Pulse Induction unit in this ground and use the iron disc. to save probably 75% of my time from digging unnecessary holes. I'm still interested in owing a top of the line VLF due to I detect mine dumps in the backcountry of Idaho, Nevada, and eastern Oregon where the trash is less abundant and the ground is not so mineralized even though it is usually steep and rugged (great VLF areas). After reading several posts on this forum I have narrowed my research of VLF metal detectors to the Equinox 800, Gold Monster, X-tera 705 Gold Pack, Nokta/Makro Gold Kruzer or AU Gold Finder, White's 24K or MXT, or a second back-up Gold Bug 2. I am really looking for the machine that can handle the hottest ground and has the sharpest sound on small and deep gold. Although no detector is a do it all machine I'm hoping the one that can handle the hot ground the best should be able to excel with better iron/disc. and target separation regardless of it being a multi-purpose detector or gold only detector, my assumption only. Does the frequency of detectors change their ability to handle hot ground like Australia. Has anyone tried these detectors in highly minenalized ground with any good results? For Pulse Induction I'm narrowing my research to the GPX 6000 and/or GPZ 7000 both non disc. units for a great option for Idaho, eastern Oregon, and Nevada were there is less lead and iron trash present. For these Siskiyou's trash sites I'm looking at the GP/GPX series with iron/disc. Garrett ATX, Fisher Impulse Gold (has anyone been able to separate out lead and iron trash with the Fisher limited AQ Impulse version and still find small and deep gold)? Has anyone got a good grasp on these machines being affective in iron and lead infested areas? Thank You for your time. Ron

I'm looking to buy my first detector this year, specifically for nugget hunting. After lots of research I'm leaning towards the SDC 2300, but wanted to see if you have other suggestions based on my terrain/conditions. We don't have much public land for detecting because the national forests and state parks don't allow it. But I have access to a private 10 acre property with a creek flowing through it. There was allegedly an old gold mine that was buried decades ago in a neighbouring property, so hopefully it is a good place to work. The ground is covered in lots of organic matter sitting on top of soil heavy in granite and red clay. The creek contains a wide variety of minerals specimens and a good amount of magnetite. So it looks like I'll need to focus on PI machines. Here are my main questions. Will my time be better spent in the creek where the gravels and rocks are exposed, or should I also focus efforts in the higher areas covered in humus? Should I wait for the Fisher Impulse Gold to come out (and prove itself with users) before dropping a few grand on older technology? Does anyone recommend the Garret ATX or any other detector over the SDC 2300 for the area and conditions I'm dealing with?

Hello everyone! My name is Jesse, and I dig trash on the beaches of Santa Cruz, California with my White's TDI BeachHunter. Tent Stakes, Bottle caps, clad, you name it. Occasional gold (around an ounce in the last year), but wayyyyy too much garbage for the time spent out there. No, more like the right amount of garbage dug on a trashy beach with a PI with no discrimination settings LOL. I love this machine. It's stable, reliable, punches very deep, and was a great first "real" detector. The weight sucks (though it can be hip mounted, but I found myself getting tangled in the wired in that configuration), and the shaft sucks too. I have saved some money, and am planning to shoot for the moon. I want the best beach detector out there, VLF, PI, or otherwise, that will help me dig 99% less garbage, and still punch deep and be fun to swing. So far, considering a CTX 3030 or Equinox 800. Big coil for either. Reading the forum for a few months, following developments, it seems that the metal detector market moves about as slowly as the "games in development" market. I may be outing myself as a Zoomer here but waiting for these new machines really brings me back to waiting for games to go from beta to 1.0. Anyways I'll be in possession of my next detector for the foreseeable future, and am having a hard time deciding what choice to make. Do I get the 9 year old, 50 lb dinosaur with *slightly better VDI depth on higher conductors that costs almost double what a proper Nox setup would cost (with accessories), or do I get the Nox? Which feels just past its prime, with direct replacements probably coming out soon? Do I wait for these detectors that exist only in the imagination? The new fisher PI, possible CTX replacement? I have a nice pile of coin after selling some finds and other detectors and would really like to make this purchase count, any input is appreciated!:) -TENT SPIKE DIGGER

I'm looking to get a dedicated machine just for hunting gold chains and earrings on some fresh water beach sites while the lake level is down drastically. I'm thinking maybe a Gold monster 1000 or perhaps a GB2. I like the idea of having 2 coils with the Minelab and the Auto ground balance, any suggestions????

We all have different styles of gold nugget shooting and across this globe are so many varying terrains to chase nuggets. Our skills and years at it vary and on this fine forum, it could just as easily be the eager beaver newer member who's grateful for their 1 and only nugget, as it could be a salty savvy veteran with a lifetime of Thankful gold finds. And yet many of us have a certain detector that meant so much to our pursuit of heavy metal. What model of gold detector are you most thankful for and why? For me, it's the Fisher Gold Bug-2 as it was the 1st gold detector we (detector & I) became 1. It was the machine that kept gold coming in and eventually lead me to the Pulse Induction powers/depths beyond. It's not my favorite to swing today (not even top 3), but I have to give credit when due and the GB-2 is the gold detector I am most thankful for. I look forward to hearing your Thankful gold detector comments.