Minelab Equinox 900 Or Manticore For Prospecting

[Gerry in Idaho]

Well Minelab pulled one on me and probably the rest of the world yesterday and released 2 new detectors.  With the Manticore starting to move and now we have an updated and more featured Equinox 900, I have questions.  Which of the 2 will be best for Nugget Detecting = Prospecting?

Many of us know the EQ-800 is by far the best VLF gold detector out there.  So to get the few quirks taken care of and then add some features, you/I would think the new EQ-900 is the way to go, or is it?  The Manticore claims to have 50% more power and better ID system as well.  But only having 1 true Prospecting Mode, makes me wonder?

Yes, only time will tell as we get them in the fields, but in reality I'm a little confused.

Do we go with the proven or totally new?

How about you?

[jasong]

That's the question I have too. Hoping someone with some experience can provide a good answer once they start shipping.

Since we now know there is no new GPZ being released, I'm going to get either a 900 or a Manticore after I sell my house. I want a new toy to play with in AZ this winter. I'm so far behind on VLF tech, acronyms, and everything else that I'm hoping someone else can fill in the blanks.  It's probably time I start updating myself and learning though I guess.

[Gerry in Idaho]

1 minute ago, jasong said:

That's the question I have too. Hoping someone with some experience can provide a good answer once they start shipping.

Since we now know there is no new GPZ being released, I'm going to get either a 900 or a Manticore after I sell my house. I want a new toy to play with in AZ this winter. I'm so far behind on VLF tech, acronyms, and everything else that I'm hoping someone else can fill in the blanks.  It's probably time I start updating myself and learning though I guess.

Learning new detectors is part of the fun.  Sure it takes time away from hunting with what you know, but quite often, the new technology is better.  Example is the Equinox 800.  I was not totally on board when Engineering said it was a good gold detector.  When my staff/I flew in for the class and we talked with the Engineers, we were provided more details.  After the class ended, I had a staff member hang around for a day and spent time in the field with the Engineer.

Eventually after hours of use/comparing and testing, we started seeing results.  As my team put in more hours and playing with the options to get even better results, we realized the machine is way more capable that 1st impression.  Now the NOX 800 is #1 VLF Gold Detector in our books.  

Well now, could change to an EQ-900 or Manticore.  I'm happy and excited to start playing with them and as soon as I can get those detectors in my different staffs hands, they'll start providing their experiences in the different regions and soils we hunt for the varieties of gold we like to collect.

I'm not expecting a lot of real field use as most of my staff is shut down for the winter.  South I must go.

 

[Cascade Steven]

Gerry:  I too need to update my knowledge on detectors and thus have a question about VLF units.  You mentioned that from your perspective that the 800 is the best VLF detector.  Do you know of or do you have any information on an objective comparison of strengths and weaknesses of the 800 compared to the Goldmaster 24k (Garrett)? Just an educational question on my part. Thanks.

[phrunt]

I'm just waiting to get my mitts on the Manticore then I'll see how it goes for prospecting.  I know it would be at least as good as an Equinox that's a given.  The Gold 1 and Gold 2 modes on the Nox were just presets with different settings that you could just as easy make gold 1 into gold 2 so it really doesn't matter the Manticore only has one gold mode.

If the 50% more power to the coil even provides 5% more performance then it's a win in my book.  The Nox 900 would be a great choice for someone that doesn't own an Equinox already, I can't justify buying it when I already have a Nox 800, then I'd have a spare 6" and 11" coil seeing it comes with both in it's package.  I've upgraded my Nox with a carbon shaft, better arm cuff etc making it into something similar to the Nox 900 already.  While the new features are cool I don't think a vibrating handle, red backlight or led torch will improve the Nox 900 finding gold. 

Either way, both the new Nox 900 and the Manticore will be fantastic gold detectors I'm sure, at least as good as an Equinox 800, more than likely better.

 

[Gerry in Idaho]

23 minutes ago, Cascade Steven said:

Gerry:  I too need to update my knowledge on detectors and thus have a question about VLF units.  You mentioned that from your perspective that the 800 is the best VLF detector.  Do you know of or do you have any information on an objective comparison of strengths and weaknesses of the 800 compared to the Goldmaster 24k (Garrett)? Just an educational question on my part. Thanks.

I have the 24K and was a Field Tester, when it was White's.  24K is a great VLF gold detector and actually for a Gold Only design (advertising), I'll take it over any other VLF Gold Only Detector.  It has the features I like.

Now when you compare it to the NOX 800, there is more to the Equinox and it's features/capabilities and ID system.  I've posted it on here before and I think Steve H did as well.  You might have to do some digging, but it has been said.

Don't think I'm trying to down talk the 24K, it's a fantastic VLF Gold Only detector, especially when you compare it's price point to the NOX-800.

[Steve Herschbach]

Seems to me the Manticore was aimed primarily at replacing the E-Trac in the $1599 price slot, while addressing various concerns expressed about Equinox when it comes to finding silver coins. The modes are focused more towards hunting silver than anything else. A new standard for park hunting?

Equinox 900 coming with a 6" coil, now that's a package made for nugget detecting, more aimed at gold prospecting, at a lower price.

[Steve Herschbach]

On 12/2/2022 at 9:43 AM, Cascade Steven said:

Gerry:  I too need to update my knowledge on detectors and thus have a question about VLF units.  You mentioned that from your perspective that the 800 is the best VLF detector.  Do you know of or do you have any information on an objective comparison of strengths and weaknesses of the 800 compared to the Goldmaster 24k (Garrett)? Just an educational question on my part. Thanks.

I have used both extensively. The 24K is a bit more sensitive to tiny gold, with coils better designed for the task. The Nox suffers from some coil knock in some ground at high sensitivity levels, though mostly with the 11" coil, not smaller coils. The 24K is a real scrubber, again giving it a tiny gold advantage.

But, the Nox will hit larger gold deeper, especially if you leverage the 15 x 12 coil, a superb coil for patch hunting, and a real wonder on tailing piles. The Nox has vastly superior target id and notching capability, which extends to notching out certain hot rocks.

The Equinox controls are not what your average nugget hunter is used to, and those set in their ways and not willing to learn might be better served with traditional models. Especially those stuck in the now obsolete mindset that says a multipurpose detector can't be good for gold prospecting. For sheer versatility and tuning options, I would agree with Gerry that the Equinox 800 is one of the best, possibly the best, VLF nugget hunters made. You might get an edge in a very specific situation, like on tiny gold in a low mineral location with a Gold Bug 2 and 6" coil (still hard to beat) but the Nox and 15" coil I would use in Alaska for hunting tailing piles as my number one pick, and I pulled pounds of gold off those piles over the years. Better than a PI even, for trash infested tailings.

I do usually use a PI detector, and have been keeping the 24K around for those odd situations. But fact is I did not turn it on once last year. My Nox can do that kind of service just as well, so I'm going to sell the 24K. It really is a great detector, but I just get more use out of my Nox since it can do many things, and the 24K really is a one use machine.

My Review of the 24K

My Tips on Nugget Detecting with the Equinox

 

[Cascade Steven]

Gerry:

Thanks for the reply and info.  I will do some digging on this site for additional information.  

[phrunt]

It will come down to how good the 8x5.5" is I guess, the elliptical size/shape sounds like it'd be nice and it will be beneficial over the 6" round in some ways around here especially if it has a hot little nose on it.  I just hope they don't take 6 to 12 months to release the coil.