A Lot Of Equinox 900's For Sale

[dogodog]

I look at it this way Strick, New machines always come out claiming to be the best but after a while we find out they are about the same as the previous great detectors. I have not tried the Manticore but I have watched a lot of video's . I know you'll laugh at that statement. That said, my 800 and 900 have located silver dimes at the 13'' plus mark. Thats not to shaby for old detector technology HaHa. As for the price of $1600, Sorry but for most guy's that's just way too much to take a chance on it being WAY better than older models. This inquiring mind wants to know if you  sold your CTX because the manicore is that much better?? It sure is lighter. I'll give the Manticore a thumbs up on the beach because it looks like it has an advantage. I'm not earning a living off of detecting, I do it for fun. Last note I ran my little compadre a few months ago and found a few silvers I missed. I asked myself was it luck or the machine? Honestly I could care less, I'm only in competition with myself.

 

[sodbuster]

16 hours ago, dogodog said:

Tom, The 900 is a good machine almost but not like the 800. I bought one for the 3 piece shaft and was about to hate it until I realized it needed some tweaking on the programs. Once I got away from the 800 mindset I find it to be a killer for gold rings. it limits the amount of trash you will dig because of the expanded numbers. If your hunting for coins and like tones you will have to play with it to break off of pennies. Test, Test, Test, The 900 hundred is really good with the coiltek 10x5. I pretty much run my 900 with the coiltek and the 800 with the 6 inch. The Manticore in my opinion is over priced and in dirt preforms the same as cheaper machines. Do not get lost in all the hype of whats the best. You will do well with a 800 or a 900.

dogodog, I don't understand how the expanded numbers helps to find gold since gold can be found at almost any reading because of alloying and size, plus the co-located target masking.   Can you help me understand this?    I have owned an 800 since they came out, and do not really like the compressed id scale but have never seen it as a detriment to gold or jewelry hunting.

thanks.

[Chase Goldman]

16 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

Some other 800 owners may be finding the 900 to be oddly difficult to deal with too.

Yup.  

 

17 hours ago, dogodog said:

Tom, The 900 is a good machine almost but not like the 800. I bought one for the 3 piece shaft and was about to hate it until I realized it needed some tweaking on the programs. Once I got away from the 800 mindset I find it to be a killer for gold rings. it limits the amount of trash you will dig because of the expanded numbers. If your hunting for coins and like tones you will have to play with it to break off of pennies. Test, Test, Test, The 900 hundred is really good with the coiltek 10x5. I pretty much run my 900 with the coiltek and the 800 with the 6 inch. The Manticore in my opinion is over priced and in dirt preforms the same as cheaper machines. Do not get lost in all the hype of whats the best. You will do well with a 800 or a 900.

Agree.  Some good perspective here. 

I agree the Manticore is overpriced for what it is (I think the D2 is also similarly overpriced), compared to the incredible bang for your buck that is Nokta Legend.  The Mantocore should be priced where the 900 is now and the 900 should be reduced to the 700 price point and so on, consistent with ML's Xterra Pro newly established low price point anchor.   Of course, none of that is going to happen as long as people are willing to pay the asking price for the Manticore and Nox Mark II.

However, that all being said, I do believe the Manticore is more refined than the 900 and has things to offer over and above the Nox 900.  I too have the 10x5 almost permanently bolted to the 900, the 6" on the 800, and will be looking for a "gently used" Manticore from a future "box of chocolates sampler".  

 

[Jeff McClendon]

2 hours ago, sodbuster said:

dogodog, I don't understand how the expanded numbers helps to find gold since gold can be found at almost any reading because of alloying and size, plus the co-located target masking.   Can you help me understand this?    I have owned an 800 since they came out, and do not really like the compressed id scale but have never seen it as a detriment to gold or jewelry hunting.

thanks.

Take a look at the photos from this link. Maybe that will help understand what dogodog is talking about.

 

[dogodog]

Sodbuster, On the 900 and with my area it spreads some bad alloy targets to a point where you can disc those out. I'll break it out like this. Not all aluminum is the same, can slaw is different than foil as is a pull tab. For instance I have pull tabs in my area that range across a large batch of ID's so I disc the ones that fall  away from the gold ranges. Pull tabs depending on when they were made and if they are anodized will all ring up different. Can slaw is the same way if it's folded flat or mashed into a tiny ball. Just my tests for instance. Park 1, 10x5 coiltek, multi and bias 0 and my disc program.

Light 14k ring - 12 to 14 ID    Heavy 14k - 50-53 ID    9K rings - 45-48    These are averages

Aluminum  pull tabs  27-38    Can Slaw - 16-20     Foil 7-11   These are my basic averages for what I come across

Now can you see where I can disc a fair portion of the crap targets from the good stuff. As always foil is a mother and you will always dig a ton. I'm not saying the 900 is perfect but it's way better than the 800 with the condensed scale. Another thing is that most people will test good targets but forget to test the bad, thats foolish. Why not disc some aluminum to gain an advantage in a alloy infested park? I'll bet if Jeff sent me some pull tabs I would get a different ID and vice versa. Detectors are like snowflake's no 2 are exactly a like. Hope this clears up what I was trying say. 

[strick]

On 4/15/2023 at 8:44 AM, dogodog said:

I look at it this way Strick, New machines always come out claiming to be the best but after a while we find out they are about the same as the previous great detectors. I have not tried the Manticore but I have watched a lot of video's . I know you'll laugh at that statement. That said, my 800 and 900 have located silver dimes at the 13'' plus mark. Thats not to shaby for old detector technology HaHa. As for the price of $1600, Sorry but for most guy's that's just way too much to take a chance on it being WAY better than older models. This inquiring mind wants to know if you  sold your CTX because the manicore is that much better?? It sure is lighter. I'll give the Manticore a thumbs up on the beach because it looks like it has an advantage. I'm not earning a living off of detecting, I do it for fun. Last note I ran my little compadre a few months ago and found a few silvers I missed. I asked myself was it luck or the machine? Honestly I could care less, I'm only in competition with myself.

 

No laughing here.. still got the CTX probably for the same reasons you have your old compadre. Although I don't use it that often I keep it because its proven and a good back up..Manufacturers come out with new detectors due to advances in technology mostly.....you can call it "hype" or what ever you like.... maybe it's possible there really are advancements made in technology that produce a faster and deeper machine...I noticed this early on with the M-Core...ask yourself was the Nox 800 all hype? is the Deus 2 better then the Deus 1 or was it all hype? I do tend to place some trust in the engineers and keep a somewhat positive out look...take a look at the gold machine's for example. If you have used any of those then you know what I'm talking about...

While I wont speak for "most guys" I do agree detectors are expensive and people should just buy what they can afford and go out and have fun..have you noticed that there seems to be a price cap that some people will place on a detector purchase? These same people have over a dozen different detectors..... they will buy any detector that fits their "price cap"   and then have the gall to bash the $1600 detector because it's out of their personal selected maximum spending cap and then they go out and buy expensive carbon fiber shafts and other accessories....good discussion... I considered the 900 but have since held off but having sold the 800's here I sit with  nice 10x5 coil all dressed up with no place to go..

strick

[GB_Amateur]

1 hour ago, strick said:

..have you noticed that there seems to be a price cap that some people will place on a detector purchase? These same people have over a dozen different detectors....

That pretty much describes me during my first 3 years (2015-17) back into detecting.  $1000+ sounded too expensive for a detector but I didn't mind 'investing' $800 three times, all for more/less similarly performing detectors (as I later found out...).  Damn digit counting. 

[phrunt]

It seems to me both the 900 and Manticore have jumpy ID's compared to the 600/800.  It's not just the expanded range, the jumps are far bigger than that.  I honestly can use the 800 as a cherry picker, it's ID's were rock solid on my coins, I knew what I was digging, the only better detector is the CTX.  The Manticore is not the same, lowering sensitivity helps a lot but still not Nox stable even taking into account more ID's in my soils.  Our gold $1 and $2 coins were a 21/22 even at very deep depths and such easy targets with the Nox, I dug hundreds of them, possibly thousands and now with the Manticore even at lower sensitivity they can be anywhere between 60 and 75 and rarely lock on to the 64 and 65 they air test at but even air testing the Manticore numbers are bouncy, and it's much harder to get a solid ID on a coin in an air test, where as the Nox was solid as a rock.

I am betting people with 800's or even the Vanquish that bought a 900 are finding the 900's jumpy ID's a selling point and reason to get rid of it, people like me that use ID's a lot would prefer to use their 800 for that very reason.  They've taken a step backwards which is disappointing as the Manticore marketing specifically states it has more stable accurate ID's.   A load of rubbish that is.   

Perhaps they may improve this in a firmware update one day, perhaps not, everything else about the Manticore is fantastic but it is annoying taking a step backwards from an old model on a trait I valued so highly. 

This is a not correct, it doesn't have improved Target ID stability.

This guys video runs through air tests on common Aussie coins first with his Manticore, next his Nox 800, you can clearly see the more stable Nox vs Manticore even on his air tests. 

Add ground into the equation and the difference is even more pronounced.

 

[dogodog]

9 hours ago, strick said:

maybe it's possible there really are advancements made in technology that produce a faster and deeper machine...I noticed this early on with the M-Core...ask yourself was the Nox 800 all hype?

Lets start here, I do believe there are advancements that make differences. Just from my eyes I can not say the M-core is that much better in depth or target ID Than other machines (sorry). As for the 800, I do believe the 800 was and has been hyped. Its a good machine no doubt but to be honest it sucks in iron. The 800 hundred when near iron has a tendency to go blind on really good targets. Only when you run the 6'' coil and two recovery speed will it start to shine. Is the 800 or 900 perfect no. Can you find a bunch of cool stuff with them emphatically yes. Another question is if I hunted along side of you with the 900 or lets say a Tesoro could you guarantee that you would out hunt me with the M-core?

 

9 hours ago, strick said:

is the Deus 2 better then the Deus 1 or was it all hype?

Deus and Deus 2 are both good machines and also have issues with iron. The reason why they are so pricy is because of the wireless coil technology. If they were a cabled machine they would be more in range with the 800/900 and others. I've hunted along side of a few D2's, And being able to ask to check their targets and vice versa, I noticed no depth or target ID  that I couldn't match. I like simplicity and quick changes and I believe it's more complicated than it needs to be.(sorry)

 

9 hours ago, strick said:

have you noticed that there seems to be a price cap that some people will place on a detector purchase? These same people have over a dozen different detectors..... they will buy any detector that fits their "price cap"   and then have the gall to bash the $1600 detector 

I'm certainly not bashing a $1600 detector!!! I would certainly pay that if i thought it would give me an overwhelming advantage, But I don't think the M-core does that. Complications in a fine watch like an A. Lange & Sohne or a Metal detector like the M-core are just some added features that blur out the real purpose. Oh and I like fancy watches and fancy detecting shafts.

 

3 hours ago, phrunt said:

It seems to me both the 900 and Manticore have jumpy ID's compared to the 600/800.  It's not just the expanded range, the jumps are far bigger than that. 

Simon, You are correct sir !!! The 900 is a bit bouncy, except in low recovery speed (2). Once you get your tones worked out in the programs it makes for a better day. I'm a tone hunter and will use ID's for validation. The tones on the 900 are quite a bit different than the 800, but I'm learning slowly. Still for me the shaft, extra coils and pod design change made it a no brainer. The 900 is pretty much an 800 with a bigger learning curve and EVER so SLIGHTLY deeper. I doubt I would talk anyone out of buying one. Lot to be said for a Minelab that lets you swap coils between detectors!!!!

[strick]

On 4/17/2023 at 4:59 PM, dogodog said:

If  I hunted along side of you with the 900 or lets say a Tesoro could you guarantee that you would out hunt me with the M-core?

Both of us using the same sized coils in a trashy park that neither of us had been to before..that would be fun.. but heres the clicker we hunt for gold only... everything else is considered junk... if neither of us finds gold then it's considered a draw and we both pay for our own lunch..now who buys a plane ticket you or me 😁

disclaimer I've not picked up a detector in about a month and a half so I'll need some practice and my watch may be off a little so don't get mad if I'm a little late. 

strick