Legend Or Nox 700...for Salt Beach

[adamBomb]

Currently running the Nox 600 for last 5 years (owned plenty of machines prior like cz21/excal/ctx/dual field) and my oldest son now 12 wants to start going with me. So I am getting a new machine and giving him my 600. I only hunt salt beaches, clean areas, low emi, US east coast - North carolina.

I'm comparing the Nox 700 and Legend. I am very familiar with the equinox line up. I guess my question is, how does the legend compare? On paper, it looks amazing. Better price and more features! My big wants are depth and gold on the beach. My biggest complaint with my 600 (and CTX) were the tones - The idea that the nox now has a dP tone and Legend as a Tone pitch are exciting, it will be more similar to my old CZ21 and Excal.

Anyone used either of these? Anyone compared the depth and how they react to gold? Im not really interested in the 900, manticore, deus, older machines, etc. I am really just looking at these two.

Thanks all!

[bigtim1973]

I have the legend and eq900. I think the legend is well built and picks mid conductors out pretty good in clean areas. However I think the eq900 handles bad ground and picks stuff out of iron better and deeper. I like the simplicity the eq900 controls better. The legend is a little more complicated when  It comes to setting it up. I like the overall feel of the eq900 better than the legend. I like the expanded tid scale of the equinox better. This is probably not what you were looking for but this is my experience. Good luck.

[adamBomb]

56 minutes ago, bigtim1973 said:

I have the legend and eq900. I think the legend is well built and picks mid conductors out pretty good in clean areas. However I think the eq900 handles bad ground and picks stuff out of iron better and deeper. I like the simplicity the eq900 controls better. The legend is a little more complicated when  It comes to setting it up. I like the overall feel of the eq900 better than the legend. I like the expanded tid scale of the equinox better. This is probably not what you were looking for but this is my experience. Good luck.

Thanks. This is exactly what I'm looking for! Trying to see if the Legend is really going to be as good/better than the equinox for my type of hunting.

[bigtim1973]

3 hours ago, adamBomb said:

Thanks. This is exactly what I'm looking for! Trying to see if the Legend is really going to be as good/better than the equinox for my type of hunting.

Don't get me wrong though, I do like the legend. Please do not make a decision until you hear from a few others regarding the use of it on the beach because I never have used either on the beach. 

[Joe D.]

Hello Adam,

   And welcome to the forum! Didn't find you in the Meet and Greet yet, so if you could tell us a bit more information! 

   I'm primarily a beach hunter on Treasure Coast Florida, so I'm fairly familiar with what your wants are! But I have never used a Legend, or hunted any closer to you than Hilton Head! You sound like you've been in the game awhile with your lineup, so I will consider you fairly well versed!

    Suffice it to say, that depth on a beach, can be a tricky subject with many variables! Hands down, a PI machine is gonna go deeper than a VLF single or multi, but has little to no discrimination; first consideration! Budget is next, and always a major consideration for most of us, so that will somewhat dictate where you end up detectorwise; new or used! I've used several of each on the beach, but prefer older PI's like White's and Garrett's! I hate "retail sticker shock", so I primarily stick to used detectors!! My ML 800 is also in the lineup, for "no dig everything" days on trashy beaches! And a couple other "dry sand only" detectors, that are standbys (Tesoro Fan😁)!

    Based on day to day, or even hour to hour sand erosion/deposition on "our" beaches, which includes a variety of sand types, depth is sort of a moot point, as the erosion, or lack of it, really is dictating the depth of finds, other than the most recent ones!

   More so, the composition of "your" beaches, and their erosion/deposition, shell layer, etc.. will dictate the depth that is ideal for what you are hunting!! Which than goes hand in hand with what your after!?! Meaning anything?, recent drops? old items? Water hunting, Etc..

    This is sounding sorta teachie 😵, and long winded, but not my intent! Mostly I'm just trying to get you to narrow down, for the more experienced on here, that may chime in, to get you the most bang for your buck for your most sought after targets! 🍀👍👍

   

   

[adamBomb]

23 minutes ago, Joe D. said:

Hello Adam,

   And welcome to the forum! Didn't find you in the Meet and Greet yet, so if you could tell us a bit more information! 

   I'm primarily a beach hunter on Treasure Coast Florida, so I'm fairly familiar with what your wants are! But I have never used a Legend, or hunted any closer to you than Hilton Head! You sound like you've been in the game awhile with your lineup, so I will consider you fairly well versed!

    Suffice it to say, that depth on a beach, can be a tricky subject with many variables! Hands down, a PI machine is gonna go deeper than a VLF single or multi, but has little to no discrimination; first consideration! Budget is next, and always a major consideration for most of us, so that will somewhat dictate where you land detectorwise; new or used! I've used several of each on the beach, but prefer older PI's like White's and Garrett's! I hate "retail sticker shock, so I primarily stick to used detectors!! My ML 800 is also in the lineup, for "no dig everything" days on trashy beaches! And a couple other "dry sand only" detectors, that are standbys!

    Based on day to day, or even hour to hour sand erosion/deposition on "our" beaches, which includes a variety of sand types, depth is sort of a moot point, as the erosion, or lack of it, really is dictating the depth of finds, other than the most recent ones!

   More so, the composition of "your" beaches, and their erosion/deposition, shell layer, etc.. will dictate the depth that is ideal for what you are hunting!! Which than goes hand in hand with what your after!?! Meaning anything?, recent drops? old items? Water hunting, Etc..

    This is sounding sorta teachie 😵, and long winded, but not my intent! Mostly I'm just trying to get you to narrow down, for the more experienced on here, that may chime in, to get you the most bang for your buck for your most sought after targets! 🍀👍👍

   

   

Thanks for the tips! A bit about me - I've hunted for a number of years...but only at the beach. I live in coastal NC so thats where I hunt though Ive hunted up and down the east coast as we travel/vacation. I did have a PI for a while, the whites dual field. Great machine but was too tough here - lots of fish hooks, etc. I realized a PI was not for me unless I was diving or on some of the private islands.

I've been happyish with the Equinox 600 since I've had it. It was just as deep as my CTX with stock coils. I can get the sensitivity up to 23 on a good day...but some days it has to stay around 19.

While I would love to jump in the buy the Manticore, the one thing I always hated about the CTX was the cost and never felt like it helped me over my CZ21 or Excal. So I'm definitely not looking to spend a lot. I am more or less of the opinion that I will mostly do just as well with the Equinox.

I am about the new tech (I work in tech so usually get the latest). 700 really interests me as it seems like the logical upgrade to the 600 for my needs. The dP tone feature looks awesome for me...

But after doing some research I came upon the legend, which seems to also check all of those boxes I would want. I'd consider the Deus 2 WS6 if it had an external speaker. I do use the external speaker when I hunt with my kids so they can hear. So it looks like that put my price range in the $500-800. Not worth it for me to get the nox 900, if I was spending over $1000, id just do the manticore at that point.

As far as what I hunt - mostly low tide water lines. Also mostly recent drops. Im after gold/silver. After storms we can get some old items and I do travel to some of the islands around me from time to time. I'd imagine its going to be not much different from most places on the east coast.

[Joe D.]

   That's awsome, and exactly the information that will be of great help with any additional advice from the forum members! Good luck and hunting for whatever you decide, and also for your son, with the 600, and the hobby!!🍀        As an aside, if you do decide to go above/around the $1000 mark, my buddies F350Platinum, Chase Goldman, and more recently, PIMan; all forum members, love their D2's, as they are a tech persons dream, and find the goods! Maybe a good deal on a used one??🤔😂🍀👍👍

[adamBomb]

21 minutes ago, Joe D. said:

  love their D2's, as they are a tech persons dream, and find the goods! Maybe a good deal on a used one??🤔😂🍀👍👍

Maybe I need to look into the D2 a bit more...darn it I don't want to spend more money lol

[Joe D.]

   Nice thing🤔 about "older" tech, is buyers remorse is way less, and you have another backup/loaner! Or a horder like me!🙄😂

   On a bit of a more serious note, you obviously know, at this point in the hobby, that if you get your coil over it; no matter what you swing, you will most likely find what your looking to find; within the limits of the technology! Especially at the beach!⛱

   Now, when weight and balance come into play, and is an absolute requirement for you, the newer machines definitely "win" the majority of the time, no matter what brand, or pricepoint you favor!  But in the end, Research, and Not falling for all the Manufacturer Hype, will get you in the ballpark for your ultimate decision!! Obviously, as that's why your here, and good on you for finding a great forum to do just that!! Keep us posted how it goes!!🍀💍👍👍

 

   

[JCR]

Equinox 700 or the Legend will serve you well. One nice feature exclusive to the Legend is being able to have the audio in the external speaker AND Headphones at the same time. I hunt that way with one of my daughters who doesn't like to wear the HPs so I do. We can still talk while I follow her around as she detects to teach her.