Should I Buy an Equinox 800 - I Own a Deus

[DigDug216]

Hello. I currently ONLY use a XP Deus. I have had it for almost 4 years and I primarily coin shoot but go after relics if im in a "good" location. I pull very little trash from the ground when coin shooting bc i am very knowledgeable/comfortable with what the machine is telling me. I hunt A LOT, 4 - 30 hours a week, year around. Other than being able to hunt in the water, is there any advantage to having the Equinox 800 as a second machine? Thanks in advance for any input. Kevin

 

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[CoinHunterAZ]

Sure, why not? It never hurts to have a secondary detector, and the 800 would be a good option for that IMHO.

 

[Toecutter]

Iv done some looking into both of those machines debating on what one to get, i would buy the xp deus before a 800 and wouldnt consider a 800 if i had the deus, seems like you would be down grading, but what do I know i dont use either lol

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

The XP Deus is a great machine. Sounds like you are really dialed in on it. I hunt with a friend who swings one and occasionally he finds something I miss with the Nox and sometimes I find something he misses with his Deus. If you are swinging that much, I would recommend getting a back up machine as eventually the Deus will need some service like any machine getting hundreds of hours. A Nox would be a great back up machine, but don’t expect it to uncover silvers left and right that the Deus missed.

 

[Slowtaknow]

To bad the deus doesn't have a way cheaper corded version, it would sell fast if it performed the same.

 

[DigDug216]

Iv done some looking into both of those machines debating on what one to get, i would buy the xp deus before a 800 and wouldnt consider a 800 if i had the deus, seems like you would be down grading, but what do I know i dont use either lol

You are correct - the XP Deus is AMAZING if you take the time to learn it. YOUTUBE videos helps with the learning curve. I hunt with friends often times and go back over anything they have covered bc the Dues will tell me to dig where their detectors told them not to. It also goes super deep. I definitely have a love affair with my Deus. haha

 

[smokeythecat]

In reality, you don't really have to LEARN the Deus. I really never "learned" the machine. I dig most targets and do not dig the nails. It hasn't let me down. I like the Deus Fast and factory settings. I really need to post what I got these last two weeks, but have been very, very busy. I have used the Equinox both 600 and 800 and wouldn't consider getting one as a backup. I like my Tesoro Tejon for a backup and for wide open spaces where stuff is deep I use a PI machine.

The equinox series is good in salt water, but I don't go in the water so don't need one for that.

 

[vferrari]

I like the Deus in thick iron. Equinox in wide open sites, beach, and in inclement weather. The Equinox may ID targets deeper in high mineralization than Deus and may be deeper overall in mild ground. But nothing separates from iron better than Deus and it may sound off on targets deeper in mineralized ground than Equinox, but it will not provide an ID or may sound off as iron. PI is usually the best way to go in super hot ground. If you hit a site repeatedly, hitting it with different detectors on different visits can be productive, so having a backup detector to provide that capability is usually worth the investment. The Equinox is a great compliment to the Deus, but not necessarily the only option (see Smokey's Tesoro suggestion if you want to keep it light and simple).

I think the Equinox strength lies in it's versatility. Deus bests it under certain conditions, but it really does a lot of things well and some better than Deus (e,g., saltwater and wet salt sand performance and freshwater performance without Deus antenna claptrap are Equinox strengths over Deus), gold prospecting is probably a wash, relic hunting depends on conditions, more reliable target ID on Equinox, audio is good on both and wireless, and Deus wins handily in the weight and portabilty department. Accessory coils are naturally cheaper on the Equinox as Deus crams the brains in the coil which is what drives coil cost (not really driven by the wireless coil aspect).

I like it as my compliment to Deus snd have had great success with both.

HTH

 

[ColonelDan]

The Deus is unquestionably a very good detector and I had one for several years. However, when the Equinox was fielded and I got a chance to become relatively proficient with it, it became my primary detector. For me and my hunting of Florida beaches, the Deus couldn’t match the multi frequency capability of the Nox and there was no comparison regarding use in the surf.

It merely comes down to your particular situation and preference. Pick the tool that does the best job for you.

Just the view from my foxhole...

 

[smokeythecat]

ColonelDan you are correct about the Equinox and the beach. In our bad mineralized soils here, especially with a decent amount of iron present, the Deus wins, hands down. My equinox just chattered it's little head off. Couldn't make it's mind up and then wanted a milkshake! (kidding about the milikshake of course).

 

[Toothpick]

As other have already said....Deus W/ HFcoil in the iron and 800 in the clean dirt and salt..that's the way I use them and it is a killer combo.

 

[1942 merc]

I do not have the HF coil for my deus . I never did get the hang of the deus . It is light and fast . Likes deep rust and bottle caps .I have dug nice things with it . It is expensive . I keep it for a back up for my nox 800 . My 800 in multi is a beast . I beat my yard down for two years with my deus . Day one with the 800 in the front yard . Two IHP a 1902 dime and a 50s boy scout pin all with in 30 mins .No learning curve with the larger factory coil . The smaller 6 inch likes nails to much for me . After my first update on my 800 i found a 1859 half at nine inches on edge .The scale of finds in multi is hard to beat with the 800 . From finding a 1930s Remington typewriter pin back SS half the size of a dime to a half dollar all in one swing . I am not selling my deus but my nox has become my go to .

 

[Peter67]

Hello. I currently ONLY use a XP Deus. I have had it for almost 4 years and I primarily coin shoot but go after relics if im in a "good" location. I pull very little trash from the ground when coin shooting bc i am very knowledgeable/comfortable with what the machine is telling me. I hunt A LOT, 4 - 30 hours a week, year around. Other than being able to hunt in the water, is there any advantage to having the Equinox 800 as a second machine? Thanks in advance for any input. Kevin

No you don't. I have both the Deus and Equinox 800 and i can say that the Deus is a better coin shooter the the Equinox. The signals on coins are more clear on the Deus then the Equinox.I dig less trash with the Deus. Problem with the Equinox is the small range of VDI that also gives a lott of trash in the coin range. I think in 75% of my hunts a use the Deus for coin shooting.

 

[HighVDI]

Equinox is def. not for someone relying on a visual display. However, coins have their own unique sound and contrary to what others believe here it takes time to get the ear for them. IMO, the 800 is a KILLER coin machine.....and actually not too shabby on relics either.

 

[dirtlooter]

I have both, well the 600 and the XP, love them both. a great combo to have. to me, the combo is hard to beat. Both have their places with a lot of overlapping for each.

 

[RustyGold]

I have both, well the 600 and the XP, love them both. a great combo to have. to me, the combo is hard to beat. Both have their places with a lot of overlapping for each.

I too have both and I like using both at the beach. My preferred coil for beach use on the Deus is the HF Elliptical Coil. It’s a very smooth, quiet coil that I apparently have no problem swinging over damp sand even if that seems counterintuitive.

 

[smokeythecat]

High VDI, I concur the Equinox is great with coins. My Deus is also great in a park with coins and that elliptical coil at a beach competition hunt is to die for. What V said about a Tesoro, in this case, Tejon is true, it does go about as deep as the Equinox in mild soil, that said, it's drawback is that is has no meter, but is also a few hundred bucks cheaper than an Equinox. I would have to do more head to head tests to know for sure.

I have three backup machines right now. I for one don't need an excuse to buy another, but you never know.

 

[Iron Patch]

I have both and if not for the odd hunt I do on salt water shoreline I'd sell the Equinox. Not saying it's bad, just not my preferred choice.

 

[Wild Colonial Boy]

As I do a lot of colonial house sites with my equinox 800, I am considering getting a Deus also to fight though iron

Would you say the equinox is a victim of more masking in Iron than Deus and why?

 

[bleeohio]

Having had both, I still have the deus, but, I do zero beach hunting. If that were a factor I may still have an eq. Like others, most of the sites I hunt are iron riddled and for me the deus handled that better.
Long story short, I have an orx as my backup.