AT Max or Equinox 800?

[IDigVirginia]

I realize this may be opening a can of worms, but I'm seriously having some trouble deciding which to buy. I have been a member of this forum for a few years and saw 100's of post about the AT Pro greatness. I ended up buying one 2 years ago and I enjoy it. I don't have much to compare it to however.

A little info: I'm in the Appalachian mountains. Hunt old homes and once per year the ocean. Not too much water hunting but some.

About 2 weeks ago I saw the AT Max and decided I would sell my Pro and get the Max. But first I wanted to watch some videos, read reviews and up against the Pro and Gold the Max seemed like a solid upgrade....then YouTube sent me on this Minelab adventure by automatically playing a video about 10 reasons why the Equinox was the detector to buy in 2018. I watched several more claiming it to be the "AT killer". I've seen Diggers use the Garrett products and The Curse of Oak Island use Minelab. I understand both are great machines, but after being dead set on the Max (to the point of having it in my cart) I'm leaning hard toward the Equinox. Any advantages or disadvantages anyone care to share? I don't want to switch brands and be disappointed. Thanks everyone and happy hunting.

 

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[digger460]

IMO there is no comparison between the Max and the Equinox. The Equinox's technology is the beginning of the next gen.. Minelab and Garrett are both great companies, but Minelab beat everyone else to the tech, and at a great$$$.

I wouldn't put to much on what TV show's are using. Josh on Expedition Unknown uses Garrett. It's just advertisement as usual, otherwise they would not show the name on the detector.

Plenty of comparisons here on Tnet. Check out Calabash Digger's vid's on youtube. He does alot of comparing to other machines.

EQ 6 or 8. You won't be sorry Good luck on your decision!

 

[ColonelDan]

No question....Equinox. Primary reason: Multi Freq vs Single Freq with the capability of going single freq if you like. Specific settings for Park, Field, Beach and Gold Prospecting. Minelab has gone above and beyond the others at this price point.

Just the view from my foxhole...

 

[Debatedc]

My old eyes and ears really appreciate the large display on the Equinox, and the loud speaker when I don't feel like having my ears sweat.

 

[Hawks88]

I have the Equinox 600 and it is a great machine. Lots to learn compared to some others. It goes real deep. I have the AT Pro and it is a nice machine and was easier to learn but I like the Bluetooth headphones on the minelab. It’s a light machine to swing and multi frequency is nice. For the $money it’s a steal. Good luck.

 

[against the wind]

Garrett has a solid standing in the metal detecting world. When the show, "Diggers" hit the airwaves. Garrett cut a deal with the producers of the show. They supplied all the equipment. As a result, their AT PRO sales sky rocketed. If the producers had decided to use Minelab, Whites, Fisher, or Tesoro, it would have had the same impact on the sales end for those companies. I used Garrett for probably 20 years.
I swung the AT PRO for 2 years. It paid for itself in 18 months in just clad alone. I used it primarily on land but did retrieve a few gold wedding bands from FRESH WATER lakes. In 2012, I took a leap of faith and purchased a Minelab, the Etrac. Going over the same parks that I had hunted with the PRO, I tripled my silver coin finds in the first year. It is a completely different technology. It goes deeper, separates multiple targets, has faster reactivity, and can be programmed to what works for you. The only weakness I found is it's inability to get along with water. Don't take it out in the rain. During the summer of 2012 I consulted with someone who could write a book on salt water hunting. On his recommendation, I purchased an Excalibur. Armed with a wetsuit and a good solid scoop, I hit the salt water beaches. Along with all the clad, and silver jewelry, I have a tub of gold. The excalibur neutralized the effect that salt water has on VLF machines. That machine paid for itself many times over. Convinced that Minelab is the way to go, I purchased a CTX 3030. This machine can outperform the Etrac and has so many bells and whistles, I'm still trying to figure it out. Since I broke the "Brand Loyalty Stigma" by switching from Garret to Minelab, it was a lot easier for me to purchase a DEUS. I'll just say it is a great machine.
Getting back to the "Minelab or Garrett" decision,, I would have to go with Minelab. One thing I will say about Garrett is that their after sales support is outstanding. I still have and use several Garrett Pinpointers. Minelab is still trying to improve their after sales support team.
I helped a friend set up his Equinox 600. We developed a cheat sheet by testing the machine on a multitude of targets, including brass, bronze, copper, aluminum, silver, gold, and iron.
In a few months of swing time, he has become very productive and dangerous. I already know that my next machine will be the Equinox 800. I'm just waiting for them to perfect the water tight headphones connection.
Good luck with your decision.

 

[Ronzie]

This was my exact same question I had since May. I narrowed it down to these two machines and have come to the conclusion that the Equinox 800 will be it. I'm a little concerned with the wobble and the leakage issues but I don't plan on getting it until next Feb. - March. Hopefully by then these problems even at a small percentage will be fixed.

 

[Rubka888]

I love love love my AT Max but I haven't tried the Equinox.

 

[1637]

i think i would wait a year on the 800 and let them work out the small problems.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

i think i would wait a year on the 800 and let them work out the small problems.

Like the "small" problem of them not always being waterproof! LOL!

I totally agree with 1637, just a bunch of hype right now with the Equinox 800. Too many glitches means they're rushing to get them out. That results in stupid mistakes, like not being waterproof. Metal detector dealers need to pad their wallets with yet another "must have" detector, so along comes another one. Save your money and spend your time doing research and mastering the detector you currently use.

 

[WesP]

A question for the experts on the NOX vs AT. Minelab is known for having the latest inovations in their machines as well as high prices. I've always assumed that the higher prices were because of the cost of developing the latest greatest inovations. If something is a great deal better then people will pay the higher price. Now if all the reviews I have read are true the NOX is a true inovation in Metal detecting. So why is the price point set so low? Is Minelab setting a lower price to kill off the AT series? One would think that if the NOX is so far superior that they could have priced it $300 to $500 higher and people would have paid the price. I'm not knocking M/L or the Nox. I have an eXtera 705 and really like it. But I paid about the same or a bit more then a Nox 600 just 18 months ago and that was a fairly good deal at the time. Now M/ L's latest technology is the same price as my 6-8 year old technology. Something doesn't seem right.........Just wondering?

 

[A2coins]

at max all day long simple to use solid signals great depth better price my friend has minelab nothing he finds my max wont hit hands down

 

[IDigVirginia]

Well I couldn't take it anymore so I drove down to Carolina Prospectors in Statesville, NC (about an hour drive) and he had one Equinox 800 left. Figured it was a sign so I bought it. This thing looks and feels very futuristic. The headphones are top notch and I'm excited to take her for a spin tomorrow. I will say to anyone considering this detector... one of my concerns was durability and I certainly can't comment on much because I have yet to use it, but this thing feels very well built and solid. Thanks for all the input everyone. Happy detecting!

 

[AurumHunter024]

Good choice, imo.
6 or 8 machines beats 1 machine every time.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Good Luck on your new machine!

 

[RustyGold]

Perfect choice! I’ve owned 3 at Pros and it’s not even a close call. Good luck!

 

[Rookster]

Learning the machine you have in you hand is 70% of the battle. My hunting buddy has a $159.00 Bounty Hunter and he knows that machine well and finds a lot of good stuff. To me and he it's more location (New premissions) than what you swing. Not doubting the newest tech but learn what you have in your hand is telling you. You just may not need to give the board of directors of a company a raise.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Best of luck to you regardless of the detector that you will purchase.

 

[slider66]

I have 2 Excalibur, a CTX 3030 and 5 other machined but I love the Equinox 800 and it really has been my go to machine since I bought it. The AT pro was really good to me but I couldn't get near the saltwater but later learned it worked good with a few adjustments. My choice would be the 800 for you.

 

[Truth]

Had them both Equinox in my hands and hands down the Equinox and I was a Garrett guy.