AT MAX or EQUINOX 800

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,322
16,996
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Best to research on your own, YouTube vids, reviews, pros and cons of each machine, package deals with supporting vendors... the list goes on.
Generally when you ask here on Tnet which is better, you’ll get a pissing contest amongst guys who are loyal to their brand.
With that being said, get the maxx.:icon_thumleft:
 

OP
OP
K

Khines85

Greenie
Jul 6, 2018
11
3
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Oh I’m sure they do I have a at pro now and I’ve had good luck with it just didn’t know if any of those two would give me any better performance and or a inch or two more depth
 

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,322
16,996
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I got a Pro too, and the maxx is deeper for sure. Learning curve very easy once you’ve mastered the Pro.
The VDI numbers are jumpy and more inconsistent with smaller, deeper targets, but you’ll learn that.
 

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,322
16,996
Mountain Maryland
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2
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Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
And FWIW, BART at Big Boy Hobby’s is rolling out a special on the nox....
Like I said, research what’s gonna be best for you.
 

Tpmetal

Silver Member
Jan 4, 2017
4,437
7,561
Western ny
Detector(s) used
equinox 800, Whites mx sport, Garrot carrot, bounty hunter time ranger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I hunt mostly cellar holes and the at max is very similar to my mx sport. i got the nox800 recently; and I can see noticeable improvement in places I have pounded, not only in the past but places I've pounded this year.. The sport has been no slouch either, I have killed it with that Machine. I do like the 800 sounds better than the mx sport and garret sounds as well. the key is getting the smaller coil for the cellar hole sites, which is next on my list for the 800.
 

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SD51

Silver Member
Aug 24, 2016
4,832
9,957
MI
Detector(s) used
E-TRAC
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sounds like a zero learning curve by getting the Max vs learning the Nox....
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,221
14,545
San Diego
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1
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Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Other than the ease of transitioning from an AT to the Max, I don't see any advantage the Max has over an Equinox. Maybe someone here will enlighten me?
 

Normsel

Bronze Member
Sep 10, 2012
1,191
813
D'Iberville MS
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
E-Trac
Equinox 800
Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I have had the AT Pro and have both the Equinox 800 and 600 and my preference is the Equinox but my advice is go with your gut after you do your research.. Your gut is rarely wrong
 

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,322
16,996
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,322
16,996
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting

HighVDI

Silver Member
Feb 16, 2017
2,765
4,594
Pa
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
IMO, this shouldn't even be a discussion on which is more capable. You have one machine at 13Khz and one that runs multi frequency. One machine is a hair better than average at best on recovery speed and one that rivals the fastest on the market.

I have a handful of machines and if I could only keep one it would be my 800. The reason why is because I went back to places I had hit.....and my friend hit (with his pro and max) and recovered many keeper coins! It's subjective but that's my opinion on it.
 

buck8point

Hero Member
Apr 22, 2018
540
981
Iberville Parish, Louisiana
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 250 / Garrett AT Max /
Garrett Pro Pointer / Garrett Pro Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Best to research on your own, YouTube vids, reviews, pros and cons of each machine, package deals with supporting vendors... the list goes on.
Generally when you ask here on Tnet which is better, you’ll get a pissing contest amongst guys who are loyal to their brand.
With that being said, get the maxx.:icon_thumleft:


Well Played Dave... Well Played... lol
Also Great Advice...
What he said...
 

buck8point

Hero Member
Apr 22, 2018
540
981
Iberville Parish, Louisiana
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 250 / Garrett AT Max /
Garrett Pro Pointer / Garrett Pro Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Oh I’m sure they do I have a at pro now and I’ve had good luck with it just didn’t know if any of those two would give me any better performance and or a inch or two more depth

In my opinion, performance has a LOT to do with how well you know your machine... and that can make a bigger difference that what actual machine you may choose.. they all have good and less than good points..
 

buck8point

Hero Member
Apr 22, 2018
540
981
Iberville Parish, Louisiana
Detector(s) used
Garrett ACE 250 / Garrett AT Max /
Garrett Pro Pointer / Garrett Pro Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sounds like a zero learning curve by getting the Max vs learning the Nox....

Depends on what you may have been upgrading from... i had a ACE 250 before i bought my AT Max and It took me a while to get to know it like i needed to, but not too bad..
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,425
Massachusetts
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1
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1
Detector(s) used
Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Hello Khines85,

BigWaveDave has some good advice. If you have a metal detector store or local club, perhaps you could "test drive" the models you have researched. The main thing is to research the desired machine that fits your budget and hunting style. Whatever machine you decide on; spend the time to really learn it. This means settings and how they are interrelated and affects of one on the other.

GL & HH

Doc
 

vpierceiii

Jr. Member
Aug 2, 2018
59
215
Placerville CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800
Minelab Manticore
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Good morning
I’m new to this forum....first post. I’ve been using an F5 for the last 5 yrs or so. And I want to upgrade so this thread caught my eye. I live near Placerville Ca so I enjoy coin shooting and I’d like to look for some good. Since both models discussed will be new to me, I’ll have a learning curve either way.
Which of the two models would you suggest for someone like me?
Thank you!
 

XTerraman

Tenderfoot
Mar 26, 2010
8
5
I have researched both the AT Max and the Equinox 800 extensively through written reviews, field tests, watching YT videos and user opinions. There are several good videos on YT about both. For me, I have decided on the Equinox 800 over the AT Max because of the multi-frequency setup. better in noisy iron soils, better in trash, goes deeper, has better tones, better wireless ( less noise producing) and it four modes, including the gold mode. The 11" coil may not be best, but the 6" will help in tight places.... And, lastly, because I have a X-Terra 70, the display is familiar to me. I only wish that the price of the 800 was $800 and not $900. But, to me it is a better machine than the AT Max.
 

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