Equinox ownership poll. 600 or 800?

Which model Equinox do you have?

  • 600

    Votes: 28 32.9%
  • 800

    Votes: 61 71.8%

  • Total voters
    85

pa-dirt_nc-sand

Silver Member
Apr 18, 2016
4,231
14,615
South Western PA
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
ACE 250 with DD coil
Equinox 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
at what and why?

I’m all about keeping it simple. Even with the 600’s fewer features, I have narrowed how I use it down to just Park1 and Field2, always keep multi freq, always middle recovery, always 5 tones, always auto GB, and adjust sensitivity from 15-21 depending on iron/trash/EMI . If they had a Nox 200 with these 2 modes on 2 buttons,I would be all over it.

It’s all about the tones. It’s all about the tones. It’s all about the tones. It takes time, but when you have reached a symbiotic state with the tones you are one with the Nox (doesn’t matter the model number...).
 

nagant

Hero Member
Apr 21, 2017
765
932
iowa
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Golden micromax, compadre. ML EQ 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks Pa-dirt good info. I used 50 tones last year but I'm rusty and it was a trashy spot so did 5 today. Got fooled by pull and square tabs plus i used some cheap on ear phones, sure that didn't help.
 

Bodkin

Sr. Member
Oct 9, 2017
463
1,128
Bold Coast & Treasure Coast
Detector(s) used
Blue Excal 1000, Enox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I mostly agree with Pa-dirt, "it's all about the tones". But, what happens when you get to detect in some exotic location and the fewer settings don't respond quite right? Like a gun, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. JMHO
 

HighVDI

Silver Member
Feb 16, 2017
2,765
4,594
Pa
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I got both models and use the 800 mostly. The extra couple hundred dollars is worth what you get IMO. 600 is no slouch either....especially for the money.
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
Detector(s) used
CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
Other
It’s all about the tones. It’s all about the tones. It’s all about the tones. It takes time, but when you have reached a symbiotic state with the tones you are one with the Nox (doesn’t matter the model number...).

Absolute agreement, it's all about the tones for me.
 

ZR2guy

Sr. Member
Jan 6, 2011
454
510
Southwest Ohio
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 700 (stock and 6" coil), Pro-find 35 PP, Makro PP, and a little luck.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I’m all about keeping it simple. Even with the 600’s fewer features, I have narrowed how I use it down to just Park1 and Field2, always keep multi freq, always middle recovery, always 5 tones, always auto GB, and adjust sensitivity from 15-21 depending on iron/trash/EMI . If they had a Nox 200 with these 2 modes on 2 buttons,I would be all over it.

It’s all about the tones. It’s all about the tones. It’s all about the tones. It takes time, but when you have reached a symbiotic state with the tones you are one with the Nox (doesn’t matter the model number...).

I could not agree more. I love the 5 tones.
 

ZR2guy

Sr. Member
Jan 6, 2011
454
510
Southwest Ohio
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 700 (stock and 6" coil), Pro-find 35 PP, Makro PP, and a little luck.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Thanks Pa-dirt good info. I used 50 tones last year but I'm rusty and it was a trashy spot so did 5 today. Got fooled by pull and square tabs plus i used some cheap on ear phones, sure that didn't help.

Pull tabs are just part of the game, I dig them too. Anyone that says they don't get fooled by them now and then is full of sh_t. When hunting trashy parks, playgrounds; I expect to dig them but I walk away with way more nickels with a TID of 13 than pull tabs. As I "X" over a target, if a 12 or 14 blips, I am expecting a pull tab for sure. On a few occasions, I have seen a solid 13 end up being a pull tab or coin-sized piece of aluminum but again, I know that I am hunting a trashy area where the odds are greater to come across pull tabs.
:icon_thumright:
 

Ammoman

Bronze Member
Oct 12, 2015
2,211
5,348
NC
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Nokta Impact, Tesoro Compadre..
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Both my son and my brother have the 800. I would get one if the ergonomics were better. The E-trac destroyed my elbow and now it can't take the stress of an unbalanced machine.

If i had to make a choice, i would go with the 600.
 

Toecutter

Bronze Member
Nov 30, 2018
2,433
7,443
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Went with the 800 because I wanted all the bells and whistles, i might never use gold mode but having the option means I can...
 

Owassokie

Sr. Member
Jun 28, 2012
497
422
Oklahoma
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Went with the 800 because I wanted all the bells and whistles, i might never use gold mode but having the option means I can...

Ditto. I bought the 800 for the same reasons. Also, it's my primary machine so I wanted to have all options. Some day I'd like to go out west and nugget hunt.
 

Tpmetal

Silver Member
Jan 4, 2017
4,406
7,507
Western ny
Detector(s) used
equinox 800, Whites mx sport, Garrot carrot, bounty hunter time ranger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
800 here, I really feel those extra recovery speed settings alone have been extremely valuable.
 

Wayfarer

Jr. Member
Dec 7, 2005
64
18
Western Idaho
Detector(s) used
White's: V3i, MXT, XL Pro
(In the past: White's: VX3, DFX, XLT, 6000 Di Pro SL, Coinmaster 2DB --- Minelab CTX 3030, Equinox 800)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Both my son and my brother have the 800. I would get one if the ergonomics were better. The E-trac destroyed my elbow and now it can't take the stress of an unbalanced machine.

If i had to make a choice, i would go with the 600.

The Equinox is unbalanced and it hurts my arm too. It's so light, however, that you can strap some weights at the back under the armcuff and balance it out. I can hunt all day with a CTX 3030 which is heavy but perfectly balanced, but the Equinox starts to really hurt my wrist and arm after just a few hours.

The 600 is a helluva deal, though. If you don't need the gold mode, then just buy a set of good bluetooth headphones which will connect right up to the 600 and you are still $200 ahead.
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
its not unbalanced if you set the rod at the proper height.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,173
14,460
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
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
The 600 has a gold mode too, just not individual 20khz and 40khz settings. In most cases, multi freq. works better than the single freq. anyway. As for 600 being a better buy, I disagree. There are many more adjustments that can be made with the 800 over the 600. Add the wireless headphones and module (which you could sell to reduce your actual cost if you don't want/need those items) and you have a better buy with the 800 IMO.
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The 600 has a gold mode too, just not individual 20khz and 40khz settings. In most cases, multi freq. works better than the single freq. anyway. As for 600 being a better buy, I disagree. There are many more adjustments that can be made with the 800 over the 600. Add the wireless headphones and module (which you could sell to reduce your actual cost if you don't want/need those items) and you have a better buy with the 800 IMO.

No, the 600 does NOT have a gold mode. You cant say just because it uses the same full spectrum in M-IQ that it is doing the same thing. The 800's gold mode basically an entirely different detector. It looks at the M-IQ spectrum differently, it looks at the ground differently, it looks at targets differently, and its basic operation is different.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,173
14,460
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
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
No, the 600 does NOT have a gold mode. You cant say just because it uses the same full spectrum in M-IQ that it is doing the same thing. The 800's gold mode basically an entirely different detector. It looks at the M-IQ spectrum differently, it looks at the ground differently, it looks at targets differently, and its basic operation is different.

Quite right. I misspoke/typed. What I meant to say is that the 600 will still find gold and has the 20Khz and 40khz frequencies in Multi, but, you can't select those upper frequencies as a single. The actual gold prospecting mode in not an option.
 

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