2 things:
First, I own the machines I listed. They are paid for. My point was I’m not selling each for half of what I’ve paid for them just to own a machine that doesn’t give me an advantage over what I already own.
Second, I’m not a relic hunter like yourself (from your postings I’ve read of yours in the Deus forums) nor a beach hunter. I hunt inland, at old sites that are still in use today. I also watch a lot of YouTube videos in the off months (like most) and from what I’ve seen on YouTube (Dirt Fishing, for example) the Equinox doesn’t get the depth of the CTX on copper/silver targets, which are what I’m after.
I never said it’s not a good machine - for $900 it definitely is. But for the type of hunting I do, it’s not a game changer nor does it appear to obsolete the gear I already use/own. Perhaps in time and thru more research I may change my mind. I’m not there yet. Sorry if my opinion offends you or the other Equinox loyalists.
Digs,
Not offended in the least. My happiness is in no way tied to whether everyone likes the machines I use, it is tied to the finds I capture with those machines.
I think I have said repeatedly, that it does not necessarily make sense for folks with decent machines to jump to the Equinox. I have a Deus, not so great in salt water as you know and the CTX was not my cup of tea after researching and trying it out, so the Equinox seemed like a a great fit for me because it addressed the shortcomings I perceived with both the Deus and CTX machines for wet and dry beach hunting and was not a one-trick-pony like the Excal. It just so happens, that it does a lot of things well. And despite that, the Deus is not going anywhere.
I am not here to convince you to and I know I will never be able to convince you to move from two very capable machines that you have invested a lot of capital and time into to jump to this upstart kid on the block. No machine will live up to your stated jump ship criteria, so you will never switch, I am sure because you have set an impossible bar for a mid-range detector to clear.
I just couldn't let your statement above go without a comment because the irony of the how you phrased it just painted a humorous picture in my mind of a digger swinging two top end machines, one on each arm and saying that unless the Equinox can outdo the best attribute of each of the machines I am swinging (that each cost ~2x to 3x the machine in question), then I am not interested. That would be marketing gold to a Minelab ad agent. I know full well that is not what you were trying to portray, but that is how I humorously pictured it when I read your post.
For some reason, I have observed many CTX owners making comments similar to yours, namely, that the Equinox is not worth its salt unless it can be proven to be deeper than the CTX. Even a lot of Deus owners don't hold the Equinox to a similar super performance standard and seem to be interested in the Equinox for what it can bring to the table to fill gaps in Deus capability, especially with water hunting where the Deus is awkward at best and falls flat at worst (salt surf). The funny thing is I don't see AT Pro, AT Max, F75, Whites MXT, or even Whites V3i users holding the Equinox up to the same lofty standard. It is always being compared against these top end, 1.5 to 2.5K$ flagships. To me that is pretty telling that ML has struck some nerve in the detecting community, especially since hundreds of folks are still willing to wait multiple weeks for this beast and others only willing to consider it if it can slay the top dogs even if it costs hundreds less.
I see no reason why you should consider switching. You have the bases covered with two capable top end machines. I understand and respect your point of view and it makes all the sense in the world.
But hey, I'm a little crazy and am willing to have have a little fun playing with a machine that is fresh, new, perhaps unnecessary, and is also kicking some butt for me out on the beach, at the park, in the thicket, and on the farm, and that was not what I expected when I initially signed up on the waiting list. So I am singing its praises.
Definitely, no hard feeling Digs.
Signed,
A Deus Loyalist, nope that's not right. A GPX loyalist, nope, not right either. An F75 Loyalist, no that ain't it. An Equinox Loyalist, no not quite right either.
I know - "A right tool for the job, loyalist." Yep, that's it.
Happy Hunting.
