A lot of it depends on the operator. I dug a quadzillion good items with my beloved Tesoro Cibola, which is not an expensive machine. Got both gold coins and the best gold and diamond ring with it. Haven't had the Deus long, but it's better in parks where there is a lot of trash than the Cibola. I'm not particularly interested in a Minelab, I don't think it would add much to my stable of machines. Their PI machines go way deep, but you'd waste a whole day in a 10' x 10' area in these parks. Good for less trashy beaches, gold etc. but not where I dig for the most part.