I’ve had the Deus for about seven months. A lot of people have asked about its depth capabilities and I’ll try to answer that as best I can. After a lot of years away from detecting, I finally got back into it in the spring of 2010. The only modern machines I’ve used for any appreciable length of time besides the Deus are the Tesoro Cibola and the Fisher CZ-3D, so for comparison’s sake that’s what I have to go by. The Deus with 9” coil, and the CZ with stock 8” coil seem pretty even for “in ground depth.” If I had to bet on one, I might give the edge to the CZ. In air tests, the Deus gets an inch or more distance over the CZ. I suppose the discrepancy between air and ground depth is an indication that the dual frequency CZ handles my northern Ohio soil better than the Deus. It would be interesting to see how the Deus does in areas that are more (or less) mineralized. The audio response of the Deus does seem to be a bit more accurate at identifying targets “at depth” than the CZ, giving me a few more good finds in areas that I had hit hard with the Fisher. One of features of the Deus that I find most useful is the ability to set up programs using different configurations of sensitivity, frequency, target separation, etc., and then quickly switch between them with the press of a single button. This comes in handy for checking targets. The weight issue was the number one reason for my choosing the Deus. The machine is about the same weight as the Cibola, and while not quite as well balanced, still feels very light. I have heard people complain about the larger 11x13 coil making the detector feel “nose heavy” however. Overall, I’ve been very happy with the Deus. I just can’t see going back to a heavier machine. I did get mine straight from the factory at a pretty steep discount that is, unfortunately, no longer being offered. At the current price – it’s a tough sell.
