Looking to upgrade from Garrett Ace 400

charliez

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Nov 9, 2021
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Purchased the Ace last year and spend the majority of time searching the woods and trails here in NH for colonial Era relics. The detector was easy to learn and I found lots of great relics! The only minor complaints is the weight and being wired to the detector with the headphones. The biggest issue is I feel like I am missing out on relics by way of lots of missed or ghost signals whereas the machine seems somewhat limited. I am no expert and would like something not too overly complicated, lighter and perhaps under $1000. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 
I have both the Legend and the Nox 600. I like both but the Equinox is better for depth, target ID and ease of operation. Great for woods hunting. You can get both the machine and wireless headphones for around $750 AND do what I recommend and add a carbon fiber rod and counterbalance weight and still be under $1k

Steve
 

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Xp orx is an awesome unit and goes deep. You can get the full set upnwiyh wireless phones and your choice of coil for 600 or under.

I personally would get the hf 9 inch round coil


It has a several freq options. One of the lightest units on the market and built good.


Easy to operate and picks goodies out of iron very well.

Any of the xp units are awesome.

The regular deus 1 can be purchased for under 1000 now and if you find the right dealer you cam get the deus 2 for not much more than 1900 depending in the accessories you want.


It is one of the best out there.

Easier to set up than the nokta legend and.


Equinox is decent machine but the large coil makes it cumbersome picking stuff out of infested areas.

Plus the build quality isn't there.
 
Take a look at the Nokta Legend $625.00 shipped with two coils and wireless ,carbon fiber rod.
 
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Simplex if you are looking to keep it well under $500. Legend if you want to spend a bit more for multifreq.

I have the 400 and use it alot, is a coin/jewelry magnet in the sand, also at tot lots. IS simple but lacks depth and useful features like backlit lcd and adjustable volume.
 
The XP ORX with 9" HF coil new is going to be almost the same price as the XP Deus 2 WS6 Master (Deus 2 Lite) with 9" or 11" FMF coil.

After owning both, the Deus 2 even in its "Lite" version is way, way better. You get the same coin/relic single frequency program that is on the ORX along with eleven simultaneous multi frequency programs including saltwater beach programs, way more audio, tone break and discrimination options, similar depth, similar recovery speed and target separation and most of all way better target ID accuracy down to the depth of detection. Plus, there is no lighter weight detector available than the Deus 2 Lite. For hilly, rocky terrain and forested areas where swing length is continuously changing and swinging up or down slopes is happening constantly, these XP detectors are really hard to equal as far as lightweight ergonomics.

The Nokta Legend is not nearly as light as the XPs and its 10X5 coil which will help the weight issue, has not been released yet. It is not particularly hard to setup for relic hunting and is an excellent detector.

The Equinox 600 is an excellent detector and is easy to setup for relics. It is nose heavy with the 11" coil. There are options for carbon fiber shafts and the excellent Coiltek 10X5" coil which will make the Nox feel much more balanced but those ergonomic upgrades cost money.
 
As someone said the down side to the Equinox is it's nose heavy. Hurts my back sometimes. Works great though!
 
D2 Lite is going to be the best at around $900 with a good choice of options on how you want it . You won’t ever need to upgrade…. Ever …. HH Tony
 
Narrowed it down to Deus 2 lite, Nox 600 or Legend.
Which of the three would be easiest to learn (based on my current Ace 400) and would be best for the woods and woods trails here in NH. (lots of rocks, trees, and hilly terrain)?? Dont really care about wireless headphones as long as the unit has volume control.
Thanks
 
Narrowed it down to Deus 2 lite, Nox 600 or Legend.
Which of the three would be easiest to learn (based on my current Ace 400) and would be best for the woods and woods trails here in NH. (lots of rocks, trees, and hilly terrain)?? Dont really care about wireless headphones as long as the unit has volume control.
Thanks

With the coil hitting rocks, etc, and the good possibility of slippage and your detector being dropped, I would take the Nox out of your options due to its weak build quality.
 
With the coil hitting rocks, etc, and the good possibility of slippage and your detector being dropped, I would take the Nox out of your options due to its weak build quality.

Come on, that's not true. My Nox takes a beating. Enough of this weak build quality myth.

Steve
 
Come on, that's not true. My Nox takes a beating. Enough of this weak build quality myth.

Steve

That's like saying, "I never had a problem with my X brand car, so all the problems that others have experienced with this car, are a myth".

Heck, I didn't even mention the leaking issue, which incidentally, still occurs on new Noxs.

Come on, the Nox is an excellent performing detector, but to ignore it's build quality issues is deliberate delusion. Even Minelab knows it, and that's why they addressed those build quality issues with the Manticore.
 
Narrowed it down to Deus 2 lite, Nox 600 or Legend.
Which of the three would be easiest to learn (based on my current Ace 400) and would be best for the woods and woods trails here in NH. (lots of rocks, trees, and hilly terrain)?? Dont really care about wireless headphones as long as the unit has volume control.
Thanks

The XP DEUS II is by far my favorite detector right now. It's faster lighter more accurate and much better well-rounded than anything out.

They are simply amazing Detectors! Blows my mind when I get in heavy iron and trash with what it can do.

Feel free to call me. Be glad to go over it with you. 405-206-9010
 
With the coil hitting rocks, etc, and the good possibility of slippage and your detector being dropped, I would take the Nox out of your options due to its weak build quality.

I hunt at 10,000 ft altitude in steep slope, rocky terrain. I have never had any issues with an Equinox in those conditions, period. They are very rugged detectors for that kind of detecting. 500+ hours using the Nox 800 in those conditions. Just don't use it as a crutch, don't throw it off a cliff or drop a boulder on it or any other detector for that matter. Ergonomics using the Nox with 6" or Coiltek 10X5" coils are excellent and not nose heavy.

Beach and submerged, that's a whole different story with the Equinox and durability.

The Legend is built like a tank.....

All of my XP detectors....Deus, Deus 2 and ORX like to roll down any kind of hill so watch how you put them down. I have had one go off an embankment after it rolled 15 feet with me chasing after it. It survived....


Which one is easiest to learn.........that is a hard question. Which has the easiest user interface....again a very hard question since all three have multiple layers of menus and hidden menus. The Nox for me has the easiest to read screen and the Deus 2 Lite has the hardest screen to read just due to the controller's small size.

All three would also do very well (with the Legend and Nox using smaller coils) for forest and hilly terrain hunting.
 
Made up my mind...after reviewing all of your comments I realized that i cant go wrong with any of the three that i had narrowed it down to.
So I am going with the Equinox 600 (and adding the additional 6" coil)
The biggest reason is that I found out that a friend of mine has one and he is well versed in using it. Free lessons! Who knew!
I am not concerned with breakage whereas I am very careful and take great care of any of my toys.
I want to thank all of you for the input, much appreciated!
 
Made up my mind...after reviewing all of your comments I realized that i cant go wrong with any of the three that i had narrowed it down to.
So I am going with the Equinox 600 (and adding the additional 6" coil)
The biggest reason is that I found out that a friend of mine has one and he is well versed in using it. Free lessons! Who knew!
I am not concerned with breakage whereas I am very careful and take great care of any of my toys.
I want to thank all of you for the input, much appreciated!

You made the right choice.
 
Made up my mind...after reviewing all of your comments I realized that i cant go wrong with any of the three that i had narrowed it down to.
So I am going with the Equinox 600 (and adding the additional 6" coil)
The biggest reason is that I found out that a friend of mine has one and he is well versed in using it. Free lessons! Who knew!
I am not concerned with breakage whereas I am very careful and take great care of any of my toys.
I want to thank all of you for the input, much appreciated!

Great choice! The 600 is had to beat!
 
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