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Vanquish 440 or Nokta Simplex?

NS44

New Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2021
Messages
5
Just starting out in detecting and want something low cost to serve a newbie on dry land and saltwater beaches. Had a Nokta Simplex in my cart ready to buy when I read the Vanquish 440 (in the same under $300 price bracket) is a lot of machine for the money and is stable/effective in salty sand.
Anyone here who can provide some guidance on these two machines? How are the two companies when it comes to reliability and customer service?
Or is there another machine in the same price range I should consider?
 
dry land and saltwater beaches

Both are great machine .. But to do both of what you want you will need 2 coil large for beach smaller for land use to separate trash to goodies

Simplex with WHP and the 11' & 9x5' coil.
Vanquish 540 pro bundle V12' & V8" coil .. I also bought the V10" coil

Simple single frequency VDI range 0 - 99
Vanquish Multi Frequency VDI range 0 - 40

Then there is the Garrett Ace Apex .. Selectable & multi Frequency VDI range 0 - 99 . good selection of extra coils
 
Keep in mind that the price you see advertised is the price that all dealers are required to advertise at. Make sure to talk to our sponsors to find the actual price or other items that they may include in the deal. Always use the phone it is your friend.
 
Thanks, but ...

Valley Hunter,
Thanks, but the 540 would be a step up in cost. I'm trying to stay apples to apples budget wise, which the Vanquish 440 and the Nokta Simplex are? Are you recommending the 540 because the 440 isn't a worthy contender for the Nokta Simplex? Since smaller coils are available for the 440 and Nokta, I figured I could add them down the road if I like the machine I choose enough to hang on to it for a while.

georgeinsc,
Thanks for the tip on sponsors. I see one of them is located near me.
 
Can't speak for the Vanquish, but the Simplex is a great machine! If you ground balance to zero, its capable on wet sand, but its not perfect and can be a bit chatty. A couple of things it has going for it that the Vanquish does not is that its waterproof and comes with wireless headphones (if you purchase that package). I don't think you can go wrong with either machine, but whatever you decide, happy hunting!
 
I have never used a Vanquish 440 but have owned several Minelab machines and they performed really well. I love my Simplex. I do not hunt salt water beaches more that once or twice a year so the Simplex is fine. I went to Galveston a month or so ago and it worked fine even in wet sand when ground balanced to 0. A waterproof machine is a must for me because I hunt rivers in the summer. I am looking forward to Makros new multi frequency machine that they will be releasing this year. It will be in the Simplex housing so should be a great light multi frequency contender.
 
I have a vanquish 540 and the Simplex. Of the two i prefer the Vanquish. I do like the wireless headphones of the Simplex but i'm not a fan of the Pulsedive pinpointer.
It's very big and the buttons require a lot of force to activate.

Having used them both, and wanting a waterproof detector i posted them on craigslist and plan on getting an Equinox 600 so i can have the best of each in one detector.
 
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I have never used a Vanquish 440 but have owned several Minelab machines and they performed really well. I love my Simplex. I do not hunt salt water beaches more that once or twice a year so the Simplex is fine. I went to Galveston a month or so ago and it worked fine even in wet sand when ground balanced to 0. A waterproof machine is a must for me because I hunt rivers in the summer. I am looking forward to Makros new multi frequency machine that they will be releasing this year. It will be in the Simplex housing so should be a great light multi frequency contender.

I think you made a great point about how frequent one does beach hunting. In my case, I may get to the ocean once a year, and usually it's in Peru. That didnt happen last year because of COVID. Every couple of years we take a trip to maybe V.A. Beach, Maine, Cape Cod, Fla., etc... So how important would it be for me to spend extra 100's to have a competitive saltwater beach detector. In my case, I do prefer waterproof because we live near the Great Lakes and usually go at least once a year. I also love hunting around old swimming holes in the mountains...that sort of thing....and that's all freshwater. Personally I'd like to learn more about Anfibio. It doesn't seem to get any threads here. Seems 90% of all detector brand discussion here is Nox, Vanquish and Simplex. That really says alot for the modestly priced Simplex being pitted against machines costing 100's more again and again! Also, I generally prefer the build, ergonomics and basic platform of Nokta products far more than Minelab, but I do see the obvious superiority of a multi-frequency and especially a simultaneous frequency machine. On my budget, and preferring Nokta for the reasons I said, I've had my eye out for a deal on a Multi-Kruzer or Anfibio Multi. That is a compromise on Minelab simultaneous search I'm willing to take. I also have the Gold Kruzer already so the two Kruzers could share some accessories. I dont mind scanning an area a few times in different single frequencies. I think there is actually more to be learned about a site that way.
 
Thanks all,
I live on the Gulf in Florida and several beaches are near me. Also a lot of springs and old freshwater swimming holes dating back to mid 1800s, so wet detecting would be a regular thing. Also abandoned old town and settlements sites near me for relic hunting.
Not worried about having the best right now, just having something that can work in wet/salt and dry land reasonably well at a reasonably low price - just to get my feet wet. If the hobby works out, I imagine I will be spending way more than I should in no time at all. Humid as all heck here, which had me looking at the waterproof Simplex first, but then I noticed the Vanquish model for about the same price, hence the dilemma and reason for asking for advice.
 
I own both a simplex and a 440, and I live in Maine where we have both fresh and salt water beaches. Both machines have their particular advantages as well as drawbacks. I've found the 440 works much better than the vanquish on salt beaches. The main drawback is the 440 is not water proof so a lot of care must be used near the surf. Both are all around great detectors but the 440 is an accident waiting to happen near the water.
 
^^ well said. I also have both. The better one depends on what you're needing. The 440 has smf. I much prefer the tones on the 440. The control panel is far better on the 440 and the balance is much better with stock coils.
The Simplex is waterproof and has vibration for use underwater. It separates a lot better around iron and has more coil choices.
 
I think you made a great point about how frequent one does beach hunting. In my case, I may get to the ocean once a year, and usually it's in Peru. That didnt happen last year because of COVID. Every couple of years we take a trip to maybe V.A. Beach, Maine, Cape Cod, Fla., etc... So how important would it be for me to spend extra 100's to have a competitive saltwater beach detector. In my case, I do prefer waterproof because we live near the Great Lakes and usually go at least once a year. I also love hunting around old swimming holes in the mountains...that sort of thing....and that's all freshwater. Personally I'd like to learn more about Anfibio. It doesn't seem to get any threads here. Seems 90% of all detector brand discussion here is Nox, Vanquish and Simplex. That really says alot for the modestly priced Simplex being pitted against machines costing 100's more again and again! Also, I generally prefer the build, ergonomics and basic platform of Nokta products far more than Minelab, but I do see the obvious superiority of a multi-frequency and especially a simultaneous frequency machine. On my budget, and preferring Nokta for the reasons I said, I've had my eye out for a deal on a Multi-Kruzer or Anfibio Multi. That is a compromise on Minelab simultaneous search I'm willing to take. I also have the Gold Kruzer already so the two Kruzers could share some accessories. I dont mind scanning an area a few times in different single frequencies. I think there is actually more to be learned about a site that way.

I thought about the Multi-Kruzer when I received the stimulus check but I think I am going to hold out for the new SMF machine that Makro is releasing this year. Since it will be in the Simplex housing then I know it will be light enough for me to swing with my RA and will give me the advantages of simultaneous multi frequencies in a waterproof housing. I will not be getting rid of my Simplex because it is a great little machine.
 
I own both a simplex and a 440, and I live in Maine where we have both fresh and salt water beaches. Both machines have their particular advantages as well as drawbacks. I've found the 440 works much better than the vanquish on salt beaches. The main drawback is the 440 is not water proof so a lot of care must be used near the surf. Both are all around great detectors but the 440 is an accident waiting to happen near the water.

So, 440 better in the salt. That means if I owned it and the Simplex, I'd take the 440 to the beach and just be sure not to drop it in the water.

Where does the phrase "getting one's feet wet" come from?

Pretty sure it is about people who can't swim have to get their feet wet to learn.
 
I've had both and like both. A friend and I were just talking about the Simplex this morning,and as he called it a (Giant Killer) ..lol.
Makro set the bar so high with that simplex feature and price wise that high end machines are almost a waste of money. Imo and others too,, it's that good..
The vanquish is a really good suttle park machine,I don't hunt beaches cause I don't have any close. But I've used the vanquish in parks and yards and it's a good stable ride that seems to find things that been missed by me with other machines.
You cannot go wrong with either. Very different but both very capable.
 
Interesting

I've had both and like both. A friend and I were just talking about the Simplex this morning,and as he called it a (Giant Killer) ..lol.
Makro set the bar so high with that simplex feature and price wise that high end machines are almost a waste of money. Imo and others too,, it's that good..
The vanquish is a really good suttle park machine,I don't hunt beaches cause I don't have any close. But I've used the vanquish in parks and yards and it's a good stable ride that seems to find things that been missed by me with other machines.
You cannot go wrong with either. Very different but both very capable.

Interesting that some have owned both. Seems they are so close in price and performance that owning both (together or buying one after the other) would be redundant. I have a picture of hobbyists generally spending up for their next machine. Maybe a case of all the praise on the Simplex punching so far above its weight that folks give it a try rather than spending bigger?
 
Interesting that some have owned both. Seems they are so close in price and performance that owning both (together or buying one after the other) would be redundant. I have a picture of hobbyists generally spending up for their next machine. Maybe a case of all the praise on the Simplex punching so far above its weight that folks give it a try rather than spending bigger?

I would bet the simplex would find everything in the fields I hunt that my deus does. In a park situation tho I would lean towards the vanquish, just a little easier
 
My honest opnion? I have owned the Vanquish AND Simplex, for the wet sand go with the vanquish, as it has the multi IQ, but if you are going to hunt really close to the tide, go with the simplex as it is waterproof. Both are very good, and I have enjoyed both.

Josh
 
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