The Equinox 800 is light, adaptable, fun to use and hits coins and trade tokens well in every condition I've used it in. (Parks/beach/ghost towns/construction tear downs/yard permissions).

I'm a big proponent of the 6" coil and have really only used the larger coil on the beach in Florida where it did well in dry and wet sand. The small coil gets respectable depth so I use it.

Being able to tailor tone sounds and zones is an option I always wanted.

I've also always favored minelabs for difficult ground and use field mode nearly all the time.

My personal experience has been that the Equinox has improved the quality and quantity of finds, especially tokens. As stated above, it's a fun machine for me. I'd rate enjoying one's detector as a top factor in success with it.