Quote
jmaryt
rich it seems the 800 is knocking it outta the park in parks! me bro has a friend who hunts with one, and me bro gets his butt kicked every time out. the bro uses a simplex, but it's not the powerhouse,the minelab is.i am waiting patiently on the
garrett (never thought i would ever say that!) to determine how it performs in the trash.i believe the build quality of the garrett is superior to the 800.definitely in it's favor.

(.h.!)
j.t.

j.t., as I stated in my earlier reply, the Equinox 800 is a good detector, and it just so happens there are a lot of 'good' detectors on the market. But in the end it really boils down to the individual user, what they want and what they like.

Is the detector a good 'fit' for them from the standpoint of comfort and balance?

Does it have search modes and adjustment functions the user likes, and understands?

Are the search coil selections functional for the user's needs and do they work well for the hunt-sites being searched?

Let's not forget the audio report, either. Are the headphones used a good match for the user's hearing ability? Does the detector produce a good audio response that is satisfying for the user, or is it too weak, too 'digitized' sounding, or are the tones not discernible enough?

I have a good assortment of models on my 'Detector Team' and I bought an Equinox 800 with extra 6" DD coil a while back. I worked with it to check out the default settings and compared it against my Minelab Vanquish 540, and then determined some EQ-800 settings that might enhance its performance for where I usually hunted. Then I compared it, again, with the V-540, as well as a Nokta CoRe and Relic, and my Nokta / Makro Simplex + and Anfibio Multi plus a White's XLT. I used comparable search coils in the evaluations I did and determined that the Equinox 800 was 'OK' .... but it didn't really surpass the devices I own and use .... and that includes my Simplex +.

Matter-of-fact, I still have all the models mentioned, but I parted with the EQ-800. For a lot of the places I hunt where a Simultaneous Multi-Frequency model might provide some advantages, the V-540 did that just fine. For the bulk of my detecting I still favor using a single operating frequency because, for my wants and needs, I enjoy the benefits of being able to select / use a single frequency that can provide an advantage in my favor.

My 'daily travel companions' on the back seat include my V-540 w/5X8 DD, XLT w/6½" Concentric, Silver Sabre µMAX w/6" Concentric, and one of my two Simplex + devices that now has the 5X9½ DD mounted. I'm sure some might favor the EQ-800 for what they like about it and how it works for them, and that's fine. As long as we are each satisfied with what we choose to use and the enjoyment we get out of it when afield, that's what counts.

Monte

"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Stinkwater Wells Trading Post
Metal Detector Evaluations and Product Reviews monte@ahrps.org ... or ... monte@stinkwaterwells.com 503-481-8147Detectors: Fisher F5; Garrett Apex; Minelab Vanquish 540; Nokta / Makro FORS CoRe, FORS Relic & Simplex +;
Teknetics T2+; Tesoro Bandido II µMAX & Silver Sabre µMAX; White's XLTPinpointers: Pulse-Dive -- ProPointer AT .. Headphones: 'Hornet' & 'Wasp' -- MS-3 Z-Lynk -- ML-80 -- N/M Green Edition Note: Detectors are listed alphabetically by Brand. Models are chosen based on search site conditions.*** All working well today to make memories for tomorrow. ***