Last update I had wanted to get into the ongoing stink concerning the Deus II, The Nokta Legend, Minelab Equinox, the authorized and unauthorized testers, the naysayers, trolls, know it all’s and the gullible. I couldn’t then but will give it a whirl now…
First off none of this would have happened if it were business as usual last year but it wasn’t. We had pretty much given up on seeing a new detector model in 2021 and then we were teased big time that two were on the way (both multi frequency). Instantly tekkies were comparing and commenting on these machines (sight unseen) based on their biased and loyal views. Lines were drawn in the imaginary sand and no one budged.
Fast forward to today. Neither detector has reached the US shores in any quantity yet but the back and forth continues. It’s to the point that Nokta (via the spunky Dilek) had to respond to what she considered inaccurate social media and YouTube claims about the Legend. The response (I loved it) just fueled more back and forth, more claims and what I find funny, more comments like “well I’m cancelling my order” as though that individual was going to hurt a company by not buying their machine. Jeezus grow up folks.
TESTING OR DETESTING?
I’m old school and remember when the real test of a detector was done in the field by day in and day out users. The cream rose to the top and the rest found a place in the pecking order, pretty much like any other product. Today for whatever reason we’ve taken a simple pastime and made it much too complicated. We’ve over thought it, over bought it and thrive on the he said, she said BS. The coin, nail, board thing is a great example. We’ve made this some sort of litmus test and it’s not. Not by a long shot. Way too many variables (including and especially the one doing the testing).
Andy Sabisch says it well in this YouTube video…
I’ve said it many times before here but we really do need to grow up and stop acting like little kids? We get upset when a new product gets delayed. We threaten to cancel our order, buy another product, as though that’s going to make a difference. Just do it for crissakes. Nobody cares, okay.
Likewise there’s no need to knock the competitor’s model when you haven’t even tried it. And to do it based on someone else’s say so or YouTube video is wrong. The die-hard detectorist who is in the field, day in and day out will determine and decide which detectors live on and which ones get the job done, not the guy in his backyard swinging a coil back and forth over a coin and nail.
I feel certain the three detectors mentioned here will stand the test of time. Buy the one that fits YOUR budget, has the features YOU need and then use it, learn it and and have fun. Life is much too short for all the other BS.
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Stout Standards 
Hello Dick all so true we hear from the fly by nights who have done a couple of hours detecting and believes they has gleaned more knowledge than the guy who has quietly and steadily away got on with the on the job detecting and who have been at it for umpteen years but kept all his experience and know how under his hat. We just get on with the job finding all the goodies while the know all does all his blithering and achieves nowt while pen pushing whilst detecting on paper..
Randy I get the importance of a detector being able to isolate good from bad. What I don’t get is the overriding obsession with these tests. There are too many variables, especially given the complexity of today’s detectors. One could throw a helluva lot of questions at the tester based on settings and modes alone. Once these models are out in greater numbers and after more detectorists put them to the test we will know more about their usefulness and durability.
You said it perfectly. Here I am, sitting in my car, after 3 hours out with one of those machines and have been having a blast with it. It really comes down to what fits your budget. You can make a guess at which machine I have but it’s one of the few in the states right now. Lol!
It seems that People are bored. They want their 15 minutes of fame by trying to get those clicks on their videos. They forget that it’s a hobby. It’s not like there is a multi million dollar prize out there for the most pull tabs or the shiniest zinc penny found. It’s a hobby. There is no national championship. Lol!
Hope your day is going well!
“They forget that it’s a hobby….” It is indeed and what seems to be missing any more is the FUN thing.
I’m doing well Matt, thanks and thanks for taking the time to comment. Keep us posted on the new machine.
Will do. I’m of that old school like you say where the best test is in the field and so far, without making buttons or tweaking things on the machine, it’s performing exactly how it should. But it’s a beautiful day, 59 and sunny.
Like I have said for over 40 years now Dick, “The detector is only as good as the user”!
True dat!!
Great post, Dick. Boy is this one a doozie!
Like many other detectorists, I enjoy Tom D’s forum, and check in every month or so to keep up with the latest tech, maybe see some finds, and yes, even to witness some ridiculously funny bickering on all sorts of stuff. That forum is of course Calabash’s home bash. I happen to like the guy as I consider him a straight-shooter, and truth be told, he really knows his stuff when it coming to swinging a coil. However…
He absolutely CAN (and usually does) come off as abrasive, mean & condescending – whether it’s by choice or maybe just subconsciously. But he is a truth-teller, and at least for that, I respect him. If he would just tone it down some, or perhaps be a bit more mindful of his actions, I don’t think he’d be as despised, but to each their own.
On the other hand, you have the wonderful Dilek, who is truly a force of nature. I have the UTMOST admiration for not only her, but Nokta/Makro in general. Let’s be honest here…what she/they are doing is really revolutionary. Not only in producing affordable, CUTTING-EDGE machines that are smoking out most of the hackneyed U.S. based manufacturers, but also how she/they have regular conversations directly with their core audience, and incorporate that feedback into their products. When was the last time Fisher put out a video like that? Or even the great Minelab? N/M isn’t just a bunch of faceless, shadowy employees who pump out tired, dated tech and hide out in a factory somewhere. They lift the veil, actually TALK and LISTEN to the end-users, and understand how to communicate with their customers in the 21st century. They are to be commended!
I remember being a forum member of the old White’s forum years ago. You literally couldn’t mention a competing company’s name in a post – as I kid you not – it would be instantly edited or removed. What’s the point/relevance? Just to illustrate how backwards and antiquated many of the older brands operate…even to this day. Which is again why I give major props to Nokta/Makro. They are a FORWARD-THINKING team who are with the times. Add XP Detectors (Deus makers) to this list as well.
All that being said, not so sure why you’re surprised at the onslaught of commotion & badgering online nowadays, Dick. Yes, it’s garbage talk, but what do you expect when people can’t look one another in the eye directly? Keyboard warriors. Attention seekers. Loudmouths. We’ve always had them (and always will), though the audience they can now reach is global…the world is their stage. Fortunately, we still have some level-headed folks out there (like Dilek), who knows how to respectfully quiet the roar of the savages.
Look at the bright side. With all this free drama available over the net, you don’t have to spend $20 a month to watch Netflix!
Joe it might just be my age (definitely is) but I don’t see the preoccupation with these silly a$$ tests and how everyone hangs their hat on them. I don’t see them as some sort of end all. Like I said above I get the importance of quick recovery in trashy/iron infested areas, but writing off a really good detector because it didn’t respond like the other is crazy. Especially with all the variables.
As for NM I’m with you. The Simplex still knocks my socks off and I would be surprised if the Legend wasn’t better. They’re aware of what their customers want and do their best to give it to them. I love too that they fix when needed and update via online.
Maybe it was to my detriment, but I never had a test garden, nor did I ever try a nail board test when I detected. I do think there’s absolutely some value in those types of experiments, but I guess I’m just a bit lazy & old-fashioned, as I always preferred to simply take my units to real-world places where I actually hunted. My reasoning was a bit selfish. I thought it better to test the machines AND have the opportunity to find something nifty, versus puttering over a board or in a garden listening to the same signals year after year.
I understand that some guys enjoy collecting, and might need to have 30 detectors. But most us don’t. I also understand that some guys love the science behind detectors, and figuring out how they work best under every condition under the sun. They relish testing and can do so day in & day out. But again, most of us just enjoy taking our units out and playing with them to better understand their nuances over time. Aside from researching locations and learning about the history of the items we find, the FUN of the hunt is mostly what we do this for.
By the way, nice to see Bob Buttafuso chime in. When I first started detecting, it was with an MXT. And if memory serves me correct, Whites included a DVD in the box which featured Bob going over the various detector settings. He was a great teacher! Found my first merc with that machine. Didn’t Bob run Centreville Electronics for many years? Nice to see another legend of the hobby still out there plugging away 🙂
Bob still has Centreville Electronics. He’s also older than Methuselah. Bob fixed detectors at our FMDAC hunts way back when the Red Sox still had Babe Ruth….
or when “christ” was an Altar boy!
Andy’s “dead nuts” right! my vanquish 540 has a fixed iron bias control, high and low, and I dig deep iron often. nothin anybody can do about it. if ya don’t dig it, ya may miss a nice coin.way it is! I’m just sayin’
j( 3 stabs,waitin’ on 4) t.
JT you have a way with words….just sayin!
I’ve crawled into a hole and when all social media ends (except your posts) I’ll come back out. Until then, keep telling me what’s going on in the world.
Not sure you should be listening to me Bob. I’m a throwback to the days when you just went detecting and had fun….. You remember those.
Yo Ricardo!
Bob Buttafuso got it right, “The detector is only as good as the user”! The problem with yootoob is that many of the videos are committed by absolute know-nothings. Consequently, newbies who know no better, take all the nonsense on board. I’m afraid this is the way things are today.
Oh by the way, who is this Babe Ruth? What does she do?
Have a feeling we’d have been in a lot of trouble if YouTube were around back in the early 80’s….
Pretty sure too you already have a picture in your mind of Babe Ruth….
reverend! the “babe” was actually a man who impersonated a famous baseball player, and no!..he didn’t play cricket! …I;m just sayin’
yes! there are many out in boob tube land who love the 5 minutes of fame! ..wheres my go pro!
(h.h.!)
j(3 stabs,waitin on 4)t
Dick, as the saying goes, “We don’t need no stinking tests”! Or was it badges……..
I like the tests done by locals in my area. Go to your club meetings and see what folks are finding. The folks who always find the good stuff in hunted areas are the ones who you need to speak with about equipment and settings. Sounds simple and you know this Dick….that is what the clubs and such are for….Enjoy the hobby and friends you meet along the way!
Don’t get me wrong – there are many terrific dealers who know how to program a detector for your needs.
Tony we get mesmerized by all these YouTube tests and comparisons. We also waste a lot of time watching them. Time better spent researching or hunting….
“Sounds simple and you know this Dick….that is what the clubs and such are for….Enjoy the hobby and friends you meet along the way!”
Yup and we’ve gotten away from that or at least it appears that way to me.
Bloody right!
damn straight!..forget the yooo hooo tube, and go hunt instead! ..just sayin’
(h.h.!)
j.t.