Spending countless hours in my testing garden with both the Nokta Legend and Minelab Equinox 900, I’ve uncovered some interesting differences in how these machines respond to depth. If you’re deciding between these two machines, my hands-on testing over the past month may make your decision a little easier. I’ve run both machines through a gruelingly thorough testing with a 10-inch deep Mercury dime and gold targets at a range of depths – the kind of testing that tells a detector’s real capabilities.
The Equinox 900 Experience
The Equinox 900 took me for a loop, first out of the box. With the default Park 1 settings, I wasn’t at all impressed. Signals sounded chirpy, and my deep test targets struggled with the machine. That changed, though, when I changed to Park 2 mode altogether. That deep Mercury dime started sounding loud and strong, and both gold test pieces were producing strong, repeatable signals. I liked best, however, getting that performance out of it with no single additional tweak. For a user who simply wants to unwrap their detector and go hunting for deep targets, that’s a big win.
The Nokta Legend Adventure
My journey with the Legend began in a decidedly different manner. With the factory default M1 Park settings, I couldn’t help but wonder initially if my testing targets had overnight disappered. All but a whisper at my deep Mercury dime, and invisible, for all I could detect, to the gold targets. That changed, though, with a little patience and determination.
Through some exasperated experimenting (and I’ll admit, a fair amount of trial and error), I unlocked the Legend’s sweet spot. I discovered it when I changed over to Multi 2 mode and began experimenting with recovery speed. Dropping down to speed 2 gave the machine new eyes, in a manner of speaking – suddenly, deep targets started speaking to me. Yes, you lose a little target separation capability at this speed, but for hunting deep, single targets, it’s worth it.
The Tech Behind Performance
The Equinox 900 utilizes Minelab’s Multi-IQ+ technology, in essence, processing several frequencies at a single pass. In practice, this reflects in its target ID over a variety of ground conditions with no constant fiddling with settings. In testing, this manifested in its confidence at dealing with a range of targets at depth.
The Legend retaliates with its multi-frequency system, but where it trounces is in its customizability potential. Having the freedom to tweak everything from iron filtering to stability settings puts an incredible level of control at your fingertips. I found myself fiddling with these settings many times more than I’d initially anticipated, but each tweak saw discernible improvements.
Real-World Consequences
Here’s what actually matters for real-life detecting: The Equinox 900 is your buddy when you desire top-notch performance with no deep delving into settings menus. You can literally switch it on, switch to Park 2, and go hunting deep targets. The Legend takes a little more preparation, but that investment is worth it if you enjoy having an extreme level of detail over your machine’s behavior.
What’s particularly heartening about the Legend is Nokta’s dedication to improvement. They’re engaged with users actively to develop and enhance the performance of the machine through firmware updates. I’ve even shared test videos with their engineers, both positively and negatively, and have seen them make improvements in direct response.
The Bottom Line
A month of testing both machines, and here’s my unfiltered opinion: The Equinox 900 is your go-to option if getting immediate, out-of-the-box performance is your top concern. It simply works, and it works well. The Legend, with its increased setup time, holds incredible potential for those who enjoy mastering its nuances. Both machines can discern impressive depths – they just use a different path of attack.
Use the Equinox 900 if you prefer to spend your time hunting and less fiddling with settings. Opt for the Legend if you enjoy mastering your detector and having the freedom to tailor your configuration for specific hunting conditions. You win regardless, with a capable device capable of taking care of serious depth hunting – it just comes down to your preferred path.
Keep in mind, depth isn’t everything in metal detecting, but it’s darn pleasing to know your device can access those deeper targets when present. Happy hunting!
Nokta has some other great products. Check out another one of my reviews: Journey with the Nokta PulseDive: A Beach Hunter’s Honest Review.
My name is Paul and I am the founder of Detector For Metal, a dedicated resource for metal detecting enthusiasts seeking to uncover historical treasures and connect with the past using the latest technology. As a stay-at-home dad and family man, I’ve found metal detecting to be the perfect hobby that combines family adventure with historical learnings for the whole family.
As a father, I’m deeply committed to passing on this hobby to the next generation of detectorists, starting with my own children. I share advice on everything from metal detecting with kids to exploring the top 10 metal detecting sites you never thought about. My methodical approach to the hobby goes beyond the thrill of discovery—it’s about creating family traditions while preserving history and sharing the stories of those who came before us.
