My Metal Detectors

• Nokta The Legend (May 2023 - present)

Misled by the Legend's low price and simplistic instruction manual, I underestimated this metal detector at first, thinking it was just another 'multi-frequency gimmick'. It was only after I learned all the hidden capabilities of the Legend through extensive field testing and experimentation with it throughout the summer of 2023 that I realized that the Nokta Legend is a real professional metal detector, despite its 'all-purpose' type.

My Legend is now my workhorse for most coin and non-ferrous relic hunting tasks. The only exceptions are the two types of coin/relic hunting activities: 'hunt site reconnaissance' and 'deep coin cache hunting'. The Legend metal detector is not the best choice for these activities due to its unbalanced weight.

For site reconnaissance I use my old Deus v3.2 or v 4.1 because of its featherlight weight (this is important when scanning a vast search area), or the Teknetics T2+ when fine-tuning the Deus is problematic in difficult search conditions.

To locate deep coin caches, I use my good old Fisher F-75+ because of its effective 'Motion All-Metal' mode, 'Cache Locator' ('CL') mode especially designed for this activity and useful for checking sizable targets, and its two large search coils: 13" DD and 15" DD. The Legend equipped with an LG35 search coil (13.5x12.5"/35x31.5cm DD) can also be effectively used for cache hunting; however, a detector harness is required to avoid shoulder and arm fatigue.

For all other coin/relic detecting tasks such as target separation, target verification and identification, unmasking coins, deep coin/relic hunting, the Nokta legend metal detector is a winner among all the machines in my arsenal! Outside of my arsenal, there are tough multi-frequency competitors. They cost two to three times more than the Legend, but they have some disadvantages compared to the Legend. In some challenging coin/relic hunting situations, their disadvantages allow the Legend to win if it is programmed correctly.

In every in-field situation where I used my Legend side by side with the Minelab Equinox 900 and XP Deus 2 metal detectors operated by experienced users, the Legend was on par with or better than its competitors. This is most likely due to the fact that all of Legend's competitors lack certain settings, features, or even user-friendly interfaces that are essential when performing complex coin/relic hunting tasks. Legend has them all! Its wide range of customization is just mind-boggling!

I am currently working on a 20-page detailed article on the Nokta Legend metal detector based on my testing and experimentation with this device in various search areas and in my 100-target test garden. My article will cover the Nokta Legend's pros and cons, amazing capabilities (most of them are not mentioned in the user manual), advantages over its more expensive multi-frequency competitors, and what is required to get the most out of the Legend (e.g. finding more coins/relics in nail-infested and/or 'hunted out' sites).

My other articles with how-to's and specific combinations of settings for effective Target Separation, Coin Unmasking, Deep Coin Hunting and Deep Coin Cache Hunting will be compiled in another write-up about this detector.

The Legend's specifications are listed on this page: Nokta The Legend Reviews

• XP Deus (2012 - 2023) - This 2-page article/review discusses the pros and cons of the XP Deus fully wireless metal detector which appeared on the market in 2009 and got many detectorists excited. But then, a few years later, many users turned away from this machine because of its increasing complexity with each new firmware version, the steepest learning curve, flawed firmware and high price.

XP Metal Detectors provided me with two free Deus metal detectors (the first in 2012 and the second in 2014) for field testing and review, and I decided to put in the time and effort necessary to learn the ins and outs of this complicated metal detector. From 2012 to 2014, my girlfriend and I used the Deus v3.2 which we "duplicated", i.e. we made two Deus detectors from one, so that each of us had a detector with the same capabilities (see details HERE).

Since 2014, my girlfriend has been using her Deus v3.2. And, before acquiring the Legend, I used the Deus v4.1 which is less stable and more complicated than the v3.2, but allowed me to achieve satisfactory results with either the 9" HF ('white') or 9" DD legacy ('black') searchcoil.

Back then, I wished that XP provided Deus users with an opportunity to download and install the earlier firmware version - v2.0, because it was the most stable, suitable and efficient for coin and relic hunting in trashy sites of former homesteads. But XP removed the v2.0 option from the list of firmware downloads in 2017, and I still regret that I did not keep the fantastic v2.0 on at least one of our Deuses.

I tried some firmware versions released after v4.1, but they all turned out to be very unstable, more difficult to handle and less efficient. As for some previous versions, the v4.0 was a complete fiasco! My second detailed review covering some aspects of the v4.0 and v4.1 versions is posted on my 'XP Deus Reviews' Page

My lengthy article - The Truth about XP Deus Metal Detector, sheds light on a development strategy, business plans and marketing tricks of XP Metal Detectors in regard to its main products - XP Deus 1 and XP Deus 2 metal detectors. This 7-page write-up also describes my own experience and experiences of other users of the Deus V3.2-V5.X.

If you treat the Deus (and Deus 2 too) like a "turn-on-and-go" detector, you will only have mediocre results and frustration. It is worth noting that although this detector has several factory-preset search programs, they should not be used for serious metal detecting on a regular basis. They only enable a user to start metal detecting under various conditions and achieve some results without additional adjustments of the program settings. The main purpose of the factory presets is to help a beginner user become familiar with the overcomplicated Deus at the beginning of the learning process.

It is best not to tinker with the factory preset programs until you understand all the settings of this metal detector and get the experience and confidence to do any tinkering. Otherwise, before you know it, your Deus will be very much all scrambled up and doing very little because altering just one aspect of the performance had a knock on effect elsewhere. All of the Deus settings affect each other.

The second purpose of each factory preset program is to serve as a basis for creating your own customized program based on specific algorithms incorporated into that factory preset. Such algorithms are designed for specific search conditions and/or metal detecting tasks. For example, if you need to create your own program for detecting deep coins and relics, you use the factory-preset 'DEEP' program. Then you optimize your customized program through fine-tuning it to the current search conditions at the hunt site.

To get the most out of the Deus (and Deus 2 too), it is necessary to have a substantial practical knowledge of the Deus features and modes in order to create the optimal combination of them - a customized search program, that will be most effective for the existing metal detecting conditions. Only such a program, along with fine-tuning the Deus for a specific detecting situation, will ensure maximum of good finds at the hunt site. In other words, the user must know what settings to tweak to accommodate the current trash and ground conditions, as well as the types of sought targets that are present in a given search area.

It usually takes a beginner at least 5 detecting seasons to master the Deus, i.e. to learn its key features and modes, and how they interact with one another. The learning process is so long due to many adjustable features, functions and modes to choose from. Their multitude obviously causes a high likelihood of user error, especially when fine-tuning the Deus.

Considerable practical experience is needed to avoid simple but critical mistakes when fine-tuning the Deus. Such experience can be gained through experimentation and analysis of the results obtained in the field. However, the learning of all the intricacies of the Deus will go faster if you get all the essential theoretical knowledge of this overcomplicated device.

If you are a beginner Deus user, you can get such knowledge from my write-ups on the Deus all compiled in this directory - Articles on XP Deus Metal Detector and Accessories

After field testing, experimenting and using the Deus regularly for 11 years, I have accumulated enough practical knowledge about this detector to write over 16 articles, including tutorials and guides, that have been helpful to many Deus 1 and Deus 2 users around the world.

Despite a few shortcomings of the Deus and disadvantages of its interface, battery charhing system and headphones, it remained the most versatile and capable metal detector on the market until the more advanced multi-frequency machines came out. That was when the XP Deus 1 era was over. I put my Deus v4.1 away in the closet and only take it out when I need to reconnoiter an unfamiliar search area.

• Teknetics T2+ (2019 - present)
Teknetics (owned by First Texas Products) supplied me with this detector with 5 optional searchcoils (half of them are made by MarsMD) for free to field-test and review. And I am glad they did because I would not know about this excellent single-frequency mid-range detector otherwise (FTP does not run large-scale marketing campaigns unlike other big brands on the market).

After experimenting with and testing the T2+ for two seasons, I can responsibly state that this is the most capable and versatile metal detector among all single-frequency mid-range detectors on the today's market. In the number of good finds, the T2+ certainly beats its younger and more expensive 'cousin' - the Fisher F75+ (see below). When my girlfriend tried the T2+ at several so-called "searched out" hunt sites, she could not believe how well the T2+ locked onto non-ferrous targets partially masked by iron. Some of these targets had previously been missed by several advanced detectors.

I think the Teknetics engineers and designers of this detector-model came up with the most lucky combination of algorithms incorporated into the T2+ platform. The amazingly simplest interface is purposely designed for fast switching between modes - this is very important for Target Verification and Identification. Such a practical interface, extended 'iron' range on the Target ID scale, and thoughtfully configured search modes of the T2+ allow the user to easily utilize many detecting tricks used by professional coin-cache and relic hunters.

For its amazing abilities and a few unmatched benefits, the T2+ joined our arsenal as a primary backup for my girlfriend so that she could use it in those situations when her old Deus may unexpectedly run out of power during the hunt. This happens from time to time due to the long expired batteries in the Deus v3.2, which are built-in and not easily replaceable. By the way, the battery life of the four AA batteries that power the T2+ is over 40 hours when using the headphones - which is rare in modern metal detectors.

I did a little modification to the T2+'s upper shaft to attach a dust- and moisture-proof case for the wireless transmitter. This modification enabled me to make the headphones operation wireless (see detailes in my tutorial - The Best Way to Mount a Wireless Headphone Transmitter onto Your Land Metal Detector). After years of being spoiled by the fully wireless Deus, I could not go back to wired headphones which would limit my maneuverability and cause unnecessary irritation.

As of 2024, the Teknetics T2 Ltd metal detector (also known as T2 SE) is the flagship of Teknetics. The T2 Ltd is essentially the same T2+ except for the color (black) and the addition of several advanced search modes and the Digital Shield Technology (DST) function. These modes and the DST function proved to be quite effctive in the Fisher F75+ metal detector (see below), and therefore were incorporated into the T2 Ltd.

The above-linked review page includes the Teknetics T2+ specifications, picture, price, and reviews from other users.

• Fisher F75+ (2019-2021)
Fisher (also owned by First Texas Products) gave me this detector with 6 optional searchcoils (half of them are made by MarsMD) free of charge for field testing and review. The F75+ is a current flagship of Fisher and a "cousin" of the above listed Teknetics T2+. Visually, the F75+ and T2+ differ only in color.

The F75+ is more advanced than the T2+, as it has additional 'FA' (with the fastest 'Recovery Speed' but shallow detection depth; designed for super trashy areas only) and 'CL' ('Cache Locator') search modes, several more audio modes, 'Static All-Metal' operating mode, and the Digital Shielding Technology (DST) function. The latter ensures silent operation even at the maximum sensitivity level (99).

Since the F75+ is designed as a gold-prospecting detector (I do not think so given the F75+'s low operating frequency of 13kHz), it is super-sensitive to small non-ferrous, low-conductive targets. However, what I discovered during comparative field-testing of the F75+ against the T2+ was the F75+'s slower 'Recovery Speed' incorporated into its most used search modes compared to those of the T2+.

The T2+ beat the F75+ in the number of good finds at all those trashy sites where the F75+'s 'FA' mode was not proper to use, but the appropriate, normally used search modes were too slow to separate targets. Unfortunately, such hunt sites are the majority in my locality.

The F75+ proved to be efficient only when separating good and bad signals with the 'FA' mode at super trashy sites, and when detecting "fringe" coin-sized and larger targets with the 'bP' mode at hunt sites with zero to moderate iron junk content. Also, the F75+ turned out to be an effective deep seeker when operated in the 'CL' search mode or 'Motion All-Metal' operating mode.

In regard to ergonomics, I enjoyed using this detector. The F75+'s body is so well balanced that I did not get any arm or shoulder fatigue after six hours of swinging it even with a large 13" search coil attached. Not to mention the long battery life of 40 hours with four AA batteries powering this metal detector!

To improve the maneuverability of the F75+, I modified its upper shaft to mount an enclosed wireless transmission module for wireless headphones onto it, as I did with the T2+ and G2+ (see details HERE).

The unexpected serious failure happened at the end of the second season of field testing. The rotary knob of the F75+ interface started to malfunction, i.e. it did not change the parameters of the selected functions or modes during infinite rotation. Fast switching between modes turned into a time-consuming and annoying attempt to get the knob to work.

Because it was impossible for me to find a replacement for the broken mechanical potentiometer, I could not normally use the F75+ like before, and eventually placed it into my closet. I only take this detector to those search locations where I expect to find a deep cache of coins.

The above-linked review page includes the Fisher F75+ specifications, picture, price, and reviews from other users.

• Teknetics G2+ (2019 - present)
This is a simple yet quite effective machine designed to detect tiny and small relics and gold nuggets (about the size of a tick and larger). Teknetics also provided me with this detector with 4 optional searchcoils (2 of them are made by MarsMD) free of charge in exchange for extensive field testing and validation.

This machine joined my arsenal of metal detectors as an effective finder of "difficult" targets such as small, low-conductive coins and non-ferrous relics at the sites littered with iron, and as a reliable back-up. The best feature of the G2+ is a relatively fast 'All-Metal' mode (similar to that of the T2+), especially when used in conjunction with the elliptical 6 x 10" DD 'sniper' search coil.

For fast and comfortable operation of the G2+, I modified its upper shaft to affix an enclosed wireless transmission module for wireless headphones (see details HERE).

The above-linked review page contains the Teknetics G2+'s specifications, image, price, and reviews from other users.

Between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, quite a few metal detectors with new, advanced technologies appeared on the market. Some of them met claims made by their manufacturers and performed better than the rest, and I certainly tried to acquire any of those machines for field testing and treasure hunting. A couple of manufacturers were generous enough to provide me with their best machines at that time. I used every detector I received as long as possible to fully master it and then get the best performance out of it. At the same time, I continued to monitor the market for cutting edge innovations as well as improved versions of today's leading metal detectors.

Usually, when a new and improved machine is introduced to the market, I monitor the Internet for real user reviews and opinions on this machine for one year. This is the best way to find out whether or not this device is a breakthrough technology that delivers better performance and more opportunities. And only then I am ready to acquire it if I can. Thus, my entire metal detecting experience can be divided into several time periods. Each period was dedicated to a specific metal detector that I regularly used. Until the end of 2018, there were four such periods. The detectors involved were Spectrum XLT, Minelab Explorer (2 models), Minelab E-Trac and XP Deus.

Each of these metal detectors proved to be quite effective in its time. I have also kept some less advanced machines because they are preferred by my friends and relatives who often use these metal detectors during our joint hunts. Or I myself have used them as backup or auxiliary devices.

The above-listed pages include my reviews of detectors I used and still use, a few practical tips in regards to their operation, and some pictures of finds made with these machines that have been very popular in the US and around the world over many years.