Nokta Makro Legend vs Minelab Equinox Detectors

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There’s really no need to make any other comparison other than between the Nokta Makro Legend and the Minelab Equinox detectors. Nokta has made it blatantly obvious by their promotional marketing that the Equinox is competitor numero uno. 

Although Nokta has courage, heart, and a huge pair of balls to take on the Equinox, their marketing is just downright cringeworthy. 

Noktas Promotional Video opens with a guy who looks like Steve Buscemi in Fargo, swinging the detector one foot wide and two feet off the ground! The dialogue could make paint peel. 

Aside from Noktas promotional blunder, let’s look at some facts. But first a disclaimer: 

The writer uses the Minelab Equinox 800 and loves it. This article is simply pointing out positives and negatives of both machines. This article is in no way trying to market one detector over the other. 

The Nokta Legend Simultaneous Multi Frequency vs The Equinox Multi IQ

Although Nokta boasts that their Multi Frequency is superior, they have not actually explained how or why. The reason is probably because it is patented technology and complex algorithms that determine how the multi frequency works in both machines. 

Both Nokta and Minelab continue to remain tight-lipped about why their multi frequency is supposedly king. 

The Nokta Legend is More Durable Than The Equinox 

Because the Nokta Legends housing is the same as the Nokta Simplex, we can be 100% sure that it is more durable than the Equinox. There are YouTube Videos of detectorists throwing their Nokta Simplex on the ground without breaking them. 

It is no secret that Equinox users have run into a lot of issues with coil braces and arm cuffs breaking. Minelab could have fixed this problem easily by adjusting their coil molds to add a millimeter of extra plastic, but they chose not to as of now. 

The Nokta Legend is More Waterproof Than The Equinox 

This is more of a theory based on facts. The Equinox has had some recalls due to water leakage, despite the fact that Minelab claims it’s waterproof up to 3 meters (the same as the Legend). 

There is little to no evidence that the Nokta Makro Simplex has ever had water leaking issues, and so we can deduce that with the same housing, the Legend won’t either. 

The Equinox is More User Friendly Than The Nokta Legend

“IF” Nokta is using the same control panel as the Simplex, then it is going to be slightly more complicated than the Equinox. The Simplex is just a bit too cluttered with buttons, and the screen is not well organized.

One of the brilliant features of the Equinox is how incredibly simple and accessible the most important settings are. For instance, iron audio and frequency changing have their own buttons. Whereas with other detectors you often have to go into sub-menus to change important settings. 

From a user standpoint, it is critical to have certain features readily available and extremely easy to navigate. In engineering we say ‘The less steps the user has to take to get somewhere, the better.’

The Nokta Legend Has Better Discrimination Than The Equinox

This statement was made by Nokta, and will not be proven until user testing is well underway. However, we can speculate on it. 

Nokta Legends unique features include:

• FerroCheck - This feature helps you identify and avoid more ferrous trash. This feature is displayed as a bar opposite a non-ferrous bar on the main screen. Basically when a target is more ferrous in nature the FerroCheck bar will fill up. Nokta claims that they tested 30 targets, and the Legend identified 60% more iron targets than the competitor (we’re assuming the Equinox), while not mistaking non-ferrous targets to be iron. 

It would be interesting to see if this feature causes depth loss the way iron discrimination FE and F2 do on the Equinox. 

• Ground Effect Off - This feature eliminates the ground effect, or cancels out ground noise, but allows the detectorist to still detect ferrous targets (like relics). This feature proves very useful in difficult highly mineralized ground. The Equinox doesn’t have a feature like this at all. 

To hear what the Nokta Legend Tones sound like CLICK HERE.

The Nokta Legend Dual Beach Frequency vs Equinox Beach 1 & 2 

Equinox Beach 1 | Optimized for dry sand, wet sand, and shallow water. 

Equinox Beach 2 | Optimized for underwater, surf, and shallow diving. 

Nokta Legend Beach Modes Wet Saltwater | Wet/dry sand. 

Comparatively, the two detectors are similar, but the Legend probably operates on an entirely different algorithm. Nokta has stated that the Legend will be much deeper and more efficient on the beach than the Simplex. 

Nokta Legend Unique Features You Might Think Are Dumb But They Aren’t

The Nokta Legend Clock That “Saves Marriages” 

Most people would not think a clock would be a unique feature. However, keep in mind the way most people tell time is by their phones. If you don’t want the EMI from your phone interfering with your detector you keep it turned off while you're hunting. 

Nokta listened to all the customers who must have missed very important dates and meetings because they had no way of telling the time, thus they named it “the clock that saves marriages”. 

Nokta Legend Time Usage Feature

Many people would take the time usage feature for granted. However, this feature will be important to those who like to track their detecting time. 

It will be equally important if a user sells their machine second hand; giving the buyer the exact time of how long the detector has been used for. 

Nokta Legend Lower Carbon Fiber Shaft Only Feature

Many users might pull their hair and scream in frustration - ‘Why did Nokta make only the LOWER shaft carbon fiber and the upper shaft aluminum?!’ 

One only has to understand physics to know that metal detectors are extremely imbalanced, even with carbon fiber shafts. To be more ergonomically efficient, detectors should have more weight up near the elbow, and behind the elbow, to counter the enormous weight of the coil. 

To better understand this, take a long 2X4 wooden beam or PVC pipe, and see how long you can hold it at one end with the entire shaft extended out in front of you. 

It won’t be long before you realize that when held this way, the shaft weighs WAY more than it actually does on a scale. This is due to a physics concept called a ‘moment arm.’

When you understand this, you can see why it’s actually more advantageous to make the upper portion of the detector heavier than the lower portion -- to counterbalance the moment arm effect! 

Summary

The Nokta Legend shares many of the same features with the Equinox. Recovery speed, adjustable threshold, iron volume (ferrous off), just to name a few. 

Besides being more easily collapsible than the Equinox, the Nokta Legend also comes less expensive, with better packages. 

On the other hand the Equinox has more coil options, and potentially more frequency options per mode (Park 1+2, Field 1+2, Beach 1+2, Gold 1+2). 

Both detectors have advantages and disadvantages, and it will be very interesting to see the tests flooding into YouTube in the coming months that will reveal more about the Legend.