If you could only choose between one detector. Manticore or Deus 2, which would you choose? If Deus, would you want the 9” coil or 11. ? I’ve been detecting several years now and feel I’m ready for a more advanced machine. I have never used a Deus, but I am familiar with the equinox series of detectors.
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I chose the Deus 2 in this position.
Depth between the two is only marginally different, if at all, from what I gathered.
The Deus 2 isn't familiar, because I wascoming from an Equinox 800. The screen isn't as nice and the menu isn't as intuitive. There's no direct depth guage that lets you say, "Oh, that's about 4 inches down, as with the Minelabs. The learning curve is higer with the Deus 2. All this initially put me off to this machine.
What finally won me over was configrability, waterproof to 66 feet, 5 year warranty and the fact that it is so much more expressive in the audio (from what I gathered; I don't have the Manticore, so I'm going on what I have been told).
I bought a Deus 2 with an 11 inch coil. Mostly do beach hunting, with a little shallow coin shooting thrown in occasionally. 11 inch coil is much easier to swing in the water, and gives good coverage on land. Might get the bigger coil, but I figured a balanced choice would be best until I learned the detector.
I have since heard a few times that the Manticore is slightly deeper. I take this as hearsay, because nobody who I have had tell me that in person can give me a side by side comparison when they say that. I take that to mean it's really down to the user and how well they have mastered the machine.
My opinion is, at the level of ability these two detectors have, it's really going to come down to your preferences for waterproof depth, warranty length, weight and learning curve. Either one should do just fine, as long as you know how to use it and know what it's trying to tell you. And, of course, have your coil over the target.
I miss the cleaner display, easier menu and the more obvious depth meter on the Minelab. But I intend to have this machine for 10 years, so in the long run those won't matter. I'll just learn those things with practice.
I don't think you can really go wrong with either choice. Sorry if that wasn't as definitively helpful as you wanted.
Great question that I hope others can provide some opinions on. I am in the same boat. I have detected for quite a few years and my current detector is a Whites M-6. I am considering taking the plunge for something that is double the price and more advanced and was also looking between the Deus 2 and Manticore.
Manticore, even though it's more pricey