Nautilus DMC-IIB
Price: $770
Avg. Score: 
4.75
Based on 8 reviews
4.75Based on 8 reviews
Avg. Durability:
5.00
Avg. Ease of use:
2.00
Omg depth moster alert!
May 21, 2017
Loves iron this machine made me dig an old hammer head 3 1/2 feet, a silver
quater 2 feet, I wonder whats the real depth of this machine? I havent seen
a real depth test but I think it would be awesome!
Max Depth: 18 inches on US quarter
Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user?
Yes, absolutely!
Juan from
Roma
30
Excellent relic hunter, but a few problems
November 07, 2011
If you're going to be using this machine for what it is made for, it's a
dream to use! The two tones give you so much information. I get scared at
the thought of using a single-tone metal detector again! With this
detector, you won't miss large iron targets because you can hear them,
while other detectors won't tell you they're there if you're using
discriminate. I found a nice throwing knife this way.At the beach in dry sand the detector is good, but sand gets on the coil and makes it heavy. You've also gotta swing it at a slower speed than other detectorists. Otherwise, it works well.
In wet sand it works poorly compared to others. Hard to use and you only have one tone to work with. This is not a surf hunting detector. Get a beach unit or stick to the dry sand, unless you have very nice ground to work with.
Sometimes in the sandbox (if sand is wet) my unit basically loses it's discrimination capability and you've gotta use all-metal to find targets.
But if you've got a field to cover, just ground balance it and touch it no more. You can detect for hours without even looking at the unit in your hand. I find that really neat. It just hums over good soil, and works well in snow.
If you're going to be using it in mud, cut the bottom off a plastic bag (clear ones that come in rolls) and thread the back over the control box. Secure with Velcro ties. This works great at the beach, keeping the unit clean.
8" coil is the best for coinshooting. 10" for areas where you need to cover more ground or are looking for bigger targets.
On my unit, discrimination above 40 tunes out gold.
Overall Rating
Ian from
San Diego, CA
250
DMC2B -The KIng Relic Hunting In Good Soil
December 18, 2010
For Relic Hunting in good soil there no other machine that will go deeper.
The DMC2b with all its fine adjustments is second to none to finds buttons,
buckles bulletes at depth othere mahine cant not reach. IF you are a
Hardcore Relic Hunter and hunt in good soil, the DMC2b will have power to
go deeper. No meters, gimmic , just pure performace in ground.
Overall Rating
Chuck Acton from
USA VA
297
DMC2B - New Lighter Design
May 16, 2009
I have used Nautilus DMC2B since first hit market in late 1980s. I swiched
to DMC2BA few years ago and went back to the old DMC2B, it deeper and can
adjust to gain more depth in Hard hit sites by turning up All/Metal Sen.
higher then preset on DMC2BA . The R/C controls also let know if you Coil
may need Rebalace if you have settings lower then 3/9 clock postion. In
good/ sandy Soils the Nautilus DMC2B cant be beat in depth, and use 15 inch
coil the Depth is Scare. I found buttons over 20 inches deep with Dics tone
and Plates over 2 feet.The only limits is the use in Hot soils, but if set All/metal correctly and lower Transmit power you can still hunt, but must set Ground balance alot to hunt. In Avg/Sandy soil still today the DMC2B is still the King In Depth And great sen. to Brass, silver, and Gold due to its 14 Freq.
Overall Rating
Chuck Acton from
Va
335
A Totally Different Kind of Machine!
February 25, 2009
The Nautilus Ilb is totally different from all other brands and models of
VLF machines made today.The design isn't new, this machine has been around for some time with only minor upgrades the biggest being a recent offer of a Whites rod modification for much improved handling.
But basically it's been the same machine for over a decade.
I've been into this hobby since the 1960's and have used most of the most expensive and popular detectors made today. The Nautilus IIB is the deepest practical VLF detector made today. That is, if it is properly learned.
First, one cannot learn this machine by air tests. It will air test extremely well but that form of testing is very misleading (which is true with most brands).
Next, one cannot master this machine in a few hours time in ones backyard. One can do very well with it right out of the box but to master it takes a lot of work.
Next, the IIB is a “fast swing” machine. The depth greatly improves with a fast coil swing speed. This is good because it means covering more ground area faster. In the discrimination mode my IIB will detect a clad quarter at 12 inches with a slow swing speed and 16 inches with a fast swing (10-inch coil wet mild soil).
Next, the real beauty of the IIB is its true all-metal mode. But learning the relationship between the discrimination mode and all-metal mode, one learns how to find those targets way beyond the ability of the other brands to reach. The Nautilus “pros” listen for tiny “ticks” made in all metal (all-metal is much deeper than discrimination mode) to find those Civil War buttons 20+ inches deep.
The Nautilus is a true American made machine. Its parts are all the best quality with no cheap toy elements.
Originally I thought of the IIB as only a relic machine. But after having owned 3 machines I now know it's just as much a “coinshooter” as a relic machine. The secret is to learn it and there are many helps offered free online.
At under $600 brand new this detector is a real bargain!
Overall Rating
Allen from
Michigan
464
For Serious Relic or Coin Hunters Nothing is Better
April 10, 2008
Look how old the Nautilus technology is (About 20 years give or take a
little). Boy they were and still are way ahead of their time. They still
blow away the competition. There is absolutely no comparison in the depth
department and the Nautilus is also more sensitive to smaller targets.The circuitry of the DMC2's is more adjustable and relays more signal information to the user than any other detector. Also if you know how to use the Nautilus I believe it is just as good in iron as a Tesoro, especially if you use a 6 or 8 inch coil. (They have a great selection of coils - 6",8",10",&15") I own a T2 and several Tesoro's and they will get targets that my Nautilus misses but my Nautilus gets a lot more targets behind the T2 and Tejon. If I had to have one detector it would be a Nautilus DMC 2B hands down. For the price Nautilus sells for they are by far the absolute best bargain in detectors out there (I see used ones often in the 300.00 range). I have dug buttons close to 20" in good sandy soil with the 2B using a 10" coil -- none of my other detectors have ever come close to that!! In my book NAUTILUS RULES!!
Overall Rating
RV from
GA
537
A Superior Machine For Those Who Know How To Use It
June 17, 2007
It's funny how detector reviews are across the board as far as ratings go.
For the detectorist who takes the time to learn the nuances of the IIb, it
is far superior to any machine on the market for depth and discrimination.
Is it a turn on and detect machine like the Tejon or many others? Of
course not. It has to be set up properly for the conditions one is hunting
in. It is a "professional metal detector." While I am no expert with the
IIb yet, I have enough experience with it to get more depth from it than
any Tejon or Explorer could hope for. If one just reads and learns JBird's
tips, and then takes the time to put them into practice, the IIb will
achieve results far above anything on the market. But I do love to see
people give up on this machine. It just means more relics and old coins
for us dedicated users. Leave the clad to the other machines.
Overall Rating
John S. from
Manassas, Va.
326
Powerful But Unstable
May 05, 2007
The Nautilus IIB is capable of excellent depth but I found it to be much
too unstable for my city hunting. The machine is built so sensitive that
it?s greatly affected by nearby power lines, weather conditions, soil
conditions, heavy trash, and at time it just refuses to ground balance and
coil balance anywhere. Also it is not recommended to submerse the Nautilus
coil in water so beach wading is out. It is a quality built machine with great depth potential but it needs more engineering to be brought up more in line with today?s detectors. Years ago it led the other brands in depth but now they?re closing in and some have passed it by (in my opinion).
The Tesoro Tejon is by far a better relic and coin hunting machine. It seems even deeper than the IIB and is much more fun to use. It?s lighter, faster, easier to learn, just as deep (maybe deeper), great for wading, and comes with a lifetime warrantee as apposed to Nautilus? two-year warrantee.
M.B.
Overall Rating
M.B. from
Michigan
4339