MINELAB MANTICORE High-Power Multi-IQ+ Waterproof Metal Detector for Adults with Advanced Target ID (11" Double-D Coil Included)

I have been metal detecting since I was about thirteen years old. I truly love this hobby! I currently own three machine the Manticore being one of them. Each machine has its strengths but they are all good. I have found that a lot of the time success means getting out and getting a metal detector over the target, a lot of the time it is just that easy. Previous to this machine I had the Equinox 800 and that machine was incredible. This machine is a lot like the Equinox but it really feels like Minelab has taken this machine to a level above the Equinox. To me this machine feels like a cross between the CTX3030 and the Equinox 800. It has a very bright very readable color screen that brings all of the data to the forefront as you detect. The menus are very user friendly and very easy to understand. The machine itself has a lot of complexity to it, but I was able to take it out and start finding targets with only one or two adjustments. Is it deep? Yes. I have found targets with it in areas that I have covered previously with other machines. Many of the at 8+ inches. Can it target separate? Yes. It is very good at picking good targets out the trash. I believe it would even be better with the smaller M8 coil that has come out recently. The one feature that I really love is a sort of target trace that draws out the target as you pass over it. Not 100% accurate, but it does it’s best to give you and idea of what you are about to dig. (But you never really know until you make the time to dig. You miss all good targets you don’t dig! ;) Overall it is a clear, concise easy to learn and use machine. It has a lot of power and a lot of potential to find those deep targets and the ones that have been missed over the years as they have been masked out by trash. And on top of all of that I have found it very fun to use.

After watching many reviews on what to buy, I decided for “the best.” It’s real easy to use and start. It’s pricy but worth it. Will I go detecting as often as I thought I would? Probably not. Does it look awesome sitting against the wall in my garage? Better believe it does. And if I do go detecting, I’ll be taking the best with me.

Nice machine. Love it. Easy to use, accurate.

Best metal detector ever! You will hear signals your old detector never detected. Definitely worth every penny.

Great machine. It is better than my 800. I live in a heavily detected area, but I still find good things over 10“.

** Beautifully designed machine with the ergonomics to match.** Solidly built.** Intuitive menu’s.** Great features and plentiful ways in which to customize the machine to your specific needs.** Very lightweight.** Earphones are wireless, sound fantastic, and easily pair up with the Manticore to provide a cordless experience… absolutely no lag in the signal.Note: The Manticore is an extremely capable machine, however, I highly recommend that you watch the video’s produced by the MineLab company to best understand your machine (available on YouTube). And that being said, I would highly recommend NOT FOLLOWING those “hotrodders” on YouTube telling you how to operate this machine… stick to the factory videos, learn them forwards and backwards, set your machine for your specific needs, and off you go.If you want to go and start changing all kinds of settings without knowing exactly what you’re doing, you’re in for a headache, so KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) and you’ll be fine.This machine is truly a beast, but it takes knowing how to properly read and interpret what the machine is telling you. If you can master understanding what the 2D screen is telling you, then you can cut your digging signals by 3/4 as the machine tells you clearly what type of object is down in the ground before digging if your machine is set up properly… practice, practice, practice.

I purchased this as an upgrade from a Garrett AT Max after avoiding the Equinox because I was worried it was hype. I found lots of stuff w my Max in the ten inch range. So I didn't think I needed the upgrade. Well, I use a CTX 3030 for my job and when Minelab came out with a machine that offered a feature I enjoy off the CTX (the 2D map) on a machine with the lightness of the Equinox, I finally took a bite. I also simultaneously purchased an Equinox 900 for my wife as an upgrade from her Garrett Apex. Both machines have been revelations to me vs my Max. Ergonomically and in actual capabilities, they're both in another class. This hurts because I root for Garrett as an American company. But the Manticore has me hooked. I, unlike another reviewer, have not dug an excessive amount of iron with my Manticore. Perhaps it's because I do find myself focusing on the 2D map over tones and VDI numbers. Coins are easy to pick out and iron is easy to avoid once you learn their characteristic representations on the 2D screen. I wish they could have also incorporated the CTXs gps functionality, but it would make it an even more eye bleeding upgrade for a lot of Equinox users and put it in spitting distance of the price of the CTX. So what you get in the Manticore is a slightly more sensitive Equinox with a better screen and bottom layout (to me, at least), more options for hunt modes, more customizations of all types, and a 2D map that gives the user and different, more visually oriented interface both for customization of the various discrimination and for judging your targets. The VDI number on the Manticore is bigger and bolder than the Equinox, but I still find myself rarely noticing it between listing to tones and looking at that 2D map. If you're on the fence, do it!

Finds good stuff easy to use