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Metal Detector Comparisons, Head to Head

Machine against machine with the verdict in the first two sentences: Equinox 900 against the Legend, Manticore against the 900, AT Pro against the multi-frequency machines, plus pinpointer and coil comparisons.

48 pages

Mid-range machines

• Equinox 700 vs The Legend The Legend Pro Pack ships two coils and five single frequencies for less money. The Equinox 700 publishes a 16 foot rating and includes headphones. Here is the real gap.
• Equinox 900 vs AT Max The AT Max is a single-frequency machine and the Equinox 900 runs five frequencies at once. On salt sand that is decisive. On inland dirt it matters far less than the price gap.
• ACE Apex vs The Legend The Legend Pro Pack has more machine and more coils for more money. The Apex is lighter, cheaper and wireless out of the box. Where the gap is real and where it is not.
• Vortex VX9 vs Equinox 900 The Vortex VX9 is the newer Garrett flagship near $600. The Equinox 900 ships two coils and a gold mode for roughly $400 more. What that gap actually buys.
• Double Score vs Simplex Ultra The Double Score adds simultaneous multi-frequency, Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery over the Simplex Ultra for about $50 more. That is nearly a free upgrade.
• The Legend vs Simplex Ultra The Legend is the better machine and roughly twice the money. The Simplex Ultra is the better buy for a first serious detector. What the extra actually gets you.
• Simplex Ultra vs Garrett ACE 400 The Simplex Ultra publishes full waterproofing and costs less. The ACE 400 is made in the USA with a longer track record. What the ACE 400 leaves undocumented.
• Simplex Ultra vs Vanquish 540 One is fully submersible, the other is simultaneous multi-frequency with two coils in the box. Neither is the better machine. Pick on whether you get in the water.
• Vanquish 540 vs Garrett ACE 400 The Vanquish 540 Pro-Pack ships two coils, five simultaneous frequencies and wireless headphones for about $40 more than the ACE 400. Here is what the ACE 400 has left.
• X-Terra Elite vs Equinox 700 The X-Terra Elite runs Multi-IQ for roughly half what the Equinox 700 costs. It gives up a published waterproof number and included headphones to get there.
• X-Terra Pro vs Vanquish 540 Two Minelabs at similar money that solve opposite problems. The X-Terra Pro is submersible to 16 feet. The Vanquish 540 runs five frequencies at once. You cannot have both here.

Within the Minelab range

• Equinox 700 vs Vanquish 540 Both run Multi-IQ. The Vanquish 540 Pro-Pack includes two coils and costs far less; the Equinox 700 is submersible to 16 ft and takes the full EQX coil range.
• Equinox 700 vs X-Terra Pro Both are fully waterproof to 16 ft and take the same coils. The Equinox adds simultaneous multi-frequency, which matters on salt sand and almost nowhere else.
• Equinox 900 vs 700 Same platform, same weight, same waterproof rating. The 900 adds two single frequencies, a Gold mode, finer target IDs and a second coil. Most people do not need it.
• Equinox 900 vs Vanquish 540 Both run Multi-IQ. The 900 adds a Gold mode, six single frequencies, two coils and submersion to 16 feet. The 540 gets most people most of the way there for far less.
• Manticore vs Equinox 700 The Manticore runs a higher-power Multi-IQ+ with a 2D target map and ten search modes. The Equinox 700 is roughly half the price and covers most of the same ground.
• The Legend vs X-Terra Pro The Legend runs simultaneous multi-frequency with two coils in the box. The X-Terra Pro is fully IP68 waterproof for less than half the price, switching frequencies instead.

Entry-level machines

• Tracker IV vs ACE 200 The Tracker IV is analog with no numeric target ID. The ACE 200 puts a 0 to 99 number on a screen. For a beginner that number is worth more than the price difference.
• Fisher F22 vs ACE 300 The F22 is weatherproof all over and lighter. The ACE 300 has the larger coil and service network behind it. Two good first machines with genuinely different strengths.
• Fisher F22 vs Vanquish 340 The Vanquish 340 runs Minelab Multi-IQ for barely more than the F22 costs. The F22 is weatherproof, not submersible, and the price gap between them is smaller than the technology gap.
• ACE 300 vs ACE 400 These two machines differ far less than the price difference implies. What the 400 adds, what it does not, and why most park hunters should buy the 300 and a pinpointer.
• Simplex Lite vs Simplex Ultra Nokta publishes 16 feet of waterproofing and a carbon fibre shaft for the Ultra, and vibration alerts and a smaller coil for the Lite, at a $50 gap between them.

The choices behind the machines

• Big coil vs small coil A bigger coil is worse in trash, not better. Most people should buy a small coil as their second coil, not a big one. What each size actually trades away.
• Pro-Pointer AT vs PRO-FIND 40 The Pro-Pointer AT publishes a deeper waterproof rating and costs less. The PRO-FIND 40 adds ferrous tone ID and vibration. Pick on your site, not the brand.
• Multi-frequency vs single-frequency Multi-frequency reads several frequencies at once and steadies performance on salt and mineralized ground. Single-frequency is simpler, and sometimes the smarter tool.
• Pinpointer vs metal detector A pinpointer does not replace a detector. It is the accessory that speeds up recovery once your detector has already found something, and it should be your next purchase.

Flagship machines

• Equinox 900 vs Manticore The Manticore does not find a different class of target than the Equinox 900. It finds the same targets deeper in difficult ground. Published specs and who needs which.
• Equinox 900 vs The Legend The Legend Pro Pack gives more hardware per dollar; the Equinox 900 gives the bigger coil ecosystem and easier resale. Specs, coil prices and who buys which.
• Manticore vs The Legend The Manticore is the most powerful machine Minelab publishes; The Legend Pro Pack costs less than half as much. Published specs and an honest look at who needs which.
• Deus II vs Equinox 900 The Deus II is fully wireless, lighter and rated to 66 ft, with 49 single frequencies. The Equinox 900 is simpler and cheaper. Published specs and who should buy which.

Gold machines

• Gold Bug 2 vs Gold Monster 1000 The Gold Bug 2 runs a higher 71 kHz frequency with manual ground balance and costs less. The Gold Monster is fully automatic at a lower 45 kHz and costs more for the convenience.
• Gold Bug Pro vs AT Gold At 19 kHz and 18 kHz these two sit in the same sensitivity class. The price difference buys submersion to 10 feet, not a better gold machine.
• Gold Monster 1000 vs Goldmaster 24k The Gold Monster automates everything and the Goldmaster runs at 48 kHz. Both are poor coin machines, and Garrett publishes far less about the 24k than Minelab does.
• XP Deus II vs The Legend Neither is a dedicated gold machine, but both reach into small-gold territory: the Deus II with 49 single frequencies to 45 kHz, the Legend with 40 kHz and two coils in the box.

Within the Garrett range

• ACE 200 vs ACE 300 Both publish the same 0 to 99 digital target ID. The 300 adds iron resolution, electronic pinpointing and an adjustable frequency for about 80 percent more money than the 200.
• AT Max vs ACE Apex The AT Max is a documented 10 foot submersible with one tuned frequency. The Apex is lighter and multi-frequency, but Garrett publishes only a waterproof coil for it, not the body.
• Vortex VX5 vs VX9 Both are submersible to 16 feet with the same Z-Lynk wireless. The VX9 adds five single frequencies, simultaneous multi-frequency and finer controls the VX5 can add later by software.

Garrett against the field

• ACE 400 vs Apex For a small step up in price the Apex adds multi-frequency, a built-in lithium battery, Z-Lynk wireless and a lighter build. The ACE 400 wins on almost nothing.
• AT Pro vs AT Max The AT Max adds Z-Lynk wireless with MS-3 headphones, a published 13.6 kHz frequency and a backlit display. If you already own an AT Pro, it is not an upgrade.
• AT Pro vs Equinox 700 The Equinox 700 is the more modern machine, but most people upgrading from an AT Pro are limited by recovery speed and coverage rather than by the detector.

Water machines

• Excalibur II vs Equinox 900 The Excalibur II is an analog diving machine with no numeric target ID. The Equinox 900 does everything and costs less. Only one of these is a general-purpose detector.
• Manticore vs XP Deus II The Manticore brings raw power and a 2D target display. The Deus II brings a fully wireless build and a 66 foot rating. Two flagships with no honest overall winner.

Relic and gold machines

• Fisher F75 vs Teknetics G2+ Both share First Texas engineering and an 11 inch DD coil philosophy for iron-heavy relic sites. The F75 costs more and documents more. Here is what for.
• AT Gold vs Gold Monster 1000 The AT Gold is waterproof and does double duty as a relic machine. The Gold Monster 1000 runs a higher frequency and needs no manual tuning. Pick on the ground.

Brand against brand

• Minelab vs Garrett Minelab sells simultaneous multi-frequency and deep waterproof ratings; Garrett sells USA manufacture, Z-Lynk wireless and an upgradeable platform. Prices and honest advice.
• Minelab vs Nokta Nokta gives more hardware per dollar and full waterproofing cheaply; Minelab gives the bigger coil ecosystem and the top of the market. Prices and who should buy which.

Gear choices

• Titanium vs stainless sand scoop Titanium does not rust in salt water and costs more than double a 304 stainless scoop. It earns that money back in salt surf and is an extravagance on dry sand or freshwater.
• Wired vs wireless headphones Wireless does not work underwater at all, so anyone who submerges a machine needs a wired pair regardless of what they use on land. That makes this a both/and decision.

Researched, not professional advice. Everything here is compiled from manufacturer specifications, manuals and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Get the landowner's permission before detecting anywhere you do not own, keep off protected land, and fill every hole. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.