Which is the best, the Minelab Manticore or Equinox 900?

#minelabequinox900 #minelabmanticore #metaldetecting
I pitch Minelab’s heavy weights against each other to really see what the difference is!
A real time test of the Minelab Manticore Vs the Equinox 900.
No air tests, no tests beds or other such things, just real testing on real targets in a real field.

[@LookintomyBarrel]

I use the 900 on my Roman fields.... its just a beast... found nine in 4 hrs...... Low 30's to 50ish depending on size & thickness..... wouldn't bother with the manticore.....great review thanks...

[@unlock_your_dream_home]

Hello from USA West Virginia. The manual recommends tracking ground balance for beach/saltwater. I wouldn't use it otherwise. The reason the backlight is needed on the Manticore is because of the color LCD screen that it utilizes. Same as a cell phone where you wouldn't be able to see the screen without a backlight.

[@andrewtyers451]

I was luckily enough to have a choice of the 900 or manticore soon after Xmas, went to the 900! It certainly hasn’t disappointed at all and I feel I’ve made the right decision for me. My finds have gone up 100% and I’m loving the new learning curve I’m having with the 900! It’s not letting me down at all and I trust it’s quality and precise tones 👌. Will be very interested to see what update they bring out for jt. Thanks for the video! Fantastic work 👍

[@thedjdrexxx]

Out of interest, is the 11” coil the 900 ships with the same as the 800’s 11”?

[@stinkasscat]

​@@thedjdrexxx it is different coil, but all of the coils for 800 do work with it. There are three new coils for it. They look and are size of Coilteks

[@minelabaceh]

Gud

[@minelabaceh]

​@@stinkasscatsalam

[@photobuf1]

G'day Mate! Mississippi old man here. Went with the 900 myself. Still learning thanks to videos like yours! Thanks

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Hello over there, glad to hear you enjoy the videos

[@lawrencedeans1433]

I've noticed in other videos as well the Manticore is chirpy both with high tones and there seems to be lots of chirpy iron grunts. Not sure if you can hear it live but I hear it watching and listening with my headphones on my phone. It's basically grunting every swing

[@yuiotre]

It would be interesting to see the results when swinging the Manticore over some complete clean patches with no mineralizations or EMI, etc. to see if it still grunts and chatters. To see it it’s truly target based or software based or due to other movement and hardware based interference.

[@bentham999]

MANTICORE - Perhaps some comments saying that you should turn the sensitivity down should read Staffordshire Metal Detectors blog. Turning down the sensitivity will reduce chatter but at the expense of extreme depth. Lowering the sensitivity will not open up the full potential of this detector. It will still be a great detector at a lower sensitivity and if you search areas with plenty of stuff still there, then fine. However if you are searching good but well used sites then you want every bit of depth possible. He is an expert and his blog makes sensible reading. JB

[@TheViewInWellington]

I agree with you there, one patch I pulled out 30coins with sens19 and gridded back and forth until I could find no more targets, on the next visit I raised to sens26 and pulled another 40coins, from the exact same patch, 3rd visit I raised to sens29 and got even more coins, Tomorrow I’m hoping to recheck once more at max sensitivity. Yea target trace becomes useless with sens that high, and can be noisy, but I can deal with that for the extreme depth, dig based on sound and or Vdi, I’m still learning optimal sensitivity for the ground conditions and how deep I want to dig,

[@jimnalley5856]

Thanks for the test...I use the 800 here in the US and I think I will go with the 900

[@stuv81]

Love the 900. So pleased I choose it. As you, the 900 just feels good, makes you feel like your not missing anything

[@thegarbagegladiators4735]

yep. As soon as I get the money, im getting the 900. Watched countless videos now of the two and I keep swaying right back to the 900.

[@AlaskaKidd101]

Hey, Alaska here, I am thinking of getting my first detector. Like your videos on the minelab 900. Just a new hobby.

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Hello over there in the North

[@stephenfield8637]

I was really excited about the Manticore and could not wait to get my hands on one, fortunately for me there is a wait which has allowed me to watch plenty of reviews on KZbin which has changed my mind as not one review has said it's exceptional in the field or really being able to justify it's high price over the equinox 900. ( All that chatter painful)

[@yomismo5711]

Then do you go for the 900 now?

[@carolrice2063]

There's ALOT More Chatter using Anything Notka Lineup of Detector's and that's why I have the X-Terra Pro now and it's quiet and I have also lowered the Sensitivity down below Full Sensitivity and I'm not missing any kind of targets that I want to Dig up...

[@AlexOnbekend]

Thank you so much, now I feel better choosing the 900 instead of the Manticore :-) I would go very nervous with a chattery detector and spending much more money, can wait to pick up my 900 and go digging in all quietness... not too quit off course 🙂

[@oldplucker1]

On group digs the Nox 800 seems to produce the finds the 900 also. I have the Manticore too and it is grunty, chirpy and mistakes iron for good targets and makes deep good targets look like iron. And I have tried all the settings from the experts. I will use my 800 and 900 much more now. The 800 can do things the Manticore can’t. So I would say the Manticore does not go deeper and in many situations it is far less deep. I bury test coins on digs and the 800 comes out tops! Maybe on junky flat fields the Manticore equals the Nox but it has no way to eliminate ferrous ground on ploughed fields with high furrows or lumpy soil. The 800 set up properly can eliminate that ferrous grunting and still hear the iron targets. The Manticore takes ages to charge and the supplied headphones fail if they get slightly wet from an unexpected shower.

[@paulbrown4414]

Love the video, just waiting on my 900, cant wait to get out with it. Cheers from the Highlands :)

[@combatwombat71]

Day 1 out with my 900, after coming from an XP Deus Mk1, I snagged a tiny Roman minim at about 6" in a pasture permission. Very impressed to hear something so small as such an obvious 'dig me!' signal. I am pretty confident my XP Deus would simply not have heard that.

[@shoover17331]

The manticore has power . Crank your sensitivity back till you loose all that chatter

[@jeffwd32]

Even turning sensitivity down to 15 gives good depth!

[@thedjdrexxx]

Great point. With the power Manticore has, the sensitivity needs to be wound down. You’d miss so many genuine targets running the sensitivity that high with all the chatter

[@carolrice2063]

It's the same exact thing as the X-Terra Pro it's a very powerful detector and you don't need to be on Full Sensitivity and I have started with the X-Terra Pro and 12 Sensitivity and until I got use to it and I have since been raising it up and I'm at 18 Sensitivity and Also it's Site Dependent on my Settings that I use and even though I was using 12 sensitivity i Was still getting Targets in the 6 - 8 inch range and then when the X-Terra Pro Came to a Junk Target it will be jumping around ALOT More than the Coins and the 900 will be the Next Detector that I will get in a few years and the X-Terra Pro is just a little brother to the Equinox 900 ..

[@chrisleigh777]

Use stabilizer with higher sens cuts the chatter alot about 4 should do it

[@minelabaceh]

Gud

[@ActinOut]

My understandimg with the manticore on depth is - at best you're only looking at up to 1-1.5in deeper than average detectors of the same class and with this, its primarily going to be at the beach and best case beaches are salt water. In my observation, it seems most people who like the manticore the most fit thst profile. Namely, detectorists who go mostly to coastal beach areas and spend a lot of time detecting in the water. Otherwise, there doesnt seem to be much difference in the manticore. Those who arent doimg salt water do seem to like the 2D imagery of the manticore over the 900 features.

[@mikedamours8733]

I'm new to all that detection stuff, so after careful reviews, I bought the Equinox 900. Assembly was easy. It's fast and it sounds like the computer chip in that machine is very good. The noise is stable too. I like that the headphone is wireless. It would be annoying if the headphone was attached with a cord, the risk of tripping could damage the device. But it's winter, so I'll have to wait to detect. But if you have the 800, don't buy the 900 because both are very similar. The reason why I choose the 900 is because it has two coils (the 800 only has one coil)

[@funmud._.]

Hello from prince George bc Canada. Just doing my homework and seeing what metal detector to pick. I thinking of picking the 900. The chatting would drive me crazy. Thanks for sharing the video

[@dennisross19]

Very good and honest summary ottis. Managed a whiley out today and agree completely about the headphones, breeze today, but phones on it sounds windy or stronger. 🥺 lighting, i just put it on automatic and it's fine. Very neutral fields up here where I am which meant I could run the 800 at full sens, but the Manticore was ok at 25-26, any higher it was disco time.

[@bennoah9780]

Hello ,From Ohio USA, I have the same problem with my Manticore not finding any deep targets over 6 inches . Manticore I is my first and probably last Minelab product. I think they should have made for sure it was doing what they said it would do before selling it instead of making false claims and wasting our time while they try to get it working. Minelab should be paying us to expose all the issues that they should have solved before releasing it.

[@keithlee2613]

When you have time can you please do a review of the 900 headphones being hard of hearing it’s very important to me and maybe other people, at the moment I use Garrett ms-2 , I can can hear fine with them thanks Keith

[@grumpyjim8449]

Really enjoyed the video and hopefully you can answer a question I have. You briefly mentioned Tracking and even after trying to read up on it I'm still not sure what it is and if I should use it. Being a fellow Scot from slightly lower doon Jockland I know you'll be only too happy to enlighten me. I've been out with my Manticore a few times now and really enjoy using it but am finding the same niggly little problems you mentioned. I've read a few people are having problems pairing the headset and twice now I've had to factory reset to pair mine. I hope your no going to charge me for your advice as money's awfy tight and I've already cut the wife doon to half rations so I could purchase the Manticore.

[@jerry4951]

Love the 900 had the means to buy the Manticore happy I didn't. Also own the 800

[@JonR35]

Could you scannwith Manti then scan with 900 next time. I don't remember what the signals sounded like by the time you went back over with 900

[@fishingknotcatching9182]

Tennessee here, thanks for your efforts and comparison here, cheers…

[@stop9534]

He said everything correctly and accurately noticed

[@eliesaikaly1911]

Equinox 900 for good price and performance.

[@neilgutteridge6405]

I think I will stick with my boosted sovereign gt..........from what I've seen here I'm not impressed at all lol.A c scope 1 mx would have hit all those signals with far less messing about.😊

[@mccannenator11]

Pittsburgh pa (beaver county detecting club ) just like everybody else in America trying to decide matincore or 900 great honest video

[@steveningram865]

Would be nice to do one with the 700 vs 900 I love my 700 it's finding me plenty of Roman and hammered coins

[@bradclarke2770]

Howdy from Casper, Wyoming USA. I am a newbe at this still learning my Garrett AT Max. Had some success but I am not giving Up lol. Thanks for your vids, Good hunting!

[@roymanewell4958]

the ctx kills it in the trashy parks iron grunts when theres no iron i settled for high trash for the parks cannot get more than 22 sens or it goes nuts,it is deep when you can actually find something thats not iron id on deep targets is not good when its not round or on edge,hope minelab get it sorted soon ps,can you try the 900 coil on the manticore see if it helps the core coil is heavy for its size lots of copper in it,maybe the problem...

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

The Equinox 900 doesn’t work on the Manticore I’m afraid 👍

[@somebeachdetecting]

.... Yep I ponder whilst walking down the beach swinging my Equinox 800 and finding gold and silver and non-ferrous targets.... Which new minelab detector should I buy????.... And then I have to stop thinking that because my Equinox 800 goes off I have to take the time to scoop out another piece of treasure.... 😁

[@angelignaciosanchez386]

Hola compañero una pregunta cual detector me recomienda el 900 o el Manticore gracias saludos

[@yomismo5711]

Hi my friend! 🙋🏻‍♀️ Do u recommend us the 900 or the Manticore?. Thx in advance 🙏

[@phrunt]

Your sensitivity is too high, 26 and it's chatty, so lower it, it may well come good for depth and chatter, I can run mine at 14 sensitivity and pick up a small silver 3 pence at 20+ cm. You don't need to crank the Manticore right up, in fact I've found doing it made performance worse on Target ID and depth. I adjust to my environment, in some places I can use 35 sensitivity and it perform very well, others down at 14 and it still performs good. I used to run my Nox on 24 or 25 and I needed to for best results on deep coins, I don't need to do that with the Manticore, lower sensitivity works very well.

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Good to know, many thanks

[@Firewoodmaninvirgina]

I civil war relic hunt in Virginia, I had a 800 now a 900. I run field 2 and run reactive to 1 ground that has moderate iron it’s a deep deep machine we go back in old camps we thought was hunted out and find stuff.

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

The 900 is a fantastic machine 👍

[@fpvsky2887]

Hello from gold country California.. 25 miles from Sutters mill discovery site...

[@johndenison9404]

Damn Yankee here, saying hello.

[@kiethhubbard27]

Enjoyed the video. Texas USA.

[@GarysMetalDetecting]

Be on a beach soon with My Manticore, cant wait.

[@stuartbibby4415]

Your , swing is to fast, sensitivity to high, bit of iron on that stubble, I would go for short slow sweeps, signals in stubble can be very brief, that's why I prefer, single frequency depth is not important, sensitivity clearly having the opposite effect, turn hum down, slow down,

[@craigshotton3027]

Have you heard from Minelab directly that a fix is coming for the ML105's? I would gladly swap those out for a pair of the ML85's if I could....I had no issue at all with the ML80's.

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Yes, I chatted with Mark Lawrie about them and I also talked with Minelab this weekend while mom Germany. They are planning to address the issue, how exactly they do that I’m not sure yet.

[@craigshotton3027]

@@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting Thanks...I'm hoping they do something for us that already have the Manticore and not just for the units that haven't been delivered. Cheers....Craig in Victoria BC, 🇨🇦

[@jasongwin8257]

Hello from Texas... Lots of People here in the USA trying to decide between the 900 and the Manticore, myself included, so any video comparing the two machines should get a fair amount of views from America.

[@stephenfield8637]

I'm having a torrid time as well here in England however I am leaning heavily towards the 900 as no outstanding reviews related towards the Manticore yet people are singing praises regarding the equinox.

[@jasongwin8257]

@@stephenfield8637 I have just about decided to go with the 900 myself. I think down the road if the Manticore suddenly becomes a monster performer due to updates and the optional coils are marketed. I may grab a Manticore and sell off a couple of my older machines. The 900 is cracking right now and I want a detector that I can swing now and with the 900 and all the coil options it just makes sense. If it is even 10% better than the 800 in iron and depth then I'll be happy with the 900. The bonus is I already have 2500 hours the 800 and the learning curse should be minimal. That would put the D2 and the 900 in my trunk and will give me options when one machine is struggling at a particular hunt site.

[@stephenfield8637]

@Jason Gwin Great Post thanks, I keep hearing similar, it comes from a good pedigree which helps swing the balance as well like you said.

[@MM0SDK]

@@stephenfield8637 I'm also in the same boat, but even considering the Legend. I'm likely going to end up with either the 900 or Legend unless Minelab releases a firmware for the Manticore that really tips the balance in performance that i'm just not seeing.

[@stephenfield8637]

Hi Buddy thanks for your call,I've bit the bullet and gone for the 900, interest free credit did it in the end together with lots of information about it on the Web,whilst I believe the trade have to try and big up the Manticore to justify it's price and make a sale. 👍🏻

[@YaknTackle]

Love swinging the Nox 900!! I have 4 Minelab machines...happy hunting!!! Cheers from Texas!!!

[@crazycressy7986]

Slow your swing down and try it on the same spot

[@jomon723]

Foil and Bronze...Same here in Japan, get you everytime

[@fredcooper7252]

Thanks, an enjoyable watch. 👍Expecting my MC tomorrow. Are you sure that using GB tracking is a good idea? It certainly made the 800 incredibly noisy on stubble and took the edge off of depth so perhaps worth turning off?

[@vladimirs2370]

Не уменьшает авто баланс грунта глубину на эквинокс 800

[@colinsmale8146]

Just found your site, interested to see the comparisons. I would like to put this to you, and to the minelab engineers. (I have been detecting 40 years, earlier days with the Minelab explorer 2 used it many years then went over to Deus and now thinking about the 900 or manticore) Here's my gripe. I was watching you swinging the machines and you show clearly something I would really like changing, the way the machine wobbles about while sweeping. The old explorer and the Deus, they both sit firm in the hand/arm and don't slog about. Surely that's an easy re-design fix? I know regular Nox users might say it's ok but they have gotten used to it as you have but as your vid shows, it still slogs about so can we go back to that 'S' shaped machine???

[@Thesummerof2024.]

Blimey you need to reel that 900 back bud especially on stubble user error there 😮 sensitivity is way way to high as well on the manticore 😂

[@anthonyloughran6040]

Thanks for the video Ottis really good comparison not much between them really but loving the different tones.👍👌

[@user-rh5zz6ms1z]

Question is have you tried the D2 ...?

[@ohiofredl]

Thanks for vid and your time

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

No problem 👍

[@user-lq1ep3kq4x]

It seems like they both have old technology whites came out with the MX sport with basically the same technology

[@sandrudanny9578]

Nice video! To be honest I seen enough comparations between this two ,I would love to see a good comparison between Nox900 vs Deus2 I still can't decide to buy nox900 or deus2 🤦‍♂️

[@jeandigshistory]

I own both… Both are great machines. But the Deus 2 in my opinion wins. I’ve been detecting 20+ years and I’ve owned a bunch and kinda still do. Deus 2 is my go to detector. The rest are just displayed to remind me how much money I’ve spent over the years.

[@bennoah9780]

I have manticore and it is going to have a new owner and I am going XP2. in my opinion minelab soiled the sheets with the manticore. It performs less than my $500 Legend. I see many popular detectorists on KZbin dumping Manticore for XP2.

[@tomtripptree5079]

I think your making the right choice. Minelab doesn’t do many updates they just come out with a new machine. XP I feel listens to there customers and tries to improve there machine for the user

[@rickmcevoy4960]

Quarryville,PA.USA. Nox 900.

[@danielshields6195]

hello from Michigan / USA. enjoy the videos!

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Glad you like them!

[@user-rh5zz6ms1z]

How do you find the Manticore now ...?

[@shtamgast]

Great review! Thank you. Waiting my Mantocre. And the biggest question now is how soon will be softwear update?

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

The last time we chatted with Minelab they said very soon, so I expect in the next few weeks 👍

[@michaelwalsh7847]

This is what I will say I have a vanquish 540 and was using it on the beach and it gos down 18 inches + on a $2 coin and there Area I was in detecting today I didn’t get any signals after 40 minutes detecting because everything was way to deep below 18 inches 46 cm 40 minutes and the day before in the exact same spot Looking For ring that someone lost I could not here any more signals down deep at all a guy came along to the same spot and used his mine lab mantra and blew me away shit the holes he dug were 80 cm + he found and dug holes everywhere so deep for 3.5 hours and found a gold ring 💍 2 silver and a big lead sinker and heaps of things like I had my van 540 turned off and yet yesterday I could not here any of those signals that he dug at all shit I don’t know We’re he had them settings but that was the deepest iv seen any detector on the beach bar none not even my gp3500 can go that deep or my van 540 his was $2500.00 Au $ my vanquish 540 Au $700 I would like to know how to use the mine lab mantra but it looks to complicated like that Knox 800 that’s why I like the vanquish 540 way much simpler to use

[@sarahdugar6976]

how much does the Equinox 900 cost Australian dollars

[@mihaiand2905]

Hi. Several times you say on target : Iron ! But on the screen I saw ID 30-40-50. How did you conclude that it is iron? Thank you .

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

The Manticore gives a VDI reading for iron in positive numbers but with a red line highlighted underneath. For example it may read 42 but the times and red line indicate iron. If it’s a non ferrous target again it reads in positive numbers but with no red line underneath 👍

[@mihaiand2905]

@@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting I see. I have nox 900. But also you mention on your video "Iron" on nox 900 . Maybe if both Negative numbers and Pozitive numbers in same time is Iron. Thanks.

[@marctaylor-olsson4233]

same recovery rate?

[@jamkpa]

Good review!

[@unlock_your_dream_home]

Were you using the same sensitivity levels on both machines?

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

No the Manticore was set at a lower setting than the Equinox, mainly due to the chatter

[@jameskilburn3230]

Hello from Tennessee, USA!!

[@clarkfox7961]

The noises those minelabs make would drive anyone mental

[@2019freddie]

🤣🤣🤣

[@yomismo5711]

👽👽👽

[@carolrice2063]

Just go ahead and watch the Simplex Lineup of Detector's and then come back and watch more Minelab Detector's Video's and I use to have the Simplex+ and I was always chasing the Ghost Signals that are there At the end of the Swing's And the EMI Problem's that it's known for and I have since Traded the Simplex + for a Equinox And I will take a Minelab Detector Tone's then the Simplex Duck Hunting Tone's that will hurt when the season is almost here....

[@otgshows]

Hello from Oregon USA Like the video

[@minelabaceh]

Salam detektor from minelab aceh

[@thomasnappo6309]

900 is a Powerfull beast

[@davevanderveer-hk8fc]

Hello from east coast usa

[@sjohnson1776]

Hello from Maryland USA!

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Hello from sunny north Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@markevangelista4786]

Hello from New Jersey USA

[@milanm5776]

Deus 2 is the best :)

[@akseakayaker]

Hi from Alaska

[@loganmoreno1952]

bjr bonne vidéo pour moi le mantricore et que du marketing a choisir je prend le 900 sans hésité

[@ric1510]

Hello from Virginia!

[@kenleach6097]

Howdy from Northlake, TX

[@thegarbagegladiators4735]

From America. Greetings.

[@user-tm5kz1sf3h]

Hello from Nevada

[@mathewalves5203]

Hello from California

[@jeffreyrobinson2155]

G/day just subd i am coming out from the Vanquish 540 been happy with it but looking to upgrade .Choice nox800 nox900 Manticore help what do you think😇

[@mothysfridge2776]

Thanks for this video. Plan on purchasing me a mine lab. Leaning towards the Manticore. Will subscribe and happy hunting. Wisconsin 🇺🇸

[@yomismo5711]

And hey Manticore?

[@joebob1970jc]

Hello bro from Kentucky USA

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Hello from back from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@william1863]

Hello mate I'm Bill from AMERICA 👍✝️✌️

[@pomiller1972]

Hello from America

[@garykantner9332]

Hello from Ohio USA.

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Hello from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@ivosirakov7721]

Show how it works in a rocky area

[@georgetorres6245]

Hellooo chape like your videos

[@arkledale]

hello from Adelaide

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Hello there!

[@ericg.711]

Hello from Gold Country, Coarsegold, California

[@godsbeast.69]

Hi Eric, I'd love to gold hunt, I'm from the UK. Do you need a claim to hunt or are there parts one can go without permit.

[@makattak3550]

Mate, these comparisons are so inaccurate. Your coil swing speed is way too quick. No machine should be set the same as another. You need to use each machines options to get depth and audio.

[@budroberts7857]

Hello from the good US of A

[@buscaverdades7016]

Hello

[@hoosieronthefarm7677]

Hello USA

[@yomismo5711]

Then? … Which is the best beast one? 🤣🤣🤣

[@scottcurrie7589]

Hello from cape cod

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

From one east coast to the other, hello 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@petertosh4748]

Hi from America.. great video.. You would probably get more views if you spoke American. 😂

[@Pussyshaver2]

Hallo from Switzerland ! ;) do you find which distinguishes, separates, compares , recognizes better the differences in aluminum, lead, bronze, silver, copper Manticore or EQI 900 ?

[@shoover17331]

Hello from America

[@HiddenHistoryHuntersDetecting]

Hi

[@briansilakowski3438]

Hello