Minelab MANTICORE Metal Detector

What makes the Minelab Manticore different from other metal detectors is how much information it gives you on each target. Its Multi-IQ+ engine, which Minelab says delivers up to 50% more power than the EQUINOX series, feeds a 2D ID Map that plots conductivity (0 to 99) against ferrous property, and Ferrous Limits let you shape which ferrous responses are accepted or rejected. It is IP68 waterproof to 5 m (16 ft), weighs 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) and comes with ML 105 wireless headphones. In our experience, its biggest advantage is not raw power or depth but the extra information when a target is not obvious; it does not remove uncertainty, but it helps an experienced detectorist decide what to dig. See our Best Flagship Metal Detectors guide.

The Minelab Manticore is best suited to sites with difficult targets: trashy parks where rusty caps sit among the coins, old homesites with nails scattered around a former building, and ocean beaches and surf. In our experience it makes the most sense for experienced coin hunters, relic hunters and beach detectorists, because the 2D ID Map, Ferrous Limits and adjustable recovery speed give more ways to judge a signal near iron. On relatively clean ground, someone who detects occasionally may be just as happy with a less expensive machine. See our Best Metal Detectors for Relic Hunting guide.

Yes, the Minelab Manticore is good for beach detecting: it is waterproof to 5 m (16 ft) and has four Beach search modes, General for dry or wet sand, Low Conductors for fine jewelry, Deep for more aggressive depth settings and Surf & Seawater for the surf zone. In our experience, the ground keeps changing as you work from dry sand down to the waterline, so expect to adjust sensitivity and other settings in wet salt sand; no detector is completely immune to difficult conditions. Shop all beach metal detectors.

The Manticore handles bottle caps with its 2D ID Map and Ferrous Limits. A rusty cap can give a convincing high-conductive number, but in our experience its trace can reach into the ferrous area of the map, and editing the Ferrous Limits lets you reject more of those responses. In our experience, keep the rejection moderate: set it too aggressively and you risk losing good targets that give mixed ferrous and non-ferrous responses. The map is not an X-ray of the ground, so a concentrated trace does not prove a coin and a scattered trace does not prove iron; combine the audio, Target ID and map before you decide. Our metal detecting tips cover more ways to deal with trash.

How deep the Minelab Manticore can detect depends on the target's size, shape and orientation, the ground and the coil, and Minelab does not publish a depth figure. Minelab says Multi-IQ+ delivers up to 50% more power than the EQUINOX series, and it describes the All-Terrain High Conductors mode, built for large or thick targets, and the single frequencies as high-powered settings. A 5-level depth indicator gives a rough guide on screen. Coil choice matters most: Minelab positions the M15 15 x 12 in for maximum depth in open ground. In our experience, smaller coils such as the M8 trade some depth for separation. In our experience, more sensitivity does not always mean more usable depth; a stable detector at moderate sensitivity picks out faint targets better than a noisy one at maximum. See How Deep Do Metal Detectors Go.

Yes, the Manticore is waterproof: Minelab rates the detector IP68, submersible to 5 m (16 ft), and all four Manticore coils are waterproof to the same depth. That covers wet sand, wading, surf and snorkeling. The ML 105 wireless headphones in the box are not waterproof, so underwater you need Minelab's 3.5 mm waterproof headphones, sold separately. See all waterproof metal detectors.

The Manticore handles electromagnetic interference (EMI) with noise tools Minelab built in: Noise Cancel in Auto, Continuous Auto or Manual (-9 to +9), the Enhanced audio theme, which Minelab designed to suppress EMI chatter. In our experience, near power lines start with a noise cancel and a ground balance check, then set sensitivity to a level where the detector stays reasonably stable rather than running it at maximum; a slightly quieter detector makes faint, repeatable targets easier to recognize. More setup help is in our metal detecting tips.

The search modes available on the Minelab Manticore detector are ten: All-Terrain General, Fast, Low Conductors, High Conductors and Trash Reject; Beach General, Low Conductors, Deep and Surf & Seawater; and Goldfield General. Each can be customized, reset to its factory preset or set as your Favorite, and All Metal is a soft key function rather than a separate mode. Minelab sets up All-Terrain General for general inland hunting, Fast for separation, Trash Reject for maximum iron and foil rejection, High Conductors for large or thick targets such as silver coins, Surf & Seawater for the surf zone and Goldfield for nuggets in mineralized ground. See our metal detecting tips.

The coils compatible with the Minelab Manticore are the four Double-D coils Minelab makes for it: the M11 11 in round that comes in the box, the M9 9 in round, the M8 8 x 5.5 in elliptical and the M15 15 x 12 in elliptical, all waterproof to 5 m (16 ft). In our experience, a smaller coil helps in dense trash and tight spaces, the M15 suits large, relatively clean fields and beaches, and it pays to add one only when your sites justify it. Shop them in our search coils collection, and see our Metal Detector Coil Guide.

The Minelab Manticore works for gold prospecting, within limits. Its Goldfield General mode is preset with the Prospecting audio theme and tracking ground balance, and Minelab describes it as suitable for small nuggets in benign to moderate soil mineralization, with only Multi-IQ+ and the 20 and 40 kHz single frequencies available. It is one of the Manticore's ten modes, not a dedicated nugget machine, so in our experience, for heavily mineralized goldfields a purpose-built gold detector is the better tool. Browse all gold detectors.

The Minelab Manticore is not the first detector we would recommend for most beginners, although a beginner can learn it. There is a lot of information on the screen and a lot to customize, which can distract someone still learning to recognize repeatable signals and keep good coil control. For someone who enjoys technology and plans to take the hobby seriously, it can still be an excellent first detector. For occasional weekend hunting, a simpler, less expensive machine is usually the more sensible buy. See our Best Metal Detector for Beginners guide.

You can use your old Minelab headphones with the Manticore if they connect in one of the ways Minelab supports. Wired headphones with a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) plug fit if the plug's overmold is under 9 mm (0.35 in) across, and 1/4 in headphones need the adapter cable. The ML 105 that comes with the Manticore also works with the EQUINOX 700 and 900 and X-TERRA ELITE and PRO, Minelab lists the ML 85 among its Manticore accessories, and the WM09 module lets you use your own 3.5 mm headphones wirelessly. Compatible sets are in our metal detector headphones collection.

When you buy a Minelab Manticore, the box includes the detector with the M11 11 in Double-D round coil and skidplate, ML 105 wireless headphones with a 3.5 mm audio cable and case, a magnetic USB charging cable and 5 screen protectors. The battery is built in and rechargeable; no wall charger is included, so use a USB charger rated at least 2 A at 5 V. Our bundles add items such as a PRO-FIND 40 pinpointer, the M9 coil, the M8 and M15 coils or a Minelab backpack, and each listing names what it adds. Popular add-ons are in our pinpointers and search coils collections.

The accessories to buy with your Minelab Manticore are a pinpointer such as the Minelab PRO-FIND 40, a digger from our shovels, diggers and picks collection and a finds pouch. The ML 105 wireless headphones already come in the box; add Minelab's 3.5 mm waterproof headphones if you plan to hunt underwater. A second coil can wait until your sites call for it: the M8 or M9 for trashy ground, the M15 for open ground. A carry bag protects the detector in transport, and since no wall charger is included, a USB charger rated at least 2 A at 5 V is worth having.

Yes, the Minelab Manticore comes with a warranty: Minelab's US terms give 3 years on the control box and coil, and you register the detector with Minelab after purchase. Accessories carry their own terms, for example 24 months on the PRO-FIND 40 pinpointer. As an authorized Minelab dealer, we help with any warranty claim, so contact us if you need help. See the rest of our Minelab collection.