Minelab EQUINOX 700 Metal Detector with 11 in Coil, Military Discount

In our experience the Minelab EQUINOX 700 at our military discount suits active or retired service members who mainly search parks and beaches and want a waterproof Multi-IQ detector, in the same Minelab box as our standard EQUINOX 700. The EQUINOX 700 is a waterproof Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency detector from Minelab for parks, fields and beaches, submersible to 5 meters (16 feet), with the EQX 11 coil and ML 85 wireless headphones in the box.

Military Discount Eligibility

Active or Retired Military can receive a 15% discount on the purchase of a Minelab EQUINOX 700 Metal Detector. The discount shows in your cart once you add the Minelab EQUINOX 700 to it. Please provide a copy of your Driver's License designating "Veteran" and/or certificate highlighting the branch of service including your name to support@seriousdetecting.com or text to (844) 771-0707.

We do not accept a DD-214 as proof, DO NOT submit a DD-214.

What is in the box with the Minelab EQUINOX 700

Minelab's standard contents for the EQUINOX 700

• Minelab EQUINOX 700 detector with three-piece carbon fiber shaft
• EQX 11 11 inch Double-D round Smart coil with skidplate
• ML 85 low-latency wireless headphones
• Multi-language screen protectors
• USB charging cable with magnetic connector
• Getting Started Guide

About the Minelab EQUINOX 700

What we appreciate about the EQUINOX 700 is that Minelab included many of the features that make the EQUINOX series so capable without making you pay for every advanced adjustment on the EQUINOX 900. You still get Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency, adjustable recovery speed, Iron Bias, detailed target identification and a fully waterproof detector. For someone who mainly searches parks, farm fields, old homesites and beaches, that is a very capable combination, and it makes particular sense for someone who has moved beyond an entry-level detector and wants more control over difficult conditions. We would not recommend it simply because it costs more than the X-TERRA series; the reason to choose it is the room it gives you to develop more advanced detecting skills.

Multi-IQ runs multiple frequencies at the same time, which matters because targets respond differently depending on size, conductivity and the ground around them. An older park can hold modern coins, older silver coins, small gold jewelry, aluminum trash and rusty iron, and Multi-IQ gives you a versatile starting point for all of them without constantly switching frequencies, whether you search a park, a farm field or a freshwater beach. Minelab recommends Multi-IQ in every mode, and it is the default in every profile; Park and Field can also run a single 4, 5, 10 or 15 kHz frequency, while Beach always runs Multi-IQ. Multi-IQ does not automatically identify targets correctly or remove the effects of mineralized ground: it is a useful detection technology, not a guarantee of finding every buried object.

Minelab EQUINOX 700 search modes and key settings

• Six profiles: in an older park, Park 1 (General and Coins) is a sensible starting point, and Park 2 (Fine Jewelry) is worth trying for smaller, lower-conductivity targets once you know how common targets respond; it is not automatically better. On an old farmstead with nails, brass and lead, Field 1 (Coins and Artifacts) is a useful start and Field 2 (Fine Coins and Artifacts) improves sensitivity to smaller targets. Beach 1 (Wet and Dry Sand) and Beach 2 (Underwater and Surf) cover the beach. There is no Gold mode; the All Metal shortcut switches off discrimination.
• Recovery speed (1 to 3): slower in a clean farm field to preserve stronger responses from some deeper targets; faster near an old farmhouse, where a coin may sit a few inches from a nail, to separate closely spaced targets at the cost of some deeper signals. We would begin with the factory setting and change it when conditions justify it.
• Iron Bias (0 to 3, Multi-IQ only): in an older park where rusty bottle caps keep giving convincing signals, raising it may reduce those misleading responses. A coin lying close to a rusty nail shows the tradeoff: a more aggressive setting raises the risk of rejecting a good target with a mixed response, so on heavily iron-contaminated sites a lower setting is worth trying, even if you dig more iron. Iron Bias does not simply make the detector better.
• Ground balance (Auto, Manual, Tracking): for typical park and field detecting, start with the factory ground balance setting or perform an automatic ground balance if ground conditions require it. Tracking is particularly useful when mineralization changes as you search, and Minelab also identifies underwater saltwater detecting in Beach 2 as a situation where Tracking may help keep the detector stable.
• Sensitivity and noise cancel: near overhead power lines more sensitivity can make random signals worse, so run Auto Noise Cancel, which picks the quietest of 19 channels, and set sensitivity where the detector runs reasonably quietly.
• Target ID: 119 Target IDs from -19 to 99, each one accepted or rejected; Minelab gives a US quarter as 89. 119 IDs does not mean the detector can name 119 different objects: a gold ring may read like aluminum trash, a deep coin may give an inconsistent ID and a rusty iron object can occasionally read high. The number is a clue, not a guarantee, so we would use it alongside the audio and whether the signal repeats.
• Audio, ferrous volume and vibration: Target Tones 1, 2, 5, All Tones and Depth; we would start with the factory audio and add tones as experience grows. Ferrous volume makes iron quieter around an old farmhouse while you still hear where it is, and handgrip vibration on ferrous signals helps on a windy beach.

Beach and water hunting with the Minelab EQUINOX 700

The beach is one of the biggest reasons we would recommend the EQUINOX 700. On an ocean beach the sand turns from dry to wet toward the water, and conductive saltwater produces a response that interferes with metal detection; the EQUINOX 700 combines Multi-IQ with dedicated Beach profiles, and in Beach mode Minelab gives residual salt a Target ID of 0. Pick the profile that matches the conditions; black sand, severe mineralization and electrical interference still affect performance. Minelab rates the EQUINOX 700 IP68, submersible to 5 meters (16 feet), so on a freshwater swimming beach after a busy weekend you can work from the dry sand to the shoreline and into shallow water for coins, rings and earrings. For jewelry we would avoid excessive discrimination: gold jewelry can read like aluminum trash, and rejecting every foil or pull tab signal can reject jewelry too, so expect to dig more trash. The ML 85 wireless headphones are not waterproof and wireless audio does not transmit reliably underwater, so for underwater audio Minelab specifies its own waterproof headphones. Keep the dust cap on the headphone socket when you submerge without headphones, and do not take the detector underwater while it is charging or running from a power bank. See our beach metal detectors.

Minelab EQUINOX 700 battery, weight and build

The carbon fiber shaft collapses to 61 cm (24 inches) and Minelab lists the detector at 1.27 kg (2.8 lb), easy to pack for a trip and lighter on long sessions. The 3.7 V, 5100 mAh battery built into the handgrip gives approximately 12 hours of typical use, less with the backlight or flashlight on; charge it before a longer trip. Charging from flat takes about 5 to 6 hours over the magnetic USB cable with a USB charger of more than 2 A at 5 V, and Minelab's manual says replacement batteries are supplied and fitted by a Minelab authorized service center. The EQX 11 coil is a sensible general-purpose coil for a large park or clean field; around a foundation full of nails it can hear several objects in one sweep, which is where the smaller EQX 06 helps.

Where the Minelab EQUINOX 700 works well, and where it does not

Coin hunting, relic hunting, freshwater beaches and saltwater beaches are home ground. On historical properties, recovery speed and Iron Bias give you tools to manage difficult conditions, but we would not suggest the EQUINOX 700 can reliably detect every good target hidden among iron: iron masking remains a challenge, and careful searching and experience still matter. It finds gold jewelry, but it has no Gold mode; for natural gold nuggets, see our gold detectors.

One mistake to avoid with the Minelab EQUINOX 700

The mistake we caution beginners against is changing too many settings before they understand the detector. You get a questionable signal on an old homesite, change recovery speed, Iron Bias, sensitivity and discrimination all at once, and the signal changes, but now you do not know which adjustment caused it. Start with the right factory profile, learn how common targets sound, check questionable signals from different directions, then experiment with one setting at a time.

Minelab EQUINOX 700, EQUINOX 900 or MANTICORE

Both EQUINOX models use Multi-IQ, are waterproof to 5 meters (16 feet) and share the 119 Target ID scale and updated construction. The Minelab EQUINOX 900 adds dedicated Gold modes, the 20 and 40 kHz single frequencies, more recovery speed settings, greater Iron Bias adjustment and the EQX 06 coil in the box. For someone who mainly searches parks, farm fields and beaches, the EQUINOX 700 may provide everything they need; for difficult iron-contaminated historical sites or natural gold prospecting, the EQUINOX 900's extras become easier to justify. The Minelab MANTICORE adds two-dimensional target identification for heavily hunted sites, but we would not suggest every MANTICORE owner will consistently find more than someone with an EQUINOX 700.

Minelab EQUINOX 700 specifications

Minelab covers the EQUINOX 700 control box and coil with a 3-year warranty in the USA.

The free Serious Detecting field kit that comes with new EQUINOX 700s is not included with military discount orders.

For our full EQUINOX 700 guide, settings advice and comparisons, see the Minelab EQUINOX 700 collection.