Minelab MANTICORE Multi-IQ+ Waterproof Metal Detector, M11 Coil

The Minelab MANTICORE is a waterproof simultaneous multi-frequency metal detector for coins, relics, jewelry and some gold prospecting, built on Minelab's Multi-IQ+ technology. Minelab calls it the most powerful detector it has built and says Multi-IQ+ delivers up to 50% more power than the Equinox series. What sets it apart in use is the 2D Target ID Map, which plots each target on a conductive scale and a ferrous scale instead of a single number. It has 10 search modes across All-Terrain, Beach and Goldfield, runs Multi-IQ+ or a single 5, 10, 15, 20 or 40 kHz frequency, and is rated IP68, submersible to 5 meters (16 feet). Minelab supplies it with the M11 11 inch round Double-D coil and ML 105 wireless headphones. For the rest of Minelab's range, see our Minelab metal detectors.

Who the Minelab MANTICORE suits

What we like most about the MANTICORE is how much it tells an experienced detectorist about what is under the coil. It pairs Multi-IQ+ simultaneous multi-frequency with a two-dimensional target display, which helps on old properties where coins, iron and aluminum lie together. That extra power Minelab claims for Multi-IQ+ does not mean 50% more depth; depth still depends on the target, the coil, the ground and your settings.

We see the MANTICORE as a detector for experienced detectorists who want detailed target information and a lot of control. It suits coins, relics, jewelry and beaches, and one detector covers the local park, an ocean trip and a visit to gold country. If you want a straightforward detector, you may not need all those adjustments, and the Minelab Equinox 900 may be the more sensible purchase. Our MANTICORE vs EQUINOX 900 comparison covers where the differences show up in the field.

What the 2D Target ID Map shows, and what it does not

On a conventional detector you might hear a signal and see a target ID of 80. That tells you something about the target's apparent conductivity, but not whether it is a coin, a bottle cap or rusty iron. The MANTICORE's 2D Target ID Map adds a second dimension: Minelab plots conductivity from 0 to 99 across the map and ferrous properties up the side, and each detection leaves a trace that fades after about 5 seconds. A clean, isolated non-ferrous target may give a fairly concentrated trace, while some iron targets give traces that reach into the ferrous area.

Picture a deep coin next to a rusty nail. The signal carries traits of both, and the map can help you evaluate it. Not every coin leaves a clean mark, though. Deep, corroded or iron-masked targets can draw messy patterns, and whether the signal repeats matters as much as the trace.

The 2D map is not an X-ray of the ground. It shows the detector's interpretation of the target signal. A concentrated trace does not prove a target is a coin, and a scattered trace does not prove it is iron. Minelab notes that the trace is affected by the target's composition, orientation and depth, your swing speed and the frequency. Deep targets, nearby iron, ground mineralization and unusual shapes can all produce complicated traces, so a trace alone is not a reason to reject a target. Combine the audio, the target ID and the map, and keep listening: the map should support your reading of the signal, not replace it.

The same goes for target ID numbers. A silver coin does not give the same number under every condition; depth, orientation, nearby targets and soil all change the reading. A faint signal that repeats from different directions, with a trace that suggests a possible non-ferrous target, is worth investigating even if the number is not perfectly stable. Some of the best finds come from signals that do not look perfect.

Settings that matter on the Minelab MANTICORE

• Ferrous Limits: Minelab's control for how the MANTICORE classifies targets with ferrous characteristics. It works in Multi-IQ+ only, offers preset limits plus four custom settings you can draw on the ID Map, and Minelab describes it as similar to Iron Bias on its other Multi-IQ detectors but with more control. On an old property full of rusty nails, you want to reject iron without masking good targets. We would not reject iron aggressively everywhere. A good target next to iron can give a mixed response and get rejected along with the nail. Start with Minelab's factory settings and adjust gradually.
• Recovery speed (0 to 8): set separately for each search mode. On an old homesite with nails packed close together, a faster setting helps separate targets. In a clean field with deep old coins, a slower setting can give a stronger response. A higher setting can cost sensitivity on deeper targets, so we set it by target density rather than always running it high.
• Stabilizer (0 to 12): in the All-Terrain modes, Minelab's Stabilizer setting helps reduce false ferrous detections, the iron that sounds like a coin. More stabilization can change how weak or questionable signals come through, so the lowest setting that keeps iron falsing under control is the place to start.
• Sensitivity (1 to 35): Minelab shows levels 31 to 35 in red as extreme, and a Sensitivity Boost soft key adds 5 levels temporarily. Higher sensitivity does not always mean more usable depth. Near power lines or in mineralized ground, run a noise cancel and check the ground balance first, then set sensitivity where the detector stays reasonably stable. A slightly quieter detector makes faint, repeatable targets easier to recognize.
• Noise cancel and ground balance: noise cancel is Auto, Continuous Auto or Manual; ground balance is Auto, Manual or Tracking, set per mode.
• Frequencies: Multi-IQ+ is the default and Minelab recommends it in all modes. All-Terrain modes also offer single 5, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz frequencies; Beach modes run Multi-IQ+ only; Goldfield offers Multi-IQ+, 20 and 40 kHz. In single frequency, Ferrous Limits are switched off and the ID Map becomes a simpler linear scale.
• Audio: four audio themes (Normal, Enhanced, Depth and Prospecting), target tones from 1 tone up to All Tones, and separate volume and pitch for targets, ferrous targets and threshold. Threshold level runs 0 to 25 and threshold pitch 1 to 50, and the Prospecting theme gives a true threshold with pitch and volume that follow the signal. Handgrip vibration and an LED flashlight are built in.

The 10 Minelab MANTICORE search modes

• All-Terrain General, Fast, Low Conductors, High Conductors and Trash Reject: for inland hunting. Minelab describes Fast for target separation, Low Conductors for small or thin targets such as hammered coins and fine jewelry, High Conductors for large or thick targets such as copper and silver coins (a high-powered mode that shortens runtime by about an hour), and Trash Reject for maximum iron and foil rejection.
• Beach General, Low Conductors, Deep and Surf & Seawater: for dry and wet sand and the surf. In Beach modes Minelab gives salt a target ID of 0 with a low tone.
• Goldfield General: Minelab's gold prospecting mode for small nuggets in benign to moderately mineralized ground, with the Prospecting audio theme and tracking ground balance by default.

Every mode can be customized and reset to Minelab's factory settings, and one can be saved as your favorite.

Beach and water hunting with the Minelab MANTICORE

Wet saltwater sand is hard on any detector because the conductive salt water gives a strong response of its own. Working from dry sand down to the waterline, the ground changes as the sand gets wetter and the salt has more influence, and the MANTICORE's Beach modes let you pick settings for each part of that. Surf & Seawater mode is meant for hunting in and around salt water, which matters if you search ocean beaches often. Even so, wet salt sand can call for adjustments to sensitivity and other settings; no detector is completely immune to difficult conditions.

A typical ocean hunt runs from dry sand through wet sand into shallow surf, and the MANTICORE can be set up for each stretch. We particularly like that the whole detector is waterproof, so the surf becomes part of the search area.

Minelab rates the MANTICORE IP68, submersible to 5 meters (16 feet), so freshwater beaches, wading and surf are all within its rating. The ML 105 wireless headphones in the box are not waterproof. If you plan to put the detector under, you need waterproof headphones; Minelab says its 3.5 mm waterproof headphones are the ones that can go under with the MANTICORE, and its Underwater Boost setting raises their volume. See our beach metal detectors and metal detector headphones.

One mistake to avoid with the Minelab MANTICORE

Changing too many settings at once. If you change recovery speed, sensitivity, Ferrous Limits, audio and discrimination together and the detector starts behaving differently, you will not know which change did it. Start with a suitable factory search mode, learn how it behaves, then change one setting at a time.

Minelab MANTICORE weight, battery and build

Minelab lists the MANTICORE at 1.3 kg (2.9 lb). The three-piece carbon fiber shaft extends to 144 cm (56.7 inches) and collapses to 63 cm (24.8 inches), and the 3.5 inch color display has adjustable backlight and keypad backlight.

In our experience that weight and collapsed length suit long days in the field and frequent travel. Comfort also depends on the coil, since a larger coil changes the balance.

The lithium-ion battery is built into the handgrip. Minelab's manual gives about 10 hours of runtime, about an hour less in High Conductors mode, and less with vibration or a bright backlight. Charging from flat takes about 7 hours according to the manual with a USB charger of at least 2 A at 5 V. You can run it from a power bank, but not underwater or in wet, salty conditions. Minelab's manual says replacement batteries are supplied and fitted by a Minelab authorized service center. Software updates install over the charging cable from a Windows or Mac computer, and Minelab says your settings are kept.

What is in the box with the Minelab MANTICORE

Minelab's standard contents for the MANTICORE

• Minelab MANTICORE detector with three-piece carbon fiber shaft
• M11 11 inch round Double-D search coil with skidplate
• ML 105 wireless headphones with 3.5 mm audio cable, charging cable, instruction manual and hard case
• USB charging cable with magnetic connector
• 5 screen protectors
• Getting Started Guide
  
  

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

Coils and accessories that fit the Minelab MANTICORE

Search coils: besides the standard M11, Minelab makes the M8 (8 x 5.5 inch elliptical, part 3011-0422), the M9 (9 inch round, its lightest MANTICORE coil, part 3011-0473) and the M15 (15 x 12 inch elliptical, part 3011-0423), all waterproof Double-D coils. See our metal detector coils. Our Manticore coils guide compares every coil option for the detector.

Which coil to start with: we would begin with the standard M11 for its balance of coverage, depth and maneuverability. The M8 suits dense iron and tight spots, the M9 is a compact all-rounder, and the M15 suits large open areas. A bigger coil is not automatically deeper everywhere.

Headphones: the ML 105 headphones can also be used wired with the included 3.5 mm cable. Minelab's WM09 wireless module lets you use your own 3.5 mm headphones wirelessly, and 1/4 inch headphones work with an adapter. For underwater use, choose Minelab's 3.5 mm waterproof headphones.

Pinpointing: the MANTICORE has a pinpoint button and a 5-level depth indicator. A separate handheld pinpointer still speeds up recovery.

Where the Minelab MANTICORE works well, and where it does not

Old homesites and relic ground: picture an abandoned farmhouse with hundreds of rusty nails, old farm hardware and the odd coin lying next to iron. Ferrous Limits, recovery speed and the 2D map give you several ways to judge those signals, though none of them identifies a buried object with certainty. See more relic and treasure metal detectors.

Old parks that have been hunted hard: in an older park that others have worked for years, the silver that is left tends to be deeper or surrounded by trash. The MANTICORE's settings let you adapt, but good search technique still does the finding; it will not turn up every coin that earlier detectors missed.

Beaches and surf: four Beach modes, including Surf & Seawater, and an IP68 rating to 5 meters; Minelab's waterproof headphones are the ones to use underwater.

Gold: Goldfield mode handles small nuggets in milder ground, but in severe mineralization a dedicated pulse induction machine is the better tool; see our gold detectors.

Our recommendation on the Minelab MANTICORE

We recommend the MANTICORE to experienced detectorists who like working through difficult signals. The biggest reason we like it is that it gives you several ways to judge a hard signal instead of a single target ID number. It will not remove the uncertainty, but it helps you decide what to dig. For the rest of the range, see our guide to the best Minelab metal detectors.

Minelab MANTICORE specifications

Serious Detecting bundle (added free at checkout):

• Lil' Digger Double Serrated Shovel
• Serious Detecting Finds Bag with 42 inch Waist Belt
• Serious Detecting Carry Bag
• Serious Detecting Cap
• Double Serrated Hand Digger with Belt Holster