Minelab Manticore Metal Detector with PRO-FIND 40 Pinpointer

This listing is the Minelab Manticore with a Minelab PRO-FIND 40 pinpointer from Serious Detecting. 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 ships 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 is for

The Manticore is one of those detectors where the real advantage shows once you spend time learning what it is telling you. It is easy to focus on the specifications, the extra power, the recovery speed range, the discrimination. Those matter, but what interests me most is how the Manticore combines audio with its two-dimensional target identification.

Most experienced detectorists learn that a target ID number only tells part of the story. A coin, a rusty nail, a bottle cap or an oddly shaped piece of aluminum can give similar numbers, and ground conditions and nearby metal make those readings less reliable. The Manticore gives you another way to evaluate those signals. I would not tell anyone it can identify every target before you dig it; no detector can do that reliably. It gives you more information to make that decision.

It makes the most sense for someone who already understands metal detecting: experienced coin hunters, relic hunters and beach detectorists who regularly run into difficult conditions. A beginner can learn it, and for someone who enjoys technology and expects to take the hobby seriously it can be a good first detector. For occasional weekend hunting, though, there is a lot on the screen and a lot to adjust, and the Minelab Equinox 900 or another simpler detector may be the more sensible purchase.

If you already own an Equinox 800 or 900, I would not tell you to upgrade just because the Manticore costs more. The Equinox is already very capable. The Manticore adds the 2D Target ID Map, Ferrous Limits, more audio control and Multi-IQ+, which give an experienced user more ways to evaluate difficult targets. If you regularly hunt heavily hunted parks or iron-contaminated historic sites, that may justify the upgrade. If you mostly hunt fairly clean ground and are happy with your Equinox, you may not see a dramatic difference. The Manticore is not a guarantee of finding targets an Equinox missed; it is a different level of control and target analysis.

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.

In an old park where rusty bottle caps and coins are mixed together, two targets may give similar conductivity readings but leave different traces. A clean, isolated non-ferrous target may give a fairly concentrated trace, while some iron targets give traces that reach into the ferrous area.

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 I would never reject a target on its trace alone. 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. If you get a faint signal that repeats from different directions and the trace suggests a possible non-ferrous target, I would investigate further even if the number is not perfectly stable. Some of the best finds come from signals that do not look perfect.

Minelab Manticore settings that matter in the field

• 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. Rusty bottle caps, bent nails and irregular iron can give convincing high-conductive signals, and tightening the limits can cut down on them. The trade-off: set the rejection too aggressively and you can lose good targets that give mixed ferrous and non-ferrous responses, especially around old iron. I would rather dig a few questionable signals than reject a valuable target because the settings were too strict. Learn Ferrous Limits gradually.
• Recovery speed (0 to 8): set separately for each search mode. In heavily contaminated ground a faster setting can help separate targets that sit close together, but a faster setting can also weaken the response from deeper, isolated targets. On an old homesite, experiment rather than going straight to the highest setting; the goal is a balance between separation and signal strength.
• 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. I would start with the lowest setting that works and raise it only when iron falsing becomes a problem, because more stabilization can change how weak or questionable signals come through.
• 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, I start with a noise cancel and a ground balance check, 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. 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.

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, and in our experience wireless audio does not carry through water. If you plan to put the detector under, you need waterproof headphones; Minelab says its 3.5 mm waterproof headphones, sold separately, 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

With this many adjustments it is easy to lose track of what actually helps. If you get a questionable signal near an old foundation and change recovery speed, sensitivity, Ferrous Limits and audio all at once, you will not know which change made the difference. Start with a suitable factory search mode and learn how it behaves. When conditions call for an adjustment, change one setting at a time. And do not spend every hunt staring at the 2D map; the audio response is still extremely important.

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.

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 (Minelab's getting started guide says 7 to 8 hours) with a USB charger of at least 2 A at 5 V; no wall charger is in the box. 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 this Minelab Manticore bundle

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 and case
• USB charging cable with magnetic connector
• 5 screen protectors

This Minelab Manticore bundle also includes:

• Minelab PRO-FIND 40 pinpointer with holster, lanyard and 9V battery (Minelab part 3226-0005)

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

Serious Detecting adds a free field kit to new Manticore orders on our website: a finds bag, hand digger with holster, carry bag, shovel and gloves. The kit is added to your cart automatically, one per detector.

Coils and accessories that fit the Minelab Manticore

Search coils: the standard M11 is a good general-purpose coil for most detecting. Minelab also 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. On an old foundation full of nails and rusty hardware, the smaller M8 makes it easier to isolate targets and work around obstacles. On large, fairly clean fields or beaches, the M15 covers more ground and may give more depth on some targets. Smaller coils cover less ground and can lose depth on some targets; larger coils get harder to use when several metal objects sit close together. I would not buy every coil right away: start with the M11 and add another when the places you hunt call for it. See our metal detector coils.

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. The Minelab PRO-FIND 40 pinpointer included in this bundle handles recovery in the hole. Minelab rates the PRO-FIND 40 waterproof to 3 meters (10 feet), less than the detector's 5 meters, so keep that in mind in deeper water.

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

Old homesites and relic ground: hundreds of rusty nails around a former building, with coins, buttons and buckles mixed in, is where Ferrous Limits, the Stabilizer, recovery speed and the 2D map earn their place. A good target close to iron is still hard for any detector, because the iron can dominate the response. See more relic and treasure metal detectors.

Heavily hunted parks: where bottle caps, foil and modern trash are mixed with coins, the 2D map and Ferrous Limits give you more information on borderline signals.

Beaches and surf: four Beach modes, including Surf & Seawater, and an IP68 rating to 5 meters, with waterproof headphones bought separately.

Gold: Goldfield mode is aimed at small nuggets in benign to moderately mineralized ground. In our experience, for small gold in highly mineralized ground a dedicated gold detector is the better tool; see our gold detectors.

Where to look elsewhere: if you mainly search clean parks or detect occasionally on weekends, a less expensive detector may make you just as happy.

Minelab Manticore specifications

My advice: the Manticore makes the most sense for an experienced detectorist who enjoys investigating difficult signals and learning how settings change what the detector shows. I would not recommend it just because it is one of Minelab's premium detectors. The biggest reason to buy it is not simply more power or depth; it is the extra information it gives you when a target is not obvious. That does not remove the uncertainty, but it helps an experienced operator make better decisions about what to dig. For the rest of the range, see our guide to the best Minelab metal detectors.