Minelab VANQUISH 360 Multi-IQ Waterproof Metal Detector, V10X Coil

The Minelab VANQUISH 360 is a waterproof Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency metal detector for coins, jewelry and relics in parks, yards and on freshwater and saltwater beaches. It is the entry model in Minelab's VANQUISH 60 Series, with three search modes (Park, Beach and All Metal), five sensitivity levels, six discrimination segments and three target tones. Minelab rates it IP68, fully submersible to 5 meters (16 feet), lists it at 1.16 kg (2.6 lb) and ships it with the V10X 10 x 7 inch Double-D coil and a built-in rechargeable battery. It has a built-in speaker and a 3.5 mm headphone socket, with no wireless audio. We recommend it to beginners, families and occasional detectorists. For the rest of the range, see our Minelab metal detectors.

Who the Minelab VANQUISH 360 is for

What we like about the VANQUISH 360 is that it brings Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency technology and full waterproofing to an affordable, straightforward detector. It is the VANQUISH we suggest for someone who wants to try metal detecting, take a detector on vacation or search occasionally, with a rechargeable battery and no complicated settings to learn first.

Parks, yards, freshwater beaches and vacation destinations are where it is most at home. If you expect to detect regularly and want more control, compare it with the Minelab VANQUISH 460 and Minelab VANQUISH 560 first.

How Multi-IQ works on the Minelab VANQUISH 360

Multi-IQ means the VANQUISH 360 transmits on multiple frequencies at the same time instead of one selected frequency. Minelab does not publish the individual frequencies for the VANQUISH 60 Series, and there is no single-frequency option: every mode runs Multi-IQ.

Why that matters on an entry-level detector: the same VANQUISH 360 can go from the backyard to a freshwater beach and on to an ocean beach without frequency choices to learn first, and on wet salt sand Multi-IQ has salt-handling advantages over a single-frequency system.

Minelab VANQUISH 360 search modes and settings

The VANQUISH 360 keeps the controls short: three modes, five sensitivity levels and a fixed discrimination pattern per mode, with fewer discrimination and audio adjustments than the 460 or 560.

• Park mode: Minelab's mode for parks and other places with modern trash, with a lower recovery speed for depth and discrimination in trash, and also suited to freshwater. We would start here, or in Beach mode on a beach, at a moderate sensitivity setting.
• Beach mode: for salt beaches, including underwater, with automatic ground tracking for the changing wet sand. Minelab notes that Beach mode lets desirable low conductive targets such as gold chains be detected.
• All Metal mode: a search mode that turns off discrimination so you hear every target, with iron played quieter. It is the most open way to hunt the VANQUISH 360.
• Sensitivity (1 to 5): we would use a moderate setting while learning the detector. Noise cancel runs automatically every time you switch on, and takes about five seconds.
• Discrimination and Target ID: Target IDs run from -19 to 0 for ferrous and 1 to 99 for non-ferrous, 119 in all; a US quarter reads 89. The discrimination display has six segments of 20 IDs each, and each search mode has its own fixed discrimination pattern; you cannot accept or reject individual segments.
• Target tones and volume: three target tones and five volume levels.
• Iron Bias: fixed. Iron Bias influences how the detector classifies targets with mixed ferrous and non-ferrous responses, such as rusty bottle caps that can sound like good targets. Minelab fixes it on the VANQUISH 360. Someone who expects to detect regularly and wants more control over iron is better served by the adjustable Iron Bias on the VANQUISH 460.
• Ground balance and profiles: Minelab's manual describes no ground balance control on the VANQUISH 360; Beach mode tracks the ground automatically. There is no User Profile, so the modes are Park, Beach and All Metal as Minelab sets them.

Beach and water hunting with the Minelab VANQUISH 360

Minelab rates the VANQUISH 360 IP68 and fully submersible to 5 meters (16 feet). Picture taking the family to a Lake Huron beach to search the sand and shallow water for lost coins and jewelry: we would start in Park or Beach mode at moderate sensitivity and work from the dry sand to the waterline and into the shallows, as long as you stay within that rating.

Wet saltwater sand is harder, because conductive saltwater gives a ground response of its own, and some single-frequency detectors become unstable there or need to give up sensitivity. The VANQUISH 360 combines Multi-IQ with a dedicated Beach mode, which makes it a useful option for someone who visits ocean beaches now and then. Working from the dry sand by the parking area down to the wet sand, Beach mode is designed to handle those changing conditions. Severe black sand, underwater conditions and nearby interference can still affect performance. See our beach metal detectors.

Waterproof does not mean every accessory is waterproof. For underwater detecting, Minelab specifies its own waterproof headphones with a threaded retaining ring (part 3011-0372), which Minelab lists as compatible with the VANQUISH 60 Series; ordinary wired headphones are for dry land. The headphone socket can go underwater with its dust cap fitted. Do not take the detector underwater while it is charging or running from a power bank. See our metal detector headphones.

One mistake to avoid with the Minelab VANQUISH 360

Do not expect the detector to identify every object before you dig. The VANQUISH 360 gives you Target ID numbers, audio tones and a 5-level depth indicator that Minelab calls a guide only. Those are useful tools, but they are interpretations of the signal. While learning the detector, we would dig a variety of signals rather than only targets showing particular numbers.

Minelab VANQUISH 360 weight, battery and build

Minelab lists the VANQUISH 360 at 1.16 kg (2.6 lb) including batteries. The aluminum and fiberglass S-bend shafts with camlocks extend to 142 cm (56 inches) and collapse to 79.5 cm (31.2 inches). The display is a monochrome LCD without a backlight, and there is no flashlight or vibration on this model.

The 3.7 V, 4500 mAh lithium-ion battery is built in. Minelab gives approximately 10 hours of use per charge, and charging from flat takes about 7 hours with a 1 A, 5 V USB charger (at least 5 W for full speed). The USB-C magnetic charging cable is in the box. You never have to buy disposable batteries; actual battery life depends on conditions and use, and you cannot swap in fresh batteries in the field. You can detect while running from a power bank, but not underwater. Minelab's manual says replacement batteries can be supplied and installed by a Minelab Authorized Service Center. Software updates install over the same USB cable.

What is in the box with the Minelab VANQUISH 360

Minelab's standard contents for the VANQUISH 360

• Minelab VANQUISH 360 detector with S-bend shafts
• V10X 10 x 7 inch elliptical Double-D search coil with V10 skid plate
• Armrest with strap
• USB-C magnetic charging cable
• Getting Started Guide

Minelab covers the VANQUISH 360 control box and coil with a 3-year warranty in the USA. Serious Detecting is a family-owned, authorized Minelab dealer with a showroom in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and our staff help by phone or email.

Coils and accessories that fit the Minelab VANQUISH 360

Search coils: the V10X 10 x 7 inch elliptical Double-D in the box is the standard coil. On a large open field a bigger coil covers more ground with each sweep, but around picnic tables, playground edges, trees or scattered trash a moderately sized elliptical coil is easier to maneuver, and its smaller footprint can help with closely spaced targets. Minelab lists six coils as supported on the VANQUISH 360: the V8X (8 x 5 inch elliptical Double-D), V10X, V12X (12 x 9 inch elliptical Double-D), EQX 06, EQX 11 and EQX 15. Minelab does not list the first-generation V8, V10 and V12 coils for the VANQUISH 60 Series. See our metal detector coils.

Headphones: the VANQUISH 360 has a built-in speaker and a 3.5 mm (1/8 inch) headphone socket with a waterproof dust cap. Any standard wired headphones work if the plug overmold is under 9 mm (0.35 inch). The VANQUISH 360 has no wireless audio, so Bluetooth headphones will not connect. For underwater use, choose Minelab's 3.5 mm waterproof headphones.

Pinpointing: the VANQUISH 360 has a pinpoint function and a 5-level depth indicator. A separate handheld pinpointer locates a coin in a shallow hole quickly, instead of you checking handfuls of soil with the full-size detector.

Minelab VANQUISH 360, 460 or 560

All three VANQUISH 60 Series detectors use Multi-IQ, so we would not tell anyone the 560 automatically detects every coin deeper than the 360. The differences are mainly adjustment options, target information and included equipment. If you expect to detect regularly, we recommend the Minelab VANQUISH 460, which adds Field mode and a User Profile, 30 discrimination segments with accept and reject, ten sensitivity levels, adjustable Iron Bias, ground balance, a backlight, flashlight, vibration, wireless audio and wired headphones in the box.

The Minelab VANQUISH 560 adds five target tones, adjustable iron volume, a fourth Iron Bias setting and the larger V12X coil. The 560 is for someone who already knows they will spend substantial time detecting and wants more detailed audio, more discrimination control and a larger coil. If you are comparing with the older VANQUISH 340, the biggest difference is full waterproofing: the 340 had a waterproof coil, but its control box was not designed for submersion. The VANQUISH 360 also adds a built-in rechargeable battery.

Where the Minelab VANQUISH 360 works well, and where it does not

Parks and yards: Park mode, five sensitivity levels and three tones cover common coin and jewelry hunting without overwhelming someone who just wants to get started. See more beginner and intermediate metal detectors.

Freshwater beaches, lakes and rivers: freshwater beaches are one of the places we recommend the VANQUISH 360 for, and because the detector is fully waterproof you can search the shallow water too; Minelab's waterproof headphones are the ones to use underwater.

Saltwater beaches: usable, including wet sand, with Beach mode and Multi-IQ. It suits occasional ocean beach trips, for example on vacation.

Old homesites and relic sites: the VANQUISH 360 has fewer discrimination and audio adjustments than the 460 or 560. On old farmsteads, cellar holes and historic properties full of rusty nails, fixed Iron Bias and fixed discrimination patterns leave less to adjust, so for someone who expects to hunt those sites regularly and wants more control, we recommend the VANQUISH 460.

Gold: the VANQUISH 360 finds gold jewelry, and Minelab's Target ID scale runs from fine gold at the low end to large silver at the high end, but there is no gold mode and Minelab does not position it as a prospecting detector. For natural gold, look at our gold detectors. Our Minelab VANQUISH 360, 460 and 560 comparison goes through the whole series in more detail.

Minelab VANQUISH 360 specifications

Our advice: choose the VANQUISH 360 for simple, affordable Multi-IQ detecting without complicated settings. With the VANQUISH 360 you do not have to give up Multi-IQ or waterproofing to keep things simple. For more first-detector advice, see our guide to choosing a metal detector for beginners.