Minelab VANQUISH 360 Metal Detector with PRO-FIND 35 Pinpointer

In our experience the Minelab VANQUISH 360 with a Minelab PRO-FIND 35 pinpointer suits a beginner who wants Multi-IQ and full waterproofing without a major investment, and this bundle adds a pinpointer with adjustable sensitivity and a flashlight. The VANQUISH 360 is the entry model in Minelab's VANQUISH 60 Series: a Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency detector, fully waterproof to 5 meters (16 feet), with Park, Beach and All Metal modes and straightforward controls.

What is in the box with this Minelab VANQUISH 360 bundle

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

This Minelab VANQUISH 360 bundle also includes

• Minelab PRO-FIND 35 pinpointer with holster, lanyard and 9V battery (Minelab part 3226-0003)

What the add-ons in this Minelab VANQUISH 360 bundle do

Pinpointer: the VANQUISH 360 has its own pinpoint function and a 5-level depth indicator, but a handheld pinpointer finds the target in the open hole more quickly. In our experience a good pinpointer and digging tool make target recovery significantly easier. Minelab gives the PRO-FIND 35 five sensitivity levels and a flashlight, and rates it waterproof to 3 meters (10 feet), less than the detector's 5 meters. See our Minelab pinpointers.

About the Minelab VANQUISH 360

What we appreciate about the VANQUISH 360 is that Minelab did not make customers give up simultaneous multi-frequency technology to get an affordable detector. Many people buying a first detector do not yet know whether they will still be detecting six months from now. The VANQUISH 360 gives them Multi-IQ, full waterproofing, a rechargeable battery and straightforward controls without paying for adjustments they may never use. In our experience it suits beginners, casual coin hunters, freshwater beach detectorists and anyone who wants a capable detector to take along on vacation.

Multi-IQ means the detector transmits on multiple frequencies at the same time. Minelab does not publish the individual frequencies, and there is no single-frequency option: every mode runs Multi-IQ. The same detector can go from the backyard to a freshwater beach to the ocean without frequency choices to learn first, so you can spend your time learning what different targets sound like.

Minelab VANQUISH 360 search modes and settings

• Park 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 at a moderate sensitivity setting and check each signal from different directions: does it repeat, and does the Target ID stay reasonably consistent?
• Beach mode: for salt beaches, including underwater, with automatic ground tracking for the changing wet sand.
• All Metal mode: a search mode with discrimination off, so you hear every target, with iron played quieter.
• Sensitivity (1 to 5): more is not always deeper. Near power lines or other electrical equipment a high setting makes random signals worse, so start at a stable setting and lower it if the detector gets noisy. Noise cancel runs automatically every time you switch on.
• Target ID and discrimination: Target IDs run from -19 to 99, and a US quarter reads 89. The display shows six discrimination segments, with a fixed pattern for each mode. Where lost jewelry is a possibility, we would take a more open approach, because small gold rings can respond much like aluminum trash.
• Tones, Iron Bias and ground balance: three target tones and five volume levels. Iron Bias is fixed, which removes one adjustment for a beginner. Minelab's manual describes no ground balance control; Beach mode tracks the ground automatically. There is no User Profile.

Beach and water hunting with the Minelab VANQUISH 360

Minelab rates the VANQUISH 360 IP68, fully submersible to 5 meters (16 feet), so you can work from dry sand to the waterline and into the shallows at lakes, rivers and ocean beaches, as long as you stay within that rating. Multi-IQ with Beach mode copes with wet salt sand, where some single-frequency detectors become unstable, though we would not promise it matches every more expensive beach detector; black sand, underwater conditions and nearby interference still affect performance. For underwater audio, Minelab specifies its own 3.5 mm waterproof headphones (part 3011-0372), which it lists as compatible with the VANQUISH 60 Series. 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 beach metal detectors.

Minelab VANQUISH 360 battery, weight and build

Minelab lists the VANQUISH 360 at 1.16 kg (2.6 lb). The aluminum and fiberglass S-bend shafts extend to 142 cm (56 inches) and collapse to 79.5 cm (31.2 inches). The built-in 3.7 V, 4500 mAh lithium-ion battery gives approximately 10 hours per charge and takes about 7 hours to charge from flat with a 1 A, 5 V USB charger. In our experience that is enough for a typical weekend outing of a few hours; the battery is built in, so you cannot swap in fresh batteries in the field. You can detect while running from a power bank, but not underwater. The display is a monochrome LCD without a backlight. Any standard wired headphones with a 3.5 mm plug work if the overmold is under 9 mm (0.35 inch); the VANQUISH 360 has no wireless audio. Minelab lists six coils as supported: the V8X, V10X, V12X, EQX 06, EQX 11 and EQX 15. See our metal detector coils.

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

Parks, yards and freshwater beaches are where the VANQUISH 360 is most at home, and it handles the occasional ocean beach with Beach mode. It can certainly find relics, and for an occasional old property its simpler controls are not a major problem. On farmsteads and cellar holes full of rusty nails, though, fixed Iron Bias and six fixed discrimination segments leave less to adjust, so for regular iron-heavy relic hunting we would lean toward the 460 or 560. The VANQUISH 360 finds gold jewelry, but there is no gold mode and Minelab does not position it as a prospecting detector; for natural gold, see our gold detectors. The V10X 10 x 7 inch coil is a compromise between ground coverage and maneuverability around trees, playground edges and scattered trash; it will not separate every good target from nearby trash.

One mistake to avoid with the Minelab VANQUISH 360

Do not expect the display to identify every object before you dig. Target ID numbers, tones and the 5-level depth indicator, which Minelab calls a guide only, are interpretations of the signal. A repeatable signal with an inconsistent Target ID might be trash, but it could also be a deeper coin or a good target near iron. We would encourage beginners to investigate questionable signals rather than dig only targets showing particular numbers.

Minelab VANQUISH 360, 460 or 560

All three VANQUISH 60 Series detectors use Multi-IQ, so we would not tell anyone the 460 or 560 automatically finds deeper targets; the difference is mainly control and convenience. The Minelab VANQUISH 460 adds Field mode, a User Profile, 30 discrimination segments with accept and reject, ten sensitivity levels, adjustable Iron Bias, ground balance, a backlight, flashlight, vibration and Bluetooth LE Audio. The Minelab VANQUISH 560 adds five target tones, adjustable iron volume and the larger V12X coil. For parks, yards and occasional beach trips, the VANQUISH 360 makes a lot of sense.

Minelab VANQUISH 360 specifications

Minelab covers the VANQUISH 360 control box and coil with a 3-year warranty in the USA.

Serious Detecting bundle (added free at checkout):

• Serious Detecting Finds Bag with 42" Waist Belt
• Double Serrated Hand Digger with Belt Holster
• Protective Gloves

For our full VANQUISH 360 guide, settings advice and comparisons, see the Minelab VANQUISH 360 collection.