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Detector specifications
Best for
Highlighted icons show the targets, ground and experience level this detector is built for.
- Coin & Relic — shop all
- Gold — not suited to this detector
- Beach & Water — not suited to this detector
- Kids — not suited to this detector
- Beginner / Intermediate — shop all
- Advanced / Expert — not suited to this detector
The Quest Q40 is an adjustable Quest detector for parks, farmland, old properties and beaches, with four preset programs, two user programs, manual ground balance, frequency shift and selectable tones. Ours comes with the Raptor 9 x 11 inch Wide Scan TurboD coil, Wireless Headphones Lite and corded headphones.
| Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Detector | Quest Q40 |
| Coil | Raptor 9 x 11 in Wide Scan TurboD, with cover |
| Headphones | Wireless Headphones Lite; corded small headphones |
What is in the box with the Quest Q40
Quest's standard contents for the Q40 with Raptor coil
- Quest Q40 metal detector
- Raptor 9 x 11 inch Wide Scan TurboD search coil
- Raptor coil cover
- Wireless Headphones Lite
- Corded small headphones
- Rain cover
- Arm strap
- USB charging cable
- User manual
Who the Quest Q40 suits
What interests us about the Quest Q40 is its place as one of the more advanced Quest detectors, for detectorists who want more control over target responses and ground conditions. We recommend it mainly to someone who expects to detect regularly rather than now and then.
Quest Q40 search programs and controls
Quest gives the Q40 four preset programs plus two programs you set up yourself:
- Coin: very stable with medium recovery speed, for old and modern coins; Target IDs 40 to 99.
- Jewelry: very sensitive with high recovery speed, for gold rings and jewelry; Target IDs 20 to 99.
- All Metal: high recovery speed and zero discrimination, good for gold prospecting; Target IDs 0 to 99.
- Beach: normal sensitivity, low recovery speed and strong saltwater immunity; Target IDs 20 to 99.
- Programs 1 and 2: saved user programs for your own settings.
Discrimination works by selecting or deselecting Target IDs on the scale; iron and other low conductors usually read under 25. To ground balance, press and hold the square button while pumping the coil about 6 inches (15 cm) above the ground, and if the ground is too mineralized to balance, set ground cancel manually in the menu. A frequency shift option helps when several detectors hunt together or interference is high, pinpoint finds the target without moving the coil, and the tones are selectable. The wireless headphones switch on with the wireless button on the right side of the control box.
Quest says the Q40 can withstand heavy rain but that submersion can damage it, so keep the control box out of the water and the weather cap tight over the USB charging port. For underwater hunting, see our underwater and waterproof metal detectors.
Settings that matter on the Quest Q40
Discrimination and audio: on an old property with nails, coins and other metal in the same ground, the Q40 lets you select or deselect individual target IDs and choose the tones. Those controls help an experienced operator sort out complicated signals. More settings do not automatically mean better results, though. A wrong adjustment can reject the targets you came for.
Mixed locations: you may hunt a park one weekend and old farmland the next, and each place can call for different sensitivity, discrimination and ground settings. Quest recommends ground balancing every time you change the detecting area, and we agree. We like detectors that let you adapt like that.
Target ID still needs judgment: a repeatable signal with a promising number might be a coin. It might also be aluminum or another unwanted object. We read the target ID together with the audio and how consistent the signal is before deciding to dig.
One mistake to avoid with the Quest Q40
Assuming a higher model number means much more depth. Depth depends on the coil, the mineralization, the size of the target and your settings. The Q40 earns its place through its controls and the equipment that comes with it, not through a depth promise.
Our recommendation on the Quest Q40
We recommend the Q40 to detectorists who want an adjustable Quest detector and are comfortable learning more advanced settings. Expect the payoff to come from learning those settings, not from extra depth.
Quest Q40 specifications
| Specification | Quest Q40 |
|---|---|
| Preset programs | Coin, Jewelry, All Metal, Beach |
| User programs | Programs 1 and 2 |
| Target ID | 0 to 99 (All Metal); Coin 40 to 99; Jewelry and Beach 20 to 99 |
| Discrimination | Select or deselect individual Target IDs |
| Ground balance | Pump the coil with the square button held; manual ground cancel |
| Frequency shift | Yes |
| Pinpoint | Non-motion |
| Tones | Selectable |
| Audio | Speaker, corded headphones, wireless headphones |
| Weather | Withstands heavy rain; not submersible |
| Charging | Rechargeable over USB |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Quest warrants the Q40 against defects in materials and workmanship for two years from purchase to the original owner, and asks owners to register the detector on its website within 5 days of purchase.
Every Quest detector, coil and accessory we carry is in our Quest metal detectors collection.
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