Some links below are affiliate links to High Plains Prospectors: if you buy through them we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend, and we say when a model is not sold by them. Details.
The Manticore costs $1,499 on the store we checked against $1,099 for an Equinox 900 bundle, and what that money buys on paper is a bigger battery, a full-colour screen with a 2D target display, a wider sensitivity range and extra search modes; what owners say it buys in the field is less clear. In the one long owner thread we read, two Manticore owners preferred it for beach hunting, called park hunting “a toss up”, and one found his Equinox 800’s small-gold sensitivity better than the Manticore’s. That thread is from February 2023. We have not tested either detector; this comparison uses Minelab’s own pages, dated store prices and what owners wrote.
Side by side
Specifications are from Minelab’s pages for the Equinox 900 and the Manticore. Prices checked on 8 October 2026.
| Equinox 900 | Manticore | |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Multi-IQ; 4, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz single frequencies | Multi-IQ+; 5, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz single frequencies |
| Search modes | All Metal, Park 1 and 2, Field 1 and 2, Gold, Beach 1 and 2, custom profile | All Metal; All Terrain (General, Trash Reject, Low Conductors, High Conductors, Fast); Beach (General, Deep, Surf & Seawater, Low Conductors); Goldfield (General); custom profile |
| Sensitivity range | 1 to 28 | 1 to 35 |
| Target ID display | Monochrome LCD; IDs -19 to 0 (ferrous) and 1 to 99; 119 discrimination segments | Full-colour LCD; 2D IDs 0 to 99 with ferrous indication; 100 conductive and 50 ferrous segments |
| Weight | 1.27 kg (2.8 lb) | 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) |
| Battery | 3.7 V / 5100 mAh internal lithium-ion | 3.7 V / 6800 mAh internal lithium-ion |
| Water resistance | Waterproof to 5 m (16 ft), IP68 | The same |
| Coils in the box | EQX11 11″ and EQX06 6″ double-D round | M11 11″ double-D round |
| Headphones in the box | ML 85 wireless | ML105 wireless, with audio cable and hard case |
| Warranty | 3 years, control box and coil | 3 years (the page we read shows this line in Portuguese) |
| Price (High Plains Prospectors, 8 Oct 2026) | $1,099 as a bundle with a backpack | $1,499 (listing includes free gear) |
The prices are not like for like: the Equinox figure is a bundle with a backpack and the Manticore figure is a listing that includes free gear. Both models appear on the same store in several other bundles at higher prices. Check what is in the box before comparing.
What changes in practice
Screen and target ID
The Manticore’s page lists a full-colour screen and “2D IDs” with ferrous indication; the Equinox 900 lists a monochrome screen and a single ID number scale. Minelab does not say which gets you to a better dig decision, and owners split on it (below).
Modes and coils
The Manticore lists more specific modes for the beach and for general ground; the Equinox 900 lists a Gold mode and two coils in the box, where the Manticore lists one. If you plan to prospect with a small coil, note that the Equinox 900 includes a 6″ coil and the Manticore does not.
Battery and weight
Both are internal batteries, 6800 mAh for the Manticore against 5100 mAh for the Equinox. Minelab’s pages give no running time for either, so we do not quote one. The weight difference on paper is 30 g.
What owners report
The longest public thread we found is “Equinox 900 or Manticore?” on Detector Prospector, from February 2023. We read its first page. Treat it as dated: firmware and prices have changed since.
- Beach and park. One Manticore owner said the Manticore was the clear choice on the beach and that the park was “a toss up”. Another Manticore owner, who also has an Equinox 800, said he prefers the Manticore on the beach and for general use, as long as sensitivity is kept under control.
- The 2D screen. The first owner did not find the 2D screen “all that useful” on deep targets in his dirt. The second said he likes the 2D target trace and that it reaches good depth in his soil.
- Small gold. The second owner reported that his Equinox 800 with the 11″ coil detected a number 9 lead pellet better than the Manticore with an 11″ coil in every configuration he tried. He called it disappointing next to the marketing, thought it likely carries over to tiny gold, said Minelab told him it was looking into the Manticore’s small-gold sensitivity, and said he would buy a 900 for prospecting, especially with the 6″ coil. He tested an 800, not a 900.
- Caution on the thread. One participant pointed out that many replies came from people who had used only one of the two detectors, so the comparison is partly apples against oranges. Another reply, from someone who owned neither, relied on videos, and we do not count it.
This is two owners’ reports from one page of one thread, both of whom own the Manticore. We do not own either detector and have not field-tested them.
Who each model is not for
- Equinox 900: not for anyone who wants a colour screen or the 2D ID display, and not for anyone who wants the widest sensitivity range, since Minelab’s page lists 1 to 28 against the Manticore’s 1 to 35.
- Manticore: not for anyone buying mainly for small-gold prospecting on the strength of the 2023 reports above, and not for anyone who wants a small coil in the box: its page lists only the 11″ coil.
Where to buy, and how to read the price
The prices above are selling prices on the store’s own listings on 8 October 2026. Some listings show a struck-through list price far above the selling price; we ignore it. High Plains Prospectors is an affiliate partner: if you buy through the links marked as affiliate links we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it does not change which model we say fits whom. Stock and bundles change daily.
FAQ
Is the Manticore waterproof?
Minelab’s page lists it waterproof to 5 m (16 ft), IP68, the same rating as the Equinox 900.
Can the Equinox 900 find gold?
Minelab’s page lists a Gold mode. In the 2023 thread, one owner said he would choose a 900 over a Manticore for prospecting, though he had tested an 800. For serious nugget hunting, see our gold detector comparison and our guide to VLF and PI.
Which has better headphones?
Minelab lists the ML 85 wireless headphones with the Equinox 900 and the ML105 with the Manticore. We found no owner comparison of the two.
Which is better for the beach?
The two Manticore owners we read preferred it on the beach. Both detectors are listed IP68 to 5 m, and the Manticore lists Beach sub-modes including Surf & Seawater. Two reports are not a test.
Do I need a licence or permission to detect?
That depends on the land. See our guide to metal detecting rules on U.S. federal land.
Keep reading
- Minelab X-Terra Pro vs X-Terra Elite
- Which metal detectors are really waterproof
- Metal detectors by budget: what each price level buys
How we put this comparison together
Specifications come from Minelab’s pages linked above, prices from the store’s listings on the date shown, and owner comments are paraphrased from the cited thread, with its date. We do not own or field-test these detectors. When a source covers only one side, we say so. Full method.