Buying guide
Best metal detectors
No detector is right for every hunt: pick the one that fits where you hunt. For most hunters, start with a multi-frequency model rated IP68, such as the Equinox 900 and its six frequencies from 4 to 40 kHz.
01
The picks
Seven detectors, each picked for one strength on its maker's spec sheet. Each frame shows three facts from the maker's page and one button to a listing whose title names the exact model.
1. Minelab Equinox 900
The all-round pick: six frequencies from 4 to 40 kHz, Park, Field, Gold and Beach modes, and an IP68 body at 2.8 lb.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names an EQX 15 coil and a case with the detector.
2. Minelab Manticore
The same water rating as the Equinox 900, with five frequencies from 5 to 40 kHz. It adds a full color LCD and a larger battery, 6800 mAh.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names a PRO-FIND 40 pinpointer, an M9 coil and a backpack with the detector.
3. XP Deus II
The deepest water rating of the seven. XP rates it IP68 to 66 ft (20 m) and lists an adjustable range of 4 to 45 kHz.
Sold as a bundle: the listing adds an MI-6 pinpointer to the detector and its 9-inch FMF coil.
4. Nokta Legend 2
The lightest published weight here, 2.6 lb, on a multi-frequency detector: 4, 10, 15, 20 and 40 kHz, submersible to 16 ft (5 m).
5. Garrett Vortex VX9
A Garrett multi-frequency model on five frequencies, 5, 9, 13, 18 and 25 kHz, with the whole detector submersible to 16 ft (5 m).
6. Minelab X-Terra Pro
One frequency at a time: 5, 10 or 15 kHz in Park and Field, 8 kHz in Beach. It has an IP68 body submersible to 16 ft and weighs 2.9 lb.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names a case and a Pro-Find 35 pinpointer with the detector.
7. Garrett ACE 400
The single-frequency pick with headphones in the box: 10 kHz, an 8.5 x 11-inch DD coil and headphones included. Garrett states no water rating for it.
Sold as a bundle: the listing names a carry bag with the detector.
02
Side by side
The same facts for every pick, read on each maker's page. Open a model for its full spec sheet.
| Model | Technology | Frequencies | Waterproofing | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minelab Equinox 900 | Multi-frequencyMulti-IQ | 4-40 kHz4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.8 lb1.27 kg |
| Minelab Manticore | Multi-frequencyMulti-IQ+ | 5-40 kHz5, 10, 15, 20, 40 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.9 lb1.3 kg |
| XP Deus II | Multi-frequency | 4-45 kHzAdjustable range | 66 ftDetector, IP68, 20 m | Not checked |
| Nokta Legend 2 | Multi-frequency | 4-40 kHz4, 10, 15, 20, 40 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.6 lb1.2 kg |
| Garrett Vortex VX9 | Multi-frequencyMD-MF | 5-25 kHz5, 9, 13, 18, 25 kHz | 16 ftDetector, 5 m | 3 lb (1.38 kg) in the comparison table2.9 lb in the page textGarrett publishes both. |
| Minelab X-Terra Pro | Single frequencyPRO-SWITCH | 5-15 kHz5, 8, 10, 15 kHz | 16 ftDetector, IP68, 5 m | 2.9 lb1.3 kg |
| Garrett ACE 400 | Single frequency | 10 kHz | Not published | 2.9 lb1.32 kg |
Facts from the pages of Minelab, XP, Nokta and Garrett, read Oct. 16, 2026.
03
How to choose
Where you hunt sets the water rating
Wet sand and surf call for a detector rated as a whole, not just its coil. Six of these seven are, most to 16 ft and the Deus II to 66 ft. Our picks for salt beaches keep to that rating.
Several frequencies, or one
Multi-frequency models run several frequencies at once, with modes for each kind of ground, such as the Equinox 900's Park, Field, Gold and Beach. Single-frequency models such as the X-Terra Pro change frequency with the mode instead.
A weight you can swing all day
Ounces add up over a long day. Published weights run from 2.6 lb on the Legend 2 to 2.9 or 3 lb on the Vortex VX9, whose page gives both. XP gives none for the Deus II on its range page.
04
What to know before you buy
We do not promise a detection depth. It depends on the target, the ground and the coil, which change from one site to the next, as our depth guide explains.
Five of the seven listings are bundles. Each frame says what the listing names besides the detector, so you can compare like with like.
Copies of popular models exist, so check the seller before you pay. We checked the sellers on Oct. 16, 2026. Each listing was sold new by Amazon, the brand, a detecting dealer or a seller with no sign of counterfeits.
We read the Deus II facts on XP's range page and checked them against a detecting dealer's listing. The two battery figures did not match, so we leave them out.
05
Questions
Answered from the makers' pages, read Oct. 16, 2026.
Pick a detector rated IP68 as a whole. The Manticore and Equinox 900 are submersible to 16 ft (5 m), and the Manticore's Beach mode has a Surf & Seawater setting. To wade deeper, the Deus II is rated to 66 ft (20 m).
Not always. It covers more kinds of ground with one setting, but it is not the only way. The ACE 400 runs one frequency, 10 kHz, with five search modes plus pinpoint.
Of the six with a published weight, the Nokta Legend 2, at 2.6 lb. We can't compare the Deus II.
06