Compare Metal Detectors: Same-Brand, Side by Side
Every comparison on this page is between machines from the same maker, built from the manufacturer's own specifications, and written to answer one question: which one do you need. No dollar figures live on these pages, because prices change and the differences that matter do not. Each comparison ends with a plain recommendation by the kind of ground you hunt, and each links to the two product pages and to the fitment page that lists every coil and accessory for the machine you pick. If you want the short version, call 256-284-2247 and tell us where you hunt; the comparison usually takes two minutes.
Minelab: the ladder from first machine to flagship
Minelab's coin, relic, and beach line is a ladder, and most buyers are deciding between two adjacent rungs. Start at the rung you are considering:
- X-Terra Pro vs X-Terra Elite: selectable single frequency against Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency on the same body. The one decision is the engine.
- X-Terra Elite vs Equinox 700: both Multi-IQ, both waterproof; the step buyers weigh hardest, decided by frequencies, coils, and platform.
- Equinox 700 vs Equinox 900: the same engine, with the 900 adding Gold mode, a second coil in the box, and finer control.
- Equinox 900 vs Manticore: Multi-IQ against Multi-IQ+ and the 2D Target ID Map, the comparison people search for most.
- Manticore M8 vs M9 vs M15 coils: which coil to add first once you own the flagship.
Nokta: two generations, two price points
- Nokta Legend vs Legend 2: two different machines, not a version bump. Beast mode and the two-coil Pro Pack on one side, the 99-point Target ID scale and lighter platform on the other, with coils that do not interchange.
- Nokta Simplex Ultra vs Simplex Lite: the same 15 kHz waterproof engine in two trims; wireless audio, the carbon shaft, and the pro adjustments are the difference.
XP: carry gear
- XP Backpack 240 vs XP Backpack 280: the day-hunt pack against the expedition pack, decided by how much detector you carry and what weather you hunt in.
Across brands: Manticore vs Deus II
We sell both the Minelab Manticore and the XP Deus II, and we get asked to compare them more than any other pair. That comparison lives in one place, our field guide article Manticore vs Deus II, written by people who swing both, and it picks by your ground rather than by brand. It is the only cross-brand comparison we publish; everywhere else on this site, each machine is compared against its own siblings.
How to use these pages
Read the short answer at the top of each comparison first; it states the decision in three sentences. Then use the side-by-side table, where every row comes from the manufacturer's published specifications, to check the one or two facts that matter for your sites. Finish with the "Which one do you need" section, which is the recommendation we would give you on the phone. When a comparison names a coil, a headphone, or an accessory, the matching Shop by Detector fitment page lists everything that fits that exact machine, with the mix-up warnings spelled out.
Still deciding?
Call us at 256-284-2247 and describe your sites and your budget. Everyone here detects, we stock both machines in every pair above, and the honest answer depends on your ground more than the brochure. The story is more important than the artifact.