Compare: Minelab Equinox 900 vs Manticore
The short answer: the Manticore is Minelab's flagship: Multi-IQ+ with more transmit power and a 2D Target ID Map that tells you more about a target before you dig. The Equinox 900 is the value pick of the two: the standard Multi-IQ engine, a true Gold mode, and two coils in the box. If you hunt trashy, hunted-out, or competitive sites where target information wins, the Manticore earns its price. If you want one machine that does everything very well and comes ready with both coil sizes, the 900 is the smarter buy.
Side by side
| Equinox 900 | Manticore | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency | Multi-IQ+ higher-power simultaneous multi-frequency |
| Target information | 119-segment linear Target ID | 2D Target ID Map with Target Trace: conductivity and ferrous character plotted together |
| Search modes | 4 mode groups: Park, Field, Beach, Gold; 8 custom profiles | 10 customisable modes: 5 All-Terrain, 4 Beach, 1 Goldfield |
| Single frequencies (kHz) | 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 | 5, 10, 15, 20, 40 |
| Coils in the box | EQX11 11 in / 28 cm and EQX06 6 in / 15 cm (two coils) | M11 11 in / 28 cm (one coil) |
| Software | Field-updatable | Field-updatable; the Manticore 2.0 update added the Stabiliser setting and Enhanced Goldfield mode |
| Weight | 2.8 lb / 1.27 kg | 2.9 lb / 1.3 kg with M11 |
| Shared by both | Waterproof to 16 ft / 5 m, wireless low-latency audio, USB rechargeable internal battery, auto/manual/tracking ground balance | |
Which one do you need?
Choose the Equinox 900 when versatility per dollar is the goal. Two coils in the box means the tight-site setup and the coverage setup are both solved on day one, the Gold mode is real, and the Multi-IQ engine is the same technology that made this platform the default recommendation of the last decade.
Choose the Manticore when the sites you hunt are picked over and every remaining target is hiding next to iron or trash. The extra transmit power of Multi-IQ+ and the 2D ID Map with Target Trace exist for exactly that problem: seeing that a signal is two targets, or a good target under a nail, before the shovel comes out. The Stabiliser setting from the 2.0 update makes it calmer still in iron-heavy ground.
Both are supported by our full Minelab coil bench, including Coiltek coils for the Manticore and the Coiltek NOX line for the Equinox.
Still deciding?
Call us at 256-284-2247 and describe your sites. We sell and swing both machines, and the honest answer depends on your ground more than the brochure. The story is more important than the artifact.