"Minelab Vanquish 440 Multi-Frequency Pinpointing Metal Detector for Adults with V10 10""x7"" Double-D Waterproof Coil (4 Detect Modes, Wired Headphones & Rain Cover Included)"

I took up detecting in the summer of 2021, and did some research to find which was the best detector for beginners. Minelab detectors consistently came up as the most recommended, and they are used by seasoned detectorists as well as those new to the hobby.There appear to be three in the Vanquish range, 340, 440 and 540. I went for the middle of the range.I found it easy to assemble and set up. There is a basic manual included and more online. I’ve used it on beaches and on a field dig. I have found small items of junk but also coins on the beach, and an 1862 Half Penny in the one field dig I have done to date.I am still learning the device and I think it will be many more hours before I get the best out of it. Online forums and FB groups help, and there is a dedicated Minelab Vanquish UK FB group which is very friendly and helpful.Overall I recommend this detector!UPDATE FEBRUARY 2023: I have now had this detector for almost 3 years. I have been out on fields numerous times and have found many coins and artefacts, including 3 hammered coins, and silvers including a number of Sixpences. I am still learning the machine even after 2+ years, as every field has its own idiosyncrasies. Fellow detectorists will tell you different things about iron, two way signals, one way signals, broken signals. It is best to dig everything to begin with in order to learn, and then you will get to know what could be ignored. It's the old issue of effort vs. reward in that if you did everything then you risk missing out on things, so you have to strike the right balance depending on the conditions you find on the day.As regards the detector, if there is one thing that I would do differently would be to buy the 540 Pro-Pack due to the wireless headphones - I find the wire often gets in the way, but you can get Bluetooth conversion kits.To conclude again, I would have no hesitation in recommending the 440 - I haven't done too badly with it so far!

Great, quality product. I've now used this many times on the beach with no issues. Easy to set up and use. Once you've set what you want to find (I set it for all) you don't have touch the settings again. Headphones are comfy and have great sound quality. Does use that much power, so changing batteries is not an issue.

Very light, easy to use, perfect for a novice like me. Wish it had a user guide instead of having to download it, so I can take it with me. Found 3coins in my garden and a bit of junk within minutes of assembly. Very impressed, it was a choice of 2, the other detector was a garret euro glad I chose the 440. Would of been 5stars if a printed user guide came with it.

Arrived so quickly, this is a brilliant detector for beginners, I had a coin master before which had a knack if just finding junk. But only using this for little over a hour I have found 4 coins a key and a dog collar. Not a bad start. Very pleased

Perfect detector for me, a complete beginner, but it seems to be highly regarded by more experienced detectorists too. Pointer feature is helpful but I also bought a pinpointer and find that the combination of the two works well to locate finds. Multi-frequency allows it to perform better than other similarly-priced detectors on wet sand. Easy to use and great fun.

Finding items very deep

Works a treat and so easy to use!

Buying your first metal detector as a noob to this hobby is a tricky process. My friend who already started urged me to splash out on an XP Deus, but the thought of spending over £1,000 when I haven't even tried the hobby put me off. I decided to go for this instead as it seemed like a detector that, whilst clearly not as sophisticated as the Deus or top of the range Minelab detectors, still features discrimination and multi-frequency detecting. This has proved to be a mistake. The different tones simply do not give you anywhere near enough information when it comes to discriminating between good and poor signals - the issue is, you end up digging so much trash it can be frustrating and might actually put you off the hobby. out on a local permission, which is a farm site with orchards, I would be clueless as to target separation whilst my mate was happily only digging up coins, buttons and buckles with the odd bit of foil thrown in (even the Deus can't separate everything). I only used this for about three weeks before having to concede defeat at which point I took a deep breath and purchased the Deus. What a difference! The X-Y graph in particular is a God send and, despite what some websites and detectorists will have you believe, a beginner CAN quickly get going with it. All you need to do is some homework, which ca mainly be done on YouTube.Now, I want to stress this is not a bad metal detector. It does its job and is worth what you pay but, if you can stretch to it, you'll get far more enjoyment from the start by buying a more expensive detector. Let's face it, if you end up making the same mistake as me you are even worse off financially as I now need to sell the Minelab and cut my losses.