Below about £150 the market is toys. The Vanquish 340 is the point at which a detector starts being a real instrument, and at roughly £199 it is the cheapest machine in the UK we would genuinely recommend buying new.
How we reviewed it: from Minelab’s published specifications, the Amazon UK listing and its reviews, and what UK detectorists say about the machine. We have not field-tested it ourselves.
The short answer
- Buy the 340 if you want to try the hobby properly without spending £300, or you want a reliable spare or loaner machine.
- Spend £60 more on the Vanquish 360 if there is any chance you will detect a beach, because the 340 is not fully waterproof and the 360 is.
- It is a genuine Minelab, running the same Multi-IQ technology as machines several times the price.
Minelab Vanquish 340 (about £199)
Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency, a 10 by 7-inch waterproof Double-D coil, three search modes and automatic setup. Runs on AA batteries.
Specifications
| Vanquish 340 | Vanquish 360 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About £199 | About £259 |
| Technology | Multi-IQ | Multi-IQ |
| Coil supplied | V10, 10 × 7in Double-D | V10X, 10 × 7in Double-D |
| Weight | 1.2kg | 1.16kg |
| Waterproof | Coil only, about 1m | Whole machine, IP68 to 5m |
| Battery | 4 × AA, not rechargeable | Built-in lithium-ion, up to 10h |
| Search modes | Coin, Jewellery, All-Metal | Park, Beach, All Metal |
| Discrimination | 5 segments | 6 segments, 119 target IDs |
What it gets right
Multi-IQ at £199. This is the thing worth understanding. Simultaneous multi-frequency transmits several frequencies at once and balances them automatically, which is what keeps a detector stable on mineralised British clay and damp ground. Single-frequency machines at this price chatter and you fight them. Minelab put their real technology in their cheapest machine, and that is why it is recommended so consistently.
It sets itself up. Switch on, pick Coin mode, start swinging. For someone learning what a good signal sounds like, not having to think about ground balance and sensitivity is a feature rather than a limitation.
It finds things. Coins, buckles, buttons, lead, jewellery. The ceiling is lower than a £700 machine but the floor is perfectly respectable, and most beginners are limited by where they are allowed to detect rather than by their detector.
The limitation that matters
It is not fully waterproof. Only the coil is, to about a metre. The control box is water-resistant with a rain cover and that is all.
This is the single most important thing to know before buying, because it decides whether the 340 is the right machine for you at all. If your detecting is fields, parks and permission land, it is a non-issue — put the cover on when it rains and carry on. If there is any chance of a beach, a tideline or a stream, the £60 step up to the 360 buys a machine submersible to 5 metres, and that is £60 very well spent.
It runs on AA batteries, four of them, not rechargeable. Cheap to replace and convenient on a long trip, but you will get through them, and the 360’s built-in lithium with up to ten hours is the more modern arrangement.
Five discrimination segments is coarse. You reject in broad bands, which means rejecting rubbish will cost you some good targets alongside it. Most people learn to dig everything for the first season anyway, so this bites later rather than sooner.
Who should buy it
Buy it if you are starting out on inland permissions, you want to find out whether you enjoy the hobby before committing £400, or you want a second machine to lend to whoever you drag along.
Buy the 360 instead if beaches are even a possibility, or you would rather have a rechargeable battery and finer discrimination for £60.
Do not buy anything cheaper. Below this price you are into single-frequency machines that will struggle on exactly the wet, mineralised ground Britain specialises in, and the usual result is someone deciding the hobby is not for them when it was the detector.
Our Vanquish comparison covers the whole range, and the best metal detectors for beginners sets it against the rest of the entry-level market.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Vanquish 340 waterproof? Only the coil, to about a metre. The control box is water-resistant and comes with a rain cover. If you want to detect in water, you need the 360 or above, which are submersible to 5 metres.
Is the Vanquish 340 good for beginners? It is one of the best starting points in the UK. Multi-IQ keeps it stable on British ground and it sets itself up, so you can concentrate on learning signals.
340 or 360? £60 separates them. The 360 adds full 5-metre waterproofing, a rechargeable built-in battery, finer discrimination and 119 target IDs. If beaches matter at all, buy the 360.
What batteries does it take? Four AA, not rechargeable. Carry spares.
Can it find gold? It will find gold jewellery like any general-purpose detector. Natural gold prospecting is a different problem, covered in our guide to metal detecting for gold.
Is it worth buying second-hand? Yes, and they come up often. Check the coil cable where it enters the coil, and that the battery compartment is clean and uncorroded.