Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Vanquish 440 or 540???

Sojourner57

Sojourner57

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2023
Messages
55
Hi,
First time poster. I know how you love answering the "Which detector should I buy question" so, I will be more specific.

I live in north central Missouri, about half way between Kirksville and Macon. My wife and I want to get into metal detecting. After reading a lot of threads about which MD to buy, I've settled on the Minelab Vanquish 440 or 540. I can afford either. If it were just me, I would get the 540. But my darling wife of over 40 years isn't all that strong and the 440 is 3/10ths of a pound lighter. I'm guessing she may not notice the difference in weight. 2.6 vs 2.9 pounds. I don't know that we will be using it in the dusk or dark so may not need the red back light of the 540. Bluetooth? I do have a set of BT headphones with Noise Cancelling. The 540 has 25 vs 12 discrimination options. Plus it has configurable Iron bias settings

So, here are my questions.
For a pair of noobs, will the iron bias be of much advantage?

I have rechargeable AA batteries, will they work in a 440 since they are 1.2 volts instead of 1.5volts.

For those of you that have used both, is the 540 worth the extra almost $100.00 or do you really use the extra bells and whistles? Back light, iron bias, and 25 discrimination settings.

Others have recommended the X-Terra. It looks like a nice MD, but I like that the Vanquish models has the Multi IQ. Instead of a single frequency and then selecting which one you want to use.

Thanks in Advance.

Also, if anyone is near me, I would like to get together and try out your MD if you're willing.
 
Most of the weight difference in the 440 and 540 is from the different stock coil size.
The 10" elliptical that comes stock with the 440 makes the weight very balanced.
The 12" elliptical that comes stock with the 540 makes it kind of nose/coil heavy.
 
I would say the 440. I have all 3, and usually grab the 340. That is because it is simple, and I have the V8 coil mounted to it.
Take the 100$ difference to buy that coil. It is so much fun in trashy parks.
 
I liked all three too, but I kept the 440. My son has it at the moment and won't give it back.
The 440 has just enough features to get serious with but it also has a less complicated 3 tone audio than the 5 tone audio on the 540 which might be too much for a beginner.

The iron bias low/high switch on the 540 is a good feature.

So is the internal Bluetooth APTX Low Latency transmitter. Unfortunately, BT APTX LL after market headphones and earbuds are really hard to find anymore since that BT tech has been replaced by BT Adaptive and BT Low Energy which are not fully backwards compatible with the Qualcomm chip in the Vanquish 540. There are plenty of low cost 2.4 gHz aftermarket transmitters/receivers/headphones that will plug into the audio port on the 440 and make it wireless.
 
Thanks everyone for your input! I was leaning towards the 440, but thought I would ask to be sure. I think I found a 440 I can borrow for a week. If the loan comes through, then I will find out how well I like the 440. I handed my wife a 3 lb dumb bell and she said it was heavy. So, I'm guessing she won't want to run the MD for very long if at all.
 
Since you're looking for something really light weight for your wife, for the future consider an XP deus setup. You can get the setup for those under 2lbs, especially if you use one of the smaller coils and just use the wireless headphones.
 
yatahaze323 said:
Since you're looking for something really light weight for your wife, for the future consider an XP deus setup. You can get the setup for those under 2lbs, especially if you use one of the smaller coils and just use the wireless headphones.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I'll research it.
 
yatahaze323 said:
Since you're looking for something really light weight for your wife, for the future consider an XP deus setup. You can get the setup for those under 2lbs, especially if you use one of the smaller coils and just use the wireless headphones.
Click to expand...
OUCH ! $800 to $1500 is a bit much to spend before even trying out metal detecting to see if we like it.
 
Sojourner57 said:
OUCH ! $800 to $1500 is a bit much to spend before even trying out metal detecting to see if we like it.
Click to expand...
Ya I agree its expensive especially if you're just looking to see if you like detecting, sounds like you were looking at a full setup. I've seen them where its the coil, headphones, and detector stem for about $550. That's more for if you decide to continue detecting in the long term and you really need a light weight setup. But since you're just starting out I think a 440 is a good choice just to see if you and the wife detecting.
 
Garret Apex is lighter and you don't have to mess with AA batteries.
If you really want light weight try an XP ORX.
If you go with the Vanquish I think the 10" coil on the 440 is a good choice.
If you have a brick and mortar store not too far away you might drop in and see what they have slightly used.
I went into a shop to buy a new 440 and left with a slightly used 540, never registered, for less than a new 440.
 
John Madill said:
Garret Apex is lighter and you don't have to mess with AA batteries.
If you really want light weight try an XP ORX.
If you go with the Vanquish I think the 10" coil on the 440 is a good choice.
If you have a brick and mortar store not too far away you might drop in and see what they have slightly used.
I went into a shop to buy a new 440 and left with a slightly used 540, never registered, for less than a new 440.
Click to expand...
I watched a video on YouTube today.a guy was comparing the Apex, 440 and Simplex plus. He sat a nail and a bolt on each side of a gold ring. Then waved all 3 detectors over them. The items were maybe 6" apart total from left to right. The Simplex would squawk a low tone, then high tone then low tone. Same with the 440. The Apex only squawked a low tone unless he went really really slow. His comment was he wouldn't use the Apex because it would squawk low and he would miss the ring because he wouldn't dig low tones. The items were in top of the board, not even buried in dirt. Thanks for the suggestion, but at this point I like the 440 better.
 
The 440 is ideal for a beginner and overall a good instrument. But immediately you need to buy accumulators(1.5 volts) for it.
 
Sojourner57 said:
I watched a video on YouTube today.a guy was comparing the Apex, 440 and Simplex plus. He sat a nail and a bolt on each side of a gold ring. Then waved all 3 detectors over them. The items were maybe 6" apart total from left to right. The Simplex would squawk a low tone, then high tone then low tone. Same with the 440. The Apex only squawked a low tone unless he went really really slow. His comment was he wouldn't use the Apex because it would squawk low and he would miss the ring because he wouldn't dig low tones. The items were in top of the board, not even buried in dirt. Thanks for the suggestion, but at this point I like the 440 better.
Click to expand...
That is a good test but you have to be sure recovery speeds are set to identical standards.
And each manufacturer's number 2 or whatever might be different than another's.

That's another reason to visit a shop, you can bring items along and test them yourself.

Last fall the owner of my nearby shop offered me an Apex at cost, said it was too "chatty".

I stopped this spring and he said Garrett had fixed the problem with a download and he is quite happy with it.

I have not used the Apex but mentioned it because you were looking for lightness for your wife.

I have had the Vanquish and Simplex and for lightness and simplicity between the two I would get the 440.
But carry spare batteries.
 
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