Minelab Equinox 900 Review: Still the Safe Answer — But No Longer the Value One
If you have watched a metal detecting video where somebody pulls a gold ring out of wet sand, there is a very good chance the machine in their hands was an Equinox. It is the most widely used serious beach detector in the world and it deserves that reputation. It is also, in 2026, the most expensive way to buy this level of performance in the UK.
Why it earned the reputation
The Equinox platform did one thing that changed the hobby: it put genuinely good simultaneous multi-frequency into a mid-priced, fully waterproof body. Before it, stable performance on wet salt sand meant either a specialist pulse-induction machine with no discrimination, or a great deal of money.
The 900 refines that further — 119 high-resolution target IDs, the option to run six single frequencies as well as Multi-IQ, four detect modes, wireless headphones in the box, and IP68 waterproofing to 5 metres.
The 900 ships with both an 11-inch and a 6-inch coil, and the small one is not a token. In heavily trashed sand — around a slipway, a car park, a beach café — an 11-inch coil sees four targets at once and gives you mush. Swapping to the 6-inch lets you pick individual targets out of the noise. Buying that coil separately later costs well over £100.
On a Scottish beach
This is what the machine is for. Multi-IQ handles the wet-sand transition without retuning, holds stability in the surf line, and the target-ID behaviour in mineralised ground is the best-mannered of the machines at this price — it is the one thing reviewers consistently give the Equinox over the Legend 2.
The other advantage is not technical at all. The Equinox has the largest body of learning material of any detector ever made. Whatever confusing thing your machine is doing on a wet Tuesday at North Berwick, somebody has made a fifteen-minute video about it. For a beginner that is worth real money, and it is the strongest single argument for buying one in 2026.
The problem: it’s been caught
| Machine | UK price (18 Aug 2026) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| XP Deus II WS6 Master | £719 | £330 cheaper. Far lighter. Comparable performance. |
| Nokta Legend 2 | £999.95 | £50 cheaper, two coils, bigger battery, updated harder. |
| Minelab Equinox 900 | £1,049 | Best ID behaviour, best learning resources, highest price. |
| Minelab Equinox 700 | £699 | Currently reduced by £100 — the value play within Minelab. |
Prices from UK specialist retailers, checked 18 August 2026. The 900 is frequently bundled with a free 15″ coil or a Pro-Find 40 pinpointer, which closes some of the gap — check what the bundle actually is before comparing headline prices.
At £699 reduced, the Equinox 700 gives you the same Multi-IQ platform, the same waterproofing and most of the real-world beach performance for £350 less. You lose target-ID resolution, some mode options and the second coil. For a first serious machine it is arguably the better buy, and it is the one people overlook because the 900 gets all the coverage.
Who it doesn’t suit
Beginners. Same caveat as every machine at this level: the 900’s advantages are things you cannot use until you can read a detector. Spend a season on a Score or a Vanquish first.
Anyone carrying it far. It is not heavy, but next to a 750 g Deus II it is, and it does not pack down as small.
Ready to buy?
Still the machine with the deepest support behind it, and nobody has ever regretted owning one. Worth comparing the bundle before you order — UK specialists often include a free coil or pinpointer that Amazon does not.
Where we stand
The Equinox 900 is a genuinely excellent machine and nobody has ever regretted owning one. But “best” and “best buy” are different questions, and in 2026 the Equinox 900 is the answer to the first and not the second. It has been squeezed from below by the Deus II at £719 and matched by the Legend 2 at £999.95.
Buy it if you want the machine with the deepest support community and the most refined target ID in bad ground, and the extra £50–330 does not bother you. Buy the Legend 2 for the same performance and a more modern platform. Buy the Deus II if you carry your gear. Buy the Equinox 700 at £699 if you want the Minelab platform without the flagship premium — that is the quiet value pick in this whole comparison.
Before you buy — check the law where you’ll detect
Compare with
- Nokta Legend 2 — £999.95. The machine that caught it.
- Minelab Manticore — £1,799. Minelab’s actual flagship.
- XP Deus II — from £719. Lighter and cheaper.
Prices checked 18 August 2026, and UK bundles shift constantly on this model — a free coil or pinpointer can swing the comparison. We have no relationship with Minelab.