Vanquish 540

This is my first “quality” metal detector after using several cheaper models, and the difference is immediately noticeable. I’ve put about 6 hours of use on the Vanquish 540 so far, mostly around my few-acre property, using it to learn the settings and get familiar with how it responds in my soil. I’ve mainly been searching for coins and relics, and while I haven’t found anything high-value yet, I’ve already recovered a few older horse-related relics that were exciting to uncover. Setup & Learning Curve Out of the box, I was detecting within about 10 minutes. Setup is very straightforward. I did watch a couple of videos beforehand to understand the settings, and I’d recommend that to anyone new to this model. The controls themselves aren’t complicated, but the videos help you get comfortable faster. So far, I’ve only used the preset modes with iron discrimination, which have worked well. Performance & Depth One of the standout features for me is the depth and accuracy. I’ve recovered targets at around 12 inches, which is far deeper than the budget detectors I’ve owned before. The depth display has been very accurate in my soil, which helps a lot when pinpointing and deciding whether a target is worth digging. I’ve had plenty of strong, solid tones that turned out to be aluminum cans and pull tabs, which is to be expected when coin and relic hunting. While that can be a little frustrating, it’s more a reality of detecting than a flaw with the machine. Comfort & Build Quality The weight and balance are excellent. I’ve experienced no real arm fatigue, which was a big issue for me with cheaper detectors. Shaft stability is solid, and the detector feels very sturdy and well-built overall. I’m using the 12” coil, and it covers ground efficiently while still feeling well balanced. Pros • Excellent depth (12” finds so far) • Very accurate depth indicator • Easy setup and intuitive controls • Lightweight with great balance • High-quality, sturdy construction Cons • Aluminum trash can sound very good on tone (common with many detectors) Final Thoughts I think the Minelab Vanquish 540 is a great option for beginners through intermediate users. It offers a lot of power and customization if you want it, but it also works very well without needing to constantly adjust settings. One thing to note: the coil is waterproof, but the control box is not, so if you plan on underwater detecting, you’ll want to look at a different model. Overall, I’m extremely pleased with this detector and look forward to putting many more hours on it.

Getting another detector as have moved to a different place. Out in the country and many interesting places to hunt. Great reviews on this Minelabs Vanquish 540. Liked that it had a larger 12x9 double D coil. Most units in this price range come with 8" oval. The bigger the coil the better. Assembly was highly intuitive and was together in 5 minutes. Came with rechargeable batts & charger. Wanted to use faster so popped in 4 AA alkalines. Has start-up settings that are good and easily adjustable on the fly. Tested in yard and the 540 quickly and accurately found a gold ring, penny, dime, quarter and silver half dollar that I buried at 6 inches. Item Match correctly identified each item with a corresponding Target Number. Will be easy to spot gold, silver and coins for sure. Tech has advanced in recent years and this ML V 540 works better, is easier to use and lighter than the Garrett AT Gold I had a several years ago and at $200+ less cost. I'm very happy with it and can't wait to hit the field. Quick Start Guide only. Full manual is readily findable on the web.

Easy to operate

This machine must have been a display unit that was reboxed. The box was only taped together at the waist as the usual closure part on the end was ripped. Parts were already installed, second coil mounting screw and rubbers missing. Box looked like the delivery driver used it for a booster seat. Corners were ripped open. Settings on the detector were not factory settings. Surprisingly to it's credit the unit appears to function.

Great product highly recommend

This was accurately described, and works very well I probably should have kept this unit but had a few little things I didn’t like . But with ease of use this is the best detector out there in my opinion, if you can do without being not water proof. Great machine! May be lacking on depth I would say targets below 10 “.

I have been very satisfied with this detector. It has nice feedback, a water protective sleeve, easy to read the LCD monitor, it consumes very little energy, so the battery life is awesome, and you can customize the desired detection ranges and metal types. I've used this at the beach, in parks, private property (with permission), and abandoned sites. With this detector, I've found an old toy I played with as a kid, several iron ore and lead deposits, a good bit of magnetite, a 1942 penny, and some pins/rings. I don't have time to use if often, but when I do I have so much fun!

After about 3 weeks it would start to turn on and turn right off. Sent it back for repair [$30 to ship], sent it back after a month. I assumed they fixed it, sent it back in freezing December so I waited until late MArch to try it, same exact problem. So I would not recommend this vendor, and also minelabs customer service appears to be a joke. So now watch, they'll say oh just send it in, still under warranty ! Yeah great, and I will have paid an extra $60 just for shipping, no thanks I'll cut my losses and go with Garrett.