Minelab Vanquish Successor Predictions?

[Detectornado]

Minelab has released quite a few new detectors lately. Manticore, Equinox 700, 900 and recently the X-Terra Pro.

What would you like to see in the new Vanquish model (if ever released)? New design? Waterproof? Less weight?

Made a concept bellow (not real product).

 

[j71038]

 

On 3/25/2023 at 11:32 AM, Detectornado said:

Minelab has released quite a few new detectors lately. Manticore, Equinox 700, 900 and recently the X-Terra Pro.

What would you like to see in the new Vanquish model (if ever released)? New design? Waterproof? Less weight?

Made a concept bellow (not real product).

 

I was wondering what the future holds for the Vanquish line myself. I asked a somewhat similar question to yours elsewhere.

With the new X-Terra Pro do you think Minelab will discontinue the Vanquish series? I suspect a clue is that based on current info the new X-Terra Pro can use Equinox coils and obviously X-Terra Pro coils but it cannot use Vanquish coils due to a different connector size. Also, the pricing of the Vanquish series appears on both sides of the X-Terra Pro pricing. Here in Ontario Canada the 340 sells for less than the X-Terra Pro and the 440 and 540 is above the X-Terra price point. I'm not sure how well the Vanquish series sell so maybe nothing will change. It just seems from a product lineup the Vanquish now appears to be not fitting in well.

Or is it possible they will only keep one model for sale, perhaps the 540 as long as they have stock?

I'm very new to the metal detecting scene so perhaps this is normal practice.

[Chase Goldman]

Xterra Pro appears to do well on the beach even without Multi IQ which is probably the main benefit of multifrequency (it's no Equinox or Manticore on the beach, but it holds its own as a single frequency machine and it's added user features and adjustments probably make it better than Vanquish overall on the beach).  Xterra is also no slouch as a terra detector.  With the multiple coil choices and numerous user interface and controls for Xterra Pro and updated ergonomics/user interface that aligns with Nox and Manticore plus the Xterra Pro price point, the operational shortcomings of Vanquish (fixed ground balance, does not retain user adjusted settings, no recovery speed adjustment, lack of an anti-EMI single frequency mode) become stark.  Also, Vanquish's retro looks and old-school NiCads make it seem very dated even though it was released more recently than the Nox 600/800.  It now literally looks like a red-headed step child in the line of succession compared to Xterra Pro, Nox, and Manticore and I wouldn't be surprised if ML discontinued it.  If they start trying to make a "Multi IQ" Xterra variant as a value replacement for Vanquish that starts to eat away at both Xterra Pro AND Nox 600 sales.  I don't see the business case for it and it would be good for ML to just discontinue the Vanquish line and save on manufacturing, parts, and support costs.  JMO

[j71038]

It appears that Minelab was looking to gain market share against Garrett and Fisher with the Vanquish line. The introduction of the X-Terra Pro was perhaps so that they can gain market share lost to the Nokta Simplex. Once customers are Minelab familiar they may stay with the brand when upgrading.

I guess the marketing question is whether people who start with a product line from one of the aforementioned companies stay loyal to the brand (like car buyers are loyal to Ford or Chevy) or do detector buyers look at each new model introduced and decide? 

From looking at the gear in use section on the forums I suspect the latter is the case.

OTOH, It does make good business sense for Minelab to want to appeal to as many customers as possible. The product lineup may not make sense but perhaps it makes many dollars.

[Chase Goldman]

14 hours ago, j71038 said:

It appears that Minelab was looking to gain market share against Garrett and Fisher with the Vanquish line.

Yeah, and then Garrett immediately came out with the Ace Apex with a great, modernized and ergonomic form factor, multi frequency, and selectable single frequency (at the time, the lowest priced detector anywhere with that feature) that satisfied the Garrett fan base that may have started to feel technologically left behind and immediately made the Vanquish feel like a retro toy detector in comparison (that despite its feature flaws, was not a toy).  So ML IMO made a classic blunder by competing with “old news” (the Ace 400) while making real head scratchingly bizarre decisions on feature omissions (e.g., fixed ground balance??) to lower the price point and other decisions to limit it from competing with its own Nox 600 (eliminating coil cross compatibility).  

I think ML got greedy and misjudged both Garrett and Nokta with the Vanquish misfire…and then sat on their laurels and watched XP and Nokta bypass Nox in performance and value with the Deus 2 and Legend, respectively forcing them to announce the Manticore earlier than they planned.  I think ML is on the right track now by trying to focus on the gaps in their lineup while trying to emulate their own with high value detectors that look and feel like their flagships but come in at a great price point.  Now folks who can only afford and Ace or Simplex can get a taste of ML and swing a detector that is almost visually indistinguishable from a Manticore.  Great move and what Vanquish should have been.

[Nuke em]

On 3/26/2023 at 11:19 PM, Chase Goldman said:

Xterra Pro appears to do well on the beach even without Multi IQ which is probably the main benefit of multifrequency (it's no Equinox or Manticore on the beach, but it holds its own as a single frequency machine and it's added user features and adjustments probably make it better than Vanquish overall on the beach).  Xterra is also no slouch as a terra detector.  With the multiple coil choices and numerous user interface and controls for Xterra Pro and updated ergonomics/user interface that aligns with Nox and Manticore plus the Xterra Pro price point, the operational shortcomings of Vanquish (fixed ground balance, does not retain user adjusted settings, no recovery speed adjustment, lack of an anti-EMI single frequency mode) become stark.  Also, Vanquish's retro looks and old-school NiCads make it seem very dated even though it was released more recently than the Nox 600/800.  It now literally looks like a red-headed step child in the line of succession compared to Xterra Pro, Nox, and Manticore and I wouldn't be surprised if ML discontinued it.  If they start trying to make a "Multi IQ" Xterra variant as a value replacement for Vanquish that starts to eat away at both Xterra Pro AND Nox 600 sales.  I don't see the business case for it and it would be good for ML to just discontinue the Vanquish line and save on manufacturing, parts, and support costs.  JMO

Red headed step child LOL 

I have the Terra'ist Pro and it works well on the beach. Not quite like the Nox but maybe better in a way or 2 !

My post is up on here.

My local dealer sells the Vanquish well. So who knows what will happen. 1 things else about the Vanquish 540. It loves sounding off on fresh seaweed. Mine did.

[phrunt]

I really like my Vanquish and in my area can do as well or even sometimes better with it than my Nox, no regrets at all buying it, love the thing.  The Simplex on the other hand I do not like and regret buying it.  Different strokes for different folks.  If I had a choice I'd never choose a Simplex over a Vanquish, the X-Terra looks promising. 

If they just added ground balance by a firmware update the Vanquish would meet many more peoples needs, for me it makes no difference but clearly some people need it, so that was a goof by Minelab from the start.

[Tony-Ok]

I am not a real fan of the compressed VDI numbers that the Vanquish line uses ! 

[Nuke em]

6 hours ago, Tony-Ok said:

I am not a real fan of the compressed VDI numbers that the Vanquish line uses ! 

Me neither. Same as the Nox 600/800

[Dug D]

I'll toss my guess into the mix, maybe they redesign the vanquish to look like a nox add features and make it coil compatible with the nox and x-terra, price it at 450 us. 

I'm not sure if they make the most money, but buyers would a have a good reason to stay with ML and have choices in detectors all using the same mass produced coils. 

Its already working, because the x-terra pro looks a lot better to many people because it uses the nox coils. I never would have considered it except for that reason.