Garrett ACE 300i vs Minelab VANQUISH 360

Specification differences that matter in Britain

On a narrow screen, swipe the table sideways to see both models.

The Garrett ACE 300i manual and Minelab VANQUISH 360 specifications underpin this table. The US ACE 300 and UK ACE 300i naming can be confused in retail copy; check the 300i label and supplied package. The performance of either detector still depends on soil, target, settings and sweep, not a specification row alone.

Inland field use

The ACE 300i's distinct mode choices, numeric target ID, pinpoint function and four easy-to-replace AA cells give it a familiar learning path. On ordinary dry pasture or a permitted park it can be a straightforward first machine. It is not an excuse to rely on a target number as a coin identification. In iron, shorten the sweep, listen from another angle and use our target-ID guide before excluding signals.

The 360 makes frequency choice automatic. Its 1.16 kg listed weight and compact V10X coil make it manageable for many users, though actual balance should be tried. It offers fewer bespoke settings and a fixed high iron bias. Some users value that simplicity; others will want more audio and ground control. See our full ACE guide and 360 guide.

Beach and water use

On dry upper sand, either can be used if the beach is lawful and safe. Wet conductive salt sand is a stronger reason to choose the 360's Multi-IQ and Beach mode. The 360's complete detector has a 5 m water rating; the ACE's coil-only rating does not protect its control box if splashed or submerged. Water-rated headphones and correctly closed ports remain separate checks for the Minelab. Our wet-sand guide explains the ground challenge without implying that any machine makes incoming tides safe.

Which should you buy?

For a mainly inland hobby with a preference for AA cells and Garrett's established controls, the ACE 300i remains coherent if you accept its dry control unit and single-frequency limits. For regular mixed permissions and wet beach sand, the 360 is the more versatile of these two. Price alone should not decide: compare the exact bundle, warranty, coil and comfort. Neither machine can compensate for absent permission or poor recovery practice.