Quick Answer: The Minelab Equinox 800 was Minelab’s $999 multi-frequency flagship until the Equinox 600 and 800 were discontinued in 2025 — Minelab’s UK and Australia/New Zealand sites now list both under discontinued products, with US retailers selling through remaining stock around $799-$899 for a bare detector. It still runs genuine simultaneous Multi-IQ, but gives up 2 m of waterproof depth, a bonus coil, and ongoing software support compared with the still-current Equinox 900 ($999). Buy the 800 only at real clearance pricing; otherwise the 900 is the better new-detector dollar.
Searches for an Equinox 800 review usually come from one of two places: someone who already owns one and wants a second opinion, or someone comparing it against the Equinox 900 and 700 in a retailer’s “similar items” row without realizing the 800 isn’t a current Minelab product anymore. This review is written for the second group — the buying decision changes completely once you know that.
Is the Minelab Equinox 800 still available in 2026?
Yes, but as remaining stock, not a current product. Forum tracking on Detector Prospector cites Minelab’s own UK and Australia/New Zealand regional websites listing the Equinox 600 and 800 under their discontinued-products sections, and reports that Minelab has ended firmware/software-update support for both models. US dealers haven’t pulled their listings — a detector this well-regarded doesn’t disappear from shelves overnight — but every unit sold now is coming out of existing inventory, not a new production run.
That matters for pricing: Kellyco’s Equinox 800 “Ultimate Bundle” page lists a $999 sale price against a $1,257.91 reference MSRP, and Walmart listings for the bare detector run anywhere from roughly $799 up to $1,089+ depending on which coil and accessory package is bundled in. There’s no single “the” Equinox 800 price right now — only a range that depends on how much clearance inventory a given seller still has and what’s stuffed into the box with it.
Minelab Equinox 800 at a glance
| Spec | Minelab Equinox 800 |
|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued (2025) — remaining retail stock only |
| Price | ~$799-$899 bare unit, bundles $999+ |
| Technology | Multi-IQ simultaneous multi-frequency; selectable 5/10/15/20/40 kHz |
| Search modes | 4 (Park, Field, Beach, Gold), 2 saved profiles each |
| Coil included | 11-inch DD only (no bonus small coil) |
| Waterproofing | IP68, submersible to 3 m (10 ft) |
| Wireless audio | Included (WM 08 module + apt-X headphones) |
| Weight | ~1.34 kg (2.96 lb) |
| Software support | Ended — final firmware version |
Minelab Equinox 900 (current replacement pick)
- Same simultaneous Multi-IQ engine, 5-40 kHz, as the discontinued 800 — but still in production with full manufacturer support.
- Submersible to 5 m (16 ft) versus the 800's 3 m, and ships with a bonus 6-inch coil the 800 never included.
- Adds vibrating target alert, built-in flashlight, and backlit night mode — all added when Minelab launched the 700/900 line in 2022.
Want detecting field guides and coin-ID references to read while you decide between the two?
Equinox 800 vs Equinox 900: what the $100-200 price gap actually buys
| Minelab Equinox 800 | Minelab Equinox 900 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Discontinued, clearance stock | Current production |
| Price (bare unit) | ~$799-$899 | $999 |
| Waterproof depth | 3 m (10 ft) | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Coils included | 11-inch only | 11-inch + bonus 6-inch |
| Target alert extras | Audio only | Audio + vibration |
| Flashlight / night mode | No | Yes |
| Software support | Ended | Active |
A detailed long-term side-by-side thread on Detector Prospector’s forum — run by a detectorist who owned both machines — found the 900 only slightly deeper on coin- and ring-sized targets at the beach, with no meaningful improvement in electromagnetic-interference (EMI) rejection over the 800. That’s the honest performance gap: small. The real difference is everything Minelab bundled in on top — the deeper waterproof rating that turns a “splash-resistant” machine into a genuine surf-line tool, the bonus coil that the Equinox 900 review calls out as useful for trashy or tight ground, and a manufacturer that’s still shipping firmware updates for the platform you’re buying into.
Should you still buy a Minelab Equinox 800?
- Buy it if you find a bare-unit clearance price meaningfully under the ~$799 floor this review found, and you don’t need the deeper waterproofing or bonus coil.
- Buy it if you already own an Equinox 600 or 800 and want an identical backup machine with the same control layout and muscle memory.
- Skip it if you’re comparing a $999 Equinox 800 bundle against a $999 bare Equinox 900 — at that price point the 900 wins on every spec in the table above.
- Skip it if ongoing manufacturer software support matters to you; Minelab has already moved the 800 to end-of-life firmware.
- Verify what’s actually in the box. “Equinox 800” listings range from a bare detector to a full bundle with pinpointer and bag — confirm exactly what you’re paying for before comparing prices across retailers.
The bottom line
The Minelab Equinox 800 was a genuinely good detector, and the core Multi-IQ engine inside it hasn’t gotten worse just because Minelab discontinued it — but discontinued is exactly what it is, per Minelab’s own UK and Australia/New Zealand product listings, with firmware support already ended. Remaining US stock sells anywhere from roughly $799 for a bare unit to $1,000+ for a loaded bundle, and at the top of that range you’re paying Equinox-900 money for a machine with 2 m less waterproof depth, one fewer coil, and no more software updates coming. If you can find real clearance pricing well under $799, the 800 is still a capable machine. Otherwise, put the same money toward the Minelab Equinox 900 — still in production, still supported, and the detector our Minelab lineup guide and overall rankings both recommend for most hobbyists today.