Reddit reviews Garrett Pro Pointer AT Metal Detector Waterproof ProPointer with Garrett Camo Pouch
We found 3 Reddit comments about Garrett Pro Pointer AT Metal Detector Waterproof ProPointer with Garrett Camo Pouch. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Includes Garrett Pro Pointer AT and Garrett Camo Digger's Pouch (2 Year Warranty)Fully waterproof to 10 feet with orange color for added visibility underwater. Maximum Sensitivity for improved detection of nuggets and other small targets. Choose from three Sensitivity levels.Fast Retune: Quick button press instantly tunes out environment or narrows detection field for precise pinpointing of larger targets. Retuning allows user to quickly: Shrink detection field to precisely pinpoint large targets Tune out mineralized ground, wet beach sand, etc. Help gauge target size/distance Help identify edges of large target Pinpoint multiple targets versus one large target signalLost Pro-Pointer Alarm: After 5 minutes with no button presses, the pinpointer emits periodic warning chirps. Automatic power off after 5 minutes of warning chirps; saves batteries. Simple, single-button operation for Power, Retune, Sensitivity adjustment, and Stealth Mode.Ruler in Inches and Centimeters molded into side of pinpointer to judge target depth. Lanyard Attachment Loop molded into side of pinpointer. New power button is easy to operate even with gloves.
Stay away from the cheapo metal detectors (~$50) like you'd find at Radio Shack and Harbor Freight. They're only good for a couple of inches, and honestly aren't worth buying. I'd say "entry level" starts at around $120, and you get what you pay for.
The Bounty Hunter Time Ranger is good for the price. I think it used to be like $600 back in the day (2000-ish?), but now you can find it for less than $200 new (I've seen it on Amazon as low as $175). It's getting to be an old design now, but it's still solid because the basic technology of metal detectors hasn't changed much -- two coils in the head, one coil sends out a signal, the other receives it, and the electronics analyzes the return. The big question you might have is, "what is the difference between this model and the ones below it by the same manufacturer?". First is the manual ground balancing feature. The soil usually has naturally existing iron in it, often referred to as "mineralization" in metal detecting, which unsurprisingly looks like metal to a metal detector. The manual ground balancing feature allows you to "re-tune" the metal detector to ignore the noise caused by soil mineralization. It gives you a bit of control over how the detector behaves, and is highly useful. Additionally, it has a "pinpoint" mode. There are two ways that metal detectors work: move it from side to side (often called motion detecting), or hover (often called pinpointing). This model allows you to do both, which is really handy. And if you don't want to purchase a "pinpointer" (see below), this pinpoint mode will get you by for a while. Finally, it has more "discrimination" which means it can tell the difference between objects like a bottle cap, a quarter, or a penny. I don't personally care so much about discrimination, but it can be useful, and it is certainly neat. Cheaper models can do adequate discrimination IMHO.
Another good entry level one is the Garret Ace 250. I haven't tried it myself, but I've read good things about it, and you can't go wrong with Garret. It has been highly popular as an entry level unit for many years.
One thing you'll learn quickly once you start metal detecting is that you'll want what's called a "pinpointer". The Garret pinpointer is widely considered the standard. You can do a lot of detecting just with this pinpointer, although it doesn't go more than a few inches deep, and you can't discriminate or sweep a large area quickly like you can with a proper metal detector. It is high quality, and is useful for many things like finding lost screws in the grass, screw driver bits that you drop in the dirt, or small metal parts you drop in your carpet. Also can be used as a stud finder, as it finds wires and screws in walls easily.
I got This Bundle on amazon that comes with a Garett bag and a Garett pin pointer. It’s awesome because the pointer has a holster that attaches onto the bag!
Depending on how big the area you need to search is, you may be better off just getting a pin pointer. Like this
They are effective at finding pieces on top of the ground and just below it. My daughter does it all the time, when she just wants to search a small area. Keep in mind that this is a hands and knees operation going this route. If you ever decide to get into metal detecting, you will want one of these anyways.