Best metal detectors according to redditors

Dude. No. Mini-metal detector. 25 bucks on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Detectors-GoerTek-trade-Portable-Sensitive/dp/B018RSBVRW/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1454014764&sr=8-8&keywords=metal+detector

If it happens again, it will pay for Itself. Just scan the whole kid.

This shuld help :) http://www.amazon.com/Zircon-MetalliScanner-m40-Handheld-Electronic/dp/B000VKJ1MM/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_2/181-5886704-6819219

Depends on what your looking for, I got my hobby one for around 200.00 , I would say that's low to mid range, and it has lots of settings though, like a setting to turn off ptabs(pull tabs) cause every 3 seconds on a beach it would be going off like crazy, and them another option is precocious metals, and a lot of the. Have different depth settings, I think mine can go 10 feet or more yet again,it's in the option settings, here's mine: http://www.amazon.ca/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=garrett+ace+250&tag=googcana-20&index=aps&hvadid=55989878489&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14879978148347773255&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_7n1kczszo6_b


And then I have a small hand held one for sifting not the exact but similar: http://www.amazon.com/Garrett-SuperWand-Hand-Held-Detection-Pinpointing/dp/B000EEJ16G


Then we have smaller tools like a pan for the dirt so I can sift through sand and such, and like metal prods to jab at the sand to see if it's close to the surface, but my metal detector has a depth selector, so you can pick from surface to servers feet below the ground, hope this helps and if you have anymore questions, just ask :D

It's about 130 canadian dolleroos on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Garrett-1140900-Pro-Pointer-Waterproof-Pinpointing/dp/B00TADH9HA

I think you got a fantastic deal on your carrot.

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.

Zircon MetalliScanner m40 Handheld Electronic Metal Detector

I got it last week and tested it on some carts I'd made and knew where the screws were. It found each screw with no false positives.

I appreciate the kind words. I don't know about knowledgeable, but I'm happy if I can provide any information of value.

I only ever used the White's Bullseye II and the cheap and generic Bounty Hunter pinpointer before I got my Sunray X-1 inline probe(discontinued). For this reason, I don't know enough about pinpointers to give you a definitive answer. I think the general consensus is that the Garrett Pro-Pointer II and Pro-Pointer AT are good investments. But as I always point out, White's also has the TRX and Minelab has the Pro-Find 25, so there are other options. Also, be wary of knockoffs. I've only ever heard of Garrett knockoffs, but I imagine there are others.

Of the above mentioned, the generic is the cheapest (often below $50, because it's not great), followed by the Bullseye II ($119), then the Pro-Pointer II, the Pro-Pointer AT, and the Pro-Find 25 (around $170). I think it's a shame that the market price for a decent pinpointer is over $115. I think a reputable company needs to introduce a more economic option. It's crazy to me that these companies have pinpointers that cost almost as much as an entry level machine. It's supposed to be an accessory! Tesoro could do this. Tesoro could make a better pinpointer than their "Treasure Mate" and sell it for sub $100. They should.

I think it's worth taking the time to watch YouTube comparisons of these pinpointers to see which one you'd prefer. The TRX and the Pro-Pointer AT are waterproof. If I'm not mistaken, the Pro-Find 25 is not waterproof, and that's outrageous that Minelab would put out such an expensive pinpointer and it's not even waterproof!

The best option, in my opinion, is to get an inline probe like those made by Sunray. The only issue is, Sunray makes very few models and as newer machines come out, Sunray has failed to keep up. This is another area where there is this huge market that hasn't been exploited. People will pay a premium (I paid nearly $300) for a probe built in to their primary machine, and as far as I know, no company is making these.

As for a machine...I had a White's for years, but I just can't get enthusiastic about them anymore. I want to try the Treasuremaster, which is their most affordable machine, because I've heard good things and it looks kinda cool, but I don't have the resources to try various machines. Obviously there is the new Garrett 400, but honestly it just looks like the 350, which looks like the 250, which looks like the 150. I still don't understand why Garrett has like, four "entry level" models.

I think when you approach the $400-500 range, it's time to start looking at gently-used machines. I always push Minelab - I admit it, I'm a fanboy and I am biased - so I would recommend a used Safari (paging /u/bainsey1985), an SE Pro(just sold), or even an older Explorer II. I know a guy who has been running an Explorer II since like, 2005, and I used my even older Explorer XS until it finally died in 2015.

There's a Tesoro Tejon that just sold and I'm sad I missed it. $350 is a good deal for a machine that is normally about $600. Similarly, I saw a Tesoro Deleon selling for $300 once and I still kick myself for not getting it.

There are also two deals on Friendly Metal Detecting Forums right now that I can't link to because the For Sale Section is for members only. There's a Tesoro Vaquero for $400 and a Tesoro Conquistador (discontinued) for $160.
I've never used Fisher so I don't know anything about them. I've never used the XP Deus but good luck finding one for less than $800. I'm rambling now...

I agree with u/mansion. Last year I bought Garrett 1140900 Pro-Pointer AT Waterproof Pinpointing Metal Detector, Orange . Am very happy with it, totally worth it.

Glad to hear it! Hope you all enjoy it and get hooked by finding a gold ring right away! Get a good garden trowel and the Fisher PP is down to $35 on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Bounty-Hunter-PIN-POINTER-PL-Pinpointer/dp/B000HATWHK/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t, mine wore out after 6 months, the point wore clear through. When you know you are hooked get a Garrett Propointer at a target price of $107, and lesche thrown in for free with your next detector bought for 20% off list, like an ATPro for $500.

Definitely check out the thread from the sidebar. In particular there are some cheap pinpointer suggestions.

The Bounty Hunter and Fisher pinpointers look the same and probably have the same internals as both companies are owned by First Texas Products. They also own Teknetics. $33 on Amazon.

The $16 "HF" one they mention I believe is Harbor Freight.

As far as getting better, watch more YouTube videos. What sort of land are you searching on?

I live in a 90 year old house with fairly thick plaster, I use a Zircon MetalliScanner m40 to find studs. It's a hand held metal detector not a stud finder. I'm about half way done rewiring the house and it's been 100% accurate and well worth $30.

I think this is what he won. Retails for about $550. Pretty good score

I'm a pretty big fan of my Garrett Carrot (Propointer) https://www.amazon.com/Garrett-1140900-Pro-Pointer-Waterproof-Pinpointing/dp/B00TADH9HA

Garrett Metal Detectors ACE 400 55 Year Anniversary Special, GAR1141255 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RDZTPWD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PYP3DbHAMNWHQ

Just a little more and you can pick up this set with the garret pinpointer. This is the set that I picked up this year with no regrets.

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!

Let me add some opinion as well. I've been using an Ace 350 and an AT Pro for a year, but under 400 I would definitely recommend the Ace 400 which is the AT Pro minus the waterproof aspect. Get something with a digital readout, it makes everything a lot easier. That's just the Garrett side of things, a colleague uses a Fisher F22 and it's a hell of a machine, especially for the price. The only reason I went with an AT Pro over something else was that I love detecting in water and the AT Pro is the only waterproof detector that is reasonably priced for beginners.

Welcome to the hobby! I started last Christmas myself. You may have one but as I can't see it on the picture I would thoroughly recommend getting a pointer such as one of these https://www.amazon.com/Garrett-Pro-Pointer-II-Pinpointer/dp/B015GCEW0A makes it so much easier.

Enjoy!

Edit 2: OP you are getting way more of a hard time here than I think is justified. You can do this for <$250 per costume, with a battery and charger for each. Read on:

From your comments it sounds like you need a ~480 Watt-hour pack. That's not going to be small or cheap any way you slice it. What's your budget here?

Forget about common cells like 18650s or AAs of any variety. I think your best bet is to buy some monster LiPo packs from HobbyKing. About the best and easiest source for most common hobby lipo needs.

Here is a battery that just about gets you there - 444 Watt-hr. At 5 pounds it's a bit of a brick, but it will certainly last you a day. Hopefully you don't need it ASAP because lithium battery shipping regulations are a clusterfuck right now in China. You can certainly find one locally if you look, it may just cost you more.

1-4 packs depending on size, plus a good buck/boost converter and you'll be sitting pretty. Charging those packs overnight is doable but you'll need a pretty beefy charger. Wall-warts won't work here. Charging it overnight (call it 8 hours) at a 0.125C rate will require a 60 Watt charger. These ubiquitous chargers top out at 50 Watts so you'll need an extra hour or 2. 10 hours should do it. That's for one pack, if you have multiple you'll either need to get up in the middle of the night to swap them, or get additional chargers.

Be extra, extra careful using a pack like this. There is no internal protection and it is rated for a 20C discharge - that's 400 Amps at ~22.2V. That's a bona fide welder, no shit. I had a stupid moment and forgot to cut the leads on a 1 cell 600mAh pack independently (shorted them during cutting) and that was a nice spark show. This battery provides about 200x more pants-shitting. If you've never experienced 10 kiloWatts of electricity turning the leads you're holding into incandescent sprays of molten slag, you haven't lived. It would be very dramatic.

And do protect with something rigid if you're wearing it, lest you fall on something hard and do an inadvertent impression of those flame troopers exploding in Saving Private Ryan. Protection or no, don't put it in something you can't take off in less than a few seconds. Seriously.

EDIT: Just wanted to voice my disagreement with some of the other comments you're getting. What you're asking is entirely do-able for a reasonable cost ($200-$300 total). It's just that the solution is pretty gnarly. But no you certainly don't need to carry around 4 car batteries. If you don't mind carrying a 5 pound battery around then the one I linked will serve you well. Yes it's ridiculous but hell it's your costume, let your blindingly bright crazy-flag fly. ;)

Try this one. It is not terribly expensive and looks like it will get you where you need to be. When it has to be replaced, take a look at Garretts line up. Though I suspect the one I am linking to is using all of the same tech and a Chinese company has cloned Garretts...

Absolutely and whatever you do. Do not under any circumstance get one that looks like this. https://www.amazon.com/Bounty-Hunter-PIN-POINTER-PL-Pinpointer/dp/B000HATWHK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1479310735&sr=8-3&keywords=pinpointer

They are absolute trash and should be criminalized. They are sold in different colors and by different company's but they are the same thing. You actually have to be touching your target for this thing to detect it as metal.

Definitely invest in something like the at pro pointer or something on that level. They are not cheap but they are amazing and reliable.

Just buy one of these, it sounds easier than all of the other suggestions:
https://www.amazon.com/Garrett-1165800-SuperWand-Metal-Detector/dp/B000EEJ16G

Here are two on the low-end side of it:
http://www.harborfreight.com/metal-detector-97245.html
http://www.amazon.com/Bounty-Hunter-PIN-POINTER-PL-Pinpointer/dp/B000HATWHK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396290551&sr=8-1&keywords=pinpointer

I went with this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Garrett-Pro-Pointer-Detector-Includes-Holster/dp/B005D4V27S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396290561&sr=8-2&keywords=pinpointer

I can't say if the one I bought has really been worth the extra since I've never compared but I'm very happy with it. It does a really great job at helping me find where items are.

What mode are you searching in? Tone, disc, or all metal? I also have the tracker and depending on where I dig is how I set it. My backyard, probably full of trash from when they built the house, I keep the discrimination high. A park, especially near benches, I might go for full metal mode so I miss nothing.

Something like the Teknetics Eurotek Pro that was designed for use in the European environment. Teknetics, Fisher, and Bounty Hunter (BH) are all owned by the same company.

You can buy the Eurotek Pro off Amazon.com with international shipping, will probably be cheaper than buying locally. Get the 11” DD coil model, it’s about $250. Get the basic Fisher or BH pinpointer for about $30.

Agreed. Get yourself a Garrett pinpointer: Garrett 1140900 Pro-Pointer AT Waterproof Pinpointing Metal Detector, Orange https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TADH9HA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Ty3IAbZSFN8CG

Minelab Pack Bundle Go Find 60 Metal Detector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J6Q1NZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_idpdAbJAWNQZR

Garrett 1140900 Pro-Pointer AT Waterproof Pinpointing Metal Detector, Orange https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TADH9HA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-wqQzbM60RB4R

Budget?

​

https://www.amazon.com/Minelab-Multi-IQ-Detector-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B079Y1YPTK

that is the Detector itself...

This would be the pinpointer here :

https://www.amazon.com/Garrett-1140900-Pro-Pointer-Waterproof-Pinpointing/dp/B00TADH9HA

The detector itself has a pinpointing button , this will help you center the target in the middle of the coil , and you start digging .. then you use the little wand pinpointer i have linked to , to sift through the dirt to find the coin or whatever object is there...

It helps reduce time sifting through all the dirt... dig your little hole, take your pinpointer and move it around the hole and it will beep / vibrate when in contact with the object.

look here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZCAkUYQvRM

You need a tool called a non-contact voltage tester, like this...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0775PCSQ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kKOFAb6F1NWBK

You might find a cheaper one, it's a simple tool. Some have to be turned on, others don't. You just get it near the stove and it'll light up if there is electricity.

I could walk you through how to test it with your multimeter, but with the level of knowledge you demonstrate in your original post, I don't think you could do it safely.

If the stove is live, which it sounds like it probably is, you're protected by landlord-tennant law. It's unsafe, they have to fix it.

I believe the XP Deus MI-6 Pinpointer does but I think you have to be running an XP Deus for it to do it. From the Amazon page it says

Sound mode : Pitch or Bleep

Audio Tone Adjustments.

Which I think is the target id.. but yeah the price of an XP and the pointer is almost 2k!

Alright I'm going go with your recommendation on the AT Pro.

Are these reputable places to buy from/good deal? AT Pro + Pinpointer

Besides the specialized XP MI-6 discussed below, I have both the simple, black, non-waterproof Garrett Pro-Pointer

and the waterproof, orange "carrot" Pro-Pointer AT.

Personally, of all three, my favorite is the simple non-waterproof one. One push of the button and its on, one push of the button and its off. It is tough as nails (as are all three of mine... no problems there) and it is simple. I hate it when I hold the button down a bit too long on the AT and it goes into programming mode. By the time I get it back, I have no idea if I've changed the sensitivity accidentally or not.

My two cents.

I've had good luck with this one which many reviewers find to work well on old thick plaster on wood lath homes like mine:

Zircon MetalliScanner m40 Handheld Electronic Metal Detector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VKJ1MM/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_7mp8tb0K2Z3AX?ie=UTF8

Our last house was lath and plaster, and I used this detector with great success. It detects the metal found in screws/nails rather than measuring depth changes.

You are not going to get much for 200 dollars, if I had to choose one that low I would go with this one. https://www.amazon.com/New-Fisher-Purpose-Metal-Detector/dp/B0112TBIAS/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3?keywords=Fisher+F11+All-Purpose+Metal+Detector&qid=1555910941&s=gateway&sr=8-3-fkmrnull

Hahahaha. That's awesome of you.

Recommend buying new, yeah? [I can just get this one on amazon?] (https://www.amazon.com/Garrett-AT-Pro-Metal-Detector/dp/B006J61ZKS)

Also - is a pinpoint detector important?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B010FB32IU/ref=as_at?slotNum=1&linkCode=g12&imprToken=RE0MDF99xPWDgC7fuEfmSQ&creativeASIN=B010FB32IU&tag=smarterhobb09-20

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.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BZG33PG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A385B2OBZAJZO4

and

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072AEY5I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3AR95NHANJAX6

Which battery/charger would you get?

Is this one worth it?