Buying Guide

Metal detecting can be a fun hobby, and can occasionally turn up a little bit of real treasure.  However, you need to make sure you have the right equipment.  Metal detectors vary widely in terms of quality and what they're best for.  Here's a quick guide to buying the right metal detector for you.

There are three basic kinds of metal detectors on the market.  Pulse detectors, motion detectors and multi-frequency machines - the newest kind.  Motion detectors are best used on land and in fresh water.  Pulse detectors work best in salt water.  Multi-frequency detectors are a newer, more expensive technology, but they're also the most versatile.  They work under almost every condition.

Other things to think about are whether you'll need a waterproof machine, or if a land machine will be adequate for you.  Some land machines are extremely sophisticated.  They can even tell you what they've found before you dig! 

Water machines, on the other hand, don't offer these kinds of advanced features.  They do, however, allow you to walk in shallow water or even submerge the machine.  While serious hunters used to have to own two or three different metal detectors for specialized jobs, one good multi-frequency, waterproof machine can now do it all. 

You get what you pay for when it comes to metal detectors.  A cheap machine may not dent your budget much, but it also doesn't penetrate deeply into the ground.  That means you'll mostly find junk.  Spend a little more for a high end detector, and you'll be finding more deeply buried items - that translates to a higher likelihood of finding something good. 

Good metal detectors can find items at least a foot below the surface of the soil, though the exact depth will vary by object size, soil composition, metal type and other factors.  That's because dirt with a high mineral content can reduce depth and increase interference.

That means that when you decide which is the best machine, you should start out by looking at the environment you'll be using it in.  If you only intend to look for relics, or if you live in the American Southwest, a waterproof machine won't do you any good!  Think about what you're looking for, too.  There are machines that do well with silver, but not with gold, for instance.

Once you know what you're looking for and where you're most likely to conduct your search, it's time to think about some other important features.  Ask yourself how deep you need to search.  Decide what kind of target alert system you want, too.  Some machines have different beeps, depending on what they've encountered.

Can you adjust for the type of ground?  Some will allow you to manually adjust for minerals, or will even do it on their own.  There are also metal detectors that allow setting changes for different object types, and allow you to adjust sensitivity to avoid picking up as much junk.  Displays vary, with more sophisticated types give you more information. 

Check battery life, as well as size and weight.  While most detectors are just a few pounds, they can still feel heavy after a while.  Most machines use AA batteries, but battery life varies widely.  Other useful features include collapsible shafts, versatility in water types, enhanced sensitivity to valuable materials and the ability to rule out junk.

Of course, budget will be a factor.  Once you know what you need or want from your metal detector, you need to look at how much you can spend.  It's best not to compromise on features.  Have a low budget but need a good detector?  Think about buying used!