Obviously, your choice will depend on how seriously you are taking metal detecting and your available budget. The more expensive metal detectors have more features to enable you to find more things, but they may be too costly for someone who is not sure how much they will use the machine. It’s also one of the best options for those wanting to get a feel for the hobby, and head out straight away to start finding different objects, without having to make a large investment. Overall, Garrett’s ACE 250 is an excellent starter model for adult beginners and there’s enough tech to keep more experienced detectorists on a budget happy too. Hi Steve, thank you so much for this article…. It’s helped me a lot as I’m just starting out and am doing this for my Dad really. Dad and I have had an interest in many things such as old coins and stamps etc…. We have collected for years but unfortunately I’ve just finished cancer treatment and dad has Alzheimer’s so neither of us are fit as a fiddle (at the moment). The user must have had to sit and memorize each of the buttons’ usage if he/she would enjoy effective hunting.

Operating at a frequency of 8.25 kHz, ideal for detecting small objects, this unit has been specifically designed for use in European conditions. Whereas some other metal detectors are designed with US terrain in mind, the EuroACE’s set up is better adapted to easy use in the UK.

Best Metal Detectors

Also included on the LED screen are a depth indicator and a battery life indicator along with a set of icons that show what the target most likely is before starting to dig. The control box is powered by 4 x AA batteries and has plenty of technology, but not so much that it’s confusing for beginners.

Able to work across multiple frequencies, this metal detector has many more adjustable settings to choose from than a single-frequency metal detector. However, if that’s all starting to sound a bit complicated, you can be safe in the knowledge that the default pre-sets also work well right out the box.Priced mid-range the Pro holds its own against others in Garrett’s AT range – in fact, it’s the benchmark. Unlike some other models, this Garrett metal detector also has an iron mode; this is useful when working in areas with high quantities of iron because it helps discern between worthless iron (more likely to be nails and invaluable objects) and potentially-valuable finds.

Treasures can be found anywhere. So, why should anyone restrict themselves to land when they can as well take advantage of water? One may even argue that a pinpointer such as the Garrett Pro-Pointer AT is more profitable for water terrain. Look out for information about whether the coil of the metal detector is waterproof. If it’s not, you might be better off looking for a different model. If you’re hoping to use your metal detector at the beach, or on river banks, an assurance of waterproofing is necessary. You never know when you might get caught out by the tide or splashed! Some units offer protection up to depths of 3 m, perfect for if you’re more serious about treasure-hunting and don’t want to be thwarted by terrain. Working to Your BudgetAlthough I spent most of my career in Lincolnshire, I’m now semi-retired and living in SW France. I have a large plot of land in an area which is renowned for its ‘lost’ Roman villages and the meadow concerned has a spring and many fascinating humps and hollows which suggest that it has been inhabited for over 2000 years; we have found evidence of 4th century burials. I want to explore this are as responsibly as I can, but am worried that the soil is very stony. When the farmers plough nearby fields, they usually walk them carefully in advance and make collections of great slabs of ?limestone which would otherwise ruin their machinery and seem to lie and work their way up from say 50cm under the surface. I’m completely new to detecting and would really value your advice, if I’ve given you enough info to go on. I suppose I’m looking for something which detects as much as possible as deep as possible! Budget is a matter of negotiation between me and Santa Claus, whose arm I am prepared to break to get a good machine.