Looking for the best metal detector for a beginner will likely be overwhelming for a new metal detectorist. There are numerous brands, models, and other options to pick from. Being familiar with what to search for will make this a simpler process.
Some of the things that are likely to affect your choice about what the best beginner metal detector are the cost, the features, and how you plan to utilize the detector. If you’re planning to use the metal detector for gold prospecting or in water you may want one specialized for those needs. But for almost all beginners, a general purpose detector likely will be what you want.
You need to come up with a budget. A top grade metal detector may cost many thousands of dollars, while a beginner metal detector is able to be had for much less. Expect to commit to at least $100-$150 for a decent metal detector. Any metal detectors priced less than this will probably disappoint you in their performance. For $100-$150 you can get a detector which is plenty for many beginner detectorists’ needs. They are going to simple, which often can be advantageous for a beginner, but will most likely lack many features of more expensive metal detectors.
Several of the most popular beginner detectors sell for about $200-$300. They have become well liked because around this price point you are able to attain some of the features that more professional metal detectors have, but at an inexpensive price. You will find detectors inside of this price range with features such as depth indicators, target ID’s, and pinpointing. As you continue to rise in price you can expect to attain more features with your detector.
Listed below are some of the features which might interest you when you’re looking for the best metal detector.
Pinpointing
This is certainly a feature that many people find quite handy. After you have discovered a target, you can utilize a pinpoint feature to help you determine the exact spot in the ground that the target is. This makes it easier to extract the object and will help you to dig much smaller holes. There are other techniques for you to do this, such as by swinging the detector over the item Bug Detection Devices from several directions or also by using a handheld pinpointer, but a lot of people prefer using the pinpoint function in their detector.
Target ID
Detectors with a target ID feature help you to know the type of item that the target is before you dig. These generally put targets into categories like iron, foil, nickel, tab, zinc penny, dime, and quarter. This is very valuable for helping you to reduce spending valuable time digging things you are not interested in. It’s really advantageous in trashy areas where there are numerous pull tabs or iron targets. Good detectors will possess some way to discriminate between these different types of metals.
Do keep in mind though that target ID’s are not perfect. A good deal of trash definitely will show up in categories that you will want to dig and quite a few good targets are going to be in ranges which tend to be garbage. For example, pull tabs often can display in the nickel category, and gold items should display in the same range as pull tab, nickel, foil, and iron.
Ground Balancing
Some ground contains a great deal of iron and other minerals which can confuse a detector. The signals from the soil can be stronger than the signal from the target causing the metal detector to be challenging or impossible to use. Ground balancing is a feature that erases the effects of the minerals in the ground. This is a feature that many beginner metal detectors don’t have, and for most beginning metal detectorists this most likely isn’t necessary. But if you reside in a highly mineralized area it might be a good feature to have.