tested & ranked
Every machine gets the same treatment: what the specs mean in the dirt, who it suits, and the weak point nobody prints on the box.
Honest metal detector reviews.From someone who's dug the holes.
Metal detector reviews written by a detectorist, not a spec-sheet reader — 14 machines tested across wet sand, trashy old parks, and creek bottoms. Every detector on the market claims depth it can't reach. This site tells you what each one actually does when you're three hours into a hunt.
Beginners are genuinely welcome here. Every bit of jargon — discrimination, ground balance, target ID — gets explained in plain terms the first time it shows up, because nobody was born knowing this.
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01Fresh from the field
All 14 reviews →Minelab Equinox 800
One detector to cover coins, jewelry, beach, and the occasional gold hunt — without compromising on any of them.
Read the reviewGarrett Ace 400
A first detector for parks, fields, and dry ground — someone who wants to be finding coins the same day it arrives.
Read the reviewNokta Simplex+
Beginners and second-machine buyers who want waterproof capability — creeks, lakes, rain, and freshwater swim beaches.
Read the reviewMinelab Vanquish 540
Beginners and casual hunters who want real multi-frequency depth and separation without menu diving.
Read the reviewBounty Hunter Tracker IV (TK4)
Curious first-timers, kids hunting with an adult, and anyone testing the hobby before committing real money.
Read the reviewMinelab Equinox 900
One machine for everything — parks, relics, salt beach, and gold — with the ergonomics sorted out.
Read the review02Which one should I buy?
Answered by what you plan to hunt — not by which machine pays the most.
Best Pinpointers for Metal Detecting
The best pinpointer for metal detecting is the Garrett Pro-Pointer AT — waterproof, adjustable, and hard to lose. Probes compared for dirt, water, and gold.
See the picks →Best Pinpointer Metal Detector for Gold
The best pinpointer for gold is the Falcon MD20 — a very high frequency probe that finds flakes in quartz standard pinpointers miss. Gold probes compared.
See the picks →Best Metal Detector for Kids
The best metal detector for kids is the Nokta Mini Hoard — light enough for a small child and capable enough to find real coins. Picks by age, from 5 to teenager.
See the picks →Best Metal Detector for Beginners
The best metal detector for beginners is the Nokta Simplex+ — waterproof, wireless, and simple enough to use on day one. Starter, entry-level, and intermediate picks compared.
See the picks →Best Metal Detector for Beach & Water
The best metal detector for the beach is the Minelab Equinox 800 — multi-frequency handles wet salt sand and it's submersible to 10 feet. Waterproof and underwater picks compared.
See the picks →Best Metal Detector for the Money
The best metal detector for the money is the Nokta Simplex+ — waterproof, wireless, and rechargeable at an entry-level price. Budget, cheap, and under-$300 picks compared honestly.
See the picks →Best Metal Detector for Gold
The best metal detector for gold is the Minelab Equinox 800 — high frequencies find small gold and it handles mineralized ground. Nugget hunting and gold jewelry picks compared.
See the picks →Best Metal Detector for Property Pins
The best metal detector for property pins is the Nokta Simplex — turn discrimination all the way down and it finds buried steel rebar and survey stakes at real depth. What to buy, and what a metal detector can't tell you.
See the picks →Best Metal Detector for Coins and Jewelry
The best metal detector for coins and jewelry is the Minelab Equinox 800 — multi-frequency depth on old coins and enough sensitivity for thin gold jewelry in the same swing. Here's what actually separates this from a gold-prospecting machine.
See the picks →Best Metal Detector for Relic Hunting
The best metal detector for relic hunting is the Garrett AT Pro — genuine iron audio instead of blanket iron rejection, real depth, and ground handling that holds up on old homesteads and Civil War camps.
See the picks →05Know the brand before you commit
06Get better at this
Technique beats equipment for the first year. Swing slower, grid your site, and dig the signals everyone else rejects.
"A hunted-out park is usually just a badly hunted park."
One rubric, no exceptions
Ratings come from depth, separation in trash, ergonomics over a long hunt, and build quality — not from reading the box.
How we test →Honest about every weak point
Every machine here has something it can't do, and you'll find it stated plainly — then who the detector still suits.
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