Metal Detector Buyers Guide

 
Treasure Hunting Metal detecting is a fun, captivating and sometimes profitable hobby. It's wonderful to get outdoors, make some new friends, get exercise and possibly find some buried treasure! Many people are enjoying this great hobby every day. Today's state of the art metal detecting equipment, using advanced technology, will allow the hobbyist to accurately pinpoint what is in the ground, how deep it is buried and even what kind of material it is made from.
 
Hobbyists can actually program their metal detectors to look for specific items; gold, rare coins, jewelry, meteorites etc. And these days, digging up just one of these items can literally recover the purchase price of the metal detector! What other hobbies can make this claim? We encourage you to give treasure hunting metal detecting a try. Whatever brand or model you choose; we hope you will join the others in the enjoyment of this great outdoor hobby.
 
Getting Started
 
The first step in beginning anything new is buying the right equipment. Fortunately, other than the metal detector and a digging tool, all you need is a good pair of boots and a place to hunt for buried treasure. Purchasing your first metal detector is little different than buying your first fishing reel or set of golf clubs. In general, the more you can spend, the more quality, reliability and features you can expect to get. Generally speaking, metal detectors can be put in three basic categories:
 
Toys
 
These are the metal detectors sold mostly by national chains and "big-box" retailers at very low prices. For the casual hobbyist or first time buyer they may appear to be an eye-catching choice. However few people are satisfied with this type of metal detector for very long.
 
Entry-level detectors
 
Most legitimate manufacturers of metal detectors build reliable, good quality detectors. Prices begin around 200 dollars and can go into the thousands of dollars. What you are paying for is overall quality, sophistication, engineering expertise, and the ability to discriminate between "'junk" and targets of real value.
 
Serious Equipment
 

These metal detectors are designed and built for the serious hobbyist and professional treasure hunter. They contain the very intense research and development. (in the past 20 years, most major advances in metal detection technology have come from Minelab!) These detectors will work effectively over many types of ground: beach, parks, etc., discriminate metal more accurately and find targets many inches deeper in different soil conditions.
 
Accurate discrimination between various types of targets means you don't spend your time digging up bottle caps, pop-tops and other unwanted "junk". In some cases, the metal detectors can even be programmed to find or reject specific types of targets that you want to find or not find.
 
The very best detectors have highly sophisticated circuitry that sends multiple signals into the ground and these are able to find targets lesser metal detectors ignore. They can also be adjusted to work in various types of soil. The different elements and minerals in the ground have a tremendous effect on one's ability to find something of value. Basic metal detectors cannot cope well with ground conditions often found in the USA. Serious hobbyists use this class of machine almost exclusively. They have little patience for the toy category and have outgrown the mid-level metal detectors. That's where Minelab comes in.
 
Much of their technology comes directly from the design of sophisticated mine detection equipment. Armed forces around the world, including the US Army, use Minelab mine detection technology. No other company can make this claim. Metal and/or treasure detecting is a fun family activity. It provides plenty of low impact exercise and is the only hobby that can actually pay you back! The small investment in a quality metal detector is well worth the potential rewards. Good Luck and Good Hunting!