What is a Metal Detector?

A metal detector is an electronic device used specifically for the detection of buried or hidden metal objects. A metal detector uses electromagnetic fields to locate the presents of metal objects. Metal detectors can use one of three technologies: very low frequency, pulse induction or beat frequency oscillator.

Metal detectors are generally used by two different groups of people: people who are looking to find hidden treasures within the ground and people who are looking to provide safety and security for selected public or private areas.

For people who are looking to find hidden treasures within the ground, metal detectors are usually lightweight and easy to use. When a metal detector passes over a buried metal object, an electromagnetic field is created from the metal detector’s coil, between the metal detector and the buried metal object. This causes the speaker on the metal detector to activate and make a noise. The closer the metal detector moves towards the buried metal object, the louder the noise from the speaker will become.

For walk-through metal detectors, if a person is concealing a hidden metal object, and walks through the metal detector, the metal detector will identify that the person has a metal object on them and makes a loud noise.   

 

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing A Metal Detector

Before purchasing a metal detector, it is important to consider the following factors:

1.    What is the purpose of purchasing a metal detector? – if you are purchasing a metal detector to have some fun and discover some hidden treasures in your garden or on the beach, then a hobby detector is perfect for you. If you are more serious about finding expensive buried metal items such as gold, a more expensive professional metal detector is better suited to your needs. (It is recommended to practice with a hobby detector first, as it is easier to understand and operate).

2.    What are you hoping to find? – metal detectors can uncover a wide range of hidden metal objects. The hobby detectors can uncover a smaller range of metal objects compared to the professional detectors. However, professional metal detectors require more skill to operate and are more expensive.  

 

Different types of Metal Detectors

There are three main classifications of metal detectors:

• Hobby Metal Detectors – these metal detectors are used by beginners. These metal detectors are great for people who are looking to find basic hidden treasures such as old coins and jewelry.
• Professional Metal Detectors – these metal detectors are used by people who have experience using metal detectors and wish to search for additional buried treasures such as iron objects, silver objects and gold objects. 
• Security Metal Detectors – these metal detectors are located in selected public or private areas such as airports. These metal detectors are designed for companies wanting to provide walk-through security as well as checking individual persons who may be concealing dangerous metal objects. 

 

Metal Detector Pricing & Feature Differences

Product	Category	Main Specs	Frequency (Kilohertz [kHz])	Price (R)
Garrett ACE 200i Metal Detector	Beginner/ Hobby	·         Digital target ID – 0-99 scale	6.5	4 049.00
		·         Three search modes (coin, jewellery and zero-disc)
Garrett AT Gold Metal Detector	Professional/Gold	·         Target ID cursor segments – 20 segments	18	15 149.00
		·         Three search modes (true all metal, discrim 1 and discrim 2)
Garrett SuperScanner Hand-held Metal Detector	Security/Walk-Through	·         Detects medium sized pistol from 9”; large knife from 6”; razor blade and box cutter from 3”; foil-wrapped drugs and tiny jewelry from 1”.	NA	3 699.00
		·         One switch operation and ultimate sensitivity

Featured Products

The following metal detectors are featured in this buying guide and are recommended for purchasing:

   

Accessories / Add-Ons

The following items are metal detector accessories which can be used to enhance the existing performance of the metal detector, to protect the metal detector or to assist with the process of retrieving the buried metal objects from the ground.  

    

 

Additional Links

ACE 200i Instructional Video – https://youtu.be/PNAL9Qhe3xE

Garrett AT Gold Part 1 of 4 (Instructional Video) – https://youtu.be/ijDaYVln-uo

The Garrett Pro-Pointer II Pinpointing Metal Detector – https://youtu.be/iXSqplZkJN0

 

Important Metal Detector Terms

The following terms are important to understand when learning how to operate a metal detector.

• Discrimination – this term for metal detecting allows a metal detector to ignore certain types of metal. The detector can be set to ignore certain metal frequencies to avoid finding some metal objects. For example, the metal detector can be set to find coins only. This ensures that if the metal detector passes over other metal objects such as tin foil or nails, the detector will not locate these items.
• Frequency – the frequency of a metal detector describes the number of times the signal is transmitted and received by the detector every second. Metal detector’s frequencies can be adjusted, depending on what you want to find and which metal detector you use. For example, a nail has a lower frequency than a coin.   
• Ground balance – all soil contains a tiny amount of metal and this can interfere with the metal detector’s ability to search for the buried metal valuables. Ground balance allows the metal detector to bypass the tiny amounts of metal minerals existing in the soil, to find the valuable hidden metal objects.
• Target identification – this indicates which type of metal has been located by the metal detector. Target identification uses different numbers and/or bars that appear on the LCD display screen of the metal detector as well as make different sounds to indicate which type of metal has been located. The more sophisticated the metal detector, the more detailed the target identification.
• Search Depth – is the depth to which your metal detector can look for the buried metal objects. Search depth is effected by the metal detector’s coil size, the size of the buried metal object itself, the type of metal the buried object is, the soil type the buried object is located in, how much moisture the soil contains, the position the buried object is lying in the ground and how long the metal object has been buried for.
• Sensitivity – this is the ability to discover metal objects from a distance. It is recommended to keep to the manufacturers set level of sensitivity because setting the sensitivity too high can cause the sound to become static and setting the sensitivity too low can cause no sound to play from the detector’s speaker. However, there are times when the sensitivity level should be adjusted, for example, when searching in areas of high metal mineral content, it is suggested to lower the sensitivity.

 

Metal Detecting on the Beach

Using a metal detector on the beach can produce better results than using a metal detector on other types of ground. This is due to a few factors such as: sand is not as compact as soil – making it easier for metal detectors to locate buried metal objects, digging in sand is easier than digging in soil as the soil is soft and lose and the beach is a public area where people visit all year round – which increases the chances of finding lost valuables.  

 

How to use a Metal Detector on the Beach

Metal detecting on the beach is different from detecting on other land types. The sea salt found in the sand and water on the beach can cause metal detectors to make a noise and provide false readings. This is because sea salt intensifies the ground minerals. The metal detectors that function the best on the beach are pulse induction metal detectors because these metal detectors ignore the effects of the minerals and allow you to search for hidden treasures right away. Very low frequency detectors can be used as well, if the ground adjust control is suitable for the beach.

There are two kinds of detecting that can be done on the beach:

1.    Wet sand detecting – this form of detecting is done in the sea, between the shallow waves and on damp sand. It is important to have a waterproof metal detector. Items found in the wet sand are likely to be older.

2.    Dry sand detecting – this form of detecting is done higher up on the beach, on the dry sand. It is generally easier to uncover metal objects from dry sand, as it is easier to dig them up (make sure the whole detector is waterproof, not just the coil). Items found in the dry sand are likely to be newer.

 

Tips for using a Metal Detector on the Beach

The following tips will assist you to uncover hidden treasures hidden on the beach and in the sea:

• Check legality – before searching on the beach, ensure that it is legal and if you require a license or permit, that you acquire one.
• Purchase a waterproof detector – make sure that the detector you purchase is suitable to go in the sea, if you intend to go wet sand detecting. (If you wish to stick to dry sand detecting only, a regular detector is fine).
• Know the tides – the best time to go metal detecting on the beach is at low tide because most of the beach is exposed, making it easier to scan.
• Storms – storms along the coastline washup new treasures from shipwrecks. Once the bad weather has cleared, it is the perfect opportunity to discover new treasure.
• Investigate rock pools – rock pools naturally trap tidal action twice a day, which increases the potential to trap treasure.
• Flat beaches – flat beaches may offer better opportunities for uncovering hidden treasures because the beach changes less compared to steep beaches. The buried metal objects are generally located closer to the surface on flat beaches, compared to steep beaches whereby the treasure is covered in meters of sand.    

 

 

FAQs

How deep can a metal detector detect?

This depends on the type of detector you are using, the terrain you are searching on, how close to the surface the buried objects are located, how big the buried objects are and what type of metal the hidden metal object is.

Can a metal detector detect gold?

Yes, metal detectors can detect gold. There are specific metal detectors that are designed to detect gold.

What is the best frequency for a metal detector?

This depends on what you want to find. Metal objects come in different forms: tin foil, bottle caps, nails, cans, coins, jewellery etc. When the metal detector passes over the hidden metal object it will make a beeping noise. As the amount of metal is not the same in the above-mentioned items, neither is their frequency. For example, a nail has a lower frequency than a coin. Therefore, if you want to find coins, you will need to set your metal detector to a higher frequency to ignore lower frequency metal objects such as nails.

What is discrimination?

Discrimination for metal detecting allows a metal detector to ignore certain types of metal. The customer can set their detector to ignore certain metal frequencies to avoid finding metal objects they don’t want to find. For example, a hobby metal detector can be set to find coins only. This ensures that if the metal detector passes over other metal objects such as tin foil or nails, the detector will not locate these items.

Can a metal detector find a diamond?

No, a metal detector cannot locate a diamond. Metal detectors can only locate objects that have metal in them. A diamond is a rock and contains no metal, therefore cannot be found using a metal detector.

 

all buying guides