You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on a metal detector to get into the pastime. There are a great number of coins and things of both interest and value just waiting to be found. The things you find metal detecting can quickly pay off your entire machine.

There is cheap, and then there is inexpensive. Inexpensive is really what you are after. Sticking with well-known brands is usually the safer bet. They are typically well-built but come with fairly good warranties anyway, in case you do have any problems. These companies want you to enjoy your metal detecting experience because they know that once you are hooked by that cool find then you are an enthusiast for life.

Metal detecting has been called a sport by some. Be it a sport or simply a hobby, it is healthy. It gets you outside, takes you places you wouldn’t otherwise go, and can even teach you things about the past in a hands-on way like nothing else. Click here for further information regarding metal detecting.

Garrett ACE 150

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 Garrett is a trusted brand for metal detectors and this is a good general-purpose metal detector. It is rugged and made for the outdoors; it will make your time spent outside even more profitable!

It has three search modes:

• all metal
• jewelry
• and coins

You can also upgrade to the Garrett ACE 250 for another $60 if you want these added search modes: relics, pinpoint, and custom, as well as 7 added target ID segments, and 3 extra search modes.

Both are great, basic, and solid machines. If “one-touch treasure hunting” is what you are after, then either of these machines is for you.

Bounty Hunter TK4 Tracker IV

That is not much of an investment considering the potential this machine has to quickly pay for itself. It is also a tough machine, made for detecting extreme conditions, but it is user-friendly too.

The coil and stem are waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about wet grass or shallow water. The Tracker automatically balances for highly mineralized soil.

You can detect things like coins 8” down and even deeper for larger objects, up to three feet. This is a versatile machine and is great for coin shooting, relic hunting, jewelry hunting, and cache hunting.

Fisher F2 metal detector

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 It has a few more features though, which will appeal to some.

The 8-segment video target ID comes in handy, and the big display with a large control panel is easy to operate and simplistic enough for beginners.

It is lightweight enough to allow tireless hunting. The waterproof search coil makes this detector great for land or the beach.

The sensitivity of this machine is excellent, and it can search 10” deep. The pinpointing feature augments that by allowing you to specifically locate your target.

Another plus is Fisher’s five-year warranty, which is better than most.

Whenever trying to purchase anything, each one finds themselves stuck at finding the ‘right purchase’ which usually translates to value for money. Most people try to spend less for more as this is not only wise but also spares a few bucks.

When it comes to metal detectors, you also want to find quality for every dollar you spend. There are several things you want to bear in mind when shopping as a safe bet or guideline to smart buys.

This also applies to people starting in metal detecting, they should try to start with a bit cheaper devices that are still good quality. The products mentioned in our metal detector reviews are also very good for beginners.

Buying the Best Metal Detector for the Money

Price

While you want to find something cheap, try not to stoop too low. If it is less than $100, try not to go too low to $20 as these prices are good for children’s devices and second-hand ones which would be ideal only if they are what you seek. If they are not, spare a few more dollars and get a relatively good one such as the Bounty Hunter Gold Digger for $60 which can help you out of a lost wedding band for instance.

Coil

The larger the diameter of a coil, the more the sensitivity usually. For a price less than $100, the standard device you would get has an 8-inch coil. Additional features that would help you know you are getting a bargain include an interchangeable coil for instance because that would imply two-for-the-price-of-one. E.g. BH Time Ranger. Another feature would be the coil’s Waterproof nature. Some are semi-waterproof meaning they can be used in shallow waters but not in deep ones. This is subject to preference and location but a full water-proof beats a semi any day. The technology of the coil is also important. The latest ones use D-tech which you should look out for.

Functionality

Several features vary depending on the type of metal detector in question but as a rule, at $100, devices will tend to be very low frequency (VLF) type. The minimum you would expect from this technology is:

Notching: whatever they may package it your detector should be able to discriminate targets based on their signal strength and depth and give you the option to determine what strength you want to find.

Ground balance: whether automatic or user-defined, you should be able to minimize interference by electromagnetic waves and minerals in the soil. Sensitivity and discrimination should be altered to your preference.

LCD Display: Having an LCD beats having none. You should be able to find a display with the sensitivity, target ID, and battery level shown. The audio could have built-in speakers or come with headphones. The headphone jack should be there for your comfort and suitability. At this price, do not count on high-end headphones being a part of the parcel. On the tones, mono-tone to three or four tones are available. This depends on your choice but generally having more tones is always better as you tend to only dig up what you want rather than doing a blind survey. Iron-discriminating tones are essential too.

Most of these devices need batteries to run. You need to find the best kind and the ones that tend to last longer. Reading reviews from users on a particular product are of use here.

Brand

The most reliable ones are the ones users tend to like and buy. Based on reviews on Amazon.com, Bounty Hunter and Ace Garret come tops. The others worth mentioning are Coinmaster, Tesoro, and Whites.

Design

The ones with adjustable shaft lengths are user-centered and are usually comfortable to use. Look out for arm-rest padding and handle materials too. Lightweight detectors are handy tools that tend to be used longer as one does not get tired quickly. This is useful for anyone passionate about hunting from time to time.

Extras

What goodies are added? Is it GPS-enabled? Wi-Fi perhaps? I am kidding but really, these are the sell-out points that determine whether you should buy it for real. For a good buy, rather than these cool features, do not get me wrong, look out for the warranty instead. Good BH products can have up to 5 years on a purchase. These warranties can be on goods and services or either alone. Ensure you determine this first.

Metal Detector For the Money Comparison Chart

Metal Detector	Weight	Dimensions	Warranty	Rating
Bounty Hunter Gold Digger	3 pounds	6 x 9 x 20.5 in	Manufacturers	8
Bounty Hunter TK4	3.7 pounds	28.2 x 10 x 6.2 in	5 Year	9
Bounty Hunter BHJS	1.3 pounds	22 x 6 x 5 in	1-Year	8
Bounty Hunter PL Time Ranger	2.1 pounds	28.5 x 10 x 6.2 in	5 Year	9

Conclusion

This part also answers the question of what you want to use the detector for. A parent buying his/her child a detector would find a weatherproof coil suitable while a professional might find this absurd or unnecessary. Other features that vary include touchpads and depth of detection. At the end of the day, what are you looking for?