A Easy Guide to selecting and buying a Metal Detector
This How to purchase a Metal Detector Guide gives you the step by step information you need to find the right Metal Detector to buy AND where to buy it at a great price!
We also provide a lot of links to metal detector reviews and other metal detector guides as well as an AMAZON.COM Metal detector Sale link and a link to Kellyco Metal Detectors!!
The Simple Process
Here is the EASY process we are going to walk you thru to select a metal detector to buy AND actually buy it:
- You will answer 3 or 4 questions to help narrow down your choices.
- Then You will review a list of metal detectors that are divided into groups based upon the answers to the questions.
- You can then read reviews of your favorite detectors that meet your qualifications
- Finally you can go to one of the sites we recommend to buy the metal detector that you like best
I am not trying to railroad you into making a purchase. This is just a good process to follow and I hope it helps OK? Lets get started!
Answer the 3 questions below to narrow down your choices
There are 3 important questions you have to answer in order to buy the right metal detector for yourself or as a gift for others:
1) How much money can you afford to spend? -
- Metal Detectors cost from $20 all the way up to $4000. But for the average person, and especially the beginner, the realistic range is $75 – $500 for a good quality Metal Detector.
2) How good at learning technical devices is the user? -
- If they (you – whoever) can buy an IPod or a new cell phone and figure it out on their own – NO PROBLEM! Metal Detectors, even the most complex ones are easier to learn then those.
- BUT if they can't operate the TV remote then you need to make sure you get them a "Turn on and Go" metal detector. Which literally means you can turn it on and go detecting without knowing anything.
3) Where are they going to use the Metal Detector? –
- If its On dry land then all detectors will work.
- If its on the beach then they need one that can handle the salt environment,
- if it is around the water then it needs to have a waterproof coil.
- If it is in the water then it needs to be waterproof!
Now Review the list of Metal Detectors
OK I assume you have answered the 3 questions above.
Now Based Upon that information here is a list of Metal Detectors that are grouped by price. I modified information from our "Price of Metal Detector " article in case this look familiar.
Within each price band we have listed the best metal detectors.And the brief review of each Metal Detector tells you if it is good for land, water, etc AND if it is easy to learn!
Metal Detectors that work for under $100
About Metal Detectors for under $100
Most of these are Kids detectors. While they lack the features of more expensive detectors and do not penetrate as deeply into the ground, all the ones listed here will find metal (including coins and Jewelry and junk) under ground. But they lack the durability and advanced features of the other classes of metal detectors. Generally they do not "Discriminate" between junk and treasure very well> but most kids don't mind as they are digging for treasure.
If the Detector Name is Blue and underlined it means it is a link to a full review of that metal detector so if you are interested you can learn more about it in detail.
| Detector Name | List Price | Expected Retail Price | Notes | Where top Buy |
Wild Planet Kid Quest Metal Detector | $19.99 | $17.50 | Simple. Works well. No settings to mess with no discriminating between junk and treasure. If its metal it beeps..
| Available at Amazon.com and Some Department stores |
Treasure Cove Kid's Metal Detector (Model: TC-1002) | $79.99 | $49 – $69 | Simple. No settings. Really does work but no filtering of junk vs treasure – you dig every signal to find out.. | Available at Amazon.com and Some Department stores |
Bounty Hunter Jr. Metal Detector BHJS | $96 | $50 – $75 | Has a Meter and discrimination setting. So it lets kids filter out some of the junk and tells them via the meter if they have found something worth digging. | Available at Amazon.com and Some Department stores |
Bounty Hunter Tracker IV Metal Detector | $129 | $99 | This has better junk discrimination, better sound and will use earphones. really at the start of the beginners class but the price makes it qualify as a kids detector. | Available at Amazon.com and Some Department stores |
Good Metal Detectors that work for $100 – $200
These Metal Detectors are suitable for adults and children.
Beginners Metal Detectors listed here are more featured then the ones in the Kids class. Generally they will have a few more controls, they will have better discrimination for eliminating Junk. They are a little more durable and will find treasure buried deeper in the ground then the Kids detectors.
But they are not as full featured as the hobby class detectors, do not go as deep and do not do as good of a job of telling you what you may have found under the ground as the hobby class. Hence the term "Beginners Metal Detector".
| Detector Name | List Price | Expected Retail | Notes | Where To Buy |
| Teknetics Alpha 2000 Metal Detector Review | Not sure | $199 | Full featured. # tone ID and LCD screen. See review for more | Amazon |
| Fisher F2 Metal Detector | $249 | $199 | Real nice Beginners Detector. with Target ID, Depth ID and much more See the review. | Amazon or Kellyco |
| Garrett Ace 150 Metal Detector | $179 | $150 | I am a huge fan of the Ace 150,250 and 350 detectors. At $150 this is a great deal. It has a great LCD screen loaded with info about the target you are finding before you dig.Click the link to see the review. | Amazon or Kellyco some dept stores |
| Garrett Ace 250 Metal Detector | $249 | $212 | A step up from the ACE 150. Really at the edge of the hobby class. Some pro features are included. See the review. | Amazon or Kellyco some dept stores |
| Whites Coinmaster | $179 | $179 | A very good beginners detector that is made in the USA in Sweet Home Oregon. Whites is a trusted name. | Kellyco or thru Whites Electronics |
Quality Hobby Class Metal Detectors from $200 – $499
Hobby Class Metal Detectors listed here are what you buy if you want to get into the hobby or step up from the beginners. In this class you will get Durable metal detectors meant for every day use. Capable of finding coins and jewelry, gold and silver down to 8 inches or so underground. Some are waterproof or water resistant.
All are made by trusted manufacturers and can be repaired by them if broken. They are designed to hunt treasure from the beach to the mountains and can handle the different soil conditions.
There are many many detectors made in this class and price range ($200 – $500). We have included a broad scale.
| Detector Name | List Price | Expected Retail | Notes | Where to Buy |
| Garrett ACE 350 Metal Detector | $349 | $297 | Read the review. A solid value at this price point and competitive with detectors costing $100 – $150 more. One of My favorites | Amazon or Kellyco, some dept stores |
| Fisher F4 Metal Detector | $499 | $399 | Fisher fanatics will hate me for this but I think this model is overpriced given the competition. Click the review of the F4 and ACE 350 and judge yourself | Amazon or Kellyco |
| Whites Coinmaster Pro | $279 | $250 | Whites makes GREAT metal detectors and this is a solid model that is easy to use. EASY!!. and backed by White's great reputation – and made in the USA in Sweet Home Oregon. | Kellyco or Whites Electronics |
| Tesoro Silver Umax | $299 | $250 | The Tesoro is another Made in the USA brand. It has older styling and lacks some of the features of the other detectors listed here. Read the review for yourself. For my money I would choose one of the others. | Amazon or Kellyco |
| Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505 Metal Detector | $499 | $250 | This replaces the Bounty Hunter Land Ranger and Land Star. A good detector but again the Whites, Garrets and Fisher are ahead of it in my opinion | Amazon or Kellyco,some dept stores |
Minelab X-TERRA 305 Metal Detector | $499 | $399 | Minelab is highly regarded. I have never used one but have never heard a bad thing said about one except that they ARE NOT as easy to use as some of the others as you have more control and more options. | Kellyco |
| Fisher Gold Bug 2 Metal Detector | $599 | $499 | A highly regarded Gold metal detector designed and specialized to find gold! | Amazon,Kellyco |
Metal Detectors for Serious hobbyists from $499 – $850
These are full featured, deep ground penetrating Metal Detectors.
Ok this gets wide open with fully water proof detectors, deep seeking detectors, specialized gold detectors, etc. All under $850. Thats our arbitrary cut off. Anything more and we are considering it a pro tool. For the serious hunter.
| Detector Name | List Price | Expected Retail | Notes | Where to Buy |
| Garrett AT Pro | $699 | $599 | Wow. Great detector that happens to be waterproof to 10 feet underwater while still being a normal land detector. Read the review. Solid. A little heavy. But hard to go wrong with this one. | Amazon or Kellyco |
| Whites MXT Metal Detector | $699 | $599 – $650 | Almost an industry standard. Works great. I will get a review of it on here in a while. Reminds me of my old Whites Eagle II. A great detector. BUT not waterproof like the AT PRO above. | Whites Electronics or Kellyco |
| Fisher 1280x Aquanaut Metal Detector | $799 | $679 | Water poof down to 250 feet below the surface. Really a pro underwater detector but the price point puts it in the Mid Point market. Planning on doing a lot of heavy surf or underwater detecting for treasure? This is for you. | Amazon or Kellyco |
| Tesoro Deleon Metal Detector | $599 | $525 | Not in the class of the others here. Really a Hobby class that is overpriced. Sorry Tesoro Fans. | Kellyco or Amazon |
| Minelab Xterra 505 Metal Detector | $695 | $550 | Again I do not know much about the MInelabs except that they are highly regarded. But i would do research before making my decision. | Kellyco |
| Fisher CZ-3D Metal Detector | $949 | $810 | This is designed specifically for targeting coin hunting and has a lot of improvements to enable it to find Coins better then many other detectors. Read the review for more. | Kellyco or Amazon |
How to Buy a Metal Detector – Where to buy
Once you have decided on a Metal Detector all you have to do is buy it. But where can you buy one and not get ripped off? AND Where can you buy one of the more expensive ones and get support after the sale?
1) If you know what metal detector you want and you want the best price, quick delivery and a no hassle return policy
I recommend that you buy thru Amazon as your first choice. They have great customer friendly policies and are cost competitive with everyone!
You can click on the link Below to go to Amazon and see their Metal Detector Selection:
Click here for Metal Detectors on Sale at Amazon
2) If you want one of the better metal detectors on the lists above and want to buy thru a company that specializes in Metal Detectors and who you can call and ask questions to or get information from AFTER the sale then I recommend Kellyco! They are a trusted name in Metal Detectors and have been around longer then just about anyone else!
There should be a Link for Kellyco on this page as an Advertisement. Just click on it and it will take you to their site.
3) You may also search for a local Metal Detector dealer. Often Hobby Stores and Electronics Stores Sell Metal Detectors as a Side Line. You can look up Metal Detectors in your yellow pages OR you can do a web search on Metal Detectors and your town or nearby city name like this: Metal Detectors Lincoln Nebraska.
Ok thats it for this Article on How to purchase your Metal Detector! You can click on this link to go to our Main page for more articles like this Guide to Purchasing a Metal detector!
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