Frequently asked questions

Yes, but not the way the marketing implies. Any detector will find a gold ring or coin, because those are decent-sized conductive targets. Finding small natural gold flakes and nuggets is a different job that needs a high-frequency or specialist gold machine, and mostly in ground that actually has gold in it. A general-purpose beginner detector is the right tool for jewellery and coins, not for prospecting.

For an entry-level machine, expect roughly 6 to 10 inches on a coin-sized target in ordinary soil - not the two or three feet quoted on boxes, which refers to large objects like pipes. Depth also falls sharply in mineralised or wet salty ground.

The one whose target ID you can trust. Digging junk is what makes people quit, so honest discrimination matters more than an extra inch of depth. On our scoring the Garrett ACE 300 separates coins from pull tabs most reliably at a sensible price.

Only if you will actually put it in water. Most machines have a waterproof coil, which covers wet grass and shallow puddles. Fully submersible bodies matter for beach, river and lake hunting - and that is a real price step, so decide before you buy rather than after.

It is a conductivity estimate shown as a number or a segment, not an identification. It reliably groups iron away from coins, and it is much less reliable at telling a pull tab from a gold ring - which is why experienced detectorists dig some trash on purpose.

Enough to get honest target ID, which in practice means the low-to-mid range rather than the cheapest shelf. Below that, the money saved is spent again in wasted digging - and in most cases in giving up.

A digging tool you will not break, a pinpointer, headphones and something to carry finds and trash in. Only some of these come in the box, which is why we score what you get separately from the machine itself.

A few sessions to stop digging obvious iron, a season to read your machine's tones confidently. The learning is mostly in your ears, not the settings menu.

It depends entirely on where you stand. Rules differ between private land, public parks, beaches, state land and protected sites, and they change. Always get the landowner's permission and check the current rules for that specific place - we deliberately do not publish location-by-location rules here, because outdated legal guidance is worse than none.

Not usefully. Hobby detectors are built to read a few inches of soil. Locating rebar, pipes or wiring is a job for a purpose-built stud or line locator.

Usually electrical interference, ground mineralisation, or the sensitivity set too high for the conditions. Lower sensitivity slightly and run the ground balance - a stable, quieter machine finds more than a noisy one.

Five weighted criteria: turn on and go, target ID honesty, depth potential, build and weather, and what is in the box. This is a desk comparison from published specifications - the methodology page sets out exactly what that does and does not tell you. Scores are set before any retailer link is attached.