The UK isn’t best known for its temperate year-round climate. As a result, it’s a good idea to make sure that the metal detector your buying has some level of water-proofing.

The Garrett ACE 150 is Garrett’s entry model, but it’s certainly not a toy. It’s a quality piece of detecting kit that suits children from late primary age into secondary school with enough detecting power and technology to keep an amateur adult happy too.

Buyers Guide

Obviously, your choice will depend on how seriously you are taking metal detecting and your available budget. The more expensive metal detectors have more features to enable you to find more things, but they may be too costly for someone who is not sure how much they will use the machine. Metal detecting is a fantastic hobby for almost anyone, and finding something unique or valuable is simply the icing on the cake. DEPTH & SENSITIVITY ADJUSTABLE. The depth can be adjusted with plus or minus to 2″, 4″, 6″, 8″ inches. The 5 grade sensitivity control will allow you to fine tune. This will provide you with a modicum of accuracy that is not found in cheaper models. This means you will spend less time digging and more time finding precious metals and antique artifacts. If you want to search in shallow rivers or beach shorelines, look for metal detectors with a waterproof search coil . These can be used on wet days and in shallow water.

For several years, I have been on the sidelines researching metal detecting as a possible pastime and hobby for leisure and fun in my retirement. Now, I am diving in or digging in with my older brother, also retired and looking for fun activities that get us moving and into the great outdoors more often. Firstly, a search coil of around 22 – 27 cm (9 – 11”) is ideal for beginners. This will detect to a good depth without being too expensive. We first carried out a simple set of air tests against two other pinpointers, the Nokta Pulse and Quest Xpointer. Very low frequency metal detectors are arguably the most commonly used type of metal detector. Also known as induction balance detectors, these types of detector utilise two coils.Nokta PulseDive– Excellent pinpointer. Very well made. Built like a tank. Plenty of options. Quite heavy and the buttons are stiff. As you can see, the MT6-PRO does well here, only slightly behind the Nokta and ahead of the Quest. Even more impressive is that the MT6-PRO results did not vary when detecting targets in the ground. More advanced features, worth looking out for, include sensitivity and ground balancing . These will help distinguish between genuine finds and rubbish in mineral-dense soil. Also included on the LED screen are a depth indicator and a battery life indicator along with a set of icons that show what the target most likely is before starting to dig.

It can be used straight out the box (as long as you have a 9 V battery ready to go – the battery doesn’t come included), and by using intuition alone you’ll be able to work out how to locate metal like iron. If you want to search for more valuable objects, it takes a bit of getting used to, but the manual is clear and well structured, making the HOOMYA metal detector easy to understand. The metal detector has a large LCD screen (3’’ x 2.2’’). This is very convenient because you can clearly see information such as the type of the object detected, how much battery life you have left, and how deep the object is located. The MT6-PRO has now been released to the market but we had the opportunity to test one over the past few months. The design is quite interesting. From a distance, it reminds me of the XP Mi6/Mi4. I am not sure if that was deliberate but suffice it to say it looks good. Versatility: For a metal detector to be versatile, it needed to be accessible for beginners and accustomed detectorists alike. So, models with preset factory modes as well as custom mode settings were rated higher. Detectors that worked on multiple frequencies rather than just one were rated higher, as these offered more adjustable settings. A 9-inch PROformance coil was the best of the best for powerful detecting, allowing you to detect more metals, so these were given higher marks.In addition to the discrimination function, this metal detector has something truly unique, namely the memory mode. For example, if you want to find a specific object such as a coin, you can set up the detector to only respond to this desired object. All in all, this is a beginner-friendly metal detector which is also suitable for the avid-detectorist. Working well to limit the amount of ‘junk’ metal you dig up, it’s also waterproof up to 3 m and effective around fresh water. At 1.8 kg the MT-XR doesn’t feel too heavy, and children can use it as well without difficulty. It’s a good choice for taking on camping trips and outdoor adventures because all the family can get enjoyment from this fun tool.

On the downside, the 150 doesn’t have ground balancing so it might send out false signals on mineralised ground. You can combat this a bit with the sensitivity, but experienced detectorists will want adjustable ground balancing. Specifically designed for younger children, the AMYSPORTS Metal Detector is a lightweight tool that will give kids a reason to play outside and keep them entertained. It will be able to suggest whether the find contains traces of iron, silver or gold (bear in mind that not all metal detectors can identify gold as they need to operate at a very low frequency, which not all detectors can do). Accurate and Easy Detection - With a 3.15" detection distance and 360° omnidirectional detection probe, the metal detecting pinpointer provides precise and efficient detection. The pinpointer metal detector is IP68 fully waterproof to a depth of 3m/9.8 feet, suitable for the seabed, riverside, beach, and other places, allowing you to enjoy detecting underwater.The factory preset search modes are coins, all-metal, and jewellery – just select the mode you want and it’s time to head outside to detect with no manual required. Metal detecting can be a great hobby for the ‘technology-obsessed’ younger-generations to get involved with. It offers users the chance to explore and appreciate the great outdoors. Plus, it can create a reason to go on different outings with your children. You can enjoy metal detecting in the park near your home, or head to the beach or nearest river for a little hunt around. Metal detecting is also a great way for you and the kids to get to know the local area.