Selecting Your First Metal Detector.

July 23rd, 2010 Posted in Outdoors

If you are thing about starting a new hobby metal detecting, you need to learn about the different Metal Detectors and qualities before making your purchase. If you are a first timer in the metal detecting hobby, it is important to make sure you buy the right metal detector to avoid disappointment with your new hobby. The major considerations you need to be mindful of when purchasing a detector are:

Cost
It is important to make sure that the detector you buy has the features you need and this means that it probably won’t be the cheapest model available, probably something like a Garrett GTI 1500 Metal Detector. Cheaper metal detectors may be substandard and may not perform well so they probably lead to you not being satisfied with your purchase. Regardless of the nature of your metal detecting experience, it is better to buy a unit with the functionality you need to avoid disappointment later on.

While it is better to buy a unit with extra features, it is still important to know what features you really need and to stick with those features and stay within your budget With the range of metal detectors on the market, your aim should be to select a unit that will meet your performance needs within your price range. In making your selection, make sure that it is not too expensive for your budget and does not have features too complicated for you to use. If you find that you are enjoying your new hobby, remember that you will always have the opportunity to upgrade to a more featured metal detector by trading your old metal detector. From our research, it shouldn’t be too difficult to locate a dealer interested in trading in your old detector when you want to upgrade to a more expensive detector unit with better detecting capabilities.

Metal Detector Functionality
A range of metal detectors models are available from basic units to expensive units with every feature you may need. Some manufacturers also have very high end detectors for specific uses and these often very complicated units usually come with built-in programming that make them easy to operate. If you buy an advanced unit, you will need to read the manufacturers manual and become familiar with the operation of the unit to take advantage of these advanced features. It is important to note that that every feature built into detector unit will add to the cost of the unit, therefore try not to choose a detector just because it has a lot of features. In choosing your metal detector, make sure your selection criteria are based on what you are going to use the detector for. If you aren’t a professional metal detectorist, you should be able to buy a cheaper unit without high end functions that will easily meet your hobby needs.

Weight and Stability
Older metal detectors were very heavy to carry because of the heavy batteries and signaling systems. New Metal detectors are much lighter and more stable making them much easier to carry and use thanks to improvements in battery and computer technologies. It is still a good idea to check the weight and the design of the unit before purchase to ensure that it won’t be too heavy to carry and that the unit includes some design flexibility to be able to adjust the overall length to suit your height. Check the weight and length of the unit in the Manufacturers specifications to determine whether it will a suitable unit for you to use. The unit should be lightweight and have adjustable length to suit your height etc.

Tone Identification
Some detector units feature a “Tone ID” function. If the detector has this feature, it is capable of generating audio tones for different target conductivities for example an iron nail will result in a different audio tone to a copper coin or aluminium can tag. This audio tone id is useful in helping the operator decide whether the target is worth digging.

Before deciding to buy your new Garrett Metal detector, make sure you have careful of consideration the factors listed above because they will help you decide which detector gives the best value and is more likely to satisfy your needs. Selecting the right metal detector will result in more successful metal detecting activities.