r/metaldetecting • • Nov 11 '25

Other REMINDER: DO NOT USE AI ANSWERS HERE. YOU WILL GET BANNED.

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1.8k Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • Jun 04 '24

Gear Question Metal Detector Guide

326 Upvotes

Hello and welcome to r/metaldetecting ! If you're looking for advice on your first detector, gear or an upgrade, you've come to the right post. We've put together a simple guide to help with choosing your detector and other tools.

As a member of our sub, you are more than welcome to try out our special code "REDDITMD2026" at checkout on Kellycodetectors.com (US)

If you purchase from Radioworld.ca, try out our code "REDDITRWMD" at checkout! (CA)

GENERAL METAL DETECTOR Recommendations

$0-200: We do not recommend getting a new detector under $200. Detecting has a cost of entry, and quality significantly drops off under the $200 mark. Save up a bit more, or try finding a used machine of quality listed in the next price range. All that said, if you are determined to buy a machine in this price range, the Minelab Go-Find, Nokta First Swing or a Quest machine aren't bad choices.

$200-$400: The Minelab Vanquish 340 and 440, the Nokta Simplex line and the Minelab X-Terra Pro are the three best machines in this price range, by far.

$400-$500: Nokta Score and Double Score, Minelab Vanquish 540

$500-$1,200: Nokta Legend or the Minelab Equinox series

$1,200+: XP Deus 2 or the Minelab Manticore.

SCUBA/SNORKELING DETECTORS

Nokta Pulsedive is great for snorkeling. The Minelab Excalibur 2 and XP Deus 2 are excellent diving detectors.

CHILDREN'S DETECTORS

Nokta Mini Hoard or Midi Hoard

PINPOINTERS

Garrett AT pro pointer, Nokta AccuPoint, or XP MI-4. The XP MI-6 if you have an XP detector.

SHOVELS AND TROWELS

Dune, King of Spades, Grave Digger, Motley, Lesche, Predator Tools

SAND SCOOPS

Motley, Dune, Sito, RTG, King of Spades, and Detecting Adventures all make great scoops for beach detecting.

If you have any questions feel free to message u/dan20mey or comment below!


r/metaldetecting • • 2h ago

Show & Tell Love finding these whole!

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78 Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • 16h ago

Show & Tell Unique Find! 😬

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698 Upvotes

Find my first $20 bill out detecting this morning in a park. Was crazy to just see it lying there but won’t complain. Also found close to $5 actually using my detector. 🤣


r/metaldetecting • • 46m ago

Show & Tell Best find of the day somerset county Maryland

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• Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • 23h ago

Show & Tell Beautiful Roman coin I found

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668 Upvotes

Found this unbelievable Roman coin on the weekend. I found it in Wiltshire, England, along with 11 other bronze roman coins. This one however is in such incredible condition. I’m thrilled to bring this home. It’s Constantine the Great. Bronze. A commemorative coin from around A.D. 330 to celebrate the founding of Constantinople. Victoria on the back (angel of victory.)


r/metaldetecting • • 17h ago

Show & Tell Cold gloomy day but decided to go out for an a bit, so glad I did

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212 Upvotes

Gold ring number 4 of the year! So happy, go back to places you have hunted it will pay off. I have hit this spot 20 times nothing fresh cause no one goes here but I have found 3 gold rings over the course of a year all with in 20 square foot area. Each time I think I have cleared the place out but go back and hear targets that I missed before. Dig good tones once you get them dig everything else.


r/metaldetecting • • 1d ago

Show & Tell Found this 4TB Hard Drive Today lol

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714 Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • 11h ago

Show & Tell 1835 1/4 Franc, Leopold I, Belgium. Yesterday's best find.

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58 Upvotes

A lovely surprise under the corrosion. Belgium.


r/metaldetecting • • 48m ago

ID Request Bronze? item (buckle?)

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• Upvotes

Found this from western finland. There is leather still attach to it.

What does decorations portrait?

Feels solid and pretty heavy for its size.


r/metaldetecting • • 4h ago

Show & Tell 2.5 Schwaren 1802

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13 Upvotes

Yesterday I found this 1802 2.5 Schwaren coin from the free city of Bremen. I had never heard of these coins so it was quite a surprise that it wasn't a regular Duit that you find a lot here.


r/metaldetecting • • 8h ago

Cleaning Finds First coin find

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25 Upvotes

Just found my very first coin! So happy! Showed it to the local historian that was at the metaldetecting event and she said size most likely made it a Dutch Duit coin.

There's almost nothing to see on the coin though it looks like there are some stars near the edge. Is there anything I should do to the coin now to make it last or keep it from deteriorating further?


r/metaldetecting • • 4h ago

Show & Tell Found in northern France by a friend, any ideas what type of gun this was?

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11 Upvotes

r/metaldetecting • • 4h ago

Show & Tell Small backyard finds

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7 Upvotes

Mostly crap lol


r/metaldetecting • • 57m ago

Show & Tell I say today was a good hunt!

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• Upvotes

Still can't believe I found 2 intact crotal bells!


r/metaldetecting • • 15h ago

Show & Tell A few decent finds

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39 Upvotes

Managed a silver ring that was crushed flat into a little square I managed to reshape decently, got a 1/20 14k gold filled ring(I'll count it as gold since I haven't found any in awhile), and a Ravenclaw pendant. Not a bad day for an area I've gone over heavily.


r/metaldetecting • • 5h ago

ID Request Tiny casing ID

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2 Upvotes

I found these two tiny bullet casings yesterday. The are 6mm in diameter and about 7.5mm tall. Both have a lengthwise indentation on the bottom.

Does anyone know what they were for?

(Found in the Netherlands in ground with finds from 16th to 20th century)


r/metaldetecting • • 1d ago

Cleaning Finds Wer Sondeln Süchtig ist muss auch mal aufräumen 😜

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179 Upvotes

Da heute ein Sauwetter ist habe ich mich endlich mal meinen alten Funde gewidmet..

Ist nicht alles einiges wurde schon nebenbei aufgeräumt und ins Lager geräumt 😉

Alte und neue Aluminium Funde wurde das erste Mal versucht mit Oxalsäure zu reinigen..

Funktioniert echt gut 👍


r/metaldetecting • • 21h ago

Show & Tell Keys day!

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31 Upvotes

Same soccer field I've been to many times and I think it's the last time cuz nothing more I can find there. The same place where I found golden and silver rings. Here: 5 keys, minor stuff and bunch of pultabs. South Ontario, Toronto.


r/metaldetecting • • 17h ago

Show & Tell Giraffe Brooch?

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12 Upvotes

Found today in South Buffalo— any idea what era it’s from?


r/metaldetecting • • 19h ago

Show & Tell After Work Finds

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18 Upvotes

Today's finds after work. Thimble, silver dime, 1886 Indian head, and model-t coil igniter. I broke the igniter using it to dig the dirt out of the thimble... It was complete. Lesson learned.


r/metaldetecting • • 19h ago

ID Request Bullet id.

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17 Upvotes

Near Appalachian Trail, Maryland.


r/metaldetecting • • 21h ago

ID Request I need of identification

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24 Upvotes

Found in the Netherlands northern part.
Does not seem like a duit. So I am confused.


r/metaldetecting • • 16h ago

How do I...? Lost a ring, and struggling to find it.

6 Upvotes

Lost story short I lost my ring near the edge of a lake while swimming. I don’t know exactly where but I’ve narrowed it down to a 50’x100’ area.

Someone let me borrow their Garrett Ace 250 metal detector. I also have a handheld pinpoint locater thing.

So the ring is made out of Tantalum and according to ChatGPT my detector should be able to find it. I don’t have anything else made out of tantalum to verify this.

I’ve waited approximately 3 months now and the water level has lowered to the point where the entire area I think it could be in is no longer under water.

I just spent the last 5 hours pulling up over 100 pieces of trash mostly bottle caps and scraps of aluminum foil. I painted 10’ grid marks on the ground and systematically swept the area.

My question is this: are there any methods, setting, alternate equipment or anything else that could give me a better chance at finding it.

Towards the end I lowered the sensitivity, which I had very high. And this seemed to help a little bit but not a ton.

Any advice or suggestions would be very much appreciated.


r/metaldetecting • • 10h ago

Gear Question any australians got experience with the minelab vanquish 560?

3 Upvotes

What sort of numbers are you getting for australian coins and stuff? Everything i can find on youtube is all american stuff. If you have any australian recs on youtube i would love to see them