A suggestion to New Detecting people ...

[Elton]

First let me say Welcome to the Hobby !!
May I suggest if you have not done so yet, that you buy a pin pointer.

Review and decide which you want and can afford.

When you get it, and after your detector hits on a target use the pin pointer before you dig a hole. Many targets will be on or near the top of the ground. At first you will not know this and dig needless holes.
You can save a lot of time, and more importantly save digging holes in the ground. Then just pop out the object just under top soil (Grass) up to about 2" down ... Will eliminate a lot of Holes, and digs for you ..

Will also minimalize damage to the grounds.

 

[jim tn]

Good suggestion Elton. It's surprising, excluding clad, how many good targets are only a couple of inches deep. In fact, I recently dug a Peace dollar that I located with the Garrett Pro pin pointer. It was less then 3" deep. Un-fortunately, I spent nearly 40 years of not using one. I learned hard, but did learn finally of their importance. Again, good suggestion. HH jim tn

 

[Elton]

Me too Jim.... Many years without one.. Tried one and never looked back. Lost without one now.

 

[5900_XL-1]

I am as honest as I can be when I say this. "I would have quit the hobby had I never paid for a good pointer." I went back to many of the refilled holes I'd lost targets by waving dirt(it was summer in Texas and a hundred), and I found several coins right there close to the hole. You make neater digs, yet in my case, the expediency of locating the target quickly brought all of the fun into the hobby. I know there are die hards who just won't quit waving dirt, but almost any beginner with a good pin pointer will run circles around them IMHO, once the dig is made. martin

 

[jerseyjim]

I am as honest as I can be when I say this. "I would have quit the hobby had I never paid for a good pointer." I went back to many of the refilled holes I'd lost targets by waving dirt(it was summer in Texas and a hundred), and I found several coins right there close to the hole. You make neater digs, yet in my case, the expediency of locating the target quickly brought all of the fun into the hobby. I know there are die hards who just won't quit waving dirt, but almost any beginner with a good pin pointer will run circles around them IMHO, once the dig is made. martin

You are so right, the first three months of detecting I had no pinpointer. I had permission to hunt a one room school house that was a mile from my home. I must have detected it at least four times without a pinpointed. When I went back with one, I was very surprised what I found it the same spots. I can't imagine not having one when I go on the beaches of NJ.I would have given up by now.

 

[Ron M 608]

It took me two times out and digging holes in hard dry dirt and not finding the object to make me a believer. After I got my pro pointer I went back to some of the spots and sure enough found the objects. I think that having the pointer has really put the fun into the hunt.

 

[dr 4 leaf Clover]

I just got mine and boy my neighbor will be happy not to see me dig up his grass. I have worked my back yard with my garret pin-pointer and it does save a lot of time and less and smaller wholes! Thanks for the information!

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I found it very beneficial to have a couple of friends that I could talk to about detecting and get their advice on various things such as how to dig a plug. Not only did one of them recommend the detector that I purchased he also told me "Do Not Purchase A Detector Without Getting a Pin Pointer." As I was trying to learn the detector and wondering if I had made the correct decision I never questioned his advice about the Pin Pointer. I would not try to detect without one.

 

[KinTN]

I'll go a step further and recommend that a new detectorists get the Garrett pinpointer, or if for some reason he hates Garrett, the Minelab pinpointer.