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Choosing your first metal detector

A guide by Rob · Prices last checked 21 October 2026

You don’t need the most expensive detector to find good things. You need one that suits your ground, that you’ll learn properly, and that won’t die the first time it meets salt water. Here’s what I’d tell a friend who asked me which one to buy.

1. Before you spend anything

The detector is the easy part. Three things matter more, and two of them cost almost nothing:

2. What actually matters in a first detector

Single or multi-frequency. A single-frequency detector sends one signal into the ground; a multi-frequency one sends several at once. Multi-frequency machines run much more smoothly on wet salty sand and in mineralised soil, and usually identify targets better. Single-frequency machines are cheaper, simpler and often lighter, and they still find plenty on ordinary inland farmland (Lesniewski, 2026). If you’ll ever detect on a beach, go multi-frequency.

Waterproofing. I learned this the hard way. When I moved to North Wales, sea spray worked its way into my old X‑Terra and killed it. Most detectors from about £260 upwards are now fully waterproof to 5 metres (rated IP68), which also means rain, wet grass and streams don’t matter. Some popular machines are still waterproof only at the coil, so check the control box, not just the advert.

Target ID, discrimination and ground balance. A target ID number and a few tones are all a beginner needs; our guide How to read a metal detector’s signals explains them. Ground balance lets the detector ignore the minerals in your soil, and on much of Britain’s farmland and beaches you’ll want it. Very cheap machines often have a fixed ground balance, which is one reason they struggle.

Weight. Most detectors weigh 1.1 to 1.4 kg. That sounds nothing until you’ve swung one for four hours. The lightest machines, such as XP’s, come in well under a kilo. If you can, hold one before you buy.

Coil. The coil that comes in the box, usually about 10 to 11 inches, suits most people. A smaller coil helps on ground littered with iron; that’s an extra for later.

3. Three price bands

These are machines on sale in the UK now, with typical prices from the maker’s UK shop or a UK dealer on 21 October 2026 (Minelab, 2026a; Regton, 2026a; 2026b). Prices change and bundles vary, so treat them as a guide.

Starter: up to about £300

DetectorWhy consider itAbout
Minelab Vanquish 360Multi-frequency and fully waterproof at a starter price. Launched in 2025.£259
Nokta Simplex UltraSingle-frequency but fully waterproof, with a reputation for being tough and simple.£300
Garrett Ace 300iSimple and widely used, but single-frequency and not submersible. Best for inland ground only.£286

Older Vanquish 340 and 440 models are still being sold off cheaply. They are capable machines, but they were replaced by the 360 and 460 in 2025 (Hudson, 2025), so check how waterproof any particular one is before buying.

Best value: about £350 to £700

DetectorWhy consider itAbout
Minelab X-Terra ProSingle-frequency, but you choose between four, plus waterproofing and good ground handling. Dealers often add a pinpointer.£350
Minelab Vanquish 460 / 560The 2025 Vanquish range: multi-frequency, waterproof, light and easy to learn.£349 / £449
XP ICONXP’s 2025 newcomer: multi-frequency, waterproof and very light.£435
Garrett Vortex VX5Multi-frequency and waterproof, a solid all-rounder.£423
Minelab X-Terra EliteMulti-frequency or single, waterproof, with plenty of settings to grow into. The one I use.£480

For most beginners who are sure they’ll stick with the hobby, this band is the sweet spot: everything that matters, and money left over for a pinpointer.

Serious all-rounders: £700 and up

DetectorWhy consider itAbout
Minelab Equinox 700 / 900Hugely popular multi-frequency machines; the 900 comes with wireless headphones.£700 / £1,049
XP Deus IIVery light and very adaptable, with a wireless design. Prices depend on the pack.from £799
Nokta Legend 2Multi-frequency, with wireless headphones and two coils in the box.£1,000
Minelab ManticoreMinelab’s top general-purpose detector.£1,799

These are wonderful machines, but they won’t make up for inexperience. A beginner with a £400 detector who has learned it inside out will usually out-find a beginner with a £1,500 one who hasn’t.

4. The rest of the kit

Budget for these as well; typical UK prices (Regton, 2026b):

5. Where to buy, and what to avoid

Buy from a UK dealer or the maker’s own shop. You get a proper warranty, someone to ring when something goes wrong, and often a free pinpointer or headphones in a bundle.

Beware of fakes. Counterfeit detectors are sold online with famous names on them. Minelab warns that prices far below the usual, unauthorised marketplaces and sellers you can’t trace are all warning signs, that fakes carry no warranty, and that you can check a serial number on its website (Minelab, 2026b).

Second-hand can be good value, especially from a dealer’s used stock or a detectorist you know. Check the coil and the lugs where it joins the shaft for cracks, look at the battery contacts, and switch it on: it should run quietly in the air without false signals when you tap or shake it. Note the serial number, and ask the maker whether any warranty passes to you.

Steer clear of £50 “detectors”. Toy-shop and bargain-site machines have little depth, poor target identification and no ground balance. They make the hobby seem much harder than it is.

6. Then learn it properly

Whatever you buy, spend your first few outings learning it. Bury a few known objects in the garden, a coin, a ring pull, a piece of foil and a nail, and listen to what each one sounds like. Read the manual, then read it again after a month. Join a club if there’s one near you. And dig every repeatable signal at first, because the tones that you think are rubbish are how you learn what a good one sounds like.

The short version

  1. Get permission and join the NCMD (£8) before you dig a single hole.
  2. If you’ll ever go on a beach, buy multi-frequency and fully waterproof.
  3. £260 to £500 buys a detector that will serve you for years.
  4. Budget about £150 more for a pinpointer, spade and pouch.
  5. Buy from a UK dealer or the maker, and beware of bargains that look too good.
  6. Learn your machine before you change it.

References

Prices are typical UK prices on 21 October 2026 and change often. Retailer links may earn Global Finds a small commission. They cost you nothing and never influence what we report.

Before you dig

Finding things is the easy part. These are the people who make a find count for something.

Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland

Those four are for England and Wales, where the Portable Antiquities Scheme records finds and the Treasure Act decides what must be reported.

Scotland runs its own system, and every find is reportable there — not only treasure. Treasure Trove Unit ›

The Republic of Ireland is different again, and severely so. Searching for archaeological objects without the Minister’s written consent is a criminal offence carrying fines or imprisonment, and the definition is broad enough to cover coins, buttons and buckles of almost any age. Do not assume British rules travel with you. The law, from the National Museum ›

Northern Ireland is stricter still. The Treasure Act applies and finds go to National Museums NI within fourteen days, but any searching that involves digging — metal detecting expressly included — needs a licence, and licences are only granted for archaeological projects. National Museums NI ›

This site covers discoveries from all over the world, and so does the variation in the law — from a recording scheme that thanks you, to a criminal offence. Wherever you are searching, find out what applies there before you go, not after.

Found something? What to do next › · Buying or selling a find? What is legal to sell, and where ›