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. Roaming the countryside with a metal detector in hand is also great exercise. It can help get kids outdoors and active, something many families struggle with especially in bad weather. Kneeling down to dig, carrying a metal detector and walking across beaches and fields can all boost physical fitness. As you shop for metal detectors, you will notice that they have differently sized search coils. The coil is the circular part of the detector that scans the ground.

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. Suitable for children 5 + (under supervision), the detector’s height can be adjusted from 59.5 cm to 78.5 cm making it suitable for a mix of young ages. It’s also extremely lightweight, weighing 0.45 kg, and won’t wear children out if used for extended periods of time. This is good news because it’s the type of item that can be used wherever they go, in the garden, at the park, or when walking to the shops, and can help keep them entertained for hours. This metal detector can be used to detect all types of metal, with three tone audio to identify which type of metal you may have uncovered. Low tones will let you know you’ve stumbled upon ferrous metals and items like screws and nails, while a medium tone will alert you to metals with medium levels of conductivity, such as foil and rings. One final half gripe – there’s no internal pinpointer so you may find you’re digging bigger holes than necessary. However, for the price, you can’t expect everything! Planning on hunting at night or during the winter months? Make sure you’ve got a flash light to hand. Even in daylight, a good flash light will prove its worth after you start digging, giving you much better visibility of potential finds in the ground.The best metal detectors for kids will have a telescopic handle shaft , allowing you to adjust the detector’s length based on your child’s height. With children growing all the time, this is a great feature to look out for to make sure the detector doesn’t suddenly become redundant! Full-size detectors tend to be extendable, but even their shortest length will be too long for a young child. Often, they range from approximately 90 – 120 cm. The inclusion of these accessories makes it a good all-inclusive buy, with the compass and excavation tools providing a good sense of adventure. Although it’s not the most powerful or effective metal detector featured here, it works well enough to get children interested. Metals can be sensed up to a depth of 10 – 15 cm. Standard coils for full-size detectors are approximately 20 cm in diameter. Decent metal detectors for kids will have a coil of around 17 cm. Write: DIY Garden (Harris Creative Ltd), Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA

The build of this metal detector is also worth praise. It’s been designed with heavy-duty outdoor searching in mind, allowing you to get to work in all manner of soil conditions. You will also find a waterproof search coil included so that you can submerge your detector into shallow waters, making it ideal for use at the beach. Using metal discrimination, the metal detector can ‘discriminate’ between different types of metal. It will either use a variety of ‘beeps’ to alert you to which type of metal you have found, or actively ignore certain types of metal on request. This is useful, for example, if searching in an area with high iron-content in the ground, as the detector can ignore any iron findings.

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It also has a simple LCD display, which will create more interest for children, even though it’s mostly useful for displaying how much battery power is left rather than revealing anything useful about the location of any potential finds. The 21 cm coil can locate metals up to 18 cm below the ground, and has a pinpoint function to help identify exactly where they are. Overall, this is a top-of-the-range metal detector for a good price. Garrett has not cheaped out on their entry-level model and used some, but not all, of their top technology. For example, its 6.5 x 9 inch PROformance search coil is the same as the more expensive models in their range.

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. The adjustable stem length of this metal detector also means you can easily change things up to ensure the model is best positioned to your height. An overload warning feature also comes as standard. There’s only 3 buttons on the LED screen. The power button, the search modes, and the sensitivity. It’s more than enough to keep a kid enthused without confusing them. Suitable for children of different heights, the stem can be extended from 47 cm to 78 cm. Another benefit of this is that it’s easy to store a carry the detector, particularly useful if taking it on holiday or transporting it to the beach. The coil also folds up flush against the stem to make it more compact. We have talked a little about pinpointers above, but it’s worth taking a moment to delve more deeply. A pinpointer is a must if you are hoping to establish exactly where a potential find is located.x AA batteries are required, and they don’t come included. Although the batteries last a while with occasional use, it still needs more batteries than the majority of metal-detectors featured on this list. You should also invest in a model where the sensitivity of the detector can be readily adjusted. This will help you focus your search at particular points of interest and help you refine in-depth searches with promising readings. Essential Extras and Accessories