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You have been using your standard metal detector for a while. And a lot of your friends recommended that you should get a pinpointer to speed up metal recovery.
But you want an affordable one. Ok! This article is for you. Here is a selection of popular pinpointers for cheap.
However, it’s important to note that their performance isn’t like the standard pinpointers.
Table of Contents
Kuman GP-Pinpointer
The Kuman GP-Pinpointer looks like the Garrett propointer pro AT aka the Garret carrot (and I think the reason behind this name is obvious.)
But it is way cheaper… (maybe it is a copy)
However, it is not fully submersible. You can only deep its lower part.
This should be enough in most cases for shallow creeks.
You have to adjust the settings by pressing only one button, which is cumbersome.
The same button will be used to turn ON/OFF the device, to tune and calibrated it and to adjust the sensitivity and the audio mode.
With the pinpointer, you will get a holster, a retractable hanging wire, and the user’s manual.
The Kuman GP pinpointer is powered by a 9 V battery that is not included.
It is fitted with a LED flashlight to help you see well inside the holes you dug.
The GP-pointer has a scraping blade molded into its exterior. You can use it to scratch the surface of dirt gently.
But remember the pinpointer is made out of plastic. Therefore, do not use it as a digging tool. It is not made for that. You may break it.
Bounty hunter
The Bounty hunter runs on one 9 V battery which is not included. To install it, push the cover up and forward. Don’t push it sideways because you may break it.
And then, install the new battery. Now, it is time to turn it ON…
To do that, turn the knob clockwise. If you get a beep, the battery is in a good shape. If not, you have to replace them.
Adjust the sensitivity by turning the knob in both directions until the buzzing fades away.
When the bounty hunter detects something, it will emit a beep and it will vibrate.
This pinpointer has many disadvantages. First, you cannot choose to turn ON or OFF the audio.
Switching the audio OFF may be a good thing to if you are using the pinpointer in a playground or you are metal detecting with your friends and you do not want to annoy them.
It is not waterproof. So, you have to keep it away from water.
Many of its competitors have LED mini flashlight, which is useful in low light conditions. But this model does not have one.
Another important thing is that its detection range is very limited. It will not detect the object until it touches it.
In other words, the detection range of the bounty hunter is practically zero.
Deteknix Xpointer land
The Deteknix Xpointer land is splash proof not waterproof, which means that you can use it while it is raining or in damp soil without a problem. However, it is not submersible.
It cannot be retuned. Retuning means that you can adjust the detection range to get more accurate pinpointing.
But it has 4 sensitivity levels that you can choose from.
It has a lost alarm to avoid forgetting it after recovering a buried metal object.
It is powered by a single 9 v battery that you have to purchase separately. When it gets low, you will hear a low battery alarm.
And if the Xpointer is left ON without use for three minutes, it will also a beep. Remember to shut it down between uses to save battery.
It has a small flashlight for low visibility conditions.
Vibrations and beeps indicate the presence of a target. As you get closer to the buried metal, the frequency of the indication increases.
You can choose to hear beeps without vibrations, to get vibrations without audio or you can set the pinpointer to emit both indications.
You will get a holster that you can attach to belt, a lanyard and four plastic caps to cover the tip of the pinpointer (some customers reported that these plastic covers were missing).
White’s Bullseye 2
The shape of the White’s Bullseye 2 is different from the other pinpointers. It looks like a walkie-talkie. It comes with a holster.
It runs on a 9 V battery (included), which could hold up to 20 hours depending on its quality and the way you use the pinpointer.
Alkaline batteries are recommended. Make sure to place the terminals in the right order. If not, the battery cap will not close.
When the battery reaches low levels. The device will vibrate or will emit a continuous audio signal.
It is fitted with LED lights to illuminate the target area. The detection indication could be either vibrations or beeps.
It has an ON/OFF button and a sensitivity knob. But, to choose the audio mode (vibration or beeps), you have to…
Open the battery door. Then remove it. After that, you can get to the switch where you can choose the audio mode.
Which is cumbersome. Couldn’t they just place the switch outside without having to remove the battery?!
Adjusting the sensitivity is important to avoid false signals. If you hear beeps or vibrations without having any metal nearby, this means that you should lower the sensitivity.
To do that, turn the knob counterclockwise until the audio signals disappear. You want it to be just right.
You have to press and hold the power button to turn ON the pinpointer and the flashlight. When you release it, it will be switched OFF.
Tuning or ground balancing is automatic. You only have to poke the probe in the dirt. And move it a little bit.
That way, it will be tuned, which means that the signals coming from trashy soils will be ignored.
You can practice this by using a coin and a playground sand or in your front yard.
Tuning can handle many types of soil, but it will have hard times with salt water and beach sand. You will get a lot of false signals.
In other models of pinpoint probes, tuning also includes adjusting the detection range. By using a piece of metal and move it in front of the probe.
When the user is satisfied with the range, he can press the button and the detection range will be adjusted.
The detection area is limited compared to the other models. Only the very end of the probe can do it. For the other ones, the whole probe can detect metals.
The White’s Bullseye 2 is not waterproof and it is not water resistant. So keep it away from water, moisture, and mud.
In a rainy day, it is recommended to put it in a plastic bag. However, the end of the probe is waterproof. So, you can submerge it without a problem.
Advantages of a pinpointer
After getting a signal from your metal detector indicating the presence of a buried metal object in the ground, it is time to recover it.
But before doing that, you have to know its exact location. Do not forget that the search coil size is relatively big.
And you don’t want to dig a hole with a diameter of 12 inches and 10 inches deep.
This will take a lot of time and effort depending on the type of dirt (maybe it contains tree roots or rocks, maybe it is frozen…) and the quality of your digging tool.
To avoid that, use a pinpointer, which will shrink the area that you should search within.
The detection range of a pinpointer is limited (a couple of inches depending on the model, sensitivity, tuning…).
That way the hole will be a lot smaller, you will spend less time digging and you will recover more items in every hunt.
To find out more about the benefits of a pinpointer you can check out this article.
Conclusion
These cheap pinpointers have many good features: LED flashlight, adjustable sensitivity, audio and vibration indications, delivered with a holster and a lanyard…
But they lack many features that are present in more expensive pinpointers that can be helpful.
Their detection range is limited and in some cases, it is nearly zero. Some of the models will not detect a buried metal until they touch it.
They are not waterproof. So they cannot be used in creeks or for snorkeling.
They (except the White’s Bullseye 2) appear to be copies of the Garrett propointer AT.
Anyone of them would be just fine except the bounty hunter. Many customers did not like it. And its detection range is very limited. So don’t pick that one.
The White’s Bullseye 2 appears to be more reliable. But the audio mode switch is hidden under the battery.
You can pick the Kuman or the Deteknix Xpointer. It doesn’t matter which one (except for the price) because they are very similar.