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Did you buy a new metal detector? And now you’re looking for some accessories to take your metal detecting experience to the next level?
Good…
In this article, I listed 15 metal detecting accessories. Some of them are necessary. Others are optional.
If you think there’s an accessory that I forgot to mention, write it in the comments.
Now let’s start with the first tool…
Table of Contents
Digging tool
Detecting the presence of a metal object is only the first step. You still have to recover it.
To do that, obviously, you need a digging tool. You have two options a trowel or a shovel.
A trowel is a small tool that can have a serrated edge: on the left or on the right side to cut roots.
The other side is sharp. It’s lightweight and you can put it in a holster in your belt.
A shovel helps you dig deeper and larger holes. It also eases the operation because you can use your body weight to do that.
Some of them are foldable to help you carry them easily. You can find two configurations: The T-handle and the ball-handle.
I think the T-handle is better because it gives you more leverage. The ball-handle will hurt your hands if you press it for a long duration.
If you’re metal detecting in the woods, use a shovel and if you are in a park, use the trowel.
One of the most popular digging tools is the Lesche digger. You can choose which side is serrated.
The grip is made from rubber. It has a hand guard plate and it comes with a sheath.
Pinpointer
A pinpointer is a mini version of your metal detector. As its name suggests it helps you locate the target.
You want to make the hole you dig as small as possible to save time and effort and to be able to cover it well.
Many coins are found near trees because this is where people sit looking for shade.
The coin can sink between roots and cutting them isn’t easy. A pinpointer can be inserted inside to locate the target.
Knowing the exact location of the target will preserve it because you won’t hit it with your digging tool.
The most popular device on the market is the Garrett pro pointer AT.
It is nicknamed the Garrett carrot because of its color and shape.
It is waterproof up to 10 feet underwater. It has an LED light.
A ruler is molded on the outer shell of the pinpointer. There’s also a scraping blade to sweep gently the dirt out of the way.
You need a 9V battery to power it up. It has lost a and low battery alarm.
The sensitivity, the detection range and the audio mode (vibration or beeps) are adjustable.
Headphones
The detector will tell you about the presence of a nearby-buried object visually, if it has a screen, and by emitting an audio signal.
You can use headphones if you want some privacy or if you don’t want to annoy those around you with the continuous beeps.
If it has a good noise canceling feature, you can focus on the tones and forget about the noise in the surrounding area.
They also extend the battery life because they require less power to run than the onboard speaker.
The beeps in some of the more advanced metal detectors are proportional to the signal’s strength.
If this is the case, headphones can help you hear those faint signal of the small or too deep targets.
One of the biggest disadvantages of headphones is getting sweaty ears in the summertime.
You can use earbuds instead with the help of a little adapter because the crushing majority of machines on the markets have a 1/4 inches jacks.
The most popular headphones for metal detecting are the bounty hunter head-pl.
It has a volume control on each ear. A single inline one would have been better.
There’s a simple system that can turn your headphones wireless, you can get more details here.
Additional search coil
One of the important parts of your detector is the search coil. It’s made of two parts: a transmitter and a receiver.
Coils come in different shapes and size. While the stock coil can deal with the average ground condition, you need a specialized one for some rough ground conditions.
For example, if the ground is infested with a lot of iron junk, you need a sniper coil.
It’s a very small search coil with a limited detection range. It can be used in tight spots. But the area per seep is limited.
Large coils, on the other hand, can detect deeper targets but they’ll have to deal with more minerals and they’re less sensitive to small shallow objects.
The coil can be concentric or DD. Pinpointing targets is easier with the first type. And when hunting trashy or highly mineralized spots, DD is the best.
Although it’s not really important, let’s talk about the origin of the terminology.
If you place the transmitter and the receiver next to each other, they look like two capital Ds overlapping each other. And the coil is called DD.
If the transmitter and the receiver are two circles and one is inside the other, the coil is concentric.
Coil cover
To get the most of your machine, you have to keep it as close as possible to the ground.
If there’s grass, I think things should be OK. However, if there are rocks, the coil can be scratched or broken.
If the coil is waterproof, water can get inside and damage it.
This is why you need a cover. It’s cheaper to replace a cover than replacing the coil.
It’s a simple piece of plastic that covers the bottom and the sides of the coil. So it should not interfere with the detector.
It doesn’t reduce the depth range of the detector because it’s too thin. And when it’s installed, you can stick the coil to the ground and get a few more inches.
Don’t forget to remove it from time to time to clean it. Because tiny metal objects can be stuck in between giving you false readings.
Since they’re installed tightly, a putty knife or a flathead screwdriver may help you remove them.
Pouch
After recovering the target and cleaning a little (you still need to clean it more at home), you need a pouch where to put it.
You may also need a trash bag to put in it the unwanted targets.
You don’t want to dig them again when you scan the same area with a better metal detector.
The pouch should be made out of good quality cloth because some of your finds may be sharp and puncture it.
Rain cover
Some metal detectors are weatherproof like the Fisher F22, others are fully waterproof. But, for other models, only the coil is waterproof.
When metal detecting, just like any other outdoor activity, you can be caught outside when it starts to rain suddenly.
Water can damage your device. This is why you need to be ready.
To protect your machine against that, you need a rain cover.
It will only protect the control housing since the rest of the detector is usually waterproof.
Vests
Belts may be enough to hold all of your tools and finds. However, they can be too heavy and cause your pants to keep sliding down.
A vest is a good choice to distribute weight. It should have many pockets, some of them are open cut other can be closed with a zipper or a Velcro.
It should be easy to wear and the size is adjustable.
You have many choices on the market: fishing and hunting vests, backpack integrated ones…
But I think safety vests are the best because they’ll protect you when hunting in the woods.
They’re also good if you’re metal detecting sidewalks and parks. People will think you’re a worker and won’t bother you.
Pants
Because you’re going to have to kneel many times when digging holes to recover the buried goodies, you need kneepads.
The problem is that they’ll leave some marks on your skin, they’ll keep falling down and you have to readjust them frequently.
The solution is to buy pant with built-in kneepads or pouches when you can insert them.
For more details about how an ideal metal detecting pants should be, you can read this article.
Boots
If you have steel-toed shoes or boots, then you’ll get a lot of false signals.
Remember that the search-coil is only a few inches away from your feet. Therefore, your shoes should be metal free.
They should be comfortable and lightweight. If you’re hunting rough terrains like plowed fields, you should have good ankle support.
Hunting waterbeds require waterproof shoes.
Other tools
A tools belt helps you to keep your gears in place and within reach. Your hands will be free to metal detect, pinpoint and recover targets.
Buried metal objects can be sharp, this why you need to wear high-quality protective gloves.
Installing a large search coil will extend the depth range of your machine. But it will add extra weight. A harness will help you lift it easier.
If you want to diversify you prospecting technics, you can use the good old pan. Old school methods are still effective even today.
You can also buy a a detector. But if it’s collapsible, a normal backpack can suffice.
Wrap up
I hope you enjoyed reading this article. You don’t have to buy all of these accessories.
For a minimalist like me, a metal detector with a built-in pinpointer and a digging tool are enough.
If you have any question leave it in the comments below