New to Metal Detecting? Start Here.
Starting metal detecting can feel like there is a lot to learn. This guide covers the essentials, from choosing your first detector and putting together your kit to understanding signals, recovering targets and looking after your finds.
What Do I Need to Start Metal Detecting?
You don't need every accessory available to start detecting. Here's a simple checklist of the main equipment you'll come across as you put your first setup together.
Building Your First Detecting Kit
Here's what each piece of equipment does, how important it is when you're starting out, and a few of our top picks.
Metal Detector
Your detector is the starting point. We stock a huge variety of beginner-friendly machines, from simple entry-level models to detectors with more features that you can grow into as your experience develops.
Pinpointer
A pinpointer is a small handheld detector used once you've opened the hole. It helps you locate the target quickly and accurately, saving time and reducing unnecessary digging.
Digging Tools
A suitable digging tool makes recovering targets much easier. The right choice depends on where you detect, with full-size spades popular on fields and compact hand diggers useful for more precise recovery.
Finds Pouch
A finds pouch keeps everything secure while leaving your hands free to detect. It's also useful for carrying the scrap and rubbish you recover rather than leaving it in the field.
Finds Box
A finds box gives coins and more delicate objects somewhere safer to go than loose in a pouch. Foam-lined boxes can help protect finds from rubbing against other objects during the rest of your detecting session.
Gloves
Gloves help protect your hands while digging and handling soil, sharp objects and rough ground, while still allowing you to handle smaller finds.
Detector Carry Bag
A detector carry bag isn't essential for detecting itself, but it makes transporting and storing your machine much easier and can help keep muddy equipment contained after a day in the field.
Before You Go Detecting
A few checks before you leave can prevent problems later. Make sure you know where you are detecting, that you have permission and that your equipment is ready.
Always obtain the appropriate permission before detecting and check whether legal, archaeological or environmental restrictions apply to the land.
Find a Local Metal Detecting Club
Joining a local club can be a great way to get started in the hobby. Meet other detectorists, learn from more experienced members and find opportunities to attend organised digs.
Our UK club directory can help you find a metal detecting club near you.
Setting Up Your Detector
Different detectors have different menus and features, but the same basic principles appear again and again. Start simple and make small adjustments rather than changing everything at once.
Sensitivity
Higher sensitivity is not automatically better. Use a level that keeps the detector stable rather than pushing it until it becomes noisy.
Noise Cancel
If your detector has an automatic noise or frequency scan, use it when you start or when electrical interference becomes noticeable.
Ground Balance
Some detectors handle this automatically while others allow adjustment. Follow the procedure recommended for your particular machine.
Discrimination
Avoid rejecting too much while learning. Interesting targets do not always produce perfectly clean signals.
A quiet, stable detector that you understand is usually more useful than an unstable detector running at maximum sensitivity.
Understanding Target IDs & Tones
Your detector is giving you clues, not a guaranteed identification of what is under the coil. Learn to combine the sound, Target ID and behaviour of a signal rather than relying on one number.
Target IDs are numerical readings that help describe how a target responds to the detector. Different metals can overlap, and the same object can produce different readings depending on depth, orientation, soil conditions and the detector being used.
Tones are just as important. Listen for signals that repeat as you sweep over the target from different directions. Broken or inconsistent signals may be iron or difficult targets, but beginners should avoid assuming every untidy signal is rubbish.
The fastest way to learn is to dig a wide range of targets and compare what you heard with what actually came out of the ground.
Don't build your detecting around one “magic” Target ID. Different targets can overlap, and Target ID scales vary between detector models.
Finding & Recovering a Target
Once you have a signal worth investigating, slow down. Accurate pinpointing and careful recovery protect both the find and the ground you are detecting.
Check the signal
Sweep from more than one direction and listen to how consistently it responds.
Pinpoint
Narrow down the target position before you start digging.
Recover carefully
Open the ground carefully and use your pinpointer to locate the target.
Leave it tidy
Check the hole again, remove rubbish and restore the ground neatly.
You've Found Something — Now What?
Resist the temptation to scrub an interesting object clean in the field. The safest next step is usually to record it, protect it and work out what you have before deciding how it should be cleaned or treated.
Beginner Metal Detecting FAQs
Quick answers to some of the questions we hear most often from people getting started with metal detecting.
Do I need permission to go metal detecting in the UK?
Yes. You need permission from the landowner or occupier before detecting on private land. You should also check whether any restrictions apply to the land before detecting.
What is the best metal detector for a beginner?
There isn't one detector that's best for everyone. Your budget, where you plan to detect and the features you need all matter. A beginner-friendly detector should be straightforward to use while still giving you room to learn and progress.
Do I need a pinpointer for metal detecting?
You don't strictly need one, but we'd strongly recommend it. A pinpointer helps locate a target once you've opened the hole, making recovery quicker and more precise.
How deep can a metal detector detect?
There's no fixed depth. Target size, metal type, orientation, soil conditions, search coil and detector settings can all affect detection depth. Larger objects can generally be detected deeper than small coins.
What do the numbers on a metal detector mean?
These are usually Target ID numbers. They indicate how a detected object is responding to the machine, but they don't tell you exactly what's underground. Target ID scales also vary between detector models.
Where can I go metal detecting?
You can detect on land where you have the appropriate permission and where detecting is legally permitted. Joining a local metal detecting club can also be a useful way for beginners to find organised detecting opportunities.
What should I do if I find something old?
Avoid aggressively cleaning it. Record where it was found, protect it from further damage and identify it before deciding how to clean or conserve it. Some finds may need to be reported or recorded.
Can I join a metal detecting club as a beginner?
Absolutely. Many clubs welcome beginners, and joining one can be a good way to meet other detectorists, learn responsible detecting practices and gain experience.
Ready to Get Started?
Explore our beginner equipment or use the LP Detector Selector if you still need help choosing your first machine.