Although it’s easy to go out and use this detector straight away with minimal instruction, getting the most out of its features will take a bit of time and getting used to. With just three buttons on its control unit, and an easy-to-read LED display, the DR.OTEK Metal Detector keeps things simple. There’s an on/off button, pinpoint button, and sensitivity button. 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.

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. Let’s face it, you’ll likely be using it on a rainy day at some point, and it would be very frustrating if your machine wasn’t up to the task!

FAQs

Perhaps one of the most important things when buying a metal detector for children is to make sure that it won’t be too big for them to use. The control box is powered by 4 x AA batteries and has plenty of technology, but not so much that it’s confusing for beginners. Whilst these are the most important features for beginners, you may want to consider metal detectors that offer some intermediate settings , so that you can experiment with them as you grow in the hobby. The Garrett ACE 150 is Garrett’s entry model, but it’s certainly not a toy. It’s a quality piece of detecting kit that suits children from late primary age into secondary school with enough detecting power and technology to keep an amateur adult happy too. It’s more of a ‘toy’ detector compared to many of the others models featured on this list. Although it has enough power to detect metals close to the surface of the ground, it’s not got the strength to uncover much buried treasure. However, it performs as you would expect for the price.

Now anyone who knows Brighton Beach will confirm that it is full of trash and not the most pleasant of beaches to search on. Many cheap detectors will not perform well here. Especially as you get close to the pier and start hitting all those bits of iron, rusty nails and melted aluminium cans from countless barbecues and bonfires. Not to mention the monumental amount of bottle caps strewn all over the beach every night by the many students and clubbers in the town.Whilst it doesn’t have a rechargeable battery, it is powered by a single 9 V battery and one comes included. This does reduce the number of spares you need to carry around if you’re planning to be using this metal detector across several days. Overall, Garrett’s ACE 250 is an excellent starter model for adult beginners and there’s enough tech to keep more experienced detectorists on a budget happy too.