What is a good brand name or, better yet, a good model for metal detecting? I want to put it on my Christmas list. I've decided 100 hobbies are not enough, I need one more.

Depends on how much $$ > $$$$ you want to spend :-)

Minelab
Whites
Tesoro
Garrett

Whites and Tesoro are both out of business if I remember correcty. Garrett, Minelab, or Nokta Macro. Anything in the Garrett Ace or At line is a good choice. Minelab Vanquish or Equinox models. In Nokta the Simplex is a good mldel with a lot of features but no a large price tag, the legend, and Impact are slightly higher priced options from Nokta. I currently have a Garret AT Pro and a Nokta Simplex plus. I am more comfortable with the AT Pro but only because I have more time on that machine.

Also put a pinpointer on list too. All 3 brands mentioned have pinpointer options.

One other thing, get one youtube and listen to the tones each machine makes, it would be rough if you got a machine only to discover you cant stand the tones it makes.

Warning its addicting and once you have one machine you will want another one or twelve.

I knew Whites and Tesoro were out of business, but their detectors are still available to find as used and are good :-)

Kellyco is a great place to see most if not all of the available options. I have purchased 2 machines for my kids from them with no issues.Kellyco Metal Detector Sales

Used machines didnt even cross my mind. It should have because I bought my Nokta used off of facebook market place. And my dream detector is a Minelab etrac even though it has been discontinued.

X2 on Kellyco. I bought my Minelab at their store right outside Orlando. Nice place to visit , big showroom with a bunch of ' test beds ' to try before you buy. Good people. Good prices.

What’s a pinpointer used for?

Generally locating a "target" more exactly.

When you have located a target , the pinpointer narrows down the search by a lot and saves a lot of digging.

I kinda thought that, but wasn’t sure.

Go with minelab or Garret

Minelab will give you more technology for the dollar

Watching

Moosetrot

Nugget shooting, coin hunting? 500$ or 5000$?
Hard to beat minelab but you pay for it up front

Minelab are excellent machines but there is a "learning curve" and an understanding of responses. . . they are NOT "turn-on and go machines.

Yeah out of the ones I listed a Garrett Ace machine is probably the closest to a "turn on and go machine". Fairly easy to use as a new user.

My advice to Md'ing newcomers' is to buy a good starter machine, . . that doesn't mean expensive! So many people spend $$$ and when they don't find "treasure" or learn how to use it properly, they stick it in a closet or basement and forget about it. . . . AND . . . that's where you can find some real GREAT deals on high $ machines if you search! . . . just don't get swindled on a piece of non-working junk! :-)

Do some research on the nokta simplex. I think you will be happy with it.

Ol dad

If you are going to hunt on grass, parks, beaches and such a multi freq. will shine. If you want to hunt plowed fields, broken ground the single freq. machines work better. I've owned most of the high end detectors at some point. If you want a do all the minelab equinox can be run single or multi freq. I'm not a fan of the straight shaft , kills my arm after a bit. The best all arounder for the money imho is the garret apex. It can run single or multi. Made in the usa and has a great warranty. Good luck

Good info, Thanks guys.

garrett ace 250
got mine at kellyco.com

Something I might never get to do... unless it's in Later years

watching always wanted to get one,

I've always been interested in this and have researched metal detecting through the years. I'm now retired and have time in the summer. Other than here, where would be other sources for information on metal detecting?

The big thing with detectors is to learn it, my wife can find tons of stuff with a old whites coin shooter , you have to learn the chirps and dings its been done for a hundred years before digital machines just ask the museum's dont let youtube make you spend money trust me i got alot of years in this game.

These are two good sites: https://www.findmall.com/ and https://metaldetectingforum.com. YouTube videos, Google MD'ing web sites :-)

I have the Garrett AT pro. It has been a good machine and very versatile.

do they make them with headphones, my hearing is bad,

Treasurenet.com


Yes. If machine doesn't come with headphones, you can usually get them separately. It's best to have them anyway, so you don't annoy everyone around you.

I
I have purchased several from them and agree with you.

If you've ever watched The Curse of Oak Island and you see Gary Drayton locate a target. They will dig a hole and if the target is still in the hole, he will pull out a pin pointer and poke around in the hole until he gets a signal. That narrows the target down and he is usually able to pull it out. Trying to find it with the larger detector is much harder. I have a pin pointer; it saves a lot of extra digging.

One thing I'll say about wearing headphones. They're an asset at times when you know you're in a "safe" area, however, I don't advise wearing them in a city or similar areas. ALWAYS know your surroundings. People can come up to you fast! :-(

Don't sell the Bounty Hunter line short.I've got a Garrett now but my first detector was a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV and I'd highly recommend it.

One nice thing about the Minelab Equinox detectors is that they are submersible; can be used on land or in the water.

Have a Cabelas branded on kids used to fool with.
They found dome silver with it, and LOTS of horseshoes, nails, etc here.

I picked up what looks to be an old White recently at an auction for under $20.
Tossed fresh batteries in it and seems to.work.


ETA
Just looked, It's a White Coinmaster

My advice is to get a decent mid range machine that has a relatively easy learning curve. Minelab equinox is what I’d recommend. 600-800 or the new 700-900 models. The 6-800 have a compressed VDI scale that I actually prefer. It goes up to 40 for the nonferrous. The 7-900 models go up to 99 on the scale. It’s more information but not necessarily helpful for a beginner. Watch as many YouTube tutorials as you can and go put some time into the machine. Also a Garrett orange carrot pinpointer and a good shovel like a piranha is good to have too.

As with any hobby one you get the main piece of equipment then you just got to buy accessories. Aside from the pinpointer a good shovel is a must. This is my current shovel. Its by Predator Tools Made in the USA. The model is the Ranger.

IF I was just starting out I'd buy A minelab vanquish or a Notka simplex. The simplex for the money is a good machine. I have one for and it performs well. My main machine is the CTX 3030, and my next purchase will be an XP deus.

If you are mainly going to hunt on grass, the minelab vanquish series is a great bang for the buck. They stink in iron and broken ground though as they only run multi freq. I just sold one to a buddy and he likes it. I use my deus for everything nowadays as it is crazy lightweight. It's a single freq. but i can change the freq. to suit me for what i'm hunting for. Findmall is a good sight to learn on the different detectors as they have forums for each brand. Don't fall for the kellyco "package" deals as the stuff they include is mostly junk anyways.
In parks you are better off with a hand digger as walking around with a shovel will cause problems with somebody. Fill your holes nice and you won't lose any places.

Yep need a hand digger as well, and sometimes I even worry that a soccer mom with her kids may think its a knife. So I tend to hunt away from people when park hunting.