How a pinpointer works
A pinpointer is a small handheld probe with a short detection field at its tip, and on many models along its sides. Push it into the hole or sweep it over the loose dirt, and it beeps or vibrates faster as you get closer to the target. It narrows the search from the size of a dinner plate to the size of a thumbnail, so you dig smaller holes and damage fewer finds.
What to look for in a pinpointer
- Waterproofing: pinpointers live in wet holes and get dropped in puddles. A properly waterproof one lasts far longer, and you need one for the beach or wading.
- Adjustable sensitivity: so you can turn it down in mineralized soil or when the target is large.
- Sound plus vibration: vibration helps when you wear headphones or work somewhere noisy.
- Side and tip detection: lets you scan the walls of the hole quickly.
- A bright color and a lanyard: you will put it down in the grass at some point.
Getting the most from your pinpointer
Center the target with your detector first, then cut your plug and check the hole before lifting more dirt. If the hole is quiet, scan the plug, then the loose pile in thin layers. Pair it with a sturdy digging tool on land or a sand scoop on the beach. See all our metal detecting gear.
Pinpointers on the beach and in water
In loose dry sand a scoop does much of the work, but a waterproof pinpointer still speeds things up in wet sand, around rocks and in the shallows. If you wade, choose one rated for submersion and attach it to a lanyard, since a pinpointer dropped in moving water is rarely seen again. See our waterproof and underwater detectors for the rest of a water kit.
