How many Folks actually use a pinpointer ???

Chizzy

Bronze Member
Feb 11, 2015
1,968
3,144
North Central PA
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Tesoro Compadre, Tesoro Vaquero, Garrett Pro-Pointer
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I spent 6 weeks without one.......took forever to find each coin or bit of metal. I wouldn't want to detect without one, now................
 

Bquamb

Hero Member
Dec 29, 2014
561
511
Vancouver Island
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CTX 3030, EQ 800, AT-Pro, Xterra-505
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it is absolutely an essential. Don't even know why you wouldn't. I hate the up and down game, and pinpointing literally shows you with a nickel sized probe end where a target is. I would have been so so so so so so so much more behind in my finds if I didn't have one.
 

NWMP

Hero Member
Nov 20, 2009
591
503
Riding a unicorn in the Saskatchewan mountains
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Tejon, AT Pro, Simplex, Legend, and I still go home with a hand full of clad and junk some days.
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All Treasure Hunting
I never bothered with one until this year. I got it primarily to reduce the size of my plugs and theoretically leave less trace of my digs behind. I does help me in that regard. But it had the side benefit of having me dig less, and move on quicker. I have never had much interest in clad. But clad retrieval is so much easier now that I find it enjoyable some days. I got a carrot, some of the best money I've spent in a while.
 

against the wind

Gold Member
Jul 27, 2015
24,797
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Port Allegheny, Pennsylvania
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I had a beep and dig machine delivered to me by mail order back in 1970. I was in the U.S. Navy and wanted to have an activity other than drinking beer and chasing skirts. Over the years I used better machines as technology advanced but my method of retrieval remained the same. Locate, pinpoint by coil, dig, wave soil over coil, remove target, recheck hole with coil, backfill. Four years ago, I finally purchased a Garrett Pro Pointer. Today I have 2 Garrett Carrots. I will not go on a hunt without both of them.
 

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fishstick

Silver Member
Oct 28, 2012
2,675
6,991
Indiana
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Fisher F5, T2SE, F2 for the boys, XP Deus
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I'm fat so I luv my pinpointer!!!!
 

bigfoot1

Silver Member
Nov 1, 2011
3,765
3,399
so.cal.mtns.
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garrett,minelab,fisher,,,atp current weapon of choice
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Metal Detecting
you cant compare the accuracy of a pinpointer to the accuracy of your machines pin point function.I am skilled at pinpointing with my machine but knowing to the inch where in the plug or sidewall saves the integrity of the plug,saves ALOT of time,reduces your footprint etc.
Everywhere I hunt is trashy,the old mining camps and modern snow play sites especially so.accurate pinpointing with any machine is compromised with multiple targets.The first coin spill retrieved with a pinpointer is all it will take to be hooked.
My first was a sunray on a gtax 1250 and I saw a marked increase in my finds right away.I was blown away by the differance,wouldnt bother hunting without one now.I wonder how much more I would have found back in my pre-pointer days.

This is my clad this year from dec.through yesterday(and my wifes)we are cashing in for a detecting trip.I estimate about $350.00($87.00 already stacked in quarters,huge pile left to go..24 $1.00 coins)I actually use a small cement mixer to clean it up.without a pinpointer this pile would be smaller...substantially,no doubt.they pay for themselves.

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Ammoman

Bronze Member
Oct 12, 2015
2,211
5,348
NC
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XP Deus, Nokta Impact, Tesoro Compadre..
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Back in the day...my old Garrett had an awesome pinpoint function. Most of my finds were less than 3 inches deep and a simple pinpoint and probe gave me the exact location of the coin. I was able to locate and retrieve the coin in seconds without a plug ever being dug. The only bad thing was scratched coins. Now i use a Nokta pinpointer and i do the same thing on targets less than 3 inches deep but without a probe. I pinpoint the target with the detector, drop down and get the exact location with the Nokta, then extract without a plug. Its faster and the likelihood of scratching a good coin is dramatically reduced. I guess its like power windows in a car or automatic thread cutters on sewing machines. Once you have them its hard to understand how you lived so long without them.
 

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K1DDO1979

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Feb 8, 2014
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Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
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Minelab equinox 800, Fisher F75 Ltd SE 2 & Fisher F2 with 11"DD
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I love a pin pointer. I would feel lost without one but could still hunt. I had a lot of cheaper ones that I found I could work with no problem but they just couldn't hold up. Over time I would have the ends grind off by probing too hard in the ground. I had to do home repairs (electrical tape, new tip,etc.) to keep them going. Finally got a Garrett pro pointer (after the fake knock off one I got at first) and it works amazing. No more home repairs either! [emoji106]
 

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BARKER

Bronze Member
Nov 1, 2011
2,056
1,795
BOSTON
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Whites DFX, Garrett GMH, Toltec 100, Whites PI 3000, Fisher 75, Whites Silver Eagle 2, Whites Beachcomber, and several others from 1968 to Present
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Hi; Bigfoot, your picture there has now got me "convinced". I'm getting one. QUESTION: Guys, which is better, the ATX or the Carrot ??? I await. PEACE:RONB :coffee2:
 

Bquamb

Hero Member
Dec 29, 2014
561
511
Vancouver Island
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CTX 3030, EQ 800, AT-Pro, Xterra-505
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I have the Carrot, and really like it. I have heard great things about the Whites TRX, the sunray Probe detectors are great as well but a heavy penny.... The Garrett Propounter 2 that is the 2nd version of the black Garrett is great if you don't do any underwater hunting. Or you could go cheap and grab a 50$ Amazon pinpointer. My carrott has only given me problems a few times. One memorable one was I thought it was done as it would always vibrate, near or far from metal, always on. I changed the battery and it no long acted weirdly. I love the Garrett, others like the Nokta pinpointer, some like the Minelab Gofind 40 pointer, it's all personal preference. Nice thing about the Carrott is that it's super bright. But somehow I still lost one.... Go figure.
 

Tnmountains

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jan 27, 2009
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South East Tennessee on Ga, Ala line
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Tesoro Conquistador freq shift
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Garrett AT-Pro
Garet carrot
Neodymium magnets
5' Probe
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Hi; Bigfoot, your picture there has now got me "convinced". I'm getting one. QUESTION: Guys, which is better, the ATX or the Carrot ??? I await. PEACE:RONB :coffee2:

You can research all of that in the metal detecting section. Same question many times.
 

Mach1Pilot

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Jul 21, 2008
3,000
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Bedford County, PA
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Ron -

The differences are few between the TRX and the AT Pinpointer..

Both are waterproof, have adjustable sensitivity, and come with holsters.

The White's TRX will detect only on the tip, is slightly larger overall, and is very slightly more expensive.

The Garrett AT Pinpointner will detect up the shaft approximately 3" instead of just on the tip.... is slightly smaller, is orange for visibility, and is slightly cheaper.

In the end, you can't go wrong with either!
 

Fletch88

Silver Member
Mar 7, 2013
4,841
2,367
Valdosta, GA
Detector(s) used
Garrett ATPro- 8.5x11, 5x8, CORS Fotune 5.5x9.5
Tesoro Silver microMax- 8 donut, 8x11 RSD, 3x18 Cleansweep
Minelab Excalibur ll- 10" Tornado
Minelab CTX 3030
Minelab Xterra 305
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I cannot even imagine DirtFishing without one! Now on the beach I never use one but for land it is so much easier to locate target(s)
 

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BARKER

Bronze Member
Nov 1, 2011
2,056
1,795
BOSTON
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Whites DFX, Garrett GMH, Toltec 100, Whites PI 3000, Fisher 75, Whites Silver Eagle 2, Whites Beachcomber, and several others from 1968 to Present
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Hi; Keith, you just made up my mind as to which one I'm going to get. Expect a call ok. I'm going with the Pro Pointer AT. More sensitive, smaller point and Orange for visual needs. To me that wraps up the whole shebang in ONE package.!!!!:icon_thumright: Thanks keith and everyone. You guys are great. :occasion14: PEACE:RONB
 

Rodbuster209

Hero Member
Oct 26, 2010
832
622
Northern California
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MineLab SE, Excaliber 1000, Sovereign, White's SpectrumXLT
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I prefer the Sunray inline probe, when turned on it is your detector reduced to a 1" coil, when water hunting I have a Garrett carrot ATpro, that my grandson uses, I give him two tries before I scoop it!
 

KyDigNQueen

Sr. Member
May 30, 2016
353
884
KY
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Pro pointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hi; Bigfoot, your picture there has now got me "convinced". I'm getting one. QUESTION: Guys, which is better, the ATX or the Carrot ??? I await. PEACE:RONB :coffee2:

I bought my husband a Carrot even though his detector came with a basic pointer. He LOVES the carrot so much better. I have one, as well
 

KyDigNQueen

Sr. Member
May 30, 2016
353
884
KY
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Pro pointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hi; Bigfoot, your picture there has now got me "convinced". I'm getting one. QUESTION: Guys, which is better, the ATX or the Carrot ??? I await. PEACE:RONB :coffee2:

I ended up buying my husband the carrot even though his AT Pro came with a pointer. The carrot is more sensitive, and water proof. He loves it so much better. So naturally I have a carrot, too.
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
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CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
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Other
I gave my Pro Pointer to my cousin as an excuse to get a Carrot, kinda wish I hadn't now but it is what it is.

Had trouble right out the gate with the Carrot, I saw the same problem quoted above by Bquamb. I replaced the battery and it calmed down. Brand new Carrot with a brand new battery? Geez.....

The carrot screams! I have to get used to de-tuning it every time I search for a target, won't really actually pin point until I do. That's a real negative to me. Maybe it's just me having to forget my Pro Pointer and move on to the new "relationship".

However, I did pin point a target under 24" of water.
 

Msbeepbeep

Gold Member
Jun 24, 2012
15,787
24,131
MA
Detector(s) used
M-6, pro pointer, pistol probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Your back will thank you Ron.
I can't kneel because of knees and ankle, so the less time i'm bending digging means more detecting time & recoveries.
:)
 

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