Garrett Pro-Pinpointer - Worth It or Better Product Out There?

N2CU

Full Member
Feb 13, 2011
136
7
Orchard Park, Western NY
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Fisher F70, Pro-Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I bought a CenTech because at $17 I couldn't pass it up. I super tuned it by placing a brass strip around the coil and covered it with a piece of heat shrink tubing. By sliding this strip around I can change the threshold with the sensitivity knob about halfway. I get about double the depth this way. It's not bad for the money. HOWEVER, I find the CenTech very unstable. I'm constantly adjusting the sensitivity as I move around from spot to spot or as the air temperature changes.

So... today I ordered a Garrett ProPointer. Nothing but good things are said about this device. I especially like the way it fits in your hand and the ruggedness of the probe for scraping away the dirt. The increase in beep rate as you get closer is very nice. I considered a SunRay but if you change detector brands, you have to get another.
 

Dirkdigger

Greenie
Mar 22, 2012
13
11
Morris cove CT
Detector(s) used
Garret Ace 350, modded Cen-tech pinpointer,
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Cen- tech 4 inches coins 6 heavy metals

simple tweak, slide a penny down the coil shaft to the exact spot it stops setting off detector, tape it on shaft at that precise location.
Check your depth befor and after, you will double to triple output.
Solder in metal toggle on off switch
Add 3 volt vibe motor, I opted to remove led and speaker so my single indication was buzzer, you can opt for whatever you like.

I've gone head to head with a Garret with no depth bonus on Garret and that's no b.s.
I've opted to duck tape my entire unit to weather proof it leaving battery accessible.

Total invested 22.00 and about an hour.... I can build 6 of these units for the price of one Garret, after all, are you detecting to find money or see how quick you can spend it.?
Final note,, after several winds of electrical tape I have used this thing as everything but a car tire jack and it's survived, prodding deep he'll they other day I dropped it and jumped after I walked on it and it picked up my brass boot eye holes, scared the sh,t out of me thinking it was q snake.. It's still dead accurate and kicking.
 

Jersey Hunter

Full Member
Dec 27, 2011
226
19
Barnegat, NJ
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2 SE and G2, Garrett AT-Pro, Garrett Pro Pointer, Lesche digger and Relic Hunter Shovel.
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Never used a pinpointer until this year. I bought the Garrett propointer based on recommendations here on the forum. If I lost it today, I would buy another immediately. I won't be without it, its that good!
 

TENNESSEEGAL

Sr. Member
Aug 20, 2005
485
117
Oak Ridge, TN
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Whites XLT and Minelab Excalabur 11
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Dirkdigger said:
simple tweak, slide a penny down the coil shaft to the exact spot it stops setting off detector, tape it on shaft at that precise location.
Check your depth befor and after, you will double to triple output.
Solder in metal toggle on off switch
Add 3 volt vibe motor, I opted to remove led and speaker so my single indication was buzzer, you can opt for whatever you like.

I've gone head to head with a Garret with no depth bonus on Garret and that's no b.s.
I've opted to duck tape my entire unit to weather proof it leaving battery accessible.

Total invested 22.00 and about an hour.... I can build 6 of these units for the price of one Garret, after all, are you detecting to find money or see how quick you can spend it.?
Final note,, after several winds of electrical tape I have used this thing as everything but a car tire jack and it's survived, prodding deep he'll they other day I dropped it and jumped after I walked on it and it picked up my brass boot eye holes, scared the sh,t out of me thinking it was q snake.. It's still dead accurate and kicking.

Great tip! And lol at the snake!
 

sonofadigger

Bronze Member
Apr 22, 2012
2,201
783
SOMEWHERE
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
MINELAB E-TRAC MINELAB SAFARI TEKNETICS OMEGA 8000 GARRETT AT PRO GARRETT PRO POINTER VIBRA PROBE 580
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
im wondering if minelab's pointer is gonna be as good as it sounds if so garrett will have some major competition
 

Eyesight

Tenderfoot
Nov 21, 2011
9
0
Munich, Germany
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX3030 + XP Déus 2.0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
It's definitely worth it, but let's see what ML comes with - if they ever manage to deliver their ProFind 25 - they've had a plethora of time to learn from ProPointer... One device not yet mentioned here - Ebinger GPP (stands for German Professional Pinpointer). Have it for a week or so, still learning (compared with ProPointer there's some learning involved as you have to adjust ground ballance), but I can already say that GPP goes deeper than ProPointer.
 

Digs68

Sr. Member
Apr 14, 2012
258
79
Mid-Missouri
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Garrett Ace 350
Garrett Pro Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have to pull the trigger and get one. One of the challenges I have is with my detector cable, for some reason I just can't get the right wrap so that I end up with just enough slack at the top to connect to the box. Then what happens is the wire gets lose and the coil doesnt stay firm at the angle I like... this throws off my painpointing ability because it leads me to believe that the signal comes straight from the coil center... so if the coil is loose then the target would actually be closer to your feet following the coil centers angle.
I don't think the wrapping of your coil's cable has anything to do with where your coil is pinpointing. The coil is sealed inside the base. The cable is just the cable. Unwound it a little & plug it in so it stays plugged in. That's it.
 

nemetoad5

Newbie
Jan 21, 2013
1
0
Just bought a pro pointer and used it yesterday. Worth every cent. It's amazing how much easier it is to dig up your finds with the Garrett pro pointer.
 

detectahead

Silver Member
Dec 1, 2007
2,563
874
Western, N.C.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Equinox 600, Bandido UMax II, Fisher F5, Tiger Shark, Ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Have a Pistol probe. Will go to Garrett most likely. Will check some others first. The main issue with the Pistol is loudness. Some of the places I hunt are near traffic and u cant hear it, especially with headphones or earplugs in. Depth is good, about an inch more than Garrett. That can mean the difference in scratching a coin or not.
 

Dtektor

Jr. Member
Jan 3, 2012
87
17
Eastern NC
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Vaquero w/ 9x8 & 5.75 coils
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The cable should not be what keeps the coil at the angle you want. You should be using the thumb screw and rubber washers that came with the unit. On most Tesoros (mine is a Vaquero), the fit between the coil ears and the lower shaft is verrryyy tight and will almost stay in place without the thumb screw. It does take a couple tries to get the wrap correct but then you need to use some short velcro straps to secure the cable in about three places. Mine stays put and I have to use my hand to adjust the coil angle. Check it out.
tesorovaqcable.jpg
 

Last edited:

Pointman

Silver Member
Feb 18, 2013
2,575
1,549
Arkansas
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
I’ve used about all modern ones but right now: CTX 3030, White’s MXT Pro, XP Deus, Vaquero, White’s TRX
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've used 3 different kinds. I am currently selling my Minelab pinpointer. I like the extra features, but I have hearing difficulties and the sound is more quieter than the Garrett. The strength of the Minelab is that it pinpoints further and is adjustable for both sensitivity and sound. Being more sensitive is a good and bad thing. Bad thing in high trash areas.

Personally, I like the Garrett better cause of this. If Garrett made an option to set the Pro Pointer to vibrate only, then they would have a winner. Now if they would only make it waterproof also...........
 

CurlysGold

Sr. Member
Sep 23, 2012
415
91
East Coast
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 SE
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
You can take some electrical tape and do a single or double wrap around the speaker opening. It quiets down quite a bit.
 

sandie1

Greenie
Jan 24, 2013
10
0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
which metal detector store did you buy your Silver Umax in? There are a few shops in Boston area, within 20 or so miles. I too like that Garrett Pro Pointer that sounds out and vibrates. I have an older probe that works so have hard time spending more money when my probe works great.
 

vhakra

Jr. Member
Mar 31, 2013
22
15
Montana
Detector(s) used
BH T4
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've been debating between the Harbor Freight pointer or the Garrett Pro. You guys are selling me on the Garrett. I told my wife I'd keep the hobby as cheap as possible for a start. Since it was my birthday yesterday and she hasn't gotten me a gift yet I think I'll be asking for this!
 

heathgeo

Jr. Member
Dec 1, 2012
89
31
Salisbury, MD
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Outlaw, Tesoro Vaquero, Tesoro Sand Shark
I started with the centech from harbor freight.. It worked OK until the switch broke...
Now I have a Garrett pro pointer and its great :-) infact I have 2...
I bought one for my son to use....
 

Digger2

Bronze Member
Apr 9, 2013
1,099
204
Vacherie Louisiana
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS,Garrett AT Pro, GTI 2500 ,
Minelab Explorer II
Garrett pointer
Garrett Pro Pointer
Detectorpro Uniprobe

Vibra-tector 730
Vibra-Probe 580
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
The DetectorPro Uniprobe blows them all away........ I get 6 inches depth on mine and the depth is adjustible, comes with fantastic headphones and you run your detector tones through the headphones, there is switch on the headphones, one side is detector tones, other side is probe........
Yep, I love mine. I have the old one (before the headphone version), It is a tough machine. I am looking at the Garret pro-pointer to have as a back-up, but I can find no info on how deep it will detect a coin or ring.

Roy
 

heathgeo

Jr. Member
Dec 1, 2012
89
31
Salisbury, MD
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Outlaw, Tesoro Vaquero, Tesoro Sand Shark
Yep, I love mine. I have the old one (before the headphone version), It is a tough machine. I am looking at the Garret pro-pointer to have as a back-up, but I can find no info on how deep it will detect a coin or ring.

Roy

About 2-2 1/2 inches...
The proximity beep helps determine how far the pin pointer is from the target...
There are videos on YouTube...
 

MoMetalDetect

Tenderfoot
Mar 31, 2013
9
3
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Next to a Garrett Pointer, my 2nd choice would be a Pistol probe as seen at PistolProbe.com simply because it is the deepest of all pointers.
 

cz70pro

Full Member
Mar 18, 2011
117
120
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The Garrett pro pointer, is the best pin pointer I have ever used. I had a whites,fisher,harbor freight,and that long "kellyco" thing.The garrett blows them all away. The light and scraper work great,putting tape over the speaker hole helps keep dirt/water out. Put some orange tape around the top part,so when you forget to put it back on your belt(you will!) it will be easier to find. The garrett does have some "issues". I have learned to keep my detector coil far enough away when using it,to keep it from going nuts.I have also learned to ''ground balance" the propointer rather than holding it in the air when turning it on,or it's way to sensitive and constantly goes off. This thing has been through hell and still works!
 

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