Might look for a detecting club in your area for some pointers, and may even find a used detector too. You also could call a supplier and ask them what people in your area is buying. Kellyco and New England Metal Detectors are two off the top of my head. Kellyco has a compare option so you can compare up to 3 detectors at once. Most machines are set to coins, and iron relics will sound off on any machine. If you want depth, or want to disc out all the trash you will find, that cost a lil more. I quickly grew out of my beginners detector and eventually upgraded to a high end machine. Things like weight, coils available, and battery's are just a few things to keep in mind. I also like my visual display, most beginners detectors will just be beep and dig. Spend what you can afford as you will want more if you stick with the hobby. I spent 2 years with a very economical Bounty Hunter. I dug a lot of trash and wanted a deeper detector. My wife now uses the Bounty Hunter when she goes with me. Knowing what I do now, I would get a Fisher F4, a Garret AT-Pro, or a Minelab. This may be more than you want to spend. I was lucky to find a high end used detector that does all I need in a detector. I own a noisy beast, that most folks wont put up with. I can actually put my coil in the air, and this is a test in the manual, and find cell towers and high tension wires....lol. There is no way to cover all types of detectors or brands here. I will close in saying, dont settle for a beginner detector if you dont have too. Get what you are comfortable spending, a good Visual Display, a way to disc out trash, maybe a package that comes with a extra search coil if you see where I am going.
