Newbie-do I really need a pointer \if so recommendations?

[Hillbilly Prince]

Bad phrasing. Of course, I do not need one. What I was asking was, do people actually find them useful, or not.
It seems everyone loves them.
Anyway,there are no stupid questions-just stupid people asking questions. Or ignorant in regard to these items in my case

 

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[DeepseekerADS]

Bad phrasing. Of course, I do not need one.

Well, no. You actually do need one and should have one. It saves a whole lot of time - which means extra targets detected.

I view a pinpointer as an absolute essential tool in our hobby. You'll NEVER regret carrying one with you.

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

Hillbilly Prince,

You live in a beautiful area! In 2012, I had the pleasure of teaching a two week summer course in the "Engineering Design Process" at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla. The Rolla people were wonderful and the campus was perfect! I did have many after dinner treats at this little hidden bakery (wish I could remember the name...very small and had only a few tables) that had famous pies...my poison, most days, was the Mississippi Mud Pie. I think the price was $4.95 per slice (almost 1/4 of the pie). Great memories!

Regards,

Doc

Missouri is a beautiful state. Lots of little towns and little diners left.
I know it is odd but I love the ice storms we sometimes have. The freezing rain falling and covering everything in a coat of ice. Last big one a few years ago I stood out in the yard around one a.m. listening to limbs giving way with thunderous cracks all around.
Plenty of pie here in Missouri left!

 

[Ammoman]

Missouri is a beautiful state. Lots of little towns and little diners left.
I know it is odd but I love the ice storms we sometimes have. The freezing rain falling and covering everything in a coat of ice. Last big one a few years ago I stood out in the yard around one a.m. listening to limbs giving way with thunderous cracks all around.
Plenty of pie here in Missouri left!

Indeed Missouri is an awesome state to live in. I spent my 9th grade year in and around Rolla and my 11th and 12 grade years around KC. My father lived in Iberia until he died back in 2012. You have some great places to hunt.

 

[Stringtyer]

I enjoy having a pinpointer with me. It makes the retrieval portion of the dig much easier. I have a cheap carrot look-alike that does an adequate job for my level of detecting. As I become more adept with my MD, I'll likely buy a "nicer" pointer. If you want advice, get a pointer.

 

[dts52]

Like they say in the commercial "Don't leave home without it!" Great advice about the beach. If you're just sifting beach sand, you really don't need one. For all other hunting, I'll drive back home to get it if I forget it. It's an essential part of my kit, BUT... I haven't found anywheres near the great stuff other TNers have posted and I am NOT an expert in any sense of the word. I am, however, inherently lazy and my pinpointer has saved me a lot of work and a lot of time. Best of luck tp you in this crazy hobby.
HH
dts

 

[against the wind]

Detector, Lesche digger, Garrett Carrot.
After that comes your finds pouch, trash pouch, utility pouch, utility belt.
The pinpointed is no longer a luxury,, it is a necessity.

 

[etex]

If you know what your doing you don't need a pinpointer, if you feel you must, cut a foot long limb and poke around the hole with it

 

[Bama Billy]

Technically you don’t need a metal detector either, you can just dig holes until you find something

 

[Bama Billy]

If you know what your doing you don't need a pinpointer, if you feel you must, cut a foot long limb and poke around the hole with it

Then why does every single person I know own and use one? I guess they just don’t what they’re doing

 

[etex]

For forty years their were no pinpointers, how did people ever find anything?

 

[Bama Billy]

For forty years their were no pinpointers, how did people ever find anything?

So it’s safe to assume based on your logic that you’re using a 40 y/o detector right? You certainly don’t NEED a newer one?

 

[bowwinkles]

etex
Lets just say that THOSE WHO LIKE TO ADVANCE WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR HOBBY, CHOOSE AND USE THESE PRODUCTS. If you choose to remain in the old system, more power to you and enjoy all the extra exercise that you are getting. But, please respect those who choose to take the modern and up to date methods and use the new devices as they become available. You could maybe find a user or two with a "smart phone" or god forbid a "lap top".

 

[Tpmetal]

mine sprung a leak and i couldn't use it when on vacation, i was water hunting an area that was rock and hard packed silt where you can not use a scoop. With no pin pointer I was only able to retrieve like 10-15 targets in 3 hours (two were silver though) Pin pointer is essential, I should have been able to dig 100 targets. plus after you open a hole on those deep targets it helps you understand where the target is so you don't stab the crap out of it when digging.

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

For forty years their were no pinpointers, how did people ever find anything?

I have very old coins my dad found using his eyes. Not a MD guy-just lucky. He wasn't looking for treasure.
I understand your point. My question rose from experiences with my other interests where people are trying to sell you skill and talent which can't be bought usually. Or rather I should say trying to sell you a promise of instant success with no work. I see a lot of people find them very useful so I think it would be a good investment if you want to lay out the money. Although some do not feel so, which is fine. Whatever works for folks is wonderful as long as they enjoy the hobby.
Some people still hunt with bare bows and black powder muzzle loaders. And some people hunt with sniper rifles.

 

[Stringtyer]

The idea that you don't have to have a pointer is quite right; however, it is a nice addition to your detecting arsenal that makes things easier. While it is absolutely true that pointers didn't exist 40 years ago, that argument is moot since they do exist now. While I agree that it is perfectly fine to detect without a pinpointer - and I did before they existed - I also think that, if you can afford one, it is beneficial.

To use an example of using something that didn't exist 40 years ago, I'll point to mechanical drawing (drafting). When I first taught drafting 43 years ago it was all paper, pencil, triangles, and drawing boards. That system worked extremely well for centuries. When I returned to teaching 16 years ago, the concept of CAD (computer assisted drafting) had been developed and made the work so much more efficient. It didn't make it easier ... you still have to have the basic skills and knowledge to do the craft ... but it did make it better. Granted, I still have a drawing board and instruments and I use them for simple projects (just like I still drag my old Compass Magnum out into the field now and then), but I certainly fire up my CAD program a whole lot more often.

I'm just suggesting that you can be successful detecting with almost any machine and you can certainly find objects without a pinpointer. I'm just saying that modern developments sometimes make things more efficient and easier.

So ends my rant.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

For forty years their were no pinpointers, how did people ever find anything?

They found them very slowly...

 

[Tommybuckets]

I went years without one but it is a necessity . I now look at it this way. If you can dig 40 targets with it, and only 10 targets in the same time without it, you are vastly increasing your chances at a good find. Especially with deep frustrating targets that you may just give up on without it. If you are going to do yards it keeps your plugs much neater at the end.

 

[tokameel]

I use the Zircon M40 Metal Locator (Stud Finder). Works great for $30 at Home Depot.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zircon-MetalliScanner-M40-Metal-Locator-62518/202184893

Good Luck,

tokameel

 

[Truth]

Ooooh yes!! That’s why they’re can get $145+ for these things. I went 2 weeks without one while getting fixed now I keep two.