How deep can a metal detector detect?
Verdict summary
Most hobby metal detectors find coin-sized objects down to about 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) in typical soil. Larger objects can be detected deeper, and pulse-induction machines and large coils reach further, while mineralised soil reduces depth.
Depth depends on the object's size, shape and metal, the coil size, and the ground. Objects that have lain longer in the ground can be easier to detect.
Sources: Detector manufacturer technical documentation.
Can a metal detector find gold nuggets? Yes. Detectors built for gold, either high-frequency VLF models or pulse-induction (PI) models, find gold nuggets. Small flakes and fine gold are too small to detect and are recovered by panning instead.
Where is the best place to metal detect? The best places to metal detect are where many people gathered over a long time: old homesites, parks, schoolyards, fairgrounds, swimming holes, beaches, picnic grounds, old roads and stage stops. Historic maps show where these places were, even when nothing is visible today.
Primary sources cited
- Detector manufacturer technical documentation