Recovery and technique
Pinpointer vs Metal Detector: Why One Is Not a Substitute for the Other
Quick answer
A metal detector locates a target from the surface across a wide area. A pinpointer, like Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, only confirms the exact spot inside a hole you have already dug. It is not an alternative to a detector like Minelab Equinox 700 and cannot search ground on its own. For most people who already own a detector and still dig blind, a pinpointer is a better next purchase than a detector upgrade.
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
$109.99Confirms the exact target location inside a hole; submersible to 20 feet, adjustable sensitivity, one-button control.
Best for: nearly everyone, including water hunters
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Minelab Equinox 700
$749.00Searches ground from the surface across a wide area to locate a target in the first place; a pinpointer cannot do this job.
Best for: most serious hobbyists who do not need the 900's extra modes
Check price on AmazonThese two tools do not compete, and treating this as a choice between them misunderstands what a pinpointer is for. Minelab Equinox 700 searches ground from the surface and tells you a target exists somewhere under the coil. Garrett Pro-Pointer AT does something entirely different: once you have opened a plug or a hole based on the detector's signal, the pinpointer's narrow, focused field tells you exactly where inside that hole the target actually sits. A pinpointer swept over open ground will find almost nothing at any useful range, that is not its job.
The real question this page answers is not "which one" but "which one should I buy next." If you already own any detector and are still digging by feel, sifting a pile of dirt with your fingers or a trowel tip until you happen to touch the target, a pinpointer is very likely the better next purchase over a new or upgraded detector. It is the accessory most often recommended without qualification in this hobby, and the reason is straightforward: expect recovery time on a typical dig to fall by roughly half once a pinpointer replaces hand-sifting, because narrowing a search from an entire hole to a few square inches is most of the work.
Top pick
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
For someone who owns a detector and still digs by feel, this is very likely a better next purchase than a new detector, and it is the accessory most often recommended without qualification.
Price was accurate when this page was compiled and changes often.
On this page
What job does each tool actually do?
A detector's coil generates a field wide enough to sweep meaningful ground per pass, and its job is coverage: finding a signal somewhere under that field as you walk. A pinpointer's field is deliberately tiny and short-range by comparison, often only a few inches, and its job is precision inside a space a detector has already narrowed down to a hole or a clump of dirt. Confusing the two, or assuming a pinpointer is a cheap substitute for a real detector, misses what each tool is built to do entirely.
How do these two actually compare on paper?
This table exists to make the scale difference concrete, not to suggest these are competing purchases.
The two are not substitutes: one confirms a target inside a hole, the other locates a target from the surface, and their specifications reflect entirely different jobs.
| Model | Price | Frequency type | Stock coil | Waterproof depth | Made in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Pro-Pointer AT | $109.99 | - | - | 20 ft | USA |
| Minelab Equinox 700 | $749.00 | Simultaneous multi-frequency | 11 in | - | - |
Figures are taken from each manufacturer's own published listing and specification sheet. A dash means the maker does not publish that figure for that model, not that the feature is absent.
What does each one actually tell you?
A detector answers "is something here" across a wide area; a pinpointer answers "exactly where" inside a space you have already narrowed down.
| Question | Garrett Pro-Pointer AT | Minelab Equinox 700 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $109.99 | $749.00 |
| Search range | A few inches, inside a hole | Several inches to roughly a foot, across open ground |
| Job | Confirms exact target location | Locates a target in the first place |
| Waterproof rating | 20 ft | 16 ft |
| Target ID | Not published in this listing | 0 to 99 numeric scale |
| Typical use | Inside a dug plug or dirt pile | Swept across the ground surface |
| Replaces the other? | No | No |
Drawn from the Garrett Pro-Pointer AT and Minelab Equinox 700 listings in our catalog. These figures illustrate scale and purpose, not a head-to-head buying decision.
Buy a pinpointer now if
You already own any working detector and are still finishing recoveries by hand, sifting dirt or scraping the sides of a hole hoping to feel metal. This is true whether your detector cost $150 or $1,500: recovery speed is bottlenecked by the pinpointer, or lack of one, far more often than by the detector itself. Trashy sites, where several targets can land in the same small area, benefit the most. The how to use a pinpointer guide covers the technique once you own one, and the best pinpointer roundup compares options beyond the Pro-Pointer AT.
Upgrade the detector instead if
Your current machine has a genuine capability gap that a pinpointer cannot touch: it is not waterproof and you want to hunt wet sand, it has no target ID at all on a very basic unit, or it simply cannot reach the depth your local soil and target sizes need. A pinpointer speeds up recovery on targets your detector can already find; it does nothing for targets your detector cannot find in the first place. The how to choose a metal detector guide walks through when a detector upgrade is actually the bottleneck.
Which pinpointer, and what else it changes
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT is the safe, brand-agnostic default and is submersible to 20 feet, useful even if your detector is not rated that deep. Minelab PRO-FIND 40 is the Minelab-branded alternative and adds ferrous tone ID, which the Pro-Pointer AT vs PRO-FIND 40 comparison covers directly. Either way, run the dig time calculator against your typical site to see roughly how much of a day you actually spend recovering versus searching, which usually settles the purchase order on its own.
Sources
- Garrett Pro-Pointer AT product listing and specifications
- Minelab Equinox 700 product listing and specifications
Frequently asked questions
Can a pinpointer find targets on its own, like a detector does?
Not in any practical sense. A pinpointer's field is deliberately short-range, typically a few inches, built for confirming a target's exact location inside a hole rather than searching ground. Sweeping one over open ground the way you would a detector will miss almost everything beyond a few inches down, so it cannot substitute for a real search.
Do I need a pinpointer if my detector already has a pinpoint mode?
A detector's built-in pinpoint mode helps narrow a target's general location before you dig, but it still requires holding the coil over the spot, which is awkward once you have opened a hole. A handheld pinpointer works inside the hole itself and in the dirt pile, which a detector coil physically cannot do, so the two serve different, non-overlapping stages of a recovery.
Are pinpointers waterproof enough for beach or river hunting?
Garrett publishes 20 feet of submersion for the Pro-Pointer AT, which comfortably covers beach and shallow river use. Not every pinpointer on the market matches that rating, so check the specific listing before buying one for wet-sand or wading use, the same way you would check a detector's waterproof rating before taking it in the water.
What's the real difference between the Pro-Pointer AT and the PRO-FIND 40?
The Pro-Pointer AT publishes a deeper waterproof rating, 20 feet against a figure Minelab does not state for the PRO-FIND 40, while the PRO-FIND 40 adds ferrous tone ID, a second audio response that flags likely iron before you finish digging. The full comparison between them covers which matters more for your typical site.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published specifications, manuals and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Target ID numbers, depth figures and settings vary with soil chemistry, moisture, target size, depth, orientation and firmware version, so treat every figure here as a starting point and verify it against your own machine's manual and your own ground. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.