Choosing and setting up
How to Use a Pinpointer: Cutting Recovery Time to Under a Minute
Quick answer
Scan the plug first, then the walls and floor of the hole, then the spoil, moving the probe tip in small passes rather than sweeping it. Retune the pinpointer in clean air beside the hole whenever mineralised soil makes it chatter. Used properly it turns a ten minute recovery into about a minute.
A pinpointer is the accessory that changes a day out more than any other, and the reason is arithmetic rather than technology. Recovery time, not detection, is what limits how many targets you get out of a site in an afternoon. A probe that locates the object inside the plug in ten seconds means a smaller hole, less turf damage, fewer lost targets in the grass and several more holes before the light goes.
It is also the accessory people use badly. Most owners wave it like a small detector, which is exactly wrong: the field around the tip is short and roughly spherical, so it rewards slow, deliberate contact rather than sweeping. The dig time calculator shows what the saving is worth across a session, and the pinpointer roundup covers which to buy.
Top pick
Garrett Pro-Pointer AT
Garrett publishes a 20 foot submersion rating, three sensitivity levels, a fast retune and a one-button interface, which is the specification that has made it the default recommendation.
Price was accurate when this page was compiled and changes often.
On this page
What order do you scan in?
- Pinpoint with the detector first. Narrow the target with the machine before you cut anything. A pinpointer is a recovery tool with a few inches of range, not a search tool, and it cannot find a target you have not already located to within a hand span.
- Cut the plug and lift it. Cut a three-sided plug and fold it back on the hinge so the turf can be replaced exactly. The hole filling guide on this site covers why the hinge matters.
- Scan the plug itself. Pass the probe tip over both faces of the lifted plug. A surprising share of targets come out inside the turf, and finding it here saves digging the hole any deeper at all.
- Scan the hole floor and walls. Touch the tip to the floor, then work round the walls. Targets sit in a wall more often than people expect, especially on a sloped cut.
- Retune if the soil is chattering. Hold the probe in clean air beside the hole and retune, then go back in. Mineralised or wet salty soil will make an untuned probe sound off on nothing.
- Scan the spoil last. If the hole and plug are clean, the target is in the loose soil you removed. Spread it thinly on a mat or a patch of grass and pass the probe across it.
- Re-check the empty hole before filling. One last pass with the detector as well as the probe catches the second target that was masked by the first, which is common on old sites.
How do the common pinpointers differ?
The figures below are the manufacturers own published ratings for the models in this catalogue. They are the specifications worth comparing, because everything else about a pinpointer converges: they all find the target in the plug.
Published submersion ratings across common pinpointers run from 5 feet up to a 60 metre IP68 rating on the pulse induction Nokta PulseDive, and only some models offer a ferrous tone.
| Pinpointer | Published water rating | Indication | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Pro-Pointer AT | Submersible to 20 feet | Audio and vibration, three sensitivity levels | $109.99 |
| Garrett Pro-Pointer II | IP66, tip submersible | Audio and vibration, LED flashlight | $99.99 |
| Minelab PRO-FIND 15 | Fully waterproof to 5 feet | Audio, lost alarm | $69.00 |
| Minelab PRO-FIND 35 | Fully waterproof to 10 feet | Audio and vibration, ferrous tone ID, 5 levels | $99.00 |
| Minelab PRO-FIND 40 | Full waterproof housing | Audio and vibration, ferrous tone ID, 5 levels | $149.00 |
| Nokta PulseDive Pinpointer | IP68 to 60 metres | Pulse induction, stable in salt water, lost alarm | $165.00 |
| Nokta Pointer | IP67 water resistant | Audio and vibration, four sensitivity levels | $99.00 |
| Quest Xpointer Max | Waterproof to 15 feet | Audio, discrimination, holster activation | $134.95 |
All figures are taken from the manufacturers own published listings for these models. Ratings describe submersion in the condition the maker specifies and are not a promise about a damaged or ageing seal, so check the current manual before taking any probe under water.
Why does the probe sound off on nothing?
Because mineralised soil, wet salt sand and hot rocks all produce a response, and a probe tuned in air and then pushed into that ground is being asked to ignore a signal it was not tuned against. The fix is the retune button: hold the probe in the position you will actually use it, away from metal, and retune there. On a salt beach you may need to do this every few holes, which is normal rather than a fault.
The other common cause is sensitivity set too high. A probe on maximum in trashy ground finds the nail in the wall of the hole rather than the coin in the plug, and turning it down narrows the field to something usable. If your probe offers a ferrous indication, as the Minelab PRO-FIND 40 and Minelab PRO-FIND 35 do, you can often decide not to bother digging deeper while the probe is still in the hole, which is the most underrated feature in the category.
What does a pinpointer do to hole size and site access?
It halves it, and that matters more than the time saving. A recovery guided by a probe is a neat plug lifted once and replaced, rather than a widening excavation while you guess. Parks departments and landowners judge detectorists almost entirely on what the ground looks like afterwards, which is the argument made at length in the hole filling guide and in the code of conduct.
It also keeps targets out of the grass. Lose a small hammered coin or a thin gold ring into spoil on a lawn and it is genuinely gone. Keep the probe on a lanyard or in a holster rather than laid on the turf, because the other thing people lose is the pinpointer: Pinpointer Tip Protectors and Lanyard at $13.99 include a lanyard, and a Pinpointer Belt Holster keeps it on the belt where you can reach it one handed.
Which pinpointer suits which hunting?
For dry land and parks, almost any of them works, and the sensible choice is the one with a comfortable interface and a rating you will never test. For wading and beach work, buy the published submersion depth you actually need rather than the largest number available, and remember that a probe rated for shallow water is not a diving tool. For salt water specifically, the pulse induction Nokta PulseDive Pinpointer is the one design in this catalogue built around remaining stable in conductive salt conditions.
For iron-heavy historic ground, a ferrous tone earns its money, because the decision you are making dozens of times a day is whether the thing in the wall of the hole is worth another two minutes. The beginner kit starts with a modest probe for that reason and upgrades it before the detector, which is the right order for almost everybody.
Whatever you buy, it will spend its life being dropped in wet holes and left in grass, so treat the consumable parts as consumable. Tip protectors take the wear that would otherwise thin the probe housing, a lanyard stops the expensive orange thing disappearing into long grass, and a holster means it is on your belt rather than balanced on the spoil heap. The most common pinpointer failure in this hobby is not electronic. It is leaving it behind in a field at dusk.
Sources
- Garrett Pro-Pointer AT and Pro-Pointer II published product specifications
- Minelab PRO-FIND 15, 35 and 40 published product specifications
- Nokta PulseDive and Nokta Pointer published product specifications
- Quest Xpointer Max published product specifications
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a pinpointer?
It is the accessory that most reduces frustration, and the one experienced detectorists replace first if it fails. Without one, recovery on a small deep target can take ten minutes of widening a hole. With one it takes about a minute and leaves a smaller plug, which is what keeps permissions. If money is tight, buy a modest probe rather than none.
Why does my pinpointer beep constantly in the ground?
Usually because it was tuned in air and the soil, wet salt sand or a hot rock is producing its own response. Retune it in the position you will use it, away from metal, and turn the sensitivity down a step. On a salt beach expect to retune every few holes. Persistent beeping with fresh batteries in mild soil is worth checking against a known clean patch.
Can I use a pinpointer under water?
Only to the depth its maker publishes, and only while the seal and battery cover are sound. Published ratings across common models range from a few feet to an IP68 rating at 60 metres, so read the figure for your specific model rather than assuming the category is waterproof. Rinse salt off afterwards and dry the battery compartment before storage.
Should I scan the plug or the hole first?
The plug, every time. A large share of shallow targets come up inside the turf, and finding it there means you never deepen the hole at all. If the plug is clean, scan the floor and then the walls, and only then spread the spoil thinly and pass the probe over it. Re-check the empty hole with the detector before filling.
Is a pinpointer with a ferrous tone worth the extra?
On iron-heavy historic ground, yes. A ferrous indication lets you decide against digging further while the probe is still in the hole, which saves time on sites where most signals are nails. On a clean modern park it matters much less, and the money is better spent on a second coil or a proper digger.
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.