Forager Go Metal Detector Review

Forager Go Metal Detector Review

Buy it at Amazon: Forager Go Metal Detector [Affiliate Link]

Takeaway: Easy to assemble, lightweight, loud speaker, fun to use; comes w/handy field guide.

The metal detector comes in several pieces and requires assembly, which seems to be the main complaint of a lot of folks, but I didn't have a problem with putting it together. It sounds like the piece that gives folks the most trouble is the tightening collar that connects the lower half of the shaft to the upper half. Make sure to unscrew the outer collar on this sleeve and slip the threaded side onto the upper shaft until the snaps click into the holes on the pole; then loosely place the tightening collar over it, insert the lower half of the shaft into the upper half and tighten the collar. You'll also receive a mini fold-able shovel, a set of instructions, and a field guide.

The control box contains the electronics for the device. On the front you have a detection display, a discrimination dial which filters signals based on metal type, a sensitivity dial which can increase the range and depth of detection and also serves as the power switch, a volume dial, a pinpoint button, low battery indicator, and 1/8" earphone jack. This unit requires two 9V batteries for operation which are not included. The coil is what detects metal in the ground and it plugs into the back of the control box. The included search head coil is 7" in diameter. When fully assembled the length of the metal detector is about 40".

The travel shovel comes in a green camouflage pouch with a nylon hanging loop and a belt strap on the back. The shovel also requires a bit of assembly, too. First, screw the upper shaft of the handle into the lower half, then unfold the shovel head. Remember to tighten the collar nut underneath the shovel head so that it doesn't move around. You can use this tool as a shovel for digging or turn the head perpendicular to use as a pick (you can also tighten the nut in this orientation, but remember to loosen the collar nut to switch orientations and fold the shovel back up for storage). On the side of the shovel head is a serrated saw blade edge and on the opposite corner is a bottle opener.

The included instructions are pretty basic but explain how to assemble and use the metal detector. The field guide provides more in depth instruction and tips and tricks for getting the most out of your unit which I found pretty useful. There are instructions on how to change the settings to filter out false positives from mineral rich locations and "junk" metal. You just have to turn the discrimination dial clockwise and adjust the sensitivity accordingly. Some folks said they had to constantly use the pinpoint button to get any positive hits, but you shouldn't have to do that if the sensitivity is turned to the max and discrimination set to "all metal." The pinpoint key will be able to locate items that are deeper and the unit detects metal to a depth of about 7 inches. But that's not really an efficient way to use this tool. So far, the metal detector has been pretty accurate for me. I've been able to locate quite a few metal objects, particularly in sand which were close to the surface. A few coins, some stainless steel jewelry, and the occasional odd metal scrap piece. The deepest object I've found was a chunk of aluminum gutter buried about 6 inches in my backyard. Not a great find but good for practice with the detector.

I found the field guide and manual instructive for first-timers, like myself, and being able to use headphones is nice so you don't have to disturb other people with loud beeping all the time. I will say that if you'll be using headphones, you only need to set the volume to just above the minimum as it's plenty loud. Overall, the metal detector works as expected and is a lot of fun to use, even though I haven't found anything worth mentioning here. I have not tried using this in water like a stream or shallows of a pond, so I don't know if it will stand up to its waterproof claim yet.

Buy it at Amazon: Forager Go Metal Detector [Affiliate Link]