Hand-held Metal Detectors are designed to safeguard security-sensitive areas like schools, courtrooms, corrections facilities, sports events, businesses, nightclubs, bars and other public areas and events. They are used along with walk-through metal detectors. Construction crews and woodworkers also use hand-held metal detectors to find dangerous nails or other metallic debris in reclaimed building materials and trees.

A recent study proves that hand-held metal detectors are just as accurate as x-rays in finding coins and other metallic objects swallowed by children. They are cheaper and radiation-free, are usually lightweight, highly sensitive and require little maintenance. The special shape of the sensitive surface makes operation of the device easy, unlike portable metal detectors with ring transducers. They come with 9V batteries or rechargeable NiMH batteries.

Hand-held metal detectors are most commonly used for body searches for weapons in crowd control, and checking parcels and letters. Garret manufactures some of the best hand-held scanners in the world. The Garrett Enforcer G-2 is the smallest body scanner and sensitive enough to detect even the smallest of knives or guns. The most popular one is the Super Scanner. It can detect hatpins as small as one inch.

When hand-held detectors are switched on, a red signal pattern in transmitted from the coil to the ground. When the signal comes in contact with a metal, it interrupts the signal and the detector alerts the user with an audio signal and flashing lights. Hand held detectors are of various types — commercial, professional, all-purpose, beach, gold metal, relic metal and 2-box deep searchers.

Metal detectors come with a control box that contains the circuitry, controls, speaker, batteries and the microprocessor; a shaft that connects the control box and the coil; a search coil that actually senses the metal; and a stabilizer that keeps the unit steady as it is moved. The performances of the detectors are based on the features of these parts.

Tesoro Metal Detectors

At less than 2½ pounds, the Tesoro Golden Max lets you control what you want to find. It is the lightest detector in the market with full size depth, sensitivity, four tone audio ID and a user adjustable Notch Filter Discriminate. The Tesoro DeLeon is a Target Identification Detector (TID), named after the famous explorer Ponce de Leon, who searched Florida looking for treasure and the Fountain of Youth. The DeLeon is designed as an easy to use, turn-on-and-go detector.

Whites Metal Detectors

The Whites E-series metal detectors include the following models. DFX™ brings together the ultimate combination of sophisticated microprocessor technology, and turn-on-and-go simplicity. It has an operational frequency of 3 kHz and 15 kHz. The XLT® Metal Detector is high-performance simplicity and versatility at its best. It has five programs to choose from along with 10 Basic Adjustments, and 29 Pro Options. The MXT has three completely separate operating modes — gold prospecting, coin/jewelry, or relic.

Prizm series

The Prizm series include Prizm II, III, IV, and V. All have a pinpoint mode that zeroes in on target location, instruction videos that show when and where to hunt.

Fisher Metal Detectors

Dr. Gerhard Fisher, a German immigrant, obtained the first patent ever issued on aircraft radio direction finders in the late 1920s. Fisher’s 1266-X comes factory shipped with 8-inch Open Center Spider Coil, instruction manual and Fisher’s 5 Year Warranty. It has a duel discrimination system, which will allow you to search at a great depth. This unit does not work very well on wet saltwater beaches.

Garrett Metal Detectors

The Garrett Super Scanner hand-held detector can detect a medium-sized pistol from distance of 9″” and even a tiny 1” piece of jewelry. Simplicity of operation of this metal detector is unmatched. The Garrett SuperWand Security metal detector is one of the most popular metal detectors. It provides uniform sensitivity 360° along the scan area and pinpointing at the tip to detect weapons and other metal objects with extreme accuracy. The Garrett Magna Scanner PD 6500 Walk through metal detector has some unique features. Its ultra-enhanced multi-coil detection field pinpoints the exact location of any metal object within 33 distinct areas of the archway.

Bounty Hunter Metal Detectors

Bounty Hunter metal detectors are made by First Texas Products. The Tracker IV priced at $160 is streamlined in appearance, with only two operating controls and a mode selection switch. The Tracker IV has a built-in Automatic Ground Tracker that maintains ground balance. The Bounty Fast Tracker offers value for your money. It is a user-friendly instrument that delivers effective performance over a wide range of conditions and applications.

Minelab Metal Detectors

The Minelab Explorer II priced at approximately $1395 is a coin and jewelry detector with an operating frequency between 1.5 – 100 kHz. The signal travels deeper at a lower frequency and the signal detects objects close to the surface at a higher frequency. The Minelab Quattro MP, priced at approximately $1300, is suited for use in parks, beaches or the battlefields. Minelab’s FBS technology provides outstanding performance even on saltwater beaches.