Quick Comparison
| Product | Best For | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector | Best Overall | 4.7/5 |
| Garrett Pro-Pointer AT | Best Budget | 4.6/5 |
| Garrett AT Pro Z-Lynk Wireless | Best Premium | 4.7/5 |
| Garrett 5x8 DD Coil | Best for Trash Areas | 4.5/5 |
| Garrett Edge Digger | Best Compact | 4.6/5 |
I have logged hundreds of hours behind a Garrett AT Pro across parks, beaches, and pasture fields. Here are the five setups and add-ons that I actually use, with honest field notes from real hunts.
What Matters Most
The AT Pro itself is the foundation. solid target ID, true all-metal mode, and a tone breakdown that helps me skip iron. From there, the coil choice, headphones, and pinpointer make the difference between a frustrating day and a productive one. I also weight build quality on accessories because saltwater and farm grit are unforgiving.
My Setup
I run an AT Pro with the stock DD coil for general searching and swap to a smaller coil in trashy ground. I pair it with waterproof headphones, a Carrot pinpointer, and a digger that fits in a side sheath. I keep a small notebook in my pack to record signal patterns at productive sites.
My Top 5 Garrett AT Pro Picks
1. Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector
The detector itself remains my workhorse. Pro mode audio gives me iron-grunt cues that other entry detectors miss, and the depth on a clear nickel hits 7 to 8 inches consistently. I have pulled silver from a creek bank a hundred yards from a colonial road.
2. Garrett AT Pro with 5-Inch DD Sniper Coil
In trashy parks and old foundations, the 5-inch coil is a gift. I separated a Wheat cent from a pull tab that the 11-inch coil read as one mushy signal. Coverage is slower but recovery speed is the best of any AT Pro coil I have used.
3. Garrett MS-3 Z-Lynk Wireless Headphone Kit
Cutting the headphone cord changed my hunts. The Z-Lynk lag is genuinely imperceptible, and I can hand off the shaft to dig without yanking my ears. Battery life easily covers a full Saturday session.
4. Garrett Pro-Pointer AT Pinpointer
Waterproof, bright orange so I do not lose it, and accurate enough to find a small button in a plug. I have dropped this thing in mud, dunked it in tide pools, and it still works.
5. Garrett Edge Digger with Sheath
A good digger saves your back and your turf plugs. The Edge has a serrated edge for roots and a comfortable grip. The sheath clips to my belt and survives constant scraping.
Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake I see is running too high a sensitivity on EMI-heavy ground. you chase ghost signals all day. The second mistake is ignoring the ground balance routine; rebalance whenever the soil mineral content changes. Finally, do not skip headphones, because the AT Pro’s audio nuances are where the gold is.
Final Recommendation
For new hunters, just buy the Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector and learn it deeply for a season before adding accessories. Once you know the audio language, the Pro-Pointer AT and MS-3 wireless headphones are the highest-impact upgrades. The 5-inch coil pays for itself the first time you separate a coin from trash. Hunt slow, dig clean, and the AT Pro will keep finding history for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Garrett AT Pro waterproof?+
The control box is sealed to 10 feet, so it handles shallow water hunting. I would not submerge it in surf zones without checking the seal regularly.
What coil is best for the AT Pro?+
The stock 8.5 by 11 inch DD is a great all-rounder. I switch to a smaller sniper coil for trashy parks and a 5 by 8 in tight spots.