Best Metal Detector For Depth | My Hand's On Guide
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As a detectorist based in the UK, I'm constantly chasing history that's buried deep. I'm not just after the easy surface finds; I'm hunting for those Roman, Saxon, and medieval targets that have sunk well beyond the reach of standard metal detectors over the centuries.
Getting that extra depth is crucial, but it's also where things get complicated. Manufacturers throw a lot of technical specs at you, and it can be tough to figure out what actually translates to pulling a hammered silver penny from ten inches down in stubborn clay soil.
I've spent years testing and getting a real feel for what works on my permissions to find the Best Metal Detector For Depth. This is my breakdown of the metal detectors that truly deliver.
Best Metal Detectors For Depth in 2025
Best Overall Metal Detector For Depth: Minelab Equinox 900
When people ask me what metal detector hits the absolute sweet spot for performance, features, and raw depth across the varied grounds we have in the UK, I point them to the Minelab Equinox 900.
Its power lies in Minelab's Multi-IQ technology. Unlike single-frequency metal detectors, it transmits across a wide range of frequencies simultaneously. This gives it an incredible advantage in punching through mineralised ground that can often mask deeper targets. The result is that you hear those faint signals from deep coins that other metal detectors simply miss.
From the moment you pick it up, the Equinox 900 feels like a serious piece of kit. The carbon fibre shaft makes it light and well-balanced, which you really appreciate hours into a hunt.
My arm fatigue is noticeably less, which allows me to maintain a slow, controlled swing—something absolutely critical for hitting deep targets. The battery life has always been solid for me, easily lasting a full day's detecting.
What I truly love is its stability. On my mineralised clay permissions where other metal detectors would produce constant false signals, the Equinox runs smoothly, letting me hear the true, faint whispers of deep history.
My only gripe is that for a complete beginner, the sheer number of settings can seem a bit daunting at first. However, for the reader wanting to maximise depth, learning these settings is the key that unlocks the metal detector's full potential.
I remember taking it to a Roman permission that had been detected heavily for years. After digging down a good nine inches, I recovered a beautiful little Roman bronze coin. The Equinox’s ability to separate that non-ferrous target from the surrounding iron nails at that depth is precisely why it earns the top spot for me.
Best Budget Metal Detector For Depth: Nokta Simplex ULTRA
For years, getting genuine depth on a tight budget felt like an impossible ask. The Nokta Simplex line changed all that, and the ULTRA is the culmination of this. It's a metal detector I frequently recommend to newcomers who are serious about the hobby but can't justify a high-end price tag.
For its price, the depth it achieves is nothing short of remarkable. It's fully waterproof, incredibly easy to use, and has pre-set modes that handle most UK conditions straight out of the box. It might not have the nuanced target separation of the premium professional metal detectors in heavy iron, but on cleaner ground, it punches well above its weight.
The Simplex feels robust in the hand; it doesn't feel like a cheap toy, which can be a concern with some budget models. I've used it in pouring rain and knocked it about on farmland, and it's held up without any issues. The built-in rechargeable battery is a huge convenience.
What I don't love is that in ground heavily contaminated with iron, the Simplex can become quite "chattery." This noise can make it difficult to distinguish a faint, deep signal from the chatter of nearby junk.
For a reader on a budget, this means the Simplex will achieve its best depth on cleaner sites like pasture or parkland, rather than old Roman settlements littered with nails.
On one such trip, sweeping over a patch of pasture, I got a solid, booming signal. At a measured eight inches, I found a lovely Victorian silver shilling. It's moments like that, seeing a budget-friendly metal detector pull a deep silver coin, that prove you don't always need to spend a fortune to find history.
Best Mid-Range Metal Detector For Depth: The Nokta LEGEND
The Nokta LEGEND has firmly established itself as the king of the mid-range, offering features that, until recently, were only found on metal detectors costing nearly twice as much. Its key strength is its Simultaneous Multi-Frequency (SMF) technology, putting it in direct competition with more expensive metal detectors.
This gives it fantastic stability and depth, particularly on challenging sites like wet saltwater beach metal detectors can struggle with. What I particularly appreciate is the "Ferrocheck" feature, which gives you a visual guide to how much iron is mixed in with a target, helping you decide whether to dig those questionable signals at depth.
In terms of build and feel, the LEGEND is a direct competitor to the Equinox. It's solid, and Nokta's commitment to regular, free firmware updates means the metal detector is constantly improving. It shows the company is listening to its users.
What I love most is the sheer value for money; the performance you get is phenomenal for the price.
If I have to be critical, I'd say the audio tones, while clear, aren't quite as rich or nuanced as those on the premium XP or Minelab metal detectors. This means it can take a bit more "ear training" to confidently identify those very deep, faint targets. This translates to a slightly steeper learning curve with the audio, but the depth is absolutely there once you master it.
I put the LEGEND through its paces on a stretch of coastline after a storm. I got a strong signal with a slight iron grunt. Trusting the Ferrocheck feature, I dug down through the heavy, wet sand. About ten inches down, my spade hit a George III copper penny resting right next to a rusty nail.
That ability to unmask good targets at that depth is what makes the LEGEND such a powerful and versatile tool.
Best High-End Metal Detector For Depth: XP DEUS II
When absolute maximum depth and performance are the only things that matter, the XP DEUS II is the metal detector I reach for. It's an engineering marvel – fully wireless, astonishingly lightweight, and incredibly powerful.
Its Fast Multi Frequency (FMF) technology is lightning-quick and goes astonishingly deep, capable of sniffing out the tiniest, faintest signals that are completely invisible to most other metal detectors. The DEUS II isn't a simple "switch-on-and-go" metal detector; it has a steeper learning curve. But for those who put in the time, the rewards are unparalleled.
The first thing that strikes you about the DEUS II is its weight, or lack thereof. At just 750g, you can swing it all day without a hint of fatigue. This is a huge advantage when hunting for deep targets. The fully wireless design is liberating.
The machine has been incredibly durable for me, surviving bumps and scrapes without a problem.
What I don't love is the charging system – having to charge the coil, remote, and headphones separately can be a bit of a faff. For the reader, the main consideration is that this is a metal detector that demands to be learned. You won't get the best depth out of it by just sticking to the factory presets.
My personal best find with it came from a quiet pasture field where I heard a barely audible "blip." At the bottom of a deep plug, nearly twelve inches down, I found a tiny, paper-thin silver hammered cut halfpenny. That's the level of performance you're investing in with this metal detector.
What to Look For When Picking a Metal Detector For Depth
Operating Frequency & Multi-Frequency Tech
The frequency a metal detector runs at is a key factor in its depth and sensitivity. Lower frequencies (e.g., 5kHz) penetrate the ground deeper and are great for large, conductive targets like silver hoards. Higher frequencies (e.g., 40kHz) are more sensitive to small, low-conductivity targets like tiny gold metal detectors are designed to find. The ultimate solution is Multi-Frequency. These metal detectors use multiple frequencies at once, giving you the best of both worlds.
Ground Balance
The UK is a patchwork of different soil types, from mild loam to highly mineralised clay. These ground minerals can create a "halo" effect that masks good targets or cause the metal detector to give false signals. Ground balance is the feature that tunes the metal detector to ignore these ground signals, allowing it to see targets more clearly and at greater depths.
Search Coil Size and Type
The search coil is the "antenna" of your metal detector. As a general rule, larger coils can detect targets deeper than smaller coils. A large 15-inch coil will punch down significantly further than a standard 11-inch coil. The trade-off is that large coils are less able to separate individual targets in trashy areas.
Discrimination and Target ID
Discrimination allows you to filter out unwanted signals, primarily from iron. While it's tempting to discriminate out all iron, this can be a mistake when hunting for deep targets. Deep, non-ferrous targets can sometimes be misidentified as iron by a metal detector. A better approach is to use minimal discrimination and learn the audio tones.
Key Factors That Affect Metal Detection Depth
It's important to understand that a metal detector's maximum depth isn't a fixed number; it's a dynamic result of several factors coming together.
The metal detector you choose is a huge part of the equation, but the environment and the target itself play just as big a role. A metal detector that can hit a coin at twelve inches in mild soil might struggle to see it at six inches in highly mineralised ground. Understanding these variables is key to knowing what's achievable on your permissions.
Ground Mineralisation
This is the biggest enemy of depth. The soil in the UK can be rich in iron particles or salts, which makes the ground itself conductive. Your metal detector has to work harder to separate the signal from a deep coin from the noise of the ground itself. This is where a good ground balance and multi-frequency technology make a world of difference.
Target Size, Shape, and Orientation
A large, flat silver coin, like a Victorian crown, presents a big target and can be found at incredible depths. A small, thin hammered silver coin is a much tougher target. The way the target is lying in the ground also matters immensely. A coin lying flat is the ideal scenario, while the exact same coin on its edge presents a much smaller profile, drastically reducing detection depth.
Detector Technology and Settings
This is where your choice of metal detector comes in. A powerful multi-frequency metal detector will always have an advantage over a basic single-frequency model in challenging UK soils. But beyond that, how you set up your metal detector is critical. Pushing the sensitivity to the highest stable level and using minimal discrimination will help you squeeze every last inch of performance out of your metal detector.
My Top Tips for Getting More Depth
Slow Down Your Swing
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is rushing. When you swing the coil too fast, the metal detector doesn't have enough time to process the signal from a deep target. Slow your swing speed right down, ensuring you have a good overlap with each sweep.
Use Good Quality Headphones
The built-in speaker on a metal detector is never as good as a decent pair of headphones. Faint signals from deep targets can be easily lost to the wind or background noise. Using a good set of headphones allows you to hear every subtle change in the threshold and every whisper of a signal.
Learn to Hunt in All-Metal Mode
While discrimination is useful, the deepest-seeking search mode on any metal detector is always the "All-Metal" or "Zero-Discrimination" mode. In this mode, the metal detector's processor isn't filtering anything out, allowing it to achieve its maximum possible depth. It means you'll hear every piece of iron, but you'll also hear the deepest coins and artefacts.
Re-check Your "Iron" Signals
Deep, desirable targets like hammered silver coins can sometimes give off a mixed signal that sounds a bit like iron. If you get a signal that has a slight iron grunt but also a hint of a higher tone, don't just dismiss it. Circle the target and swing the coil over it from different angles to see if you can get a cleaner, more repeatable high tone. Some of my best finds have come from investigating these "iffy" signals.
Conclusion
Choosing the right metal detector is the single most important step you can take to find those older, deeper targets that lie waiting beneath our feet. The move to multi-frequency technology has been the biggest leap forward for depth in years. Whether you opt for the all-round excellence of the Equinox 900, the incredible value of the Nokta LEGEND, or the ultimate power of the DEUS II, the right Best Metal Detector For Depth for your permissions is out there. Master its settings, listen carefully to what it's telling you, and you'll be unearthing history from depths you never thought possible.
About the Author
Piotr Lesniewski
Piotr is a Polish metal detectorist living in Scotland who discovered his passion for metal detecting as a child when exploring fields and beaches with his dziadek (grandfather). With over 10 years of experience, he now specialises in making metal detecting accessible to younger generations and promoting affordable Chinese-made detectors in the growing market.