The best Pinpointers, compared.
Top pick: BBjinronjy metal detector pinpointer Best value: SUNPOW OT-MD12 pinpointer – About £22.77 with 4.4 from 6,568 ratings and a 9 V in the box. IP68 is in the bullet only. Updated October 2026.
A pinpointer is a short probe you use after a metal detector has found a patch, to locate the object in the hole and the spoil. A AT is not one of the eleven. IP68 means dust-tight and continuous immersion on the maker's conditions. A tip-only bullet overrides a loose waterproof headline. The [pinpointer buying guide](/hub/measuring-equipment/pinpointer/sub/pinpointer-buying-guide) puts water, the job, the alert and those conflicts ahead of price. IP68 on that row is in the bullet only. You work the tip through the hole and the spoil until the alert strengthens and the object is in your hand. A line that says it detects gold means the coil responds to metal. It does not mean the probe sorts iron from gold. Water comes first, and only in the words the listing prints.
A pinpointer is a short probe you use after a metal detector has found a patch, to locate the object in the hole and the spoil. A AT is not one of the eleven.
38 products checked · 62 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What do you need the probe to do?
The BBjinronjy listing at £12.99 sits at 4.6 from 328 amazon.co.uk ratings, with a stated detection figure of up to 7 cm and a belt holster in the bullet. The specification field says IP65, while the bullet also talks about partial submersion and a PVC case. A UK review says not to get it wet, so the case is not a reason to dunk the wand. The same table says batteries are not required and also says the unit is battery powered with a 30 hour life, and it never names the cell. At 236 g and about 30 cm extended it is a short orange probe for a dry hole, not a water tool. Treat the 7 cm line as the listing's claim, not a measured depth.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A dry-hole trial at the bottom of this set, if you can live with the battery conflict.
Less suitable: Rain, a puddle, or anyone who needs one clear line on whether a battery is in the box.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it fully waterproof?
The IP field says IP65. The bullet says the tip can be submerged and a PVC case is included. A UK review says not to get it wet.
Is a battery required?
The table says batteries are not required and also says battery powered with a 30 hour life. The cell type is not named.
What is the stated depth?
Up to 7 cm, also printed as 2.7 inches, in the bullet.
The DR.ÖTEK MT6 is £42.59 with 4.5 from 3,539 amazon.co.uk ratings. IP68 is in the specification field, and the bullet states 8 cm, so both the seal digit and a detection figure are in the file. A UK review says a battery and a holster with a popper are included, and that the light comes on every time the unit is switched on. Alerts are vibration, audio, or both, with an interference-cancel control that is not ferrous tone ID. Average life is printed as 25 hours, chemistry is not named, and there is no lost alarm. At 170 g and 25 cm it is the top pick in this set for a wet UK field, and you should skip it if you need a named lost alarm or a maker's page that states 3 m.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A wet-field probe when you want IP68 in the table and a large UK rating count.
Less suitable: A reader who needs a lost alarm, or ferrous tone ID.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the light stay independent of power?
A UK review says the light comes on every time the unit is switched on.
What depth is printed?
8 cm in the bullet. That figure is the listing's claim, not a depth measured for this page.
Is the water rating only a bullet?
No. The IP field is IP68. The file does not add a metre water line.
The flintronic pinpointer is £14.99 with 4.5 from 1,562 ratings, a large file for the price. The field is IP66, and the bullet says the speaker and the battery end are not waterproof, so only the front end is meant to meet water. Detection is printed as 3.5–8 cm in the bullet and 3.5 cm in the working-distance field. The bullet also says there is no sensitivity adjustment. A belt holster, a retractable wire and a battery are included, with a 30 minute average-life line. The table weight is 1 g, which cannot be the wand. Buy it for the review count and the honest tip-only line, and do not put the handle in a puddle.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap probe you will keep the handle dry, backed by 1,562 ratings.
Less suitable: A rock pool, or anyone who needs the printed weight to be believable.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the whole wand go underwater?
The bullet says only the front end is waterproof. The speaker and the battery end are not.
Is the printed weight usable?
The table says 1 g, which cannot be the wand. Treat that cell as empty.
Does it have sensitivity levels?
The bullet says there is no sensitivity adjustment.
The Minelab PRO-FIND 40 is £139 with 4.5 from 260 ratings, and it is the only row whose bullets name ferrous tone ID and DIF. The bullet says waterproof to 3 m. The amazon table says IP65, Corded Electric, 360 g and 48 cm, and the lost-alarm sentence says PRO-FIND 35 series on a listing titled PRO-FIND 40. Minelab's UK tech page is a different specification again, so this comparison does not merge the two into one size or one seal. Audio and vibration intensify as you close in, and a flashlight is named. Buy it only if iron sorting is the point and you can hold both texts at once. Skip it if you wanted the amazon table to match the maker.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A detectorist who wants ferrous tone ID and will read the amazon table beside Minelab's own page.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs the amazon specification field to match the 3 m bullet.
Specifications
Common questions
What power source does the amazon table print?
Corded Electric, with a 30 hour battery-life line. Those two statements sit in the same table.
What IP rating is in the field?
IP65. The bullet says waterproof to 3 m. This page does not merge the two.
Which model is the lost alarm sentence about?
It says PRO-FIND 35 series on a listing titled PRO-FIND 40.
The RoserRose R68 is £14.88 with a listing line of 4.5 from two ratings, and the file has no review text. IP68 appears only in the bullet. The specification field for IP is empty, and there is no centimetre detection depth. The table size is 5 × 3 × 5 cm at 210 g, which does not describe a normal detecting wand. The bullet says a 9 V is installed and a belt holster is attached. Two stars are not evidence that the seal, the depth, or the size is what a UK field needs. Leave it until a real review sample exists.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Nobody in this comparison, until the review count and the dimensions agree with a wand.
Less suitable: Any buyer using the 4.5 as proof of an IP68 dive rating.
Specifications
Common questions
Is an IP rating in the table?
No. IP68 appears only in the bullet. The specification field for IP is empty.
Do the dimensions match a wand?
The table says 5 × 3 × 5 cm at 210 g, which does not describe a normal detecting wand.
How many reviews are in the file?
The listing line is 4.5 from 2, and there is no review text.
The SUNPOW OT-MD12 is £22.77 with 4.4 from 6,568 amazon.co.uk ratings, the largest review count in this set. The bullet claims 3.5 inches and puts IP68 on the tip and scale section, while the IP field itself is empty. A 9 V is in the box, with a belt loop and a retractable wire rather than a named holster, at 250 g and 27.2 cm long. A UK review says the cell must be clipped in, not only laid in the slot, and another says you cannot select sound or vibration alone. That is the best value here if you will check the clip, and it is not a listing you can quote a metre of water from.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first probe under £25 when you want the longest review file in this set.
Less suitable: A buyer who needs an IP digit and a depth in metres in the same specification field.
Specifications
Common questions
Is IP68 in the specification field?
No. It is in the bullet, for the tip and scale section. The IP field itself is empty.
How is the battery fitted?
A UK review says the cell must be clipped in, not only laid in the slot. A 9 V is in the box.
What depth does the bullet claim?
3.5 inches, about 8.9 cm. That is the listing's figure, not a measured depth.
The hazlewolke HS-1 is £32.56 with 4.4 from 206 ratings. The bullet claims about 6 cm on small coins and up to 28 cm on larger items, nine sensitivity levels, and waterproof to 20 feet. The IP field is empty, so the 20 feet line has no matching digit in the table. Power is described as rechargeable, chemistry is not named, and a UK review says a power bank worked. A pouch appears in a review, not in the bullet's kit list. Ground-interference rejection is claimed, and ferrous tone ID is not. The 28 cm figure is a listing claim about larger metal, not a reason to sweep a field with a 250 g probe.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A reader who wants nine levels and will treat 20 feet as an unrated bullet.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs an IP digit next to a water depth, or ferrous tone ID.
Specifications
Common questions
What depth does the bullet claim?
About 6 cm on small coins and up to 28 cm on larger items. The 28 cm line is not a reason to sweep a field.
Is there an IP field?
No. The bullet says waterproof to 20 feet, and the IP field is empty.
Can it charge in the field?
A UK review says a power bank worked. The table does not name the port or the chemistry.
The CKG pinpointer with an LCD is £39.99 with 4.4 from 175 ratings. The IP field is IP68 and the bullet states 10 ft / 3 m, which is a depth you can quote, unlike a bare IP68 line. A belt holster, a wrist lanyard and a 9 V are in the box, with sound, vibration, or both, plus an LCD bar. Working distance is 3.15 inches in the field and about 3.5 inches on coins in the bullet, and average life is printed as 30 minutes. The review sample in the file is not headed United Kingdom, one header is Australia, and the speaker is described as quiet. The water line is the clearest in the set, and the shop evidence is not.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants a stated 3 m line and an LCD, and will discount the review geography.
Less suitable: Anyone who will only trust ratings headed United Kingdom.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the reviews in the file from the UK?
The sample is not headed United Kingdom. One header is Australia.
What runtime is printed?
30 minutes. A 9 V is included, with a belt holster and a wrist lanyard.
What water depth does the bullet state?
10 ft / 3 m, with IP68 in the field. That metre line is stated, unlike a bare IP68 digit.
The SUNPOW NXGD02 is £28.49 with 4.3 from 1,267 ratings. It is the rechargeable wand in this set: an 800 mAh lithium cell and a 15 hour average-life line, plus three sensitivity levels. IP68 is in the bullet and the IP field is empty. There is no centimetre detection depth. The bullet says 50% more than an unnamed previous depth, which you cannot check. Weight is 300 g and the size is 27 × 7.5 × 6 cm. A holster is not named in the bullets that were read. Choose it when you are tired of 9 V cells, and skip it if you need a depth you can quote.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone who wants a built-in cell and three levels, and can ignore the missing depth.
Less suitable: A buyer comparing probes by a stated centimetre figure.
Specifications
Common questions
What battery does it use?
A built-in 800 mAh lithium cell, with 15 hours printed on the listing.
Is there a centimetre depth?
Not in the fields. The bullet claims a 50% increase without a baseline depth.
Is IP68 in the table?
No. It is in the bullet. The IP field is empty.
The EXTSUD GP-POINTER is £13.07 with 4.2 from 4,490 amazon.co.uk ratings, the second-largest review file in this set. The field is IP66, which is a jet rating, and the working distance is printed as 5 cm. The bullet says a 9 V 6F22 is not included, so the shelf price is not the price of a working probe until you add a cell. A holster, a coiled strap and a carry bag are named, and the frequency line says 12 kHz. Weight is 260 g. It is a consistent entry listing for rain, and it is the wrong probe if you meant to immerse the tip in a rock pool.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first probe in the rain, if you already have a 9 V cell.
Less suitable: A puddle, the surf, or a buyer who counted the £13.07 as ready to switch on.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the battery in the box?
The bullet says a 9 V 6F22 is not included. The £13.07 shelf price is not a working probe until you add a cell.
How deep does the listing say it detects?
5 cm. The working distance is printed twice, in the field and in the bullet.
Is it fully submersible?
The field is IP66, which is a jet rating, not an immersion digit.
The GLOBAL TECH GT6350A is £14.59 with 4.2 from 580 ratings. The field is IP66, and the bullet says rain and partial immersion, not full immersion, which at least agrees with itself. Working distance is 8 cm, a 9 V is included in the bullet, and a holster case is listed. The table then prints an average life of 30 minutes while the bullet talks about months, and the extended length is printed as 113 cm against item dimensions of 23 × 3.8 × 3.8 cm. At 200 g it is a normal short wand on the dimension line. Use the 23 cm figure and the IP66 limit, and ignore the 113 cm line.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Rain and a shallow hole, if you read the 23 cm dimension and not the 113 cm line.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs one battery-life figure, or a probe they can submerge.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be fully submerged?
The bullet says no. The rating is IP66, which is not an immersion digit.
How long is it?
Item dimensions are 23 × 3.8 × 3.8 cm. Extended length is printed as 113 cm. Use the 23 cm figure.
What battery life is printed?
30 minutes in the table, and months in the bullet. Those two lines do not agree.
We compared eleven amazon.co.uk pinpointer listings captured for this set. The score uses the star line, the review count, listing clarity, the stated job and the price band, then a deduction only where the listing itself shows a fault. This is not a laboratory test of depth, seals or iron sorting. A Garrett Pro-Pointer AT is not a row. The editorial score is not the star rating times 20.
Stars
30%Round half up from the amazon.co.uk star line: (stars divided by 5) times 30. The star is read with the count, and it is not the editorial score.
Review volume
25%3,000 or more ratings score 25. Under 10 scores 0. A 4.5 from two ratings is not performance evidence.
Listing clarity
20%Water, detection depth, power, holster and one extra named control, up to 4 points each. A conflict between the table and the bullets does not take a full mark.
Stated job
15%IP68 in the specification field, a centimetre depth and a large rating file score highest. Ferrous tone ID on a conflicted table is a different mark from a clean IP66 entry probe.
Price in this set
10%Under £15 scores 10. Over £120 scores 1. Price is weighed after water, the job and any conflict in the listing.
Start with the water line the listing actually prints, then whether the probe is only for a hole, then the alert and the holster. Price comes after the table and the bullets agree.
A pinpointer is the short probe you use once a metal detector has marked a patch. You work the tip through the hole and the spoil until the alert strengthens and the object is in your hand. The wand does not search a field. A line that says it detects gold means the coil responds to metal. It does not mean the probe sorts iron from gold. In this set only the Minelab PRO-FIND 40 bullets name ferrous tone ID. Water comes first, and only in the words the listing prints.
A pinpointer finishes a hole and the spoil. A stated depth of a few centimetres is a listing claim about a target near the tip. It is not a sweep of a field, and a line that says it detects gold is not iron sorting.
The digit means immersion on the maker's conditions. It is not a depth. Quote 3 metres only when that listing states it, as the CKG bullet does. A tip-only sentence overrides a waterproof headline.
Battery, length and the IP field often disagree with the bullets in the same file. A 9 V that is not clipped in, a 1 g weight, or a 5 cm cube at 210 g is a conflict. Do not average the two lines into a third specification.
Water is the first cut, and only the line the listing prints. IP68 means the enclosure is dust-tight and can be immersed continuously on the conditions the manufacturer states. It is not, by itself, a depth in metres. IP66 is a jet rating. It is not a reason to put the wand in a rock pool. If a bullet says the battery end or the speaker must stay dry, that sentence wins over a waterproof headline.
After water, the probe has to be usable in a hole. The useful alert is sound, vibration, or both, getting stronger as the tip closes in. A holster, or at least a belt loop, matters because the wand gets put down in grass. Numbered sensitivity helps when the listing states the levels: three on the SUNPOW NXGD02, nine on the hazlewolke HS-1. The flintronic bullet says there is no sensitivity adjustment. Ferrous tone ID appears only on the Minelab bullets.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a hole probe with IP68 printed in the specification field, a stated 8 cm and a large amazon.co.uk rating count. The DR.ÖTEK MT6 is about £42.59 with 4.5 from 3,539 ratings. The light comes on with power, and no lost alarm is named.
You are adding a probe to a new detector and you want the longest review file under £25. The SUNPOW OT-MD12 is about £22.77 with 4.4 from 6,568 ratings and a 9 V in the box. IP68 is in the bullet only, and the cell has to be clipped in.
You want the only bullets in this set that name ferrous tone ID and DIF, and you can hold two specifications at once. The Minelab PRO-FIND 40 is £139 with 4.5 from 260 ratings. The amazon table says IP65 and Corded Electric. The bullet says waterproof to 3 m.
The top pick is the DR.ÖTEK MT6 at about £42.59. IP68 is in the specification field, the bullet states 8 cm, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.5 from 3,539 ratings. The light comes on with power, and no lost alarm is named. The best value is the SUNPOW OT-MD12 at about £22.77, the largest review file here at 4.4 from 6,568, with a 9 V in the box. IP68 on that listing is in the bullet only, and the cell has to be clipped in. A Garrett often named on UK sites is not in this set.
SUNPOW OT-MD12 pinpointer
About £22.77 with 4.4 from 6,568 ratings and a 9 V in the box. IP68 is in the bullet only.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources on treasure, scheduled monuments, the 2017 Code of Practice, Minelab's PRO-FIND 40 page and ingress protection, plus the amazon.co.uk listings for the eleven ASINs. Listings checked 16 October 2026. Prices move.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores compare published listings and review texts. They are not a laboratory test.
