Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector Review

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Cory Haasnoot

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Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector Review

If you are looking for a waterproof metal detector that has all the essential features that are priced right then you will want to check out this Garrett AT Pro review. The AT Pro is one of the best metal detectors on the market. 

The AT stands for all-terrain so it works well no matter what tough soil conditions you encounter. In this review, I will explain all the bells and whistles of this metal detecting machine and where you can find one for yourself.

No matter what targets you are after this machine can find them from lost silver necklaces to gold nuggets. Now that’s quite the range of treasure for one metal detector to find. Once you have tried the Garrett AT Pro you will never go back to your old cheap metal detector.

Introducing The Garrett At Pro Review

Garrett AT Pro Control Console.

Get Your Garrett AT Pro Here

Pros

  • Pro Mode Audio
  • Iron Audio
  • Fully Waterproof
  • Automatic and Manual Ground Balancing
  • Detects All Types of Metals
  • Use in all terrains

Cons

  • No Backlight on Display
  • Single Frequency

Top Features Explained

There are many great features that make this metal detector one of the best in the business. I will now explain some of the key features of the AT Pro that make this metal detector so special.

 Iron Audio

The iron audio feature of the AT Pro is useful when you encounter areas that are littered with iron objects. When you turn on the iron audio feature you can hear all these iron targets as well as the treasure that might be hidden underneath them. This gives you a better picture of the whole area you are detecting.

You can essentially hear the discriminated iron that is normally silenced when the iron audio feature is turned off. 

With this setting off you don’t get the whole picture of what lies beneath and you could also get false readings. If you are a relic seeker this feature comes in handy so that you don’t dig up a bunch of junk and help keep you focused on the treasure.

Proportional Audio

With the proportional audio on the pro mode, you can better tell what size, shape and at what depth the target you are detecting is at. This also helps in recovering adjacent targets much faster.

Once you master this pro mode setting you will be able to decipher the junk from the real targets you are after which is the treasure. It will save you a lot of time digging up trash out in the field.

There are also three standard audio modes that can be used that are easier for the novice to use. But I highly recommend giving the proportional audio a try. Read the owner’s manual to learn more about this helpful feature.

Waterproof and Submersible

If you’re looking for a fully waterproof and submersible metal detector the AT Pro features both options.

You can metal detect up to 10 feet underwater so you can use it in rivers, lakes, streams and even in the ocean. Most metal detectors specifically made for either land or water hunting but with the AT Pro, you can do both which makes this metal detector very unique and flexible.

So if you want to detect on land and try your hand at underwater detecting the AT Pro by Garrett would be the perfect fit for you.

Ground Balance

With ground balancing, you can ignore signals that you typically get from iron, highly mineralized soils or salt. The AT Pro gives you two options for ground balancing manual or automatic.

Ground balancing not only lets you cut out all of the excess noise from the non-important targets but you can tell what you are detecting at a deeper depth than usual.

Know exactly what you have found no matter the depth. Ground balancing makes it much easier to find the valuables and leave the junk behind.

This is a must feature if you live in areas of high mineralized soils.

Compatible Search Coils

5 by 8 DD COIL

When it comes to search coils for the AT Pro you have many to choose from. The AT Pro comes standard with the 8.5 x 11†DD search coil but there are four others you can purchase separately that can be used for various metal detecting applications.

AT Pro accessory search coils:

  • 4†DD Sniper for getting into tight areas that a larger coil cannot like around fence posts and shrubbery. This coil is great at discerning the junk from the treasure.
  • 5 x 8†DD for excellent target separation and is great for high trash areas.
  • Large 9 x 12†concentric for covering larger areas quickly
  • 6.5 x 9†concentric for normal ground that doesn’t have a lot of junk in the area.

Although the standard coil that is included works well you might want to consider purchasing the others to give you more flexible options depending on where and how you treasure hunt. Otherwise, the standard coil works just fine for a beginner detectorist.

More Info: How Search Coils Work

Sensitivity

All Garret AT series metal detectors come with 8 segments of sensitivity. The higher the sensitivity level the deeper you can detect. But if this causes a lot of false readings you can turn down the sensitivity until you hit the right one for your situation.

You can pinpoint for better target accuracy and there’s also a coin depth indicator that gives you reading between 2†to 10†this allows you to search at the correct depths giving you a more accurate reading. This tells you exactly how deep you consider digging for coins found.

Frequency

The frequency on the AT Pro is a high 15kHz for a VLF metal detector. This makes it easy to find small targets but you will also get great target separation.

With this single frequency, you can make minor adjustments in case you run into high electrical interference you sometimes find around houses and powerlines. You will also love the single frequency when you need to adjust for other metal detectors that might be in the area.

Control Panel Display

Garrett AT Pro Control Console.

The display control panel on the AT Pro is similar to Garretts ACE models so if you are comfortable using the ACE models by Garrett you will find the AT Pro the same. It’s easy to use and read in the field.

The iron disc, sensitivity, and notch id are easy to use push buttons of plus or minus. At the top, you can easily see what your target categories are. Just glance up at the screen and see what you are detecting.

All the settings are clearly labeled so you know exactly what you are doing. I suggest if you are not familiar with the settings and how they work to check out and study the owners manual before taking it out in the field. Doing this will make your life much easier and you will find more treasure with ease.

A minor issue is that there is no backlight on the display screen which can make it hard to read during a sunny day or at night. But wait there is a fix for that. Watch the video below that shows you how to add a light to the control panel display.

Target Id

The target id helps you determine what type of metal you are detecting. It’s on a scale from 0-99. For example, an iron object will read 0-35, silver you will get a reading of greater than 70 and gold will read greater than 70.

Keep in mind that the target id numbers can vary depending on how much mineralization is in the soil, how close to the ground you are doing your sweeps and how deep the ground is that you are detecting at.

So it takes some practice and experience before you can effectively utilize the target id. But once you have used it a few times you will get a feel for it.

Iron Discrimination

You get a full 40 segments for iron discrimination on the AT Pro. You will want to ignore junk targets so set the discrimination level to 30 to 35. This will help you in not digging up junk like nails which can be a big problem when metal detecting especially around old houses, farmsteads or construction sites.

When searching for relics then you will want a lower discrimination level. With practice, this feature can help you quite a bit when discerning the junk from the treasure.

Notch Discrimination

The notch discrimination feature is used in the custom mode only. It’s useful in finding targets that have a higher level of conductivity. There are 12 segments that can be adjusted.

If you want to ignore targets like foil this feature helps you turn off any hits that you get that could be foil in the soil. You can eliminate certain targets like foil by hitting the ELIM button.

Be careful using this feature because you could easily accidentally eliminate valuable targets that you don’t want to eliminate so read the owner’s manual before using this feature. This feature can be useful if you know what you are doing.

Coin Mode

If it’s coins you are hunting for then the coin mode will come in really handy. With the coin mode, you can tell what depth the coin is at and what size of the coin that is buried below.

Coin mode works best in the pro mode because you get various signals telling you if you have a real coin below or just a bottle cap. The standard mode does work but it will not discern exactly what you are detecting so you will end up digging up a lot of junk.

Click here to get your hands on the Garrett AT Pro

Can the AT Pro Detect Gold?

You may be wondering if the AT Pro can detect gold? Yes, it can. As a matter of fact, all-metal detectors can detect gold. The only thing is some can detect gold better than others depending on the features of the metal detector.

The higher the frequency that a metal detector offers the easier time it has at detecting gold nuggets. The AT Pro has a 15kHz frequency which makes this metal detector fit for gold prospecting.

If you are looking to gold prospect as your main reason for metal detecting then you will want to check out the Garrett AT Gold which is made specifically for gold nugget detection.

What Accessories does it come with?

The AT Pro comes with some accessories which are:

  • Headphones ( Not Waterproof )
  • Instructional DVD
  • Standard 8.5†x 11†DD search coil
  • User Manual
  • 2-year Warranty

All the essential accessories you need to get started metal detecting straight away.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it the Garrett AT Pro metal detector review. I hope you got some useful information from this article so that you can make an informed purchasing decision.

This metal detector is packed with features that you don’t normally find in one metal detector. Take it to the beach underwater or to that open field you can virtually detect anywhere for anything. Even try your hand at gold prospecting with the AT Pro.

The AT Pro runs on 4 AA batteries so no need for bulky rechargeable batteries to carry around with you. And it also has a non-slip rubber grip and an adjustable armband for easy maneuverability.

So no matter what kind of metal detecting you’re doing be it, relic hunting, coin hunting, or underwater/beach detecting this metal detector is worth a second or third look.

If you are looking for a metal detector that can do it all and costs less then $700 then the AT Pro by Garrett is the way to go!

Once again thanks for reading and Happy Treasure Hunting!

Garrett AT Pro

9.7

Quality

10.0/10

Fair Price

9.9/10

Features

9.5/10

Versatility

9.5/10

Pros

  • Pro Mode Audio
  • Iron Audio
  • Fully Waterproof
  • Submersible
  • Detects All Types of Metal

Cons

  • No Back light
  • Single Frequency
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Author: Cory Haasnoot

Cory Haasnoot is an author, entrepreneur, metal detecting enthusiast, antique, coin collector, and founder of Treasure Seekr.

6 thoughts on “Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector Review”

  1. Have been looking for a metal detector for my husband who loves to use at the beach while I swim or sunbath. The metal detector he uses now is not suitable for water, resulting in him not being able to enjoy metal detecting to the fullest. After watching your video of this Garrett Pro Metal Detector, will have to show to hubby find out if he would like before making a purchase decision. 

    Reply
  2. This metal detector is just perfect and it ticks for all the things that I would like to have in a good metal detector. I like the fact that I would be able to buy a metal detector that has a waterproof feature because I know that it is not all the products that are out there there that have this one. I’m happy to be able to read this. Thanks

    Reply
    • The waterproof feature is very important especially if you are going to be detecting around water such as streams and rivers or at the beach. The Garrett AT Pro is probably one of the best metal detectors on the market and not to bad of a price for this level of a metal detector. There are other waterproof models that are more expensive but are not as good as the AT Pro. 

      Thanks for your comment and Happy Treasure Hunting!

      Reply
  3. It’s very nice of you to share this resourceful article, I’ve always been looking forward to reading your post and here it is. Security is very important to be taken seriously and I always try to afford the best, this Garrett pro is a nice set and I think having a waterproof metal detector will be useful for those in the field.

    Reply
    • The Garrett Pro is one of the best metal detectors on the market. Well worth the money. I’m glad you enjoy my articles. I add a new article every week so keep an eye on the site for more to come!

      Reply

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