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Garrett metal detectors are some of the best metal detectors for prospecting. You can pick any Garrett device and expect it to work perfectly.
But that’s not the only thing the company is known for. It has some of the best high-performance metal detectors designed for specific purposes.
The Garrett AT Pro and AT Gold are fine examples of the company’s proficiency in creating superior class metal hunting products.
Both metal detectors belong to the same ‘All-Terrain’ series, which makes them similar but at the same time quite distinctive.
To help you understand better, we have broken down all the qualities and properties that you need to consider when choosing between the Garrett at pro vs Garrett at gold.
Comparison and Features For 2024
Garrett AT Pro
The Garrett AT Pro is one of the best metal detectors in around the $600 range. It can locate coins and relics with ease, and it detects silver coins better than the AT Gold.
The metal detector runs on a frequency of 15kHz, and its sensitivity helps locate all kinds of metal.
You can choose between standard and Pro modes that configure the detector’s metal locating settings.
The standard-mode is suitable for beginners as it offers basic settings for target size and depth.
The Pro-mode offers a much deeper reach with audio settings that are proportional to the signals received by the detector.
These patterns are divided into 3 different modes such as custom, coin, and zero-mode. It’s Pro zero-mode with the discrimination set on 31 is suitable for all kinds of hunting.
Garrett AT Pro’s DD coil measures 8.5 x11 inches and offers great depth with excellent area coverage with each sweep.
However, it does not have an all-metal mode that is present in the AT Gold.
Another remarkable feature of the AT Pro is that it offers ground balance to salt making it suitable for treasure hunting on the beach.
Pros
- It is a great all-rounder for a great price
- Large coil offers higher frequency and deeper search depth
- You can use it in saltwater
- It comes with notch discrimination along with presets
- Less expensive
Cons
- It is not receptive to small targets and gold nuggets
- Lacks all-metal mode or audio threshold adjustment
Garrett AT Gold
The Garrett AT Gold offers a higher frequency compared to the AT pro i.e. 18kHz.
Its higher frequency gives it the advantage of detecting small pieces of gold and other metals with low conductivity such as bullets and buttons.
It comes with three programs which are: All-metal, discrimination 1, and discrimination 2.
The all-metal mode is noisier as compared to the other modes and does not use discrimination.
Owing to this configuration the machine gives a deeper threshold that can be adjusted according to personal preference.
Garrett AT Gold has a 5×8 inch DD coil that gives it amazing separation abilities in high trash and iron areas.
The coil also helps the machine achieve a deeper reach. Its detachable coil can be used on both the AT Pro and AT Gold. Since it cannot ground balance on salt, it cannot be used on beaches.
Pros
- It has a higher operating frequency of 18kHz that makes it sensitive to small jewelry, gold nuggets, and relics.
- You can manually adjust the audio range to hear the target signal clearly
- It is among the best entry-level for finding gold detectors under $1000
- You can hunt other things with it such as relics, and jewelry along with gold
Cons
- Higher price
- Lacks notch discrimination
- Not suitable for beach use
Now that you have some information about both metal detectors, let’s compare them based on their features to learn which one is better and why.
Garrett AT Pro vs Garrett AT Gold
Frequency
The two detectors do differ in terms of frequency, let’s see how it affects the performance of both metal detectors.
The 15kHz frequency makes the AT Pro a great all-rounder. It offers optimal performance for locating coins and relics in numerous conditions.
The low frequency makes it less sensitive to smaller objects than AT Gold.
However, it compensates for its low sensitivity with more depth and it can detect metals with low conductivity such as old silver coins that are buried or covered.
On the other hand, the AT Gold has a higher frequency of 18kHz and it is more sensitive to smaller objects that make it suitable for finding gold nuggets.
You can find metals with even lower conductivity such as buttons or bullets. With AT Gold’s higher frequency you will lose on depth reach.
Target Identification and Discrimination
Another common feature between the two metal detectors is the digital target ID. The screen shows numbers between 0-99 based on the target’s conductivity.
Target ID is a useful feature that can help you save time digging up unwanted targets.
The AT Gold comes with three search modes, and the AT Pro model comes with three discrimination patterns.
The AT Gold modes use Pro audio mode while functioning, and AT Pro discrimination patterns can be used in standard and professional modes.
The AT Pro mode does not include true all-metal mode, but it has a ‘Zero’ mode that works similar to the all-metal mode when discrimination is turned off.
Even though these adjustments may bear results, it will not be the same as an all-metal mode. You can use the notch function for setting targets.
AT Gold has an all-true metal mode that maximizes depth reach and sensitivity. It lacks the adjustable notch discrimination function.
Both metal detectors have electronic pinpointer mode that gives you a precise location of the target. This feature is widely sought after by detectorists.
Display
The company has added LED display and controls on both devices. It comes with a clear and easy-to-read display, but both lack backlights making it difficult to see the display in low-light conditions.
Here is the information provided on the screen of both detectors.
- Mode: You can see the different modes that have been selected on the metal detector on the left side of the screen. These modes can be changed by pressing the mode button.
- Target ID: There is a numerical target ID display on both detectors. Depending on the conductivity, the machine shows Target ID in the center with an estimated number of the type of metal.
- Depth indicator: The detectors have a depth indicator that shows the depth at which the object is located at a maximum of 10inch.
- Sensitivity: You can adjust the sensitivity of both detectors from the interface. To see the configured sensitivity level, you can look at the bottom of the screen.
- Battery Level: The detectors show the current battery level on the display at all times.
The screens of both detectors provide similar information, but there are minor differences in the button configuration.
They have plus and minus buttons that can be used for adjusting sensitivity and iron discrimination.
There are separate buttons for Iron Audio and Pinpoint. AT Pro has a button for notch discrimination, while AT Gold has buttons for audio adjustment.
Last update on 2024-05-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Ground Balance
This is what makes the AT Pro and AT Gold different from the other budget detectors manufactured by the company.
Both detectors have an excellent automatic and manual ground balance that handles mineralization quite well.
Manual ground balance becomes important for metal detectors, especially in certain ground conditions.
It’s one of the important features that you need to look for when buying a metal detector for gold.
Design
The design of Garrett AT Pro and AT Gold is similar to other metal detectors manufactured by the company. They are both black and have an extendable arm with a cam lock.
The machines are divided into small parts like control panels, wing nuts, lower and upper poles, and search coils.
Both metal detectors do not have internal speakers but come with a socket to connect headphones for sound output.
The whole system works on 4 AA batteries that have to be installed in the control panel.
Both metal detectors come with an adjustable arm strap and a padded handle that makes it easier to hold the machine for an extended duration.
While the interfaces of both devices are not that different. There is only one thing that sets them apart i.e. coin indicator.
The AT Gold was created only to detect gold pieces and jewelry, but the AT Pro is an all-rounder so a lot more is expected from it.
The LCD screen of the AT Pro has tabs for coin indicators that show you different types and sizes of coins.
Last update on 2024-05-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
High-Resolution Iron Discrimination and Iron Audio
There are 40 levels of iron discrimination in the All-Terrain metal detector series from Garrett.
These layers allow you to customize the way the detector filters your search targets.
Both the Garrett AT Pro and AT Gold have been designed with the company’s registered ‘Iron Audio’ system. It lets you identify the iron pieces among other objects such as bottle caps.
There is a separate button for ‘Iron Audio’ that turns it on and off along with a distinctive tone.
Water-resistance
Water-resistance is a crucial property for metal detectors that are used near rivers, lakes, streams, or creeks.
Fortunately, both AT Pro and AT Gold have waterproof coils that can be submerged in freshwater to a depth of 10 feet.
As AT Gold has not been designed to maintain ground balance in salt, it cannot be used near beaches.
The AT Pro can ground balance salt which makes it a suitable alternative to the AT Gold when it comes to metal hunting near beaches.
General Properties of the Garret AT Pro vs AT Gold
- Both detectors are equipped with the company’s Pro Mode Audio feature. However, the AT Gold does not come with standard binary audio. You can control the different audio modes.
- The ‘Pro’ Audio feature of the AT Pro produces different tones based on the nature of the target. Its Standard mode is suitable for beginners, but the audio produced in this mode is not proportional to the target.
- AT Gold has been upgraded with the company’s ‘Ground Balance Window’ technology. It enables you to add a diverse range of values for ground balance. With this feature, you can use the detector on terrains that have a mixture of different kinds of minerals.
- The length of both detectors can be extended from 42 inches to 56 inches. Moreover, the AT Gold is lighter than the AT Pro with a weight of 2.8lbs.
- The parts can be detached for easy storage and transport.
Accessories of Garrett AT Pro and AT Gold
- Coil: The Garrett AT Pro comes with an 8.5 inches X 11 inches DD PROformance search coil. The size of this coil enables you to cover more ground while providing commendable depth. AT Gold has 5 inches X 8 inches DD PROformance search coil as it is designed to locate smaller items.
- Due to variation in size, the AT Pro gets the advantage of the deeper reach and AT Gold gets heightened sensitivity to smaller targets with commendable target separation.
- Headphones: You will get basic headphones from a company that works well on land. However, the headphones are not suitable for hunting in the water.
On-Field Performance
You won’t be disappointed with the on-field performance that is offered by these detectors. They share some amazing qualities like lightweight, great sensitivity, and convenient usage.
The AT Pro is the top preference of many detectorists, whereas AT Gold is only sought after by gold hunters.
If you want to detect small targets like pieces of gold, relics, and jewelry it is better to choose the AT Gold.
To enhance your search, you can connect it with the standard 5-inches x 8 inches DD search coil.
AT Pro is proficient in finding larger targets that are located deeper but its ability to locate small targets is not as good as the AT Gold.
To get a deeper reach you can pair it with a larger search coil of 8.5-inch X 11 inch.
These two products define the brand’s expert craftsmanship for both niches, as the detectors can live up to the claims they make while providing a wide range of uses.
If you are looking for a detector that offers excellent recovery time. You can pick any of the two metal detectors from Garrett.
Moreover, the AT series can also help you locate targets and differentiate the valuables from waste.
These metal detectors can also pick multiple targets that other machines identify as a single object.
Last update on 2024-05-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Final verdict
The comparison between Garrett AT Pro and Garrett AT Gold shows that both are incredible metal detectors.
Their lightweight, user-friendly interface, and countless features appeal to both beginners and seasoned detectorists.
If you are confused between the two, you need to consider your requirements.
If you are intent on gold hunting it would be better to choose the Garrett AT Gold.
However, if you are interested in buying an all-around machine that detects metals, relics, jewelry, coins, then the Garrett AT Pro is a wiser pick.
I hope my post has helped you decipher the pros and cons of the Garret AT Pro vs AT Gold.