Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector Overview
The Garrett AT Pro metal detector is the all-terrain VLF built for coins, relics, old homesites and freshwater beaches. It runs at 15 kHz single frequency, with four slight frequency adjustments (F1 to F4) to step away from electrical interference. Six search modes cover Zero, Coins and Custom, each in Standard audio and in Pro audio with proportional response and Tone Roll audio. Iron discrimination adjusts from 0 to 40, Iron Audio works in the discrimination modes, notch discrimination is adjustable, and targets read on a 0 to 99 numeric scale. Ground balance is fast automatic plus manual, with eight sensitivity levels and electronic pinpointing in a non-motion All Metal mode. The control housing and the 8.5 x 11 inch PROformance DD searchcoil are submersible to 10 ft (3 m). Four AA batteries run it for 20 to 40 hours depending on battery type and quality, and Garrett covers it with a 3-year warranty. The wired MS-2 headphones in the box are for dry use; for underwater audio, Garrett specifies its submersible headphones.
Garrett AT Pro vs. AT Max: Which Should You Buy?
The AT Pro and the AT Max share the AT chassis, the 8.5 x 11 inch PROformance DD coil, the 0 to 99 target ID, eight sensitivity levels, four AA batteries and the 10 ft (3 m) rating. The AT Max runs at 13.6 kHz instead of 15 kHz and adds a true All Metal mode with Iron Audio, iron discrimination to 44, ground balance with 175 points of resolution and Garrett's Automated Ground Balance Window, a backlit display and a built-in Z-Lynk wireless transmitter, with Garrett MS-3 Z-Lynk wireless headphones in the box. The AT Pro keeps Standard and Pro audio modes, wired MS-2 headphones and longer battery life: 20 to 40 hours, against 15 to 25 hours on the AT Max (10 to 20 hours with wireless headphones).
The third model, the AT Gold, runs at 18 kHz with a 5 x 8 inch DD coil, a true All Metal mode and a Ground Balance Window for gold prospecting in fresh water and mineralized ground.
If you hunt parks, farm fields and freshwater beaches with wired headphones and want to learn on Standard audio first, we recommend the AT Pro. If you want wireless audio without an add-on, a backlit screen for early and late hunts, or more ground balance control on sites where the soil changes, we recommend the AT Max.
Garrett AT Pro, Best For:
- Coin and relic hunters moving up from a basic land detector who want Standard and Pro audio on one machine
- Old homesites and farm fields, where 40 levels of iron discrimination and Iron Audio help sort iron from good targets
- Freshwater beaches, creeks and rainy hunts, with the detector and coil submersible to 10 ft (3 m)
Garrett AT Max, Best For:
- Detectorists who want Z-Lynk wireless audio built in, with MS-3 wireless headphones in the box
- Sites where mineralization changes, handled by the Automated Ground Balance Window and 175-point ground balance
- Dawn and dusk hunts, where the backlit display keeps the target ID readable
Key Features That Matter in the Field
Standard audio gives a simple, consistent response for each target, which helps while you learn the AT Pro's target ID numbers. Pro audio adds proportional response, so a faint or deep target sounds weaker than a shallow one, and Tone Roll audio adds tonal detail to every signal; we suggest switching to Pro audio once the Standard sounds are familiar. Iron Audio lets you hear iron that discrimination would otherwise silence, such as a rusty bottle cap that reads like a good target. We treat it as one piece of information rather than a final answer. Fast automatic ground balance sets the detector to the soil quickly, and manual ground balance lets you fine-tune it on mineralized farm ground. Electronic pinpointing switches to a non-motion All Metal mode so you can center the target before you dig, and the eight sensitivity levels let you back off on noisy ground.
Where the Garrett AT Pro Works Best and Its Limits
The AT Pro fits coin hunting in parks and schoolyards, relic hunting on old homesites and farm fields, and freshwater beaches, lakes and shallow rivers, where the 10 ft (3 m) rating lets you keep searching from dry sand into the water. Garrett's manual warns that taking it deeper than 10 ft voids the warranty. Iron masking remains a limit on heavy iron sites: discrimination, Iron Audio and Pro audio help you investigate a signal, but no single-frequency VLF finds every good target among nails. On wet ocean sand the conductive salt water can make a single-frequency detector noisy, so we see the AT Pro as primarily a land and freshwater detector; for regular saltwater hunting, see our beach metal detectors. For small natural gold, the AT Gold and its 5 x 8 inch coil are the better fit.
Coils and Accessories That Fit the Garrett AT Pro
Garrett AT Series searchcoils fit the AT Pro. Garrett options in this collection: the 4.5 inch Super Sniper for tight spots and heavy trash, the 5 x 8 inch PROformance DD, the 6 x 11 inch Viper DD, the 6 x 9 inch PROformance concentric, the 8.5 x 11 inch PROformance DD Raider, the 9 x 12 inch PROformance concentric and the 14 x 11 inch Reaper DD for open fields. The 8.5 x 11 inch Raider is the same size as the coil on the AT Pro. Aftermarket AT Series coils from CORS and Mars MD are in this collection too, and our coil guide explains what size and shape change.
For underwater audio, pair the AT Pro with Garrett Submersible Headphones on the AT 2-pin connector. For wireless audio, the AT Pro needs Garrett's external Z-Lynk module, such as the Garrett Z-Lynk Wireless System with 2-Pin AT Connector. The Garrett Pro-Pointer AT is waterproof to 20 ft (6 m), IP68, so it goes anywhere the AT Pro goes. To start with the detector alone, see the Garrett AT Pro with MS-2 Headphones.
Garrett AT Series Comparison
All three AT models share the all-terrain build, a 0 to 99 numeric target ID, eight sensitivity levels, four frequency channels (F1 to F4), four AA batteries and a 10 ft (3 m) rating for the detector and its searchcoil. The table shows where they differ.
| Feature | Garrett AT Pro | Garrett AT Gold | Garrett AT Max |
|---|
| Operating Frequency | 15 kHz | 18 kHz | 13.6 kHz |
| Search Modes | 6: Zero, Coins, Custom in Standard and Pro audio | All Metal, DISC 1, DISC 2 | 4: All Metal, Custom, Coins, Zero |
| Iron Discrimination | 0 to 40 | 0 to 44 | 0 to 44 |
| Iron Audio | Discrimination modes | Discrimination modes and All Metal | All four modes, including All Metal |
| Ground Balance | Fast automatic and manual | Fast automatic and manual, Ground Balance Window 0 to 6 | Automatic and manual (175 points), Automated Ground Balance Window |
| Standard Searchcoil | 8.5 x 11 inch PROformance DD | 5 x 8 inch PROformance DD | 8.5 x 11 inch PROformance DD |
| Headphones in the Box | Garrett MS-2 wired | Garrett MS-2 wired | Garrett MS-3 Z-Lynk wireless |
| Wireless Audio | Needs Garrett's external Z-Lynk module | Needs Garrett's external Z-Lynk module | Z-Lynk built in |
| Backlit Display | No | No | Yes |
| Waterproof (detector and coil) | 10 ft (3 m) | 10 ft (3 m), fresh water | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Batteries | 4 AA, 20 to 40 hours | 4 AA, 20 to 40 hours | 4 AA, 15 to 25 hours (10 to 20 with wireless headphones) |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
Our Garrett AT Max vs AT Pro comparison goes deeper on the two coin and relic models.
Why Buy the Garrett AT Pro from Serious Detecting?
- Free Shipping on Orders Over $99: Your Garrett AT Pro ships at no extra cost across the continental US.
- Authorized Garrett Dealer: Showroom in Ypsilanti, Michigan, full 3-year manufacturer warranty and product registration support.
- Help Before and After You Buy: Our staff answer setup, coil and AT Series questions by phone or email.
