Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II Metal Detector Reviews (2024)

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Mark 2, is OK

December 22, 2019

I picked up a Garrett Sea Hunter Mark 2 for my yearly Florida trip. Ilooked at a few reviews online and was impressed. I took it out 3 times nowand gave it an air test at minimal discrim and tried all other combinationsof adjustments. The best it managed was barely 8 inches!!! I am anexperienced detectorist and have had numerous machines, and have a prettygood feel for tuning these things in. I was expecting a bit more for allthe hype on this machine. I will give it credit, it did find some tinyitems down 5 to 7 inches....nails, bobby pins, barrette...

Thissite claimed the machine can hit a quarter at 13 inches!!! Some of thereviews on here claimed 12 and one guy claims it hits at 18 inches!!!! LIESLIES LIES. Show me on video. Someone show me this thing hitting even at 8inches. I'm sure someone from Garrett sticks a few write-ups here and thereto push sales.

Aside from depth, the machine feels shaky, the rodsdon't tighten up well. When you swing it the sections wobble and shake. Itsa very heavy machine, and for god's sake, why cant anyone make a coil thatglides through the water a bit smoother? Anyway....Its an ok machine, justhate when people over hype machine's capabilities.

Max Depth: 8 inches on US quarter

Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user? No, not really.
Bob D. from Western NY

20

Pulse induction detectors

January 08, 2018

Generally speaking, PI units are great under the right conditions which areone of the two: a trash-free beach (easier to find diamonds in yourbathtub) in the ocean, where there is also trash.

Note: evendeserted/ never used beaches have trash PI units perform better in the saltwater because of NaCl (salt) conductivity. I have personally owned a PIunit and one day I dug a two-foot deep pit looking for my target only torealize it was already in the sifter stuck to my epoxied magnet ....
Wait for it: iron chips a few millimeters across. Better to just neverhave left the house. Gaaaah! On the other hand, in the water PI units areamazing but ready to wave away/ dredge the sand away at every targetannouncement. I did and found a ring and an old skeleton key maybe 8 inchesdown. Cool finds, surely. PI units will detect feet down, not just inchesdown, and you must be willing to go after the signal source.

Max Depth: 10 inches on US quarter

Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user? No, not really.
Brittany from Fort Lauderdale, FL

86

Garrett seahunter mk 2 review

January 05, 2018

First a short video using the shmk2https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=Db6yVSF5lm4 got this MD oct 9, 2017, Ialways hunt on zero discrimination for deepest depth and threshold at 1 andalways on standard. A bit heavy but normal weight for a Pulse induction, Ican detect for 9 hours, only break is to drink water, sit down a lil bit,no lunch or snacks.

Found AN750 18k white gold, lots of coins, SSrings, silver rings, earings. You need to use this on a crowded beach torecover lots of lost jewelries. You need to have patience as it will detectalmost about anything that is made of metal. I don't believe indiscrimination that will just mask out gold and other valuables.

My problem now is that I'm too far away from top world classbeach in our country. Believe me this is like an ATM machine on a high-endbeach resort with lots of highclass tourists and guest.
Battery lastsfor about 18-20hours duracell. Or any alkaline battery. Unit, coil, wires,headset built like a tank. The shaft is a bit flimsy or it wiggles, you canresolve that with tape or teflon.

I like the battery type doubleAAs as you can buy them almost anywhere, unlike specialized battery packs.I'm only using the 8" inch coil, made a diy rubber coil cover or protector.Can't wait to try this unit on scuba, so far I only used it on knee tochest deep salt water. This machine goes deep by the way, if you don't havepatience, better look for other type of machine a very short video found myfirst silver using shmk2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=Db6yVSF5lm4

Max Depth: 18 inches on US quarter

Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user? Yes, absolutely!
Joms from Manila Philippines

60

Sea hunter ii

November 14, 2017

I've had the detector for a couple years. It can definitely find deepobjects. No discrimination at all (well, there is a way to set it but atthe risk of missing a target). You need to listen carefully for thoselittle peaks in volume for something deep, but it will find them. Onlydownside is the weight. You won't want to swing it all day.

Max Depth: 12 inches on US quarter

Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user? Yes, absolutely!
Andy C from Budd Lake, NJ

60

Garrett sh 2

December 17, 2016

Had my SeaHunter2 about three weeks, which I realise is not enough time toget used to a machine, however, I feel that I'm going to be hanging on tothis little ripper for several reasons, one of the best for me is theability to wear the control box around my waist (taking the weight off myarm shoulder and back) and a close second is that the coils areinterchangeable, I can't do that with the Minelab Excalibur ii which has a10" fixed coil.

I have both machines and if there was anydownside to the SH2 it would be the "singing" I get swinging left. I can'twork out why it happens because, if I put the coil in on my left hand sidethe noise doesn't happen? (I'm right handed) The other way I can almostlose the noise, is, by dropping the threshold to zero, this obviously givesa silent hunt but other than that doesn't affect finding targets at all.I'm impressed with this bit of kit especially with our very mineralisedoceans.
I hunt with zero discrimination and dig everything. It's agreat addition to my arsenal. Cheers and HHand GL. Chris from Oz.

Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user? Yes, absolutely!
Chris from Oz from Perth Australia

101

Professional performance.

November 23, 2015

This is a detector that encourages you to put that bit of extra effort intoyour searches. You need to work methodically and listen for those whisperquiet signals which can often lead to great finds. It is simple to use,very sensitive and deep. It's a pi so you need to put some effort in if youwant the most from this detector, this means digging everything includingiron bits and bobs, using any discrim will loose you depth which defeatsthe object of a pi machine.

Don't listen to the false claims thatthe SH is not sensitive to gold or doesn't go deep, it is both highlysensitive and very deep, claims such as these are made by people who do notunderstand the machine or people who just don't want to dig anyiron......They prefer the ease of vlf machines. Learn this machine and youwill be digging targets that those with vlf machines will be leavingbehind, it just takes patience and hard work but it will definitely berewarded, fantastic detector.

Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user? Yes, absolutely!
Neil from Devon, England

260

Useful, solid piece of equipment.

July 02, 2015

Let me start with one remark: if you buy this unit in the hope ofdiscriminating iron and pulltabs and still finding gold, well forget it,unless you're after class rings. You can, using discrete elimination, discout some iron flakes and pull tabs, but at the cost of an unacceptable lossof depth. BTW, any VLF detector will do the same too, and not lose so muchdepth at all. But, if you hunt clean beaches, this unit will trap justabout anything you care to find. I use discrete elimination on dry sand, asit's kind of a motion system, and it has a pleasant and informativeresponse on coins and rings.

I use the normal mode on the wetsands. The audio can give the right shades of tonalities that will allowyou to recognize most (elongated) iron objects. The depth is more thandecent, and with the 8" mono coil, rather impressive on wet sand salt. Ifyou reasonably take care of your gear, this one will last you for years.It's sealed, so the electronics can't be flooded. Canadian beach huntersshould consider PI detectors, as they find loonies and tunies without anystress, just like it would signal a copper alloy coin. No more missesand/or jumpy ID : Loud and clear. The SH MKII in the discrete mode ispretty good at that. Not for everybody, not for every hunting styles, but,wisely used at the right times and places, it will perform better than manyVLF/MF units, especially in rough environments ant though (salt)mineralization.

Max Depth: 15 inches on US quarter

Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user? No, not really.
Paperone from Europe

164

Sea hunter ii

March 29, 2014

Well this detector works well, I learned it is for wet salt or wet sandbeaches. The salt water is where it gets great depth. I leave disc at 0 andnever use discreet elim. I dug a deep whisper and found a dime at 2 to 3scoops! I was using the 8 inch coil, its a bit easier to retrieve targetsthan my 14 inch coil. By the way I dug near rocks at the waters edge somost of the light sand was gone! I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because I don'tlike the wavering threshold when I swing left.

Overall Rating
Durability
Ease of Use
Would you recommend this to a new user? Yes, absolutely!
Paul from North California

186

4 years and working great

February 24, 2013

In spite of the weather and us old fogs being retired, we continue usingour seahunters. Yes we have others yet there is no easier P.I. to use faras we are concerned. Those boys in Maine KNOW what they are dong so ten toone once all is warm etc their way they will be posting a lot of finds wewish them all the best. California beaches are a mini gold/silver mine soto speak.

A. k. a. mini jewelery store as well.. however do NOT forget the good oldhigh desert areas as well, one may be surprised at what lies beneathher/his own feet. ONE important item, take gentle care of your seahunter, clean it, cover pad it and it will last 4ever!

Well we have a lot to get ready for the upcoming season, so all find thebest and never say no, remember it is NOT the machine but the one holdingit that MUST stay in practice.

God bless

Gary,bill,greg,and the gang.

Overall Rating

Partners Slipnslide. from San Diego

198

Sea Hunter

January 28, 2013

Both a friend and I purchased this machine for the beaches of Maine. whenit comes to being at the beach they crush vlf machines. I've hit thesmallest pieces iron at extreme depths. "warning" if you don't likedigging everything than keep on land with your vlf.

Some have said it wont find a coin 8 inches deep, I'm shocked by statementslike that, either your machine is broke or your not using it right. I'vedug trenches for bits of metal lol. Thing is a beast. you can notdiscriminate if you want to find gold. So if your in a trashy area you gota lot of work to do. I'd rather dig deep trash and know I'm not missinganything.

Overall Rating

cuzzinpauly from maine

420

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