The disturbing fact in all of this, which bothered me some, even before I bought the ProPointer, is all the pressure and hype, to buy one (or two), every time someone new to the hobby inquires about pinpointers. Like metal detecting is a rich-boy hobby, and if $127.50 is pocket change to you, you are just going to be wasting your time. It's encouraging people, who want to get into this hobby, to spend a lot more than they really need, initially. Most of them state that they don't have the cash on hand, saving up for it, or looking for something more affordable.
The fact is, most any pinpointer on the market, will help someone find the target quicker, and retrieve it a little safer, than not using one at all. It's not absolutely necessary, but it's a pretty good idea, since where people dropped metal stuff, they also drop sharp nasty things, break bottles. Groping around in the dirt, blindly, will eventually get you cut, scraped, or poked. Not a huge heath risk, unless deep enough to make you bleed, and you don't take care of it.
People should start out in any hobby, with what they can afford, and what they need most. Upgrades and accessories come later, when the person finds their level of interest, and what tools are best suited for their condition, and fit within their budget.
I don't own a $50 digging tool myself. Could, if I wanted too, just that my $7 Fiskar's is fine in the sandy soil here in Florida. I do understand that many places have much tougher conditions, and require better tools. There really is no reason to drain your bank account, or go into debt, buying more expensive tools, than you really need, or even want.
Every time a pinpointer inquiry is made, there are a lot of obsessive comments about not being able to hunt without the ProPointer, won't hunt without it, got two, so when one is in get fixed, wasting your time without one, wasting you money on anything else... It's not just one, it's by the dozen. The hobby can still be fun and productive without any pinpointer, so why post such things? Or encourage new hobbyist to spend more than they can afford, or want to, on a tool that is more than they really need? Sure, it's a nice tool, but it's not the focus point of the hobby. Our enjoyment of metal detecting, is dictated by whether or not we bought a ProPointer.