$20 does sound kind of high, with the coupon. It's still a pretty good value though, much better than using your hand, blindly. Even if you wear gloves, some sharp things can still get through. Seems pretty rare for people to even get a scratch, but have seen too many near misses in the hole, I'm very cautious. Any pinpointer will spare you a lot of grief. Really would jump on the Garrett, if you have better use of your money. It is a neat gadget, few hassles, but it really depends on your wants and needs. Mine needs to get sent back for repair or replace, get random beeps soon as it's turned on, no metal near. Been back to the Centech for a few weeks, really not missing the Garrett. Now, I will admit, I do electronics, as another hobby, and the changes, modifications weren't a big deal for me, parts on hand as well. I swapped out the switch, didn't like holding the button down, now it stays on while I'm using it. Didn't like the beep, don't like to draw attention, and spend more time talking, than hunting. So, I replaced the beeper, with a pager motor, it vibrates silently. The case is sort of cheap, but I really like the circuit board, all through hole parts, nothing surface mount, plenty of room to work, if I need to repair it. Really shouldn't be hard for anyone to customize more to their liking. It does the job you expect it to do, but it's not a probe, to be shoved down in the ground. It's not a digging tool either. It's just to pass over the dirt, and let you know where the metal is, about 2". It's not going to bust your hobby budget, or force you to choose between a smaller coil, or a pinpointer.
The Garrett is great, but more than most really need, definitely more than most need to spend...
