Introducing the new Minelab PRO-FIND 35

Sometimes we Scots think we live in a land of perpetual rain, so after being out in the fields with my new pin-pointer I officially christened it with the moniker ‘Yellow Submarine’. Having owned many probes throughout the years (including the so-called ‘waterproof’ varieties), many have failed when confronted with the good old Scottish weather – there really is no better place to test outdoor gear. So, did the exciting new PRO-FIND 35 pass the test? Well read on to find out!

I was originally going to start this review with some detailed comparisons to the previous model, the PRO-FIND 25, as they both offer five levels of adjustable sensitivity and both are VLF (Very Low Frequency) based. As well as this, what I have always really liked about the PRO-FIND 25 is the superb DIF (Detector Interference Free) technology, which helps eliminate interference with an operating detector while the probe is switched off. Pleasingly this technology is also included on the new PRO-FIND 35. From my experience, the PRO-FIND series are also far less susceptible to EMI due to their high quality internal electronic shielding and the superior noise suppression electronics used in their construction. However, that is where the similarities end and the PRO-FIND 35 surpasses the older model in so many ways that it would not really be a fair comparison.

Okay, let’s have a look at the new features on the PRO-FIND 35…..

The new PRO-FIND 35 is 100% waterproof down to a maximum depth of three meters (ten feet), which if you are a beach or river detectorist, or even venture completely underwater, then you can rest easy knowing that the new PRO-FIND 35 can happily accompany you on your adventures. My personal use of the unit is restricted to land based adventures, albeit some may dispute that fact after visiting my rather soggy homeland of Scotland. Unfortunately, I have to detect in monsoon conditions most of the time and I’m sure you would agree that there is nothing worse than having your pin-pointer fail during a hunt, especially if that failure is due to water ingress. Indeed, it is equally annoying when you cannot trust your probe to accurately retrieve a tiny target from a deep hole half-filled with muddy water for fear of it getting too wet and failing on you. Well, you have no need to worry about any of the above when using the PRO-FIND 35. I have, as usual, been out in some horrendous Scottish wet weather, including hard driving rain and constant light drizzle. The PRO-FIND 35 has also been in countless water-filled holes, covered totally in mud and completely submerged, all without even a hint of failure. I have put the new probe through some real tough weather testing and it has surpassed my expectations, so I am pleased to say that I have absolutely no hesitation in awarding the PRO-FIND 35 the ‘Scottish Weatherproof’ seal of approval – a far tougher test than simply ‘waterproof’. So, for any of you who detect in or under the water, or like myself, have to fish around constantly in muddy, water filled holes most of the year, it will prove to be an invaluable tool for your detecting toolbox.

If you thought that the superb weather and waterproofing of the new probe was the top-drawer feature, well here is another that you will find equally important - the PRO-FIND 35 can tell the difference between ferrous scrap and your precious non-ferrous treasure…eh?

Yes, you heard correctly, it can actually detect and distinguish different metal types! We have all experienced the loss of a signal once the clod is out of the hole and we have to search for it with our pin-pointer and end up digging out the target it guides us to. Sometimes this target turns out to be iron that had been located close to the non-ferrous target you had originally decided to dig. What usually follows is more time consuming searching and the unnecessary widening of your hole - a frustrating loss of detecting time and the disturbance of a lot more ground than necessary. However, the new intelligent Ferrous Tone ID feature on the PRO-FIND 35 allows you to completely avoid this scenario and you can quickly retrieve the good, leave the bad and get onto the next target. When you enable the Ferrous Tone ID mode and get to within 10-15 mm of a ferrous target, the pin-pointer outputs a signal that makes both the tone and vibration indicators simultaneously chirp and pulse. If the target turns out to be the non-ferrous target you were originally after, then the tone and vibration indicators deliver a continuous beep and uninterrupted vibration. This superb feature will immediately tell you what target is ferrous and which is non-ferrous – a huge advantage over any other pin-pointer and I can think of many iron-infested sites in the UK where this feature will prove itself invaluable.

Okay, it’s waterproof and it can discriminate, but how does it sound? In my opinion, one of the most important features on any pin-pointer is the loudness of the tones, especially as I suffer from a slight hearing loss. Everyone likes to be able to hear their pin-pointer above the wind and rain, without taking their headphones off and this was an issue for me when using the other models. However, I have found to my delight that the PRO-FIND 35 is possibly the loudest and sweetest tone on the market today and that is a priceless improvement in my opinion. During testing, I have even noticed that the probe can be adequately heard when the speaker is fully submerged in muddy water, now that is just showing off!

Sounds good, but what does it look and feel like? If you have previously used the PRO-FIND 25 you will immediately notice that the shape of the new PRO-FIND 35 has changed significantly from that of its forbearer. It has been made slightly larger with a more rounded profile, which makes it feel very comfortable to hold in the hand.  The body is now a high visibility yellow colour, which will make it very easy to spot should you accidently leave it on the ground.

Included with the probe is a small lanyard, which is especially useful for those of us who are prone to leaving our pin-pointers on the ground and hate the frantic search to retrieve them. Another security feature of the PRO-FIND 35 is the super cool lost alarm. How does it work?  Well after approximately three minutes of being left switched on (but inactive), the pin-pointer will emit a powerful and lengthy alert beep, repeating every ten seconds until the pin-pointer becomes active through a button press. After the alert beep alarm has sounded for five minutes without a button press the pin-pointer will automatically switch off, which is more than enough time for most of us to retrieve a lost unit. This is a very welcome feature in my humble opinion.

You will be pleased to hear that another powerful LED light is present on the new model and more importantly the light is completely sealed off, with no recess hole, which means that the dirt and mud cannot become lodged and completely block your light source. The new unit is powered using a 9V battery (included with the probe) which is easily accessed by removing the screw-on end cap. The PRO-FIND 35 also comes with a low battery warning indicator built in as standard and the LED light on the unit will flash continuously to warn you that the battery is low and requires to be changed. If the battery level becomes critically low, the unit will power itself off, but to be honest you really should have got the message by then and changed the battery.

The last useful bit of kit included with your new PRO-FIND 35 is a robust and semi-rigid holster. This is a massive improvement over the rather flexible holster that came with the original Pro-FIND 25. My new holster has already taken a beating and it has easily retained its shape and has proven to be incredibly durable in the worst of weathers and I can see it lasting for many seasons to come.

So, there you have it, my brief comment on the exciting technology and cool design of the new probe from Minelab. In summary, I can state that I already knew the PRO-FIND 25 was a good, reliable and solid performer, but the PRO-FIND 35 raises the pin-pointer bar to a completely different level altogether.

Let me finish by asking you a question; when is a probe not just a probe? Well, when it is a reliable, fully submersible, discriminating, hand-held metal detector and that is exactly what Minelab have produced with the new PRO-FIND 35 – I won’t be without one!

Catch you all next time!

Slàinte