Three decades of hands-on dealer experience, field-tested verdicts, and 3,653 verified customer reviews — every score earned in real UK soil, not a spec sheet.
We don't just read spec sheets — we sell, service and swing these machines every week. Prices live on each product page at crawfordsmd.com. Stock last checked 2026-09-28.
The most information-rich detector we've ever put in a customer's hands. 2D target trace changes how you read iffy signals on Roman sites.
Best overall / premium
Flagship-grade Multi-IQ+ performance with the best beach manners in its class. The serious all-rounder for pasture, stubble and wet sand.
Best all-terrain
Featherweight, fully wireless and blisteringly fast in iron-infested medieval sites. The recovery-speed king for experienced hands.
Best lightweight flagship
Simultaneous multi-frequency at a mid-range price, fully submersible to 5m, and currently bundled with ML-85 wireless headphones. Won't out-dig the flagships — but it embarrasses machines a tier up on value.
Best mid-range Multi-IQ
A serious feature list for the money — simultaneous multi-frequency and full submersion. Menus are fiddlier than the Minelabs and the audio takes tuning, but the value is real.
Most features per pound
XP's newest release — Deus II technology in a simpler, more affordable package. Early testing is promising; score will firm up once it's had a full season in UK soil.
New release · early verdict
The budget waterproof all-rounder we hand to first-timers. Simple, rugged and honest — just don't expect flagship depth or separation in iron.
Best budget / beginner
Rugged, waterproof and simple, with Pro-Switch switchable single frequency (5/8/10/15 kHz). Single frequency limits it on wet sand and hot ground — but as a no-nonsense field machine it's dependable.
Best rugged single-freqSingle-machine deep dives with editorial scores, testing notes and verified owner quotes.
Browse reviews →Deus II vs Manticore. Legend 2 vs Equinox 900. One winner per budget, no fence-sitting.
See comparisons →Ranked buying guides by use case — beginners, beach & wet sand, budget, and more.
View rankings →Ground balance, discrimination, UK permissions and the Treasure Act — explained plainly.
Read guides →"I have been extremely impressed by Crawfords throughout the whole buying and aftersales experience… the greatest treasure we've found so far is Crawfords themselves."
"Smooth process during the purchase. By mistake an additional order was made by me. However, within 10 mins CMD called me and explained the situation. Refunds were issued promptly."
"I have a problem with my detector and they have advised me to get it into their factory as soon as possible as my warranty is running out soon. Very friendly people."
"Excellent service, Joe extremely helpful. Confident after service will be as good."
