Metal Detector

Detects metal objects which may otherwise be hidden. When the light flashes, or you hear a beep, aim to search for items. Increase the bar until a flag appears. Dig at the flag with a melee item to reveal what it is. Different areas yield different rewards. The metal detector does not work on safezones.

Metal Detector
  1. Loot
  2. Craft
  3. Blueprint
  4. Detectables
  5. Repair
  6. Recycling
  7. Tips
Container Condition Amount Chance
Crate 100 % 1 1 %
Sunken Chest 100 % 1 1 %
Underwater Lab Blue Crate 100 % 1 1 %
Wagon Crate 100 % 1 1 %
Tunnel Dweller 100 % 1 0.2 %
Patrol Scientist 100 % 1 0.2 %
Oil Rig Scientist 100 % 1 0.2 %
Underwater Dweller 100 % 1 0.2 %
Excavator Scientist 100 % 1 0.2 %
Arctic Scientist 100 % 1 0.2 %
Military Base Scientist 100 % 1 0.2 %
Cargo Ship Scientist 100 % 1 0.2 %
Blueprint Ingredients Time Workbench Level
Metal Detector Blueprint Metal Detector Blueprint Rope2 ftMetal Fragments×200High Quality Metal×5 7–30 sec Workbench Level 1I
Tool Requirements Scrap Total
Research Table Research Table Metal DetectorScrap×75>Metal Detector Blueprint 75
Workbench Level 1 Workbench Level 1 Switch BlueprintSmall Rechargeable Battery BlueprintLarge Solar Panel BlueprintScrap×83>Metal Detector Blueprint 210
Item Location Biome Chance
Metal Fragments×20-25 Metal Fragments Everywhere Any biome 53 %
High Quality Metal×3-5 High Quality Metal Everywhere Any biome 32 %
Scrap×7-13 Scrap Everywhere Any biome 16 %
Can of Beans×1-2 Can of Beans Beaches Arid, Temperate, Tundra 33 %
Can of Tuna×1-2 Can of Tuna Beaches Arid, Temperate, Tundra 33 %
Water Jug Water Jug Beaches Arid, Temperate, Tundra 33 %
Coffee Can Helmet Coffee Can Helmet Fields Any biome 21 %
Pistol Bullet×8-12 Pistol Bullet Fields Any biome 32 %
5.56 Rifle Ammo×8-12 5.56 Rifle Ammo Fields Any biome 32 %
Revolver Revolver Fields Any biome 11 %
Semi-Automatic Pistol Semi-Automatic Pistol Fields Any biome 5 %
Hatchet Hatchet Forests Any biome 40 %
Pickaxe Pickaxe Forests Any biome 40 %
Salvaged Icepick Salvaged Icepick Forests Any biome 8 %
Salvaged Axe Salvaged Axe Forests Any biome 8 %
Chainsaw Chainsaw Forests Any biome 2 %
Jackhammer Jackhammer Forests Any biome 2 %
Longsword Longsword Lakes, Rivers, Swamps Any biome 21 %
Metal Spring×2-3 Metal Spring Lakes, Rivers, Swamps Any biome 21 %
Bucket Helmet Bucket Helmet Lakes, Rivers, Swamps Any biome 14 %
Salvaged Sword Salvaged Sword Lakes, Rivers, Swamps Any biome 14 %
Metal Blade Metal Blade Lakes, Rivers, Swamps Any biome 14 %
High Quality Horse Shoes High Quality Horse Shoes Lakes, Rivers, Swamps Any biome 14 %
Road Signs×4-5 Road Signs Railroads, Roads Any biome 83 %
Road Sign Jacket Road Sign Jacket Railroads, Roads Any biome 8 %
Roadsign Gloves Roadsign Gloves Railroads, Roads Any biome 8 %
Tool Max Repair Cost Condition Loss BP Required
Repair Bench Repair Bench Metal Fragments×40High Quality MetalCloth×12 20% Yes
Recycler Yield Efficiency
Safe Zone Recycler Rope1 ftMetal Fragments×80High Quality Metal×2 40 %
Recycler Rope2 ftMetal Fragments×120High Quality Metal×3 60 %
2

RustyDelcon #SaveTF2[contributor] 93 pts. 9 months ago*

This thing is just way too good to be working off infinitely, you can farm easily solo even while on a safe zone over 300 scrap in less than 20 mins, since road signs are so abundant and each find gives at least 20 scrap each.
Add either a recharge to it or make it work off a battery.
(Edit: As of 7th of March, 2024, the metal detector no longer works in safezones.)
1

Mutes all tryhard 231 pts. 5 months ago*

results of me metal detecting for 6 hours. one hour in each of these locations:
forests 10/10 you are hidden by trees. this is a great way to get tools if you are low on metal fragments.
note: forest is the only place where you have cover to protect yourself. every other place you are a free kill to pretty much anyone
railroads 0/10 you are a sitting duck and detectables are really spread out and you often find things from "fields" detectables, when you are looking for things from "railroad" detectables
dirt roads 0/10 you are a sitting duck and detectables are really spread out and you often find things from "fields" detectables, when you are looking for things from "roads" detectables
paved roads 0/10 you are a sitting duck and detectables are really spread out and you often find things from "fields" detectables, when you are looking for things from "roads" detectables
beaches 0/10 you are a sitting duck and detectables are really spread out and you often find things from "fields" detectables, when you are looking for things from "beaches" detectables
fields 1/10 you are a sitting duck. the chance of finding revolvers and semi-automatic pistols is low, so don't be surprised if you go over an hour without finding a gun. and you have to search a big area because the things you can find from metal detecting "run out" in that area so you have to move to a new area. so you have to go all across the map to do it continuously. it is much more reliable to do the tech tree to learn revolver, because the chance of finding revolvers is really low. also, do you want to spend over an hour in an open field staring at the ground while anyone can kill you? the only reason i give this a 1/10 and not a 0/10 is because the coffee can helmets are found fairly often, and they are the 2nd best helmet after the metal facemask. so the coffee can helmet is really nice, but don't expect to find a gun with this - especially if you are unlucky and don't find a gun out of 70 metal detecting in fields like me
rivers swamps and lakes -/10. i didn't search here because there is nothing i want to find there. but i imagine it has the same downsides as beaches.
0

MrWolfRanger 76 pts. 8 months ago

works in safe zones, you can use rocks or paddles
-2

Grasmin 31 pts. 9 months ago

As it look...you won't be able to use it in the snow biome...
Identifier 1168856825
Stack Size ×1
Despawn time 20 min