Opening the Garrett AT MAX. What’s inside the machine

Here’s how to dismantle the Garrett AT MAX: what can be removed (unscrewed) and what is non-removable. This pictorial report will come in useful if you have to repair your machine. Also, below you can find the Garrett AT MAX circuit diagram. Have a lucky repair!

Other info about the Garrett AT MAX is collected here (news, tests, comparisons, reviews and opinions) and on Knowledgebase pages. There you can find things you should know before buying this device. The experience of others will help you save your time and money.

4 Responses to Opening the Garrett AT MAX. What’s inside the machine

  • Garrett AT Pro, AT Gold and AT Max are based on White’s Classic circuitry.
    White’s Classic was outdated 30 years ago! To build “new metal detector”
    using outdated technology? It is nonsense! This is the worst thing the Garrett
    engineers could do!

  • Is it really the worst thing? It may not be the best thing they could of done.

    They took what was, by the count of many, a successful tool they sold for years and tried to improve on it. Whether they really improved it is arguable, but they did add a few things that maybe showed they wanted to keep selling this “line” in current times.

    The fact it still has diecut plastic and preprinted values on the screen that light up or get shaded shows they weren’t making a “new” line with many new parts. In fact it really looks like a painted At pro, right? The history seems to be that people found stuff with the Ace, AT Pro/Gold detectors just fine and were proud to use them. At least that is what I’ve gathered over a few months of research. They all probably complained about this or that along the way and asked for different improvements and this shows what they were willing to try and improve it with.

    I think one real mistake is trying to sell it in the $600-800 range when they know well they’ve had the production sourcing ironed out for 90% of this thing for many many years. With new Max sales they are probably banking per unit much better than ever before. That or just maintaining where they have been for years. The thing is, that gouging might be coming at the expense of their most diehard brand fans that would maybe like to have another AT pro/gold type version that actually can get near salt water (claimed) and can use fancy wireless earmuffs. But these people also probably didn’t expect this price when they by now know what else they aren’t getting for it.

    Another possible mistake is that they changed the sounds, at least that’s what I’m hearing. As well as any salt beach video I’m seeing so far is showing a Max going full cuckoo that the user either doesn’t know how to use yet, or it simply doesn’t really work in saltwater all that well. No doubt an AtPro user that was expecting to pick up right where he left off with the atpro except this time knee deep with a salt shaker.

    Initially jumping in to learn about medal detecting I searched high and wide for which one I had to have, the best new thing. I was introduced to the Max! that was just coming out. I read everywhere all these fans of the ace/ATs yadabing and this was the next best one! I was all set to somehow find the money for one. But…something stopped me. That interface looked like it came from an era when I was on my knees in the playpen back when these newfangled digital handheld game toys were the rage. You would stick a 9 volt in this rough molded plastic thing and wow, almost atari like games in your hands! Except the screens! were trash and the digital part was little blocks of black that moved around or maybe didn’t move. Many of them just filled a shape that was printed on the screen.

    Anyway, that’s what stopped me from kneejerking $750-800 bucks at the time for a Max sight and knowledge unseen.

    I will say one thing about what I’m seeing available right now. At least for $722 dealers and online shops are offering big complete packages with the Max. Everything except the pointer, although I’ve seen some with it. At least for that money you will be almost completely setup up to get out there if you are a newbie. Try to find anyone willing to sell or presell a package for a Nox, or even sniff a real working Deus setup in this range. I couldn’t.

    I’m glad patience prevailed and some helpful people here and elsewhere spoke up to tell me of different options to start with. Turns out a lot of these different units actually do find things and we shouldn’t have to be spending 500 to 900 for ancient plastic tech just to get started. Personally, I believe once you hit this 500-900 range, those pointers should be in every full detector box. Just because the new pointers almost go as deep as the old tech full detectors doesn’t mean they are worth $140 alone.

    I sure saw a lot of interesting, tantalizing and mystical looking pistol shaped gold detectors while I’ve been looking around. Claims of 3d imaging and all kinds of stuff that probably should have actually been selling and working for years now. But nothing seems to beat what you know and detectors know sticks with discs attached to them and that’s final.

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