What Is Iron & Dirt (joanallen.co.uk)?

Iron & Dirt is a UK-focused metal detecting review and guide site that ranks detectors by field-tested review scores and publishes buying guides, permission advice, and community content. It suits UK detectorists who want a shortlist of machines compared on the same criteria before buying, and who are comfortable that the site earns Amazon commission on qualifying purchases. It is not a shop, a forum, or an official manufacturer resource.

What the site covers

The homepage presents itself as a "#1 Metal Detecting UK Resource" with the tagline "The honest, no-BS guide to metal detecting in the UK," and states the editorial method plainly: "We Test, Rank and Recommend." The visible sections are:

• The Leaderboard — a ranked list of detectors with per-category scores and a review link for each.
• Choose Your Metal Detector — the buying-guide path, including a "5 Best Metal Detectors 2026" entry and a "Beginner's Guide."
• Find Your Tribe — a community-oriented section.
• Latest Field Notes — the site's blog or update feed.
• An author section ("Hi, I'm Piotr.") — identifies the person behind the reviews.

The site also carries an affiliate disclosure stating that, as an Amazon Associate, it earns commission from qualifying purchases, with a link to a full disclosure page.

How the rankings work

Each detector on the Leaderboard is scored out of 10 across four fixed dimensions — Design, Features, Performance, and Value — and given an overall score. That consistency is the useful part: every machine is judged on the same axes, so you can compare a budget detector and a flagship on the same terms rather than on marketing claims.

The current top of the board, as shown on the homepage:

Two things to read carefully. First, the scores cluster tightly below the top spot — ranks 5 through 9 all sit at 8.5 — so the ordering there reflects small differences, not a large gap in capability. Second, the ranking reflects the site's own testing and judgement; treat it as a shortlist to verify against your ground conditions, not a verdict.

Who it helps, and how to use it

The site is most useful at two moments:

1. Choosing a first detector. Start with the Beginner's Guide and the "5 Best Metal Detectors 2026" page, then cross-check the shortlisted models against their Leaderboard scores. The Garrett Ace 250 and Minelab Vanquish 440 entries are pitched explicitly at newcomers.
2. Upgrading within a budget or use case. Use the four scoring dimensions to weigh what you actually care about. If you detect on beaches, the Equinox 900 entry calls out beach handling; if weight matters, the Deus II and Legend 2 entries emphasise lightness.

For permissions — the practical bottleneck for most UK detectorists — the site's stated coverage of "Reviews, Guides & Permissions" is the section to check before you start approaching landowners.

Limits to keep in mind

• Affiliate-funded. Recommendations can earn the site money. The disclosure is present, but weigh the rankings alongside other sources.
• Single-reviewer perspective. The reviews are presented under one author, so testing conditions and preferences will shape the scores.
• No pricing shown in the material reviewed here. The site links out via "Check Price" buttons rather than listing prices, so confirm current cost and availability at the retailer before deciding.
• UK-specific. Advice on permissions and sites is framed for UK detecting; the detector comparisons themselves are broadly applicable.

If you want a consistent, same-criteria ranking of popular detectors plus UK permission guidance in one place, Iron & Dirt is a reasonable starting point — use it to build a shortlist, then verify the final choice against your own sites and budget.