Quick Answer: The Fisher F22 ($229 at Kellyco) is a 7.69 kHz VLF detector built for beginners — automatic ground balance, four search modes, and a 5-year limited warranty, the longest consumer coverage this site has found on any budget machine. The catch most buyers miss: despite Fisher’s “weatherproof” branding, only the search coil is rated submersible. Kellyco’s own product page for the F22 actually contradicts itself on this point, calling the control box an “IP54 Weatherproof control box” in the highlights while its own detailed spec table separately says “Waterproof Control Box: No.”
Verified October 25, 2026: Price confirmed directly against Kellyco’s current listing — $229 for the 9” coil configuration (MSRP $279, a $50 savings) and $219 for an 11” DD coil bundle (MSRP $285). Specs cross-checked against Adorama’s and Cabela’s current F22 listings, which agree on the 7.69 kHz frequency, 2.3 lb weight, and Fe-Tone adjustable iron audio, though battery-life estimates vary across retailers (20-25 hours on 2 AA batteries).
This site has referenced the Fisher F22 across 5 other articles — the best Fisher metal detector guide, the best lightweight metal detector guide, the best Bounty Hunter metal detector guide, the metal detector kit guide, and the Black Friday deals guide — but it never had its own dedicated review. This one covers the real waterproofing limitation, the F22 vs Garrett ACE 200 tradeoff, and who should actually buy this over Fisher’s own step-up F44.
Fisher F22 at a glance
| Spec | Fisher F22 |
|---|---|
| Price | $229 (9" coil); $219 (11" DD coil bundle) |
| Detection technology | VLF, single-frequency |
| Frequency | 7.69 kHz |
| Search modes | Jewelry, Coin, Artifact, Custom (4 total) |
| Ground balance | Automatic only |
| Target ID | Numeric, 1-99, 9-segment visual display |
| Iron audio | Fe-Tone adjustable iron-tone volume, Fe icon on display |
| Search coil | 9" concentric or 11" DD, both submersible |
| Waterproofing | Coil submersible; control box weatherproof (IP54) only, not submersible |
| Weight | ~2.3 lb (1.04 kg) |
| Shaft length | Adjustable, 41"-51" |
| Battery | 2 AA batteries, 20-25 hours |
| Warranty | 5 years, limited |
Fisher F22
- 7.69 kHz VLF with automatic ground balance and four search modes, including a Custom setting.
- Fe-Tone adjustable iron audio and a 5-year limited warranty — longer than Garrett's or Nokta's 3-year consumer coverage.
- ~2.3 lb (1.04 kg) with a submersible coil, but the control box is weatherproof only — not rated to go underwater.
The weatherproof-but-not-waterproof control box
Fisher markets the F22 as “weatherproof,” and the included 9” or 11” DD coil genuinely is rated submersible for shallow water work. The control box is a different story. Kellyco’s own current F22 product page makes the mix-up easy to understand: its highlights bullet describes an “IP54 Weatherproof control box,” but the same page’s detailed spec table separately lists “Waterproof Control Box: No” — a direct self-contradiction on one retailer’s own listing, not a conflict between two different sources. The practical takeaway either way is the same: splash and rain exposure is fine, but the box shouldn’t go underwater.
This isn’t unique to the F22. The Garrett ACE 200 — its closest budget rival — has the exact same split: a submersible 6.5”x9” coil paired with a control box that carries no waterproof rating at all. At this roughly $180-230 entry tier, coil-only waterproofing is the norm, not the exception; it’s only once you move up to machines like the Minelab Vanquish 560 ($399) or X-Terra Pro (~$295-330) that the whole unit seals to a real IP68 5 m (16 ft) rating.
Fisher F22 vs Garrett ACE 200: two budget machines, one shared limitation
| Fisher F22 | Garrett ACE 200 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $229 | $179.95 |
| Frequency | 7.69 kHz | 6.5 kHz (fixed) |
| Search modes | 4 (incl. Custom) | 3 (Coins, Jewelry, Zero-Disc) |
| Iron audio | Fe-Tone adjustable | Not adjustable |
| Pinpoint button | No | No |
| Coil waterproofing | Submersible | Submersible |
| Control box waterproofing | Not rated / not submersible | Not rated / not submersible |
| Warranty | 5 years | 3 years |
The $50 gap buys the F22 a higher frequency (generally more sensitive to small, low-conductivity targets like thin gold jewelry), a fourth Custom mode, adjustable iron-tone audio, and two extra years of warranty coverage. Neither detector has a Pinpoint button, so both require the same manual X-pattern sweep to center a target — a step Garrett only adds starting at the ACE 300 tier. If the extra features and warranty matter more than $50, the F22 wins; if raw price is the deciding factor, the ACE 200 is this site’s other budget benchmark.
Who should buy the Fisher F22
- First-time buyers who want more than three modes. The Custom mode and Fe-Tone adjustable iron audio give slightly more control than the Garrett ACE 200 at a similar budget-tier price.
- Buyers who value warranty length. Fisher’s 5-year coverage beats every other budget detector this site has reviewed by at least two years.
- Not buyers who need real submersion. The coil can get wet, but the control box can’t — for wading or beach work, see the Minelab Vanquish 560 or our best waterproof metal detector guide instead.
- Not buyers who already know they want more control. Fisher’s own step-up F44 runs the same 7.69 kHz platform but adds manual ground balance and a bigger 11-inch coil for about $80-90 more.
The bottom line
The Fisher F22 is a genuinely capable $229 first detector: four search modes, adjustable iron-tone audio, and a 5-year warranty that outlasts every budget rival this site has checked. The real catch is the one even its own retailer’s spec sheet gets tangled on — “weatherproof” means the coil can get wet, not the control box. Pair it with real expectations about waterproofing and it’s a strong choice next to the Garrett ACE 200; for anything beyond splash exposure, step up to a fully sealed machine instead.