I think the Ace has been around long enough now that people kind of forget how absolutely amazing this machine is.
Is the color obnoxious??? you bet. Looks like a yellow pile of #$%^ Is is loud enough to knock your stocking hat off??? Oh yeah, it's loud.
And those are the repeated reasons the haters hate this machine.
Does it find different types of targets at a respectable depth??? yup.
Can the hunting mode be altered with a quick button push without scrolling through page after page of menu options?? yup again.
Quick learning curve??? Check
comfortable enough to swing for a long hunt??? yup again
Cheap to power?? yup once more.
It is easy enough to learn that it got saddled with the reputation as a "beginners model" The inexpensive price also got it tossed in with some of the "low end" detectors.
Scroll through any metal detecting forum and just look at all the finds and stories about happy hunters using the 250.
Even though everybody in the metal detecting world has heard of the Ace 250 it is still the best kept secret in the hobby.