ace 250 or prizm lll?

[ammo_u]

Does anyone have enough experience with each to make a comparison as to which is the better MD for a beginner? Thanks

 

[NICKSAN]

I would go with the Ace, I had a prizm and it was not all that great and they are way overpriced.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Neither. I would suggest the new Coinmaster.

 

[PaulMBurgess]

Go for the Prism V it has more bells and whistles and besides you can't be whites for quality and service.Its more for your money. In my opinion. I own one

 

[ammo_u]

White's has a store in Tulsa which is near me. No other retailer has a store in this area and I would really like to see and handle one before I purchase. I was about to get the 250 but want to make sure I get the right machine. Toss in the fact I have never owned a MD and it becomes a decision I would like to get some advice on.

 

[Old Katz]

For what you get with the Prizm it is very over priced.
With regards to the Prizms the first two anway) this is where
Whites falls short, in my opinion. For what you will pay for the
Prizm, your better off with the Ace 250. But if you have your
heart set on a Prizm your probably better off with the Prizm
4 and 5 in my opinion.

At least you can use the:
Prizm

 

[Nitro 54]

Go for the new Coinmaster from Whites as it is a bargin at $179.95

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

I would say neither. Why limit yourself to the Ace or the Prism? Depending on how much you want to spend, you may want to look at a machine that has the ability to adjust to your situation, and one that you will be able to grow into as your skill level increases.

 

[ammo_u]

I would say neither. Why limit yourself to the Ace or the Prism? Depending on how much you want to spend, you may want to look at a machine that has the ability to adjust to your situation, and one that you will be able to grow into as your skill level increases.

What do you recommend? This will be my first MD and I have been researching the subject and would really appreciate all advice/recommendations. The plan is to purchase a MD in late Jan.

 

[mgtmadness]

Either spend a couple now or near future or $2,000 now or in near future. You are new I would say go with a cheaper unit. 150-250, maybe 300.

I currently have a White's Classic 5 ID and a new Classic on its way from White's.

 

[NightStalker]

I've been using a Prizm IV for six months and have found 14 rings, numerous pendants, hundreds upon hundreds of coins and the strange and weird.
Two mates have the Ace 250 and they are faster in tracking and recovery and pin point better, but they can't beat my iron discrimination capabilities.
The Prizm needs a few waves before it picks up on an item that is deeper.

At the moment I'm looking at the Fisher F2, F4 or F5 for faster tracking speeds and a week ago I bought a Prizm 6t.....Oh God!.....unfortunately mine is defected and just about threw it into the Aussie sea.

Australia.

 

[mgtmadness]

ohh By the way there is currently 4 or 5 coils available for the prizm line/classic (new Classic and classic 4 and classic 5 ID)

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

Well for starters I would look for a machine that has true auto ground tracking at the least, or the ability for manual ground balancing. The Ace and the Prism I believe have preset GB which can hurt preformance if you have really bad ground. The other things that I would look for, and mind you this is just me, are VCO audio, TDI with VDI numbers, multiple tone ID. Out of the Prism series machines, I would go for the Prism 6T. If you are set on a White's unit, you can find good deals on used machines. An M6, MXT or XLT can be found for reasonable prices, and sometimes with accessories. If you are open to other machines Tesoro makes good units with features like manual GB and VCO audio for less the cost of a mid priced White's. There is nothing wrong with the Ace and I feel that Charles Garrett has put out a machine that gives good preformance for a low price. I guess it comes down to what you intend to do with the machine and how much you want to spend.

 

[Old Katz]

You got some sound advice here. It sounds like you are on a budget though
and can't see the added expense. BUT if your not in a hurry, I'd wait and save
the extra money and go with the MXT or the M6.
Let us know what you decide on! Look forward to hearing from you
in the near future.
Smiling Katz

 

[mgtmadness]

I am in such a hurry, that is why I buy 200-350 dollar metal Detectors.

 

[Monte]

Sorry to hear you ended up with a bad detector. It can happen but your White's dealer and/or factory ought to take care of you on that one.

I've been using a Prizm IV for six months and have found 14 rings, numerous pendants, hundreds upon hundreds of coins and the strange and weird.

It doesn't amaze me at all. Regardless of the make or model detector a person has, it really gets down to how often they get out, the LOCATION they hunt, and how much time and effort they put into target recovery.

Two mates have the Ace 250 and they are faster in tracking and recovery and pin point better, but they can't beat my iron discrimination capabilities. The Prizm needs a few waves before it picks up on an item that is deeper.

Here I have questions and a comment. I've personally owned a couple of the Prizm IV's and used the rest, and I have now owned 4 Ace 250's. None of these models have "tracking" as we know it.

"Tracking" is a term that refers to a ground-tracking circuitry that reads and analyzes the ground mineral make-up and adjusts for a functional Ground Balance setting. It's referred to as tracking or auto-track/auto-tracking circuitry. The Ace 250 have a factory preset, non-adjustable Ground balance. All Prizm's, except the 6T, feature a factory preset GB that can be user adjusted, although it's not a real simple task.

Both the Garrett Ace series (most ALL Garrett's as a matter of fact) have a delayed response similar to the Bounty Hunter's, some Fisher's, and even the White's new Coinmaster and Prizm series (except the 6T). These models generally respond after the target is passed over, and they do not necessarily restore or reset quickly (recovery), either. I find them all to be somewhat similar in that regard.

Now, if you use a smaller-size search coil, such as the 4

 

[Old Katz]

Monte:
That Coin Master kinda looks like my old IDX Pro.
Any similarity? I like the color they added to the CoinMaster.
Maybe you already said...but does it pinpoint the sameway
as the MXT? I am guessing the depth is about the same with that
9" spider coil. Can I use the small Prizm

 

[Old Katz]

n/t

 

[RWJR13]

Go see Randy Smith at the Tulsa store, Treasure Electronics, .....You'll get lot's of great advice and get to handle all you want to try....