Ace 300 coil question

[Dirt slinger]

Hi all, I'm sure no one remembers me, been gone for quite awhile, but, I'm wanting to get active throwing some dirt again and I have a problem, as you might have guessed I have an ace 350 but something appears to be wrong with the coil, it's the standard double deck oil but every time I swing it it's giving it tone sometimes multiple tones I don't have to bump anything just swinging and I noticed it getting worse so I put a friend of mine's coil on which was brand new and then my machine worked perfectly again, switched it back to mine and I'm getting multiple false signals. My question is what goes wrong with a coil? I mean it's pretty much just a plastic case with wire in it that's sealed up, so what can go wrong with one just sitting? Also I know nothing about Garrett's warranties, would they honor something like this, it's at least 10 years old? Thanks for any input!

 

[laplander]

You should check with a local dealer for replacement coils, my guess it might be time for an upgrade if the coil is prohibitively priced. !0 yrs is most likely out of warranty for any detector. Good luck getting out there and hunting.

 

[MuddyMo]

You’re completely right, it a couple coils of wire in a plastic shell that should sell for a maximum of $50. My guess would be a loose or corroded electrical connections or something moving around inside the casing- water, mineralized dirt or even a loose wire?

 

[MuddyMo]

….. it might be time for an upgrade if the coil is prohibitively priced…...

Unless you just love it or you can find a used coil then i agree. You can get a better detector for the average price ($129-239?) of a new coil. Especially if buying a newer used detector. Unless you’re a ‘hate change’ kind of person then you (or others) will find another device that will be an improvement. That shouldn’t be hard at all with most of the Garett models.

 

[John-Edmonton]

Hi all, I'm sure no one remembers me, been gone for quite awhile, but, I'm wanting to get active throwing some dirt again and I have a problem, as you might have guessed I have an ace 350 but something appears to be wrong with the coil, it's the standard double deck oil but every time I swing it it's giving it tone sometimes multiple tones I don't have to bump anything just swinging and I noticed it getting worse so I put a friend of mine's coil on which was brand new and then my machine worked perfectly again, switched it back to mine and I'm getting multiple false signals. My question is what goes wrong with a coil? I mean it's pretty much just a plastic case with wire in it that's sealed up, so what can go wrong with one just sitting? Also I know nothing about Garrett's warranties, would they honor something like this, it's at least 10 years old? Thanks for any input!

If it has a coil cover, remove it and clean out the debris. There could be water in the coil. Drying it out in a warm, but not hot environment might dry it up. The coil wire where it enters the coil could be frayed and shorting out. Sounds like you need a coil replacement, or consider a new metal detector. Good luck!

 

[Dirt slinger]

Thank everyone for the input. So I've just been going through some old posts of mine and I see that as far back as 2015 I was having this problem but after nearly 10 years I had forgotten, yeah that's how long I've been away from it, so I think I might just take some people's advice and upgrade to a different model, as I am now a retired gentleman LOL I feel I've earned it, I know my body has! Anyway, as I get active again hopefully in the very near future I will be back on here more as I really enjoyed this site before!
If anyone would care to make some recommendations in the $5-600 range for a new unit, Garrett of course I would be happy to hear them, thanks again

 

[Odanscoils]

Sad the coil died.
The Minelab Extera Pro is looking purty good.
Quite a few are liking it.
Around $300 bucks with one coil.
Here's the specs.

X-TERRA PRO - Metal Detector

Minelab Metal Detectors delivers the world's best metal detecting technologies for treasure hunting, gold prospecting, and countermine operations. From the ultimate gold hunter GPZ 7000, to the industry-leading EQUINOX, to the all-new VANQUISH, Minelab proves that performance is everything.

www.minelab.com

 

[John-Edmonton]

Thank everyone for the input. So I've just been going through some old posts of mine and I see that as far back as 2015 I was having this problem but after nearly 10 years I had forgotten, yeah that's how long I've been away from it, so I think I might just take some people's advice and upgrade to a different model, as I am now a retired gentleman LOL I feel I've earned it, I know my body has! Anyway, as I get active again hopefully in the very near future I will be back on here more as I really enjoyed this site before!
If anyone would care to make some recommendations in the $5-600 range for a new unit, Garrett of course I would be happy to hear them, thanks again

I too just retired less then a year ago. The goal was to keep healthy and active both metal detecting and prospecting for gold. Congratulations on your retirement. Enjoy!

 

[RgnFn]

... If anyone would care to make some recommendations in the $5-600 range for a new unit, Garrett of course I would be happy to hear them, thanks again

There are a lot of capable machines out there in the $250-600 range. That having been said, I think you may wish consider a Vortex. It's a capable machine, but most importantly, I suspect that the learning curve on the Vortex will be much better than on other brand machines, as you're coming from a Garrett background. When comparing detectors, many people on the forums will emphasize feature sets, bundle-deals (e.g., get 3 coils and a headphone!), etc., but don't take into account the cost of transition from one brand to another. If your old machine was a low-end minelab, I'd suggest the 900. But since you're coming from an Ace, I think the Vortex would be a much smoother upgrade.

I went from my Garrett Ace Apex to an XP Deus II, and I have to tell you, it ate my lunch. After a year swinging it, I'm still not comfortable with it. So I "upgraded" my $1500 machine to a $600 Vortex, and love it. I only have about a dozen hours on it (mostly on saltwater beaches), but I'm impressed with what I see so far, and it feels comfortably familiar, meaning I'm spending my time detecting, not learning. So don't discount the transitions costs!

Also, another factor for me was that I was able to re-use my existing Garrett headphones, and set it up so that my Garrett Pro-pointer also connects with the headphones. Not sure if you have these accessories for your 350, but if you do, you can re-use them and save some dough.

Good luck with whatever you pick, and let us know what you find!

 

[John-Edmonton]

There are a lot of capable machines out there in the $250-600 range. That having been said, I think you may wish consider a Vortex. It's a capable machine, but most importantly, I suspect that the learning curve on the Vortex will be much better than on other brand machines, as you're coming from a Garrett background. When comparing detectors, many people on the forums will emphasize feature sets, bundle-deals (e.g., get 3 coils and a headphone!), etc., but don't take into account the cost of transition from one brand to another. If your old machine was a low-end minelab, I'd suggest the 900. But since you're coming from an Ace, I think the Vortex would be a much smoother upgrade.

I went from my Garrett Ace Apex to an XP Deus II, and I have to tell you, it ate my lunch. After a year swinging it, I'm still not comfortable with it. So I "upgraded" my $1500 machine to a $600 Vortex, and love it. I only have about a dozen hours on it (mostly on saltwater beaches), but I'm impressed with what I see so far, and it feels comfortably familiar, meaning I'm spending my time detecting, not learning. So don't discount the transitions costs!

Also, another factor for me was that I was able to re-use my existing Garrett headphones, and set it up so that my Garrett Pro-pointer also connects with the headphones. Not sure if you have these accessories for your 350, but if you do, you can re-use them and save some dough.

Good luck with whatever you pick, and let us know what you find!

I agree with you. It's so much easier to stick with Garrett if that's what you started with. They all share some DNA making the learning curve quite simple. The VORTEX Series are a very good capable metal detector line using those bars on the screen.

 

[MuddyMo]

As much as Garrett’s performance to cost falls short of the other companies, RgnFn makes a good point but only if you can’t or don’t want to learn a new detector. Most of adjustments on the Deus detectors (and other brands) are the same only with different names. Many can be left as is unless you want the most performance or you have a problem location.
The best detector for you is what brings the most enjoyment.

There are a lot of capable machines out there in the $250-600 range. That having been said, I think you may wish consider a Vortex. It's a capable machine, but most importantly, I suspect that the learning curve on the Vortex will be much better than on other brand machines, as you're coming from a Garrett background. When comparing detectors, many people on the forums will emphasize feature sets, bundle-deals (e.g., get 3 coils and a headphone!), etc., but don't take into account the cost of transition from one brand to another. If your old machine was a low-end minelab, I'd suggest the 900. But since you're coming from an Ace, I think the Vortex would be a much smoother upgrade.

I went from my Garrett Ace Apex to an XP Deus II, and I have to tell you, it ate my lunch. After a year swinging it, I'm still not comfortable with it. So I "upgraded" my $1500 machine to a $600 Vortex, and love it. I only have about a dozen hours on it (mostly on saltwater beaches), but I'm impressed with what I see so far, and it feels comfortably familiar, meaning I'm spending my time detecting, not learning. So don't discount the transitions costs!

Also, another factor for me was that I was able to re-use my existing Garrett headphones, and set it up so that my Garrett Pro-pointer also connects with the headphones. Not sure if you have these accessories for your 350, but if you do, you can re-use them and save some dough.

Good luck with whatever you pick, and let us know what you find!

 

[RgnFn]

As much as Garrett’s performance to cost falls short of the other companies, RgnFn makes a good point but only if you can’t or don’t want to learn a new detector. Most of adjustments on the Deus detectors (and other brands) are the same only with different names. Many can be left as is unless you want the most performance or you have a problem location.
The best detector for you is what brings the most enjoyment.

MuddyMo,

While I don't disagree with what you said, I thought I'd expound a little. Both the OP's machine (the Ace 350) and mine have minimal things you can set. Going to a machine that has tons of things to set, regardless of what they call those things, is a large part of the transition cost. Also, the tones are different, and in some cases, the VDI scale is different, so that adds to the learning curve. You're right that there are comparably-powered machines out there that are a lot cheaper and/or come with bundles that can save a lot of money, especially on the Nokta line. And that is a definite negative to the Vortex. Nevertheless, I think the likely ease of transition makes the Vortex something to consider. Maybe the Legend will win out, but it's at least worth a look. My half-cent for what it's worth (inflation, you know).

 

[MuddyMo]

I completely agree.