better for it's price: ace 250 or minelab explorer?

[aschwars]

I want to know peoples opinion on ace 250 or minelab explorer. Remember, this is for it's price, not for the detector itself.

 

[Sky1]

The term is "Value" and without a doubt it is the Ace 250. This is why it is the most popular entry level detector. Garrett is an awesome family owned company and goes to great efforts in keeping a happy customer. Think about it, you buy an Ace 250 for about $200 and can most likely get a full return on your investment within the first year. Yeah you can get luck with any machine but realistically no other detector does that constantly. Many Ace 250 owners love them.

I tried one for about 5 minutes and didn't like it, but I was used to my Minelab so 5 minutes wasn't a fair test. Also my detector was 4 times the cost so that too wasn't fair either.

Can I kick the living crap out of the Ace 250 with my Minelab? Absolutely but I won't do it 4 to 1. In some instances the person using an Ace 250 might even out detect me.

Knowing all this at the start would I buy an Ace 250 instead of my first Minelab? If I wasn't sure I wouldn't stay with the hobby. Over time the Minelab would turn out to be a better value but that could take up to 3 years and if after 3-4 months I decided detecting wasn't for me I would be out a lot of cash due to the big price drop of a used minelab vs a new one.

But I know people that have been in the hobby for years and use an Ace250. They have had many opportunities to buy a more expensive machine but they decided to buy another Ace 250 so hard to say. I can tell you though, if it wasn't for beach detecting I probably wouldn't have bought a Minelab but instead an Ace 250 a Teknetics or a Fisher F75

 

[Elton]

Some feel the Minelab price is a great value for the returns you get. Some place just a monetary value on the initial purchase. The Ace wins that easily. It's cheaper and works.

Results may turn that interpretation around. Not really apples to apples evaluation...............

 

[jbow]

Biggest bang for buck I have seen is the Omega-8000. I have had an Explorer SE, I have an E-TRAC which I consider to be much better than the Explorer but i've never used an ACE-250... still, the Omega is a heck of a lot of machine for the money.

Julien

 

[BarberBill]

While I have to agree that the Ace is a great bang for the buck, the Tesoro Compadre, except for the tid, is certainly in the same ball park, and for less money.
BB

 

[Smudge]

IMHO, the Compadre is probably the best detector out there for under $400 that I've seen or used.

You raise an interesting point though. I can see someone using an Explorer if they were relic hunting or doing a very old home site, where the targets are particularly deep and varied. But for most of us, where our time is spent at parks and tot lots digging targets where 90% of them are 6" or less in depth, it just kind of feels like using the Explorer in those places is a bit like killing a butterfly with a flamethrower.

It just seems like the Ace 250 is plenty of detector for most locations. I'm not knocking the Explorer at all, it just seems to be a little too sophisticated for the weekend detectorist like me.

Of course, if you're really into technology, and some of us definitely are, I can see the Explorer or E-Trac putting you in hog heaven!

 

[Shambler]

Too bad three posts were deleted. It was finally an interesting discussion, since the initial premise is silly.

I'm not knocking the Explorer at all, it just seems to be a little too sophisticated for the weekend detectorist like me.

What exactly about the Explorer would make it too sophisticated? Too many tones?

 

[Shambler]

I see now that the same post was made on the Explorer forum and is still completely intact - no posts were deleted - my mistake.