Click on metaldetectorreviews.net and read the reviews of some owners. Here are a few:
Alan in Marietta, Ga. -
This detector has awesome power in all metal mode. Is very deep. I just got it upgraded with a better mineraization chip from Garrett and performs even better now here in Ga. which has very hot ground. I use it for prospecting, relic and coin hunting, it does it all. Disrimination is not as deep as all metal as is same for all machines, but is deep and sensitive enough to find many coins and relics in all type of earth. I would highly recommend this unit. I was detecting with a guy that had a minelab explorer and mine was every bit as deep as his and i'd items faster than his. Also am using it with a 12.5 inch coil for relic hunting and is almost too deep cause I am digging some deep holes to get to some of these civil war items. But is worth it!
Aug 21, 2007
Save your money buy the 550gtax
JW in Maine -
Had a garrett 550gtax and was really impressed, so bought the 2500 gti and was really dissapointed. Does not get very good depth unless your in all metal mode. The size imaging is a joke, ended up turning it off. It does pinpoint well and is easy to use.
If you are going to coinshoot in your local park then it will be find but if you want to go for the deeper stuff buy somthing else. My opinion buy the 550gtax its as good a machine as the 2500. And a lot less money.
Feb 24, 2007
amazing simply amazing top of the line the best
damon abernathy in adairsville georgia -
i waited for years for someone to come out with a dector like this. i love the sizeing feature i mean this machine is very accurate on telling you how big the object is saves you lots and lots of time no more digging beer cans that read a coin i have used a whites spectrum for years nice but not as good as my gti 2500 also i tryed a bounty hunter this machine is junk absolutley junk owened a whites 6000 di pro great machine but the thing i love most about the 2500 is the sizeing no more beer cans if you are hunting coins i have seen my freinds dig targets that i walk right over with my machine
i have been decting for 25 years the depth of this dector is amazing super in the all metal mode for relics and as good or better than the whites spectrum that i owned on coins truley the best if you wont the most info befor you dig i mean who wonts to waste time on junk this machine offers more info about whats in the ground than any of the competitors hannds down the best out there
Jan 03, 2007
Amazing Versatility
PThomas in Heart of New Mexico -
I bought my GTI2500 about 6 years ago shortly after they came out to replace the GTI2000. It was my first 'real' detector. And what a detector it is.
While much ado is made about its imaging capabilities (being able to 'size' the target), this ability can be a double-edged sword. If you only dig those targets which show as size B - coin sized, you may be missing masses of coins such as those found in a 'pocket dump' where someone literally dumps all the change out of their pocket. You may also be missing bracelets, brooches and the like. I'd suggest that when using the imaging coils, dig all B and C size targets. And ALWAYS dig them if they show more than 6 inches deep.
It's too bad that many people judge this machine strictly on its imaging coils. While the imaging coils make it a park coin-shooter second to none, someone must try the various other coils available to truly see the amazing versatility of this machine. With the sniper coil, it is fantastic around fences, playground equipment and in trashy areas. With the 5x10 elliptical (my favorite), it is an unbelievably effective competition machine - covers a lot of ground and pinpointing is deadly accurate. The 12.5 inch imaging coil, though very heavy, can add another 6-10 inches in depth on larger targets. The 12 inch coil is ideal for searching for caches in buildings, as it totally ignores the metal construction materials. Although I've not used it myself, it's nice to know there is a 'two-box' attachment also available for this machine for finding deep caches (4-8 FEET deep!!!). What other machine of any make offers you this kind of versatility???
The only improvement I can think of after having used this machine for the last several years is: It would be nice to have more than the three tones available for Tone ID.
Overall, though, I think that once learned, this machine is second to none when it comes to versatility. It may not do certain things as well as some other machines, but NO OTHER MACHINE can do all the things that it can do.
Jan 04, 2006
Garrett GTI 2500
Bill in USA -
I've owned one for a year and must say that I'm not as excited about it as I was when I first bought it. Its best feature is its pinpointing mode which is very good and easy to use; however, the pinpointing button can sometimes get stuck, and you have to wiggle it to disengage it -- a very frustrating thing when you've swept an area and realized that you've been in the wrong mode the whole time.
It's quite heavy, and the weight is poorly distributed to the coil end. Garrett says you can detach the battery pack and clip it on your belt to reduce the overall weight, but that makes it even more front-heavy.
I have to run in All-metal mode to get good depth; I miss too many targets in Discrim mode. The imaging feature is interesting, but can be easily fooled. The multi-tone only works in Discrim mode, but there are too few tones to be helpful. When using All-metal mode, you get only one tone. Volume of the tone is the same for all targets, regardless of target signal strength.
I'm now looking for another detector and leaning toward a Minelab Explorer II or Tesoro Cortes.
Sep 07, 2004
