I am still trying to get a grasp on the performance difference between the GTI 1500 and the Ace 250. How do the two compare straight up performance wise? Side by side, how do they compare for coin hunting in parks? Specifically depth, ID accuracy, and performance in trash. Please do not compare features or price, that information is easily found on the Garrett web site. As this will mainly be a backup detector for me I am not really concerned with the bells and whistles. I apologize for all the questions and I appreciate your help.
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GTI 1500 vs Ace 250
- Thread starter Nimrod
- Start date
Both are great coin and jewellery hunters. The GTI 2500 will do what the ACE will, but will also size an object, get better depth using the true "All Metal Mode" and can also me manually ground balanced for higher mineralized areas. It of course has many more bell & whistle to suit your hearing abilities. Go to the Garrett forum and check them out yourself. 
Just Click Below......
<center>http://www.garrett.com/hobby/techsupport/compare.asp
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Just Click Below......<center>http://www.garrett.com/hobby/techsupport/compare.asp
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Uncle Willy
New member
Nimmy I thought we covered this. What exactly do you need to know? I told you if you were hunting in heavy trash ( as you stated ) the 250 with the sniper coil would be your best shot for less money. You can also get a 4.5 inch coil for the 1500 but you're looking at a lot more bucks. I don't know what you want to spend bud.
In raw basics the 250 with a same size coil will get just about as deep as the 1500. I find quarters in the bark chips at ten inches with the 250. The sniper coil for the 250 will get you about seven inches which is remarkable for a 4.5 inch coil which should ordinarily get you 4-5 inches. The coil, not the machine, determines depth.
Bill
In raw basics the 250 with a same size coil will get just about as deep as the 1500. I find quarters in the bark chips at ten inches with the 250. The sniper coil for the 250 will get you about seven inches which is remarkable for a 4.5 inch coil which should ordinarily get you 4-5 inches. The coil, not the machine, determines depth.
Bill
1500 Pros: Much more target information, depth seems to be a little better than the 250. Easier pinpointing (for me) than with the 250.
Cons: Heavier than the 250, 250 has much better target seperation, even when using sniper coils on both. The 250 worked better for me in heavy minerals and wet sand. Uses twice the number of batteries that the 250 requires. Doesn't seem to hit nickels/small gold as well as the 250.
Neither machines worked the best for me in iron, they get kinda' chattery. In modern trash the 250 beats the 1500 in my tests.
Just my humble observations!
Skillet
Cons: Heavier than the 250, 250 has much better target seperation, even when using sniper coils on both. The 250 worked better for me in heavy minerals and wet sand. Uses twice the number of batteries that the 250 requires. Doesn't seem to hit nickels/small gold as well as the 250.
Neither machines worked the best for me in iron, they get kinda' chattery. In modern trash the 250 beats the 1500 in my tests.
Just my humble observations!
Skillet
George (MN)
New member
the Ace 250 & the GTI-1500 on some sweeps would read low on a recently planted coin over 4" deep, in my moderately mineralized soil. So if one had pulltabs rejected & it decided to read low on the first sweep, a coin could be missed. So I suppose it's best to keep disc low & figure the higher readings are more accurate.
I really couldn't be sure if ther was a reason to favor one over the other, except the 250 is lighter, uses fewer batteries & has a more comfortable hand rest (besides costing less new than a used 1500). Like I said, didn't own both at same time & possibly there was a slight advantage to the 1500 that I didn't notice.
The 250 like so many others, could not tell the difference between a modern tab & a nickel (again in my moderately mineralized soil).
I had 2 250s. First one the threshold tone in pinpoint would go off far before the coil got near the ground. The 2nd was more accurately balanced for my soil, but ID accuracy seemed the same. A dime would ID accurately to 4", at least as good as 90% of the detectors I've tried (dozens) in my moderately mineralized soil. YMMV. HH, George (MN)
I have a Garrett Ultra GTA 1000 that seems to ID somewhat more accurately at depth & is stable almost to full sensitivity. Only problem is possibly the weight & the uncomfortable armrest that makes my arm roll around (not in sync with detector sweep). Hope that helps. HH, George (MN)
I really couldn't be sure if ther was a reason to favor one over the other, except the 250 is lighter, uses fewer batteries & has a more comfortable hand rest (besides costing less new than a used 1500). Like I said, didn't own both at same time & possibly there was a slight advantage to the 1500 that I didn't notice.
The 250 like so many others, could not tell the difference between a modern tab & a nickel (again in my moderately mineralized soil).
I had 2 250s. First one the threshold tone in pinpoint would go off far before the coil got near the ground. The 2nd was more accurately balanced for my soil, but ID accuracy seemed the same. A dime would ID accurately to 4", at least as good as 90% of the detectors I've tried (dozens) in my moderately mineralized soil. YMMV. HH, George (MN)
I have a Garrett Ultra GTA 1000 that seems to ID somewhat more accurately at depth & is stable almost to full sensitivity. Only problem is possibly the weight & the uncomfortable armrest that makes my arm roll around (not in sync with detector sweep). Hope that helps. HH, George (MN)
Up here where I live we've got some blazing hot ground.. at 5" down a silver quarter might very well read as iron. What I've found is that a lot of people are leaving tons of goodies in the ground for good ol' moi. The reason being is that they look on the face of the detector and notch out where they see iron, pulltabs, foil, and zincs. Well, the ground shifts everything downwards on the scale and, while a fair amount of shallow stuff is scooped..much of it is left in situ. That led to one of my beefs re. the MXT; the 'notch designed by an idiot'. In neutral soils (maybe up to mildly mineralized) it worked fine.. get it into hot ground and all bets were off. Anyway, I kinda got off track, but it's great practice for developing a reputation for eccentricity. ..Willy.
Mick in Dubbo
New member
I don't know how big a nickel is, but if you are looking for coins in the pull tab range, (with the Ace) then you can pick them out if the coin one of the larger ones. Here in Oz the main coin that is in the pull tab range, is a 20 cent coin. It's just over an inch in diameter. The secret, is to listen to the pinpoint, when using the shallow pinpointing method (centre and slide). When you have a coin (or crown cap) under the coil; as you slide the coil over it and listen to how the pinpoint drops off. When a coin drops off, then the pinpoint with end SHARPLY. When you do the same thing to a pull tab, then the pinpoint drops off almost as sharply, but not quite. If you find yourself asking yourself if it was a sudden drop off, then it is a pull tab. If the coin is one of the smaller ones, or it's more than 2 inches deep, then all bets are off.
Mick Evans.
Mick Evans.