Honest Opinions Requested

[frankj3]

I have been in private conversations with another member of this group concerning the Legacy 3500. This person bought one and thus far is very pleased. However, I have been reading on a couple of sights that the Legacy 3500 was far more difficult to operate and not as effective as a Garret Ace 250.

I was just about to pull the trigger on buying the Legacy 3500 tonight......but I have decided to ask the masses for your collective opinions.

My typical uses would be:
A) Land hunting - south Texas "gumbo" soil.....very hard when dry.....sticky when wet.
B) Tot lots, parks and school grounds
C) Beach - Gulf of Mexico of Texas - both wet sand and dry sand.....plan on staying out of the salt water for now.
D) Sand Volley Ball courts

To some people, paying $250 or more for a detector is nothing, while those like me look at this as a purchase that requires more thinking and consideration. Don't get me wrong, I'm not destitute.....I'm just an "over thinker and worrier" about where my hard earned money goes.....you know, I want the most bang for my buck. The Legacy 3500 and Ace 250 are the only two units I am considering at this time.....and I'm leaning toward the Legacy.

So having bored you with a long winded rambling.....which of these two units would you recommend, The Bounty Hunter Legacy 3500 or The Garret Ace 250? And why?

Thanks!

HH y'all.

Frank

 

[frankj3]

-- moved topic --

 

[REVIER]

Personally, for me neither one would be my choice but if these are the only two you are considering the 3500 has VDI numbers on the screen and manual ground balance which could be helpful depending on your soil conditions so that would be the way to go.

 

[tabman]

If the two choices are to be hung or hanged, I'd rather have something better to pick from.

For the money there are better choices. The F2, Compadre, Silver

 

[GateKeeper]

If I were to choose, I would choose a new fishing pole.

 

[frankj3]

Wow! Why all the hatred for these two units? I was of the evidently naive opinion these are both good units in this price range. Granted, I am a newbie, with all the connotations that implies. So please educate me.

 

[scutney]

i'd say the ace 250.

 

[mudpuppy]

Frank! I read your post really early this am before anybody else replied and I decided i was too new myself to offer you any advice on your 2 choices...BUT I know you'd be getting some WTH's?, why those two?

Just from reading lots of their posts over the years, I'd be listening to REVIER and TAB....and if not, then Gatekeeper!
Mud

 

[REVIER]

Wow! Why all the hatred for these two units? I was of the evidently naive opinion these are both good units in this price range. Granted, I am a newbie, with all the connotations that implies. So please educate me.

Recovery speed, target separation, depth, coil choices, the amount of screen information are some of the all important features and abilities that many of us consider when choosing a detector.
Some features are more important than others to all the different hunters we have here.

For me having a fast machine, (recovery speed), and accurate and precise target separation, (I hunt in heavy trash sites...a lot!), are the most important.
Depth for many is the selling point, but all kinds of soil in this country and some handle some of the hotter or mineralized soil better than others, and depth for hunters in one part of the country can be way different than others using the same units.

For me depth has not been an issue so much because up to now I have been mostly a jewelry hunter and that stuff usually is pretty shallow, or a lot of it is, anyway.
If you are aiming to be an old coin hunter lots of them can be shallow but the deeper you can go the better chance you will have finding more of these coins considering the depth levels that many of them exist and the fact that so many hunters over the last several decades have scooped up the more shallow and easier to find targets.

It is not really hate you see, it is just the opinion of many that others work better for about the same money, but all of that is opinion so take all comments with a grain of salt.

Many have found much with the Ace 250...it has been one of the most popular entry level units on the market for a long time.
Many others have had great luck with the BH units and started with those, and even though they upgraded to other detectors, a very common thing in this hobby, they kept these units around and still use them for coin shooting and other tasks because they learned them so well.

In my opinion neither of these units are very fast in the recovery area, I am a naturally fast swinger if I don't pay attention and this could be a problem for someone like me so I gravitated toward the Tesoro and Fisher lines of detectors because they are very fast machines with great target separation.

I had experience with a BH detector, it was my first and did not work well in my then extremely bad soil and falsed all the time.
No manual GB on that one which might have helped, but like me many have used the BH units and gone on to other types that actually worked better in the same soil so that is how some lines get a reputation.
I watched a few videos on the 3300 and like many BH units did not seem like a real fast machine to me, although the BH line are well known for being excellent coin finders.

The Garrett units are not my cup of tea, either, I just don't like the sound of the tones that come out of them but that is a personal preference only.

Everyone has their favorites, everyone seems to champion the model or brand that works for them but there are so many different types of people out there and so many different types of sites and targets we hunt for there is no wonder disagreements pop up...and they do when discussing the "best" types of detectors all the time.

In the entry level or starting unit price points a few detectors seem to very popular.
The Ace is one of them, the BH units not so much.
The F2, the Tesoro Compadre and Silver pop up a lot, but no screens on those, the Euro Tek Pro just recently came out and is gathering quite a following in its short time on the market.

I have always recommended the F2 as a great all around starter unit, although with the way it works and finds things I don't think there is anything "starter" about it.
At the $200 range with 2 coils in the package at that price just makes it a great value for hunting all kinds of sites and a very good way to get started in this hobby at a relatively low price.
Others like the other units near this price point for one reason or another, still others started at a little higher level with detectors that had a few more features although at a higher price.

Just do a little more research and look for information on all the detectors mentioned in this thread.
Something might just hit you and you will realize that is the right one for you to start with, but this first one is a difficult one to pick out for all of us.
After you get one you get experience and knowledge you don't have now and the second one we choose, upgrading is a very normal thing in this hobby, will be much better suited to your tastes and hunting style because you will know more about yourself and other detectors at that point.
Or, you might just start with one and stay with it forever, but discounting some long time hunters that still like using their old time units exclusively, there aren't many in this hobby that have done that reading all the posts and forums I am on.

The right unit will make this hobby fun and exciting for you, pick the wrong one and your experience could be still exciting and productive but maybe slightly different.
Take a little more time and look around, it will serve you well if you do.

 

[frankj3]

Frank! I read your post really early this am before anybody else replied and I decided i was too new myself to offer you any advice on your 2 choices...BUT I know you'd be getting some WTH's?, why those two?

Just from reading lots of their posts over the years, I'd be listening to REVIER and TAB....and if not, then Gatekeeper!
Mud

Mud, as a member of this forum for 3 years, and more than 7,000 posts, I do NOT consider you "too new" to offer me any tips. I have read some of your posts and found them beneficial and enjoyable.

Thanks for past, present and future inputs!!

Frank

 

[frankj3]

Revier, I GREATLY appreciate your input and profound wisdom. Most of the items I had taken into consideration, but not all of them.

I am a slow walker and waver. I tend to overlap.....probably too much after what I have been reading. But the sound of a hit is too exciting for me to miss so I tend to walk slower, swing slower and enjoy the anticipation......

In life, I tend to be "brand loyal" on things. In other words, once I find something I like, like my Bounty Hunter Tracker IV, I find it hard to consider another manufacturer. Thats a fault of mine....but my business is theirs to lose. That's the reason I am considering the Legacy 3500. I like what I have read, I like the looks, I like that it is a Bounty Hunter model.

Another big reason I was/am leaning toward the 3500 is the feedback I have been getting from another member on this forum. His soil conditions are similar to mine, we tend to hunt the same types of areas, and, I have become comfortable in his truth and candor with me.

But after reading your insightful comments, I will give more consideration to other brands before pulling the trigger.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond!!!!

Frank

 

[MarkCZ]

Revier, I GREATLY appreciate your input and profound wisdom. Most of the items I had taken into consideration, but not all of them.

I am a slow walker and waver. I tend to overlap.....probably too much after what I have been reading. But the sound of a hit is too exciting for me to miss so I tend to walk slower, swing slower and enjoy the anticipation......

In life, I tend to be "brand loyal" on things. In other words, once I find something I like, like my Bounty Hunter Tracker IV, I find it hard to consider another manufacturer. Thats a fault of mine....but my business is theirs to lose. That's the reason I am considering the Legacy 3500. I like what I have read, I like the looks, I like that it is a Bounty Hunter model.

Another big reason I was/am leaning toward the 3500 is the feedback I have been getting from another member on this forum. His soil conditions are similar to mine, we tend to hunt the same types of areas, and, I have become comfortable in his truth and candor with me.

But after reading your insightful comments, I will give more consideration to other brands before pulling the trigger.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond!!!!

Frank

Well, I've had TWO Bounty Hunter's both were the Land Star's and I've handled a couple of others. Based on my experience with those Bounty Hunters I will say this! (and I'm not brand loyal)
I've never had any other brand of detector or model that wasn't an upgrade, even the entry level models were upgrades,
Fisher,
Whites,
Teknetics,

I'm going to say with some certainty that if you hold on to what you have for a fall back during the learning curve of some other brand/model that your good finds will improve. And your doing the right thing at this point by researching out the other options.
Some things to sort out first,
What will be the main type of hunting your interested in?
Coin Hunting, (clad stabbing or old coins)?
Relic Hunting?
Jewelry and tot lot hunting, (and coins as they show up)?

Yes, you can find a decent multi-purpose detector, but sometimes that can also be sort-a like the only wrench in the tool box is a Crescent Wrench.

If I was a relic hunter, then I wouldn't even look at a detector with an ID meter, what's the point? its not going to ID an old barn door hinge, or a brass light fixture, I mean it will but its not going to tell you what it is, most all detectors with ID meters are geared around coin hunting.

If I was going to Jewelry hunt and pick up coins as they show up, then I wouldn't worry to much about depth, but I would look at detectors that run at a little higher frequency because they just hit better on Gold and its would need a meter either, Gold jewelry can hit anywhere from foil to zinc pennies.

For Coin shooting and the hopes of getting some older ones I would look at models with ID meters and that are known to be pretty deep and able to ID at depth. (for me and my area that means 8" deep in West Virginia soil, they are areas where old coins are not that deep, but they are here)

Just keep researching, your doing good.

Detectors like the F2 and the ACE 250 I think would be an upgrade to what you have, but where I live the target ID deth is only 5" to 6" so, that meant an upgrade for me.

Mark

 

[BarberBill]

Very well put IMHO, Mark.
BB

 

[MarkCZ]

I'm getting my new glasses tomorrow or Tuesday so maybe I'll start having less typo's in my post! my glasses I'm using now is over 5 years old!

In my post above I wrote,
If I was going to Jewelry hunt and pick up coins as they show up, then I wouldn't worry to much about depth, but I would look at detectors that run at a little higher frequency because they just hit better on Gold and its would need a meter either, Gold jewelry can hit anywhere from foil to zinc pennies.

The red should have said,
And it wouldn't need an ID meter either!

Mark

 

[WV62]

My brother Mark posting above is right on with his statement. I think if you was to up your $ to maybe $350 you could come up with a $600 dollar used machine. That would for sure be better than the 2 machines you have in mind.

I just picked up a Fisher F5 with 2 coils for $350 now it does have some signs that it is used but it works great and it is a machine that will hang in there with the best of them. I also got a Tesoro Tejon a couple of years ago for $325 and it is just about like new. Just trying to give you an idea of what I have done and I feel pretty good about these 2 machines.

But if you just have to have something brand new I would go for the Garret 250. I can't say way because if it were me I wouldn't consider either machine you are considering.

Every body has a different way of looking at these kind of things and I seem to get more bang for my bucks going with used.

Ron in WV

 

[frankj3]

Thanks MarcCZ and WV62 for the input and feedback.

But first things first......my Dad was from Beckley, West "By God" Virginia! I'm a native Texan with a LOT of relatives in the Beckley area.

Back to my post...

When I first thought about buying a detector, I was lead to believe the Tracker IV was "one the better entry level units on the market." So I bought one. I have been using the Tracker IV for about 6 months. Patience and persistence have allowed me to learn to use the machine. I have been able to go back over some ares that I had previously searched and find items I had missed. So I do have faith in my unit and my abilities to use it to find items. As I stated earlier, I tend to hunt on land - dry Texas gumbo soil that becomes VERY sticky when wet, tot lots, parks and school grounds. I also search the beach - dry sand and wet sand, but I am staying out of the salt water for now. And I work the beach volley ball courts in our local parks.

I am a slow walker, slow swinger....probably to a fault. I just can't bear the thought that I overlooked a spot by hunting too fast! I love the sound of a sold, hard hit.

So, if I understand things correctly, a quick recovering unit is nice to have, but based on my type of searching, I'm not so sure recovery speed should be one of my main concerns. I would not consider the Tracker IV a fast recovering unit, would you?

I anticipate a lot of beach hunting for jewelry, rings, coins, toys, etc. Not wanting to spend a ton of money on a waterproof unit, I don't want to spend a lot of money on a unit that I anticipate will see hard times in the harsh salt environment.....I can see ANY non-waterproof model being harshly affected in this atmosphere.

This all points to me researching more and more until I have a swimming, confused head. At some point in time I will man up and make a selection.

I want to thank you both for your taking the time time and offereing me your feedback. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!

 

[goldman55]

Unless you have good eye site just want sound ACE 250 ok