I'm going nuts! GTP 1350 or ACE 250

[marcoo]

Hello all:

I'm fortunate in that I can afford to by either but not both machines. I want to hunt in fresh water lakes and streams and I live in gold country where the rocks are all hot.

Everyone seems to like both machines. I was going to go for a tiger shark so I could get in water, then a Whites MXT so I could go for gold, but I've read so many nice things about the ACE 250 that I thought, hey! I can get a 250 for hardly anything and maybe a take underwater machine later. Then I read about the GTP 1350 and I'm all messed up again

Is the GTP 1350 worth the extra $$ or will I be just as happy with the ACE 250 for fresh water and high mineral rocks and soil. I need some wisdom and it sounds like you all have some.

Also, how is the manufacture on service etc. I read somewhere where minelab costs and arm and leg to repair and I was wondering what you all thought of Garrett's service.

Thanks.

 

[John-Edmonton]

As a rule.....a person should buy a machine especially designed for gold hunting, or water hunting. They have the ability to handle hot rocks much better and can detect very small nuggets. An ACE 250 or GTP 1350 will detect gold too, but not as well as a gold machine. Garrett has a gold machine, the Garrett "Scorpion" which has a good true all metal mode and a mode where you can factor in as much discrimination as required to hunt relics, coins & jewelry. It has a number of good searchcoils availble too to help find the "Gold". It is one of the few, (if only?) gold machines on the market that also carry a discrimination mode too. It is a good "almost do everything" machine.

Click on the link below for more information:
http://www.garrett.com/hobby/products/scorpiongold.htm

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[Uncle Willy]

As John stated you should stick to a machine designed for the type of hunting you will do. There are no universal detectors. Another machine to consider is the Infinium which is a pulse induction detector and good to 200 feet down in water and suited for gold and relics.

Bill

 

[marcoo]

Hi All:

If you have been following my posts you know I live in gold country. I really wanted a ACE 250. Really bad. Or if not an ACE 250, a GTP 1350.

Then I discovered the ACE 250 had a factory preset ground balance and someone suggested it wouldn't work well in my highly mineralized ground.

I made a call to Garrett, and I have to give them credit for their honesty, but unfortunately, they said I would be unhappy with the ACE 250 due to the preset ground balance. With hope, I said what about the GTP 1350 and they said it wouldn't work for me either. They suggested a 2500, but that was out of my price range so I'm sad. I've got to give Garrett credit. They were more interested in my satisfaction than in making a buck. I WILL own a Garrett some day for that reason alone.

Thought I would post this information for anyone else facing the same high mineralization problem. I asked about a DD coil for the ACE 250 and she (it wasn't Mary, but very nice none the less)didn't know of any plans to come out with one. But I'll be watching. This ACE 250 sounds like a real fun machine.

Thank you all for your suggestions and time helping me with this decision. HH

 

[Uncle Willy]

Have you considered the Scorpion Gold Stinger? It's only a couple of hundred more than the 250 and it is a gold and coin machine. Garrett is a great company and they won't shuck you just to sell you a detector. They want you to be happy and come back again.

In your type of soil you definetly need a machine with manual ground balance. THe Stinger fits that bill. Give it a look see.

Bill