prizm or ace 250

[Amd]

hello all
i plan on getting my son a detector, but need some inputs on the prizm 4.
i was really wanting to know if i should buy the prizm or get the ace 250.
any responses are appreciated good or bad
thanks

 

[ezdigger(Wis)]

Either one should be OK, they both work good, I had them both.
If they were sitting side by side I would pick the Ace 250.
Link compares my finds with both.

Click http://www.ezdigr.com/plug.html
You make choice.

 

[Frank in NH]

n/t

 

[Ivan]

Well I tried both the Garrett 250 and the Whites Prizm 3. Garrett is nice but the Whites just seemed better made. I kept the Prism... had an easier to see meter. It seemed better balanced. The 8 " concentric coil seemed deeper ( concentric coils usually ID better and are a bit deeper than eliptical coils). And it seems very " hot on nickels"... as even the info from ezdigger above shows. I've found 2 14K rings with this unit in my first month..... go with the Prizm but get out to a dealer look, touch, fiddle with and decide if it's for " you"!!!

 

[Amd]

thanks for taking the time to post some responses to my question.

 

[Monte]

First, I have owned two (2) Garrett Ace 250's and two (2) White's Prizm IV's. I have also played around with all of the Prizm models since they were first released.

It wasn't easy to turn the "as new" Prizm IV's, and was very easy to sell the Ace 250's. By that I mean that there was a definite greater demand for them, and there should be. While they lack a little rod-length in the upper rod to be comfortable for many adults, their over-all performance was better than were the Prizm's. In addition, they have more notch segments for more discriminating control, and they can be adjusted across their entire range and not limited to only the lower-half or so of their 'segments.' Also, the Ace 250's have a memory to retain your last used setting if you turn the detector off. There are other strengths as well, but while I feel White's makes some excellent mid-to-upper end models, the Prizm's just don't cut it. Too bad they discontinued the excellent Classic series instead of simple improving on them a little.

Now, to your post. You stated:

"The 8 " concentric coil seemed deeper ( concentric coils usually ID better and are a bit deeper than elliptical coils)."... BOTH of these models come standard with concentric wound coils. Whether they are round in shape or elliptical in shape doesn't determine their inner winding configurations. The are Concentric and Widescan (Double-D) coils in BOTH round and/or elliptical shapes depending upon the manufacturer.

You are correct that usually a similar-sized Concentric will get a little better depth than a Widescan, but it isn't always the case, and very often it isn't by much. More, perhaps in very favorable ground, and closer to even, or even in favor of the Double-D in highly mineralized ground.

"And it seems very " hot on nickels"... as even the info from ezdigger above shows. I've found 2 14K rings with this unit in my first month."... I found them both pretty well matched on nickels and gold jewelry

I agree, however, that he'd be smart to try and contact a local dealer and get a little hands-on feel for the two models in question.

Monte

 

[Ivan]

 

[ghzcss]

I just sold my Ace 250. Good detector, but wanted to try a Prizm. Bought a Prizm V and went out today. My first find was a sterling silver ring, right next to trash. Prizm pulled it right out next to the trash. I have hunted over and over the same area in my yard with the Ace 250, Minelab Quattro MP, White's IDX pro & Garrett GTI 1500. Only the little Prizm pulled it out next to the trash. Needless to say, I would go with the Prizm. The only difference in the Prizm IV and V is the Multi-tone. And the V comes with a 9.5 inch coil and the IV comes with an 8. Another thing, the Prizm will hunt deeper than the Ace and the ID is more accurate. Hope this helps!!

 

[Ivan]

........Prizm exploits. Are you getting the impression that the Prizm is deeper? I got that impression over time, and that was with the 8" coil. I also felt that the target ID was better. It didn't flutter as much and the tones were clearer. Anyways keep us posted as your experience grows.

 

[ghzcss]

Maybe I just got a bad Ace 250 or a good Prizm V. But, I have found several coins where I had previously hunted with the Ace 250(90% of which were on edge). Not that I noticed more depth. But, it did find coins on edge, that the Ace missed. The very first find I made was a sterling silver ring where I had been over numerous times with the Ace. And the second outing found two silvers and several wheats. Out yesterday and again today and even more wheaties in previously hunted spots. Another real advantage to the Prizm V is the multi-tone. And, I can run my Prizm V on full sensitivity. Which I could never do with the Ace in my soil. Don't get me wrong. The Ace 250 is a great machine for the money. Especially when you can buy two of them for the price of a Prizm V and have change left. But, I personally prefer the Prizm V.

HH Guys

 

[shakerdave]

Hello shakerdave here I'm new to this forum just got a prizm 5 this winter not had it out yet hearing good and bad on it here. I live in Idaho in gold country moved here from Alaska last fall, been using a Fisher gold bug 2 wanted a coin relic shooter with better discrimination do you prizm v owners like yours? Any tips on using it? Mostly detected for gold in the past placer gold that is, dug allot of trash with the Fisher iron discriminate my foot!

 

[au4greg]

Both represent excellent performers in their price category.

The Garrett Ace 250 competes against the White's Prizm IV.

Garrett Ace 250 Advantages over Prizm..
* Modulated Audio
* Balanced toward Wet Salt
* More Visual Segments
* Wider Footprint in the Loop
* Bell Tone ID
* Small Loop Available

White's Prizm IV Advantages over Ace 250
* Easier View Display
* Lighter Feel
* You can Lock the Pin Point On
* 8.2 kHz a bit deeper on gold jewelry over 7.2 kHz Ace 250
* Easier Pin Pointing
* 18 x 3.5" Big Foot Loop Available which cancels out Ground Mineralization and allows for Superior Foot Print.

 

[Ivan]

Well Dave Thorpe did a really good comparison test on the Prizm vs. the Garrett 250 Ace........ found 48 nickels and 4 gold rings using the Garrett Ace 250 over the space of one year and 200 hours of detecting. Then he used the Whites Prizm over the space of 200 hours hunting in his usual areas and found 188 nickels and 9 gold rings!!! Interestingly enough the regular silver and copper totals were very close on both detectors. But the "big" difference is in the low conductive region of discrimination. What appears to be a major factor in the Prizm being hotter on gold is the round coil and the 8.2 KHZ frequency. I have found that the target ID on the meter and in the audio is more pronounced and less fluttery on the Prizm as well pinpointing is much improved over the eliptical Garrett. The depth of the Prizm is better but the Garrett gives you more coverage. While I would defintiely say that the garrett ACE 250 is an excellent detector the Prizm has simply done an end run around it if you are searching for low conductors eg. gold targets.

 

[jackintexas]

I don't know which is best but you posted on the whites forum. If you posted the same thing on the Garrett forum I am sure you would get different answers.

 

[mace1975]

For $150 difference I'd get the 250......and I'm a White's man. I did buy my son an Ace250. It does a heck of a job for the money.

 

[brandon]

on wheaties if I swept real slow, if I was sweeping fast the depth diminished to 4-6" This might be true for the Prism 5 also

 

[ezdigger(Wis)]

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Web page to compare finds for.
Get either one, they both work OK.
http://www.ezdigr.com/plug.html