I am looking hard at the ace 250 to start out with. I have never owned a MD so I am trying to find something fun and productive without being terribly overwhelming. Most people have pointed me in the direction of the 250...so I thought this would be a good place to ask questions and seek advice. So...what MD would you recommend to me???
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what is the best MD for beginners?
- Thread starter osagebill
- Start date
Thats good but if you think youll stick with it and can afford it i would get a GTP 1350 or 1500 for a couple hundred more. I have the 1350 its easy to use at first, and is also competitive with real high end detectors. At first youll find plenty at 4-6 inches and once you get use to it and work on your technique youll be getting 8-10 inch targets, if your looking at highly hunted sites or looking for deep old coins. The ace is great as well but after a little while if you stuck with it you would want to upgrade. Might as well get the 1350 or 1500 if you can afford it. Turn it on and swing it its almost that easy. It shows you the exact type of coin your hitting, and once you dig for a few months youll learn what the odd or jumpy signals are.
Mick in Dubbo
New member
The Ace250 is a great first machine.Very simple to use and even with the standard coil, it is a very versatile machine. It's good at ground coverage as well as being able to get in close to play equipment if you drop the sensitivity right down.
It is very light and is the best value for money detector on the market right now. You may find that it may be quite a while before you'll want to upgrade to high end machine, if ever. I looked at a high end machine myself last week, and was left with the impression that the high end machine didn't offer that much more in performance, except weight and a big whole in my pocket.
Good luck with your choice.
Mick Evans.
It is very light and is the best value for money detector on the market right now. You may find that it may be quite a while before you'll want to upgrade to high end machine, if ever. I looked at a high end machine myself last week, and was left with the impression that the high end machine didn't offer that much more in performance, except weight and a big whole in my pocket.
Good luck with your choice.
Mick Evans.
n/t
John 'n' W.Va
Active member
It is the perfect detector to see if you like the hobby with out paying a lot of money. I feel it is as good as any mid price detector. It is simple and light. It will do the job very well.
jackinaustin
New member
I cant wait to to get started. I arrowhead/fossil hunt quit a bit (5 to present). I have found a few nice coins just looking over the surface. I have always wanted a MD but was not sure where to start. I know a lot of spots that are old homesteads I found while hunting and always thought this would be something I could get hooked on...thanks.
The Garrett Ace 250 Info
When Garrett introduced the Ace 250 to the market they couldn't know how much success they would have with this detector, could they ?
I own an Ace 250 along with other top of the line detectors and i tried to find the answer for the success of this detector nicknamed "yeller feller" on the Internet forums.
UPS delivered my yeller feller in the nice high quality box. I paid 199$ for it with some freebies and didn't expect much. After i opened the box and took a close look at all the detector parts.
The coil is with the "Rhino tough" design and the oval size of 6.5 by 9 inch is one of the best made coils i have ever seen. Other companies charge about 160 $ for a coil in that quality and in this case this coil is part of a 212 $ detector. New is its oval design that is usually found on DD coils. Why is this coil shaped like that ? I will answer that later.
Next i inspected the control housing, the rods and the armrest and had no complaints about the quality here either. All is so well made that the price of 212 $ seems way to low for this detector.
How can a company make a quality detector like that and sell it for a low price ? I sure have to ask Mr. Garrett about that . Or shouldn't i ? I don't want to give him some hint to raise the price for the Ace.
Assembling the Ace was just a matter of minutes because it is easy to do. Next i noticed is that is just needs 4 AA Batteries (pre-installed by the factory).
How smart, i thought. I can buy me a charger at walmart with 4 NIMH batteries for just 10 $ and don't have to buy batteries for the next years. How much money do people waste in a year of detecting if they have to buy 8 AA alkaline batteries for their XXX brand detector in a week ? That can easily add up to 400 $ in just one year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is what 2 Ace 250s would costs !!!!!!
Installing or de-installing batteries couldn't be easier than on the Ace detector. Just slide the cover on top of the control-box back and change or charge them.
Lets take a look at the features of this well build detector :
Display with these features:
Graphic Target ID Cursor (12 Segments)
Discrimination: Notch
Electronic Pinpoint Tone and Visual
Battery Condition Indicator
Coin Depth Indicator
Push Button Controls
Tone ID, 3 levels
Touch-n-Go Operation
Lightweight design
Search Modes:
All Metal
Jewelry
Custom
Relics
Coins
Let me repeat the price........212 $. Now read the features again :
Discrimination with Notch Accept / Reject , 5 Modes, tone ID. I know more expensive detectors that don't offer that. Lightweight, yes ! I never liked this heavy machines that wear you out in less than two hours.
Later i found this statement on Garretts homepage :
"Introducing the ALL-NEW Garrett ACE series - not just a new line of detectors, but a new way of thinking. We've taken much of the leading edge technology and well thought-out features from our GTI and GTAx lines and packaged them into the most aggressive, rugged outdoor design in the industry. These attention-stealing detectors are turning heads and sending the competition back to the drawing board.
But put aside their aggressive good looks and you'll see just how much amazing technology we've packed into these NEW machines. From custom notch discrimination, pinpointing, adjustable sensitivity and depth settings to the newest addition of the PROformance coils series, the 6.5x9" ACE coil, these detectors will never stop impressing you - or finding treasure!"
If one would read that without having seen the Ace 250 first he may think, this is just hype. But after using the Ace now for over a year i couldn't have said that better.
Let me add some tips here that Garrett has not on their homepage and will help you shorten your learning curve of the Ace :
1. Tape the coil cable straight up the lower rod.
That way you can run sensitivity much higher without falsing.
2. Hunt in the Relic or All Metal Mode. If you start notching out more you will easily loose 2 inches of depth.
3. If you get a weak signal try to swing the coil faster over the target. That improves target ID and depth.
4. If the target just jumps in the coin range, it is a deep coin most of the time. If it jumps all over the ID range it is trash.
5. If you use the 4.5 sniper coil (just 60$) run sensitivity at max. You can still get coins 6 to 7 inches deep !
This small sniper coil is important for trashy sides (around old houses, around trees in parks). The standard coil sees to many targets at once and good targets will be masked by trash. Try it...it will open you eyes what target separation is.
6. Pinpointing:
If the pinpointing area seems to large go over the target release pinpoint switch and press it again OVER the target.
That is called detuning and the target will shrink and be in the center of the coil.
Here is the reason Garrett made the oval 6.5 x 9 coil :
+ covers more ground per sweep
+ no air inside, better for warding
+ the rhino tough PROformance coil is better made than previous Garrett coils.
This coil makes a great standard coil but is has a large inner receiving loop and would see to many targets at ones in a trashy area like parks or around old houses.
If you don't choose the right coil-size for your type of hunting the display will bounce around because it tries to display for you what's under the coil. Some people think if they use a smaller coil they will loose depth. But depth is worthless if the good targets a masked by rejected targets. This is the reason you need the 4.5 sniper coil. Street-price of that coil is just 60 $ and worth every cent you pay for it.
Buy one and go back to the spots you hunted before and i am sure that will open your eyes. I believe that more coins are hidden by target masking than by depth. With the 4.5 sniper coil you will still get coins up to 7" deep. The fast target response and recovery speed of the Ace in combination with the 4.5 sniper coil makes it a killer in trash .
Now you may ask why Garrett just introduced a 9 x 12 inch coil. If you have to cover a large area where you don't expect much trash the 9x12 will cover more ground faster and give you more depth. Its street-price is 80 $.
Sweep speed: The Ace 250 needs a fast sweep speed to get its full depth. Here is an example why this can be a very nice feature :
Lets compare an Ace 250 with one of the most expensive detectors, the Minelab Explorer at the beach. We all know the Explorer need a slow sweep speed to get the depth and Target ID. Yes if you swing the Explorer slow it will be deeper than the Ace 250 at the beach. But if you have to swing a detector slow you can NOT cover much ground in a given time. If you use the Ace 250 with the 9x12 coil you can swing that detector very fast and cover ten times more ground than an Explorer user in the same time. The good stuff isn't always very deep, you just have to swing the coil over it. Don't get me wrong, the Ace with the 9x12 coil can find stuff very deep. Just want to point out that depth isn't everything when you have to swing the detector slow.
Is the Ace 250 the best detector money can buy ? NO it is not !!!!! But it is sure the best you can buy for 199 $.
I wish Garrett would put automatic ground tracking and a true All Metal Mode in it, make an 8 inch round Proformance coil and charge 100$ more. That would make a good detector even better.
What if you don't like the Ace 250 after a few weeks ? Used Ace 250s still sell for about 150 $. So all you can loose is about 50 $ if you decide to quit. But if you stay in the hobby and want to upgrade some day you will never forget what this detector did for you at a price of 199$.
How come i still own one next to my more expensive detectors ?
Could it be the Yeller Feller Fun Factor (YFFF)? Yes !!!!!!!
Buy one and start the Fun......and no, i don't get paid by Garrett.
HH,
Andy
When Garrett introduced the Ace 250 to the market they couldn't know how much success they would have with this detector, could they ?
I own an Ace 250 along with other top of the line detectors and i tried to find the answer for the success of this detector nicknamed "yeller feller" on the Internet forums.
UPS delivered my yeller feller in the nice high quality box. I paid 199$ for it with some freebies and didn't expect much. After i opened the box and took a close look at all the detector parts.
The coil is with the "Rhino tough" design and the oval size of 6.5 by 9 inch is one of the best made coils i have ever seen. Other companies charge about 160 $ for a coil in that quality and in this case this coil is part of a 212 $ detector. New is its oval design that is usually found on DD coils. Why is this coil shaped like that ? I will answer that later.
Next i inspected the control housing, the rods and the armrest and had no complaints about the quality here either. All is so well made that the price of 212 $ seems way to low for this detector.
How can a company make a quality detector like that and sell it for a low price ? I sure have to ask Mr. Garrett about that . Or shouldn't i ? I don't want to give him some hint to raise the price for the Ace.
Assembling the Ace was just a matter of minutes because it is easy to do. Next i noticed is that is just needs 4 AA Batteries (pre-installed by the factory).
How smart, i thought. I can buy me a charger at walmart with 4 NIMH batteries for just 10 $ and don't have to buy batteries for the next years. How much money do people waste in a year of detecting if they have to buy 8 AA alkaline batteries for their XXX brand detector in a week ? That can easily add up to 400 $ in just one year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is what 2 Ace 250s would costs !!!!!!
Installing or de-installing batteries couldn't be easier than on the Ace detector. Just slide the cover on top of the control-box back and change or charge them.
Lets take a look at the features of this well build detector :
Display with these features:
Graphic Target ID Cursor (12 Segments)
Discrimination: Notch
Electronic Pinpoint Tone and Visual
Battery Condition Indicator
Coin Depth Indicator
Push Button Controls
Tone ID, 3 levels
Touch-n-Go Operation
Lightweight design
Search Modes:
All Metal
Jewelry
Custom
Relics
Coins
Let me repeat the price........212 $. Now read the features again :
Discrimination with Notch Accept / Reject , 5 Modes, tone ID. I know more expensive detectors that don't offer that. Lightweight, yes ! I never liked this heavy machines that wear you out in less than two hours.
Later i found this statement on Garretts homepage :
"Introducing the ALL-NEW Garrett ACE series - not just a new line of detectors, but a new way of thinking. We've taken much of the leading edge technology and well thought-out features from our GTI and GTAx lines and packaged them into the most aggressive, rugged outdoor design in the industry. These attention-stealing detectors are turning heads and sending the competition back to the drawing board.
But put aside their aggressive good looks and you'll see just how much amazing technology we've packed into these NEW machines. From custom notch discrimination, pinpointing, adjustable sensitivity and depth settings to the newest addition of the PROformance coils series, the 6.5x9" ACE coil, these detectors will never stop impressing you - or finding treasure!"
If one would read that without having seen the Ace 250 first he may think, this is just hype. But after using the Ace now for over a year i couldn't have said that better.
Let me add some tips here that Garrett has not on their homepage and will help you shorten your learning curve of the Ace :
1. Tape the coil cable straight up the lower rod.
That way you can run sensitivity much higher without falsing.
2. Hunt in the Relic or All Metal Mode. If you start notching out more you will easily loose 2 inches of depth.
3. If you get a weak signal try to swing the coil faster over the target. That improves target ID and depth.
4. If the target just jumps in the coin range, it is a deep coin most of the time. If it jumps all over the ID range it is trash.
5. If you use the 4.5 sniper coil (just 60$) run sensitivity at max. You can still get coins 6 to 7 inches deep !
This small sniper coil is important for trashy sides (around old houses, around trees in parks). The standard coil sees to many targets at once and good targets will be masked by trash. Try it...it will open you eyes what target separation is.
6. Pinpointing:
If the pinpointing area seems to large go over the target release pinpoint switch and press it again OVER the target.
That is called detuning and the target will shrink and be in the center of the coil.
Here is the reason Garrett made the oval 6.5 x 9 coil :
+ covers more ground per sweep
+ no air inside, better for warding
+ the rhino tough PROformance coil is better made than previous Garrett coils.
This coil makes a great standard coil but is has a large inner receiving loop and would see to many targets at ones in a trashy area like parks or around old houses.
If you don't choose the right coil-size for your type of hunting the display will bounce around because it tries to display for you what's under the coil. Some people think if they use a smaller coil they will loose depth. But depth is worthless if the good targets a masked by rejected targets. This is the reason you need the 4.5 sniper coil. Street-price of that coil is just 60 $ and worth every cent you pay for it.
Buy one and go back to the spots you hunted before and i am sure that will open your eyes. I believe that more coins are hidden by target masking than by depth. With the 4.5 sniper coil you will still get coins up to 7" deep. The fast target response and recovery speed of the Ace in combination with the 4.5 sniper coil makes it a killer in trash .
Now you may ask why Garrett just introduced a 9 x 12 inch coil. If you have to cover a large area where you don't expect much trash the 9x12 will cover more ground faster and give you more depth. Its street-price is 80 $.
Sweep speed: The Ace 250 needs a fast sweep speed to get its full depth. Here is an example why this can be a very nice feature :
Lets compare an Ace 250 with one of the most expensive detectors, the Minelab Explorer at the beach. We all know the Explorer need a slow sweep speed to get the depth and Target ID. Yes if you swing the Explorer slow it will be deeper than the Ace 250 at the beach. But if you have to swing a detector slow you can NOT cover much ground in a given time. If you use the Ace 250 with the 9x12 coil you can swing that detector very fast and cover ten times more ground than an Explorer user in the same time. The good stuff isn't always very deep, you just have to swing the coil over it. Don't get me wrong, the Ace with the 9x12 coil can find stuff very deep. Just want to point out that depth isn't everything when you have to swing the detector slow.
Is the Ace 250 the best detector money can buy ? NO it is not !!!!! But it is sure the best you can buy for 199 $.
I wish Garrett would put automatic ground tracking and a true All Metal Mode in it, make an 8 inch round Proformance coil and charge 100$ more. That would make a good detector even better.
What if you don't like the Ace 250 after a few weeks ? Used Ace 250s still sell for about 150 $. So all you can loose is about 50 $ if you decide to quit. But if you stay in the hobby and want to upgrade some day you will never forget what this detector did for you at a price of 199$.
How come i still own one next to my more expensive detectors ?
Could it be the Yeller Feller Fun Factor (YFFF)? Yes !!!!!!!
Buy one and start the Fun......and no, i don't get paid by Garrett.
HH,
Andy
Well that is about all I needed to read. I was already leaning this way but I think this makes it "official"...I will get an ACE 250. Now all I need to do is figure out what sort of "extras" I want to get for the 250. I think I'll get a sniper coil and head phones if it does not come standard.
I really appreciate the post.
I really appreciate the post.
n/t
I have several detectors, mostly use the Minelab Explorer-II (I know), but also have the Ace 250. I have to agree with the others, can't go wrong. It is inexpensive, very easy to learn and light weight. A quick fun machine for a starter. The pinpointing took me a bit of time to figure. The cost for the features make it a great value.
I have been detecting for over 25 years, have and used several machines and the 250 is a keeper.
Good Luck
I have been detecting for over 25 years, have and used several machines and the 250 is a keeper.
Good Luck
Uncle Willy
New member
Hands down - the 250. It's great to begin with and finish up with. All us oldtimers love it. I've been tecting 43 years and it's my favorite machine.
Bill
Bill
Uncle Willy
New member
If you get headphones ( and you should ) get a set with volume control as the 250 has no volume control.
Bill
Bill
Uncle Willy
New member
I got sleepy reading all that. 
Bill
Bill
Dick from IA
New member
Outstanding report on the Yeller Feller, Andy.
Think I need one; Oops, already got one;
maybe I need another one
I'm serious: my grandson is now nine years old and ready for an upgrade from his little Nat'l Geographic MD.
Think I need one; Oops, already got one;
maybe I need another one
I'm serious: my grandson is now nine years old and ready for an upgrade from his little Nat'l Geographic MD.
the sniper doesn't come with the detector but you can buy it for 60$.
Headphone with volume control are much better than the Ace Headphones that don't have a volume control.
If you have any questions about the Ace feel free to ask ....the Garrett forum guys are the best.
Best to you for 2007
Andy
Headphone with volume control are much better than the Ace Headphones that don't have a volume control.
If you have any questions about the Ace feel free to ask ....the Garrett forum guys are the best.
Best to you for 2007
Andy
Uncle Willy
New member
Time to introduce him to Yeller Feller.
Bill
Bill