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Garrett Ace 250

Price: $250
Avg. Score: 4 stars 4.2
Based on 260 reviews

Avg. Durability: 4 stars4.05
Avg. Ease of use: 4 stars4.50
Maximum detection depth
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ACE 250 for beginner, but not the uninformed

August 20, 2008
Please disregard reviewers who seem to have no clue what they are doing.

The ACE 250 is by far one of the best, if not THE best beginner machine one can get. I started off with one earlier this year (have since upgraded) and would not trade it in for anything.

When using the machine one needs to realize first off, it's a beginner machine. You didn't spend $1000 on it, so don't expect $1000 performance. The ACE is very good in regular soil conditions, and also great in chips and dry sand. However, there is no ground balance feature, so if you are in a high mineralization area, it's gonna be tough going. In the same respect, the ACE 250 is NOT a beach detector. Don't take it into the wet sand and into the surf and expect to pull gold and diamonds, it's just not going to happen. The salinity will throw the machine whacko and you'll get false signals left and right.

If you're on a lower budget, and want a good machine, buy the ACE 250 and remember a few things:

1) Lower your Sensitivity. Running at MAX sens is a quick way to get false signals and drive you insane.

2) Dig only repeatable signals, which are ones that hit in different directions. Side to side, front to back. This will at least promise there is something under your coil. Those single beep signals are probably trash, though occasionally could be coins on edge with small signatures.

3) Dig everything. Find yourself a sand floor playground and go wild. Learn what the machine is telling you. If you take your time, go slow, and dig often, you're bound to figure the machine out in less than a week.

I run my ACE 250 along with a SunRay YF-1 inline probe, together they work wonders. Granted I don't have loads of treasure to wow you with, but it's not because my detector doesn't work correctly. I have since upgraded to a Minelab X-Terra 30 which itself is an awesome machine, that if your beginner budget is a little more flexible ($400?), I'd recommend it instead.

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Overall Rating 4 stars

4983

WASTE OF MONEY!!!

August 08, 2008
I spent money that I really don't have on an ABSOLUTE POS!!!! I dig nothing but empty holes, the meter says I have a coin, I dig a nail! Depth meter is worthless too.

Save your money, please!

Overall Rating 1 star

11298

Stop bashing the Ace 250.

July 26, 2008
I have had an Ace 250 for just over a year now. It is the 3rd detector I have owned. For the money it is packed with features and reliability. Sure if you spend $1000 you will have a better detector, but for $200 it matches most machines in the $500-$800 range. Like all detectors it has a few quirks that must be figured out.

It doesn't like wet sand, and gives many false signals and has a hard time pinpointing them in wet sand, just turn the sensitivity down and move slowly. In playgrounds, soccer fields, and ghost towns it is a champ. Showing great depth and accuracy. It is light and can be swung all day long with only a little fatigue to the users arm. It does well in low mineralized areas at finding gold nuggets. But, think about getting a proper prospecting machine if that is your sole purpose.

In all this is the best all purpose machine for under $500. Garrett support is excellent, and so if you feel your machine is not working give them a call, they will help out. But you should use it for several hundred hours before you say it is broken or does not work. Many times it is user error, Detecting is a hobby that requires learning and so if you are unwilling to learn don't buy any detector, cause you will not have fun.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

7088

Ace 250 junk

July 15, 2008
I bought my detector last week. Too many phantom rings, I get a ring, I pinpoint it if the pinpoint works I hold the button down sometimes it wants to ring sometimes it don't. then I have to find the object again it rings, I dig I find nothing, I search again now the sand shark took my object moved it 6-8 inches, I dig there nothing there I got back to the first hole nothing there still and nothing in the second hole either. Nothing in the area at all. Sand shark must of eat it. The air/bench test is a joke also it will not detect my gold necklace at any distance maybe its not a gold necklace. It did detect my silver necklace only when it was touching the detector. And I have not had any operation on my hand that I know of when I put my hand in front of the detector it rings, whats that all about?? this machine is junk or maybe I got a lemon. I'm going to contact the place I got it from then Garrett. I'm very upset at this machine.

Overall Rating 1 star

12475

A good little machine - but save your money for higher end!

July 15, 2008
I've been detecting since 1987. I still use 2 old analog machines, which are still producing success but wanted to get a feel for current technology without spending $700-$1000. The Ace 250 does let me get a feel for what a new detector offers, but does have drawbacks.

My biggest complaint is the questionable repeatable signal. I literally dug up a 1938 Mercury dime that only gave me a signal in one direction, or I'd need to sweep, resweep, sweep to try to recreate a repeatable tone, making me very insecure. If I didn't have my old Coinmaster to check the signal with, I would have passed it up.
I do like the notch discrimination (I only notch zinc cents) and this seems to work well. The tone ID for such an inexpensive detector seems to work well too. I had problems with the resolution of the coil too. If I found a signal of interest and went back to check it, I invariably lost it somehow and had to frantically try to locate the exact spot on the coil where it'd give me a signal.
Pinpointing was difficult too. The pinpoint tone is the reverby Garrett 'bell tone' so the pinpoint tone kind of 'rings in' giving you a larger swath to determine. This might be fixed by having the Ace 250 switch to a balanced threshold tone when pinpointing. On the plus side, I like the modes and the ability to save a custom mode.

Far and away the most feature packed detector you can buy for around $200, but it isn't without problems. For someone just getting into the hobby, it's an excellent choice but if you have experience with older detectors, or higher-end new detectors that are a bit more refined, save your money for something else.

Overall Rating 3 stars

9218

Quick update

June 30, 2008
I've now had the Ace 250 for about 5 weeks and I'm up to $27 in clad and 2 silver rings. I'm going back to where I found the 1797 large cent this weekend so I expect to add to my list of finds.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

1181

Very Pleased so far

June 13, 2008
I've had it for about 4 weeks. My solid gold wedding band rates a trashy nickel reading on it so be forewarned. It was a cinch to use right out of the box. I've got over $10 in clad and a 1797 draped bust one cent coin so far.

It is dead on for clad quarters and pretty good with solid dime and penny hits. I have not dug every signal and I'm sure I have missed some good stuff because of it. I can go back, though.

The depth gauge is not great so far unless it says 2 or 4 inches. Then it's reliable.

For a beginner, this is a GREAT choice. I highly recommend it.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

4186

A GREAT CHOICE

May 12, 2008
I bought a garret ace 250 for two reasons, first the price was right and it came with great options at that range. The 2nd reason is I firmly believe in the garrett brand when it comes to quality. I also own a garrett 400 and my brother also uses a garrett. They are tough and accurate. This one is as good as any brand at a higher price.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

3188

Very nice detector

May 07, 2008
I am highly impressed with the garret 250 within 5 minutes of hunting I found an 1864 one cent piece that was made from 1859-1864. Unfortunately I was rained out and couldn't play any more but I am excited to get back out. The buttons on the unit where very user friendly even without reading the book or watching the video I figure them out very easy a+. The pin point I think is working a satisfactory level.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

1779

Shooter again, Garrett Ace 250

April 30, 2008
Since 2/18/08 I have hit the $100 mark with a 5 gram 14k mans wedding band along with one silver ring, one silver dime and $11.12 in newer coins. I am hoping to pay for this detector within two years and am off to a real promising start. It has taken me five trips to local public parks. I am on my second set of batteries and have learned to run this machine in jewelry mode and to dig all signals. I almost passed on the gold ring. As always, you can contact me at katmoe3@verizon.net. Thanks to all whom have written me and the best of luck! Keep a weather eye to the horizon!

Overall Rating 5 stars!

2285

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