Garrett Ace 250

Got it, used it, liked it!

Dmitry in Russia -
I got ace 250 this summer. Always wanted to try metal hunting and finally got into it. Read all reviews on this web and bought it via Internet of course. I was not very happy at first with its unability to ignore the trash. It made me frustrated. I used it a few times at a local river beach and got tired digging beer caps,foil and stuff like that. Although I found some coins as well. Actually, I found a heall lot of funny metals. But today I got completely convinced that I did the right thing that got it. I went to a sea beach and....found a handfull of coins and a small ring. It was a triumth after all. Now I am certain - I can find good things with it. It is a matter of time and a good place for a search. I recommend it for all beginners. By the way, I live in Russia-) Here is my email- jd75@mail.ru please write me and share your tips or ask questions. Once again 0 I like he price and the device. It is very very good! But you must be patient, persistent and consistent in this hobby. Get it, go to a sandy beach and watch the bell ring, keep digging the coins and may be some jewlery too-)

Jun 17, 2006

31 Yes
3 No

Was this helpful to you? 

4 inch sniper

806samuel in lubbock,Tx -
I just want to let everyone know that i have the 4 inch sniper coil and i have already found 2 rings. one gold the other copper. The gold ring was 2 inches deep, brass on surface. Soil is worth it. This place was very trashy (nails,pulltabs etc.,)The 250 showed as a solid nickel on screen so i knew i had something. Eaasier to pinpoint with it too. It doesnt go too deep but it has worked ok for me.So if using stock coil is frustrating you with trash and pinpointing, get the sniper. You'll be glad you did.

Jun 15, 2006

28 Yes
1 No

Was this helpful to you? 

Absolutely the best for the money

Don Neiman in Where oil recovery got its start, Pa. -
Having used detectors since the Fisher M-scope cira 1950's, I'm no new comer to the world of metal detectors. Basically, all detectors are designed to detect metal. The advances in detectors are like anything else in this fast moving world of technology but there is a practical limit to what the coin hunter, nugget hunter, jewelry hunter, or "treasure" hunter really needs. El Cheapo detectors are just that...a toy that acts like a real detector but stops at just sounding off when over metal. This is OK IF one just wants to dig his/her life away pulling out nails, pop tops, aluminum foil, etc. etc. until the cows come home...maybe if they, the owner of the Cheapo, spend enough time dragging one of these inferior machines around, a coin could be found. The most important second function of a detector is to ELIMINATE junk metals using "steps" of elimination. Next and also important is the degree of sensitivity a particular detector affords. Everything else is now getting into the "bells and whistles" and increases the cost of a good machine considerable. The Garrett 250 ace combines all the necessary features that perform flawlessly in a light weight easy to learn machine that will eliminate the guess work of the hidden metalic item. The controls can be operated with the forefinger of the users "swinging" hand. The settings are positive and deviation from these programable settings just doesn't happen. I thoroughly love my 250 ace and although I could afford the finest machine out there, this little 250 ace detector, made by a company thats been in business of building quality metal detectors for many years meets my toughest metal detecting needs..and I spend a lot of hours every week metal detecting.

May 09, 2006

193 Yes
2 No

Was this helpful to you? 

deeper than you think for ACE

806SAMUEL in LUBBOCK,TEXAS -
I have owned my ACE250 for about 3 weeks. i have used it only 4 ties. I have dug up aloot of pulltabs and lids and iron. I dont discriminate.First of all I feel it goes deeper than people give it credit for.I did a unscientific open air test and this is my conclusion. I had a ruler to test my theory.
I kept thinking ,WOW 8 inches is alot for this yeller feller. Well, I kept my detector on coins mode and sensitivity at 4 bars. I tried a silver
Morgan, Franklin half, merc. and indian penney. I found deepest it could register all of thes was 6.5 inches.Zinc penney didnt register.
I then turned SENS. up all the way. I registered all the coins, minus zinc at 8 + inches. Wow. I feel this depends on mineralization of ground.
I intend to buy biggest coil to try it out . i hear you gain a couple of inches.SO, in theory this detector ,in coin mode, with SENS up all the way can register 8+ inches on silver.. I didnt have a nickel.:( .Depending on ground. I have yet to dig up silver. I have mainly been practicing so I will post my finds. Dont dismiss
this Yeller Fellow.I have stock coil, and a sniper coil. I will try Large coil hopefully, soon. So, a ACE 250 WITH SNIPER AND LARGE 12 INCH COIL SHOULD RUN NO MORE THAN 400$. WHAT A BARGAIN. I hope this helps people looking for a backup or primary for $212.00. NOW GO FIND SOMTHING

May 04, 2006

33 Yes
5 No

Was this helpful to you? 

Only thing Better is MineLab

Paul M in Saratoga Springs, NY -
I have used this rig for about two seasons it is the best. I will mention that I did start off with a detector that was low-end in the begining. This gave me lots of experience in spending time digging and i was just as successful. The Garrett has got me down as far as 18" and if the detector shows a target it is never wrong. Last year i netted 6 old Silver coins, 3 silver rings, 1 gold diamond rind, gold heart pendant, and about $120.00 in spare change. My best advise is to dig everything because ya never know that pull tab could actually be a gold ring. My finds have gotten better since i started using the A250. The pinpoint and all the other bells and whistles are great, but like anything else it can be a little much at first. Practice using the amy different settings and abilities of this unit. Go slow and spend just as much time digging. Recomended starting off with something simple like a bounty hunter first then when you have mastered the detector move up to Garrett.

May 03, 2006

25 Yes
2 No

Was this helpful to you? 

Overrated

GT in AR -
I have the Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202 and I listened to all the hype about the Ace 250 and decided that I just had to have one. I don't think I bettered myself. The Ace 250 is in the same class as the Pioneer 202. Don't believe all the hype about people finding coins at 8-10 inches. The Ace 250 is an entry level machine! It just isn't going to act like a mid-level or professional level machine. I have never came near that 8-10 inch depth claim that others make. My 250 has never found anything deeper than about 4 inches.

This machine (Ace 250) just doesn't have the depth that all the people claim for it. Pinpointing is iffy at best. With all the hype I expected great things from the yeller feller but I will have to say that I have been very disappointed. It really isn't any better than the Pioneer 202 that I already had. I

One thing that I didn't hear from anyone is that the Ace 250 has factory preset ground balance that cannot be changed. This means that if your soil matches that which the machine was set up for you should do great. If not (and most won't) then you will have problems. I feel that this is a BIG PROBLEM for the Ace 250. Even the cheapest machines from other brands have automatic ground balance. This really hurts the Ace 250 and I feel is a major problem that all those who brag on the Ace 250 just don't seem to mention.

The Ace 250 is a good machine for a machine in it's class. When I got the Ace 250 I mentioned to the dealer about the 8-10 inch deep claims on the Internet. He laughed and said that was just wistful thinking. He told me that the Ace 250 was a 5 or 6 inch machine at best. If you want deeper you have to buy more machine.

After extensive use of the machine I feel that he told me the truth. A lot of the hype about the Ace 250 is just that, HYPE!!

Apr 26, 2006

58 Yes
13 No

Was this helpful to you? 

How to buy a metal detector

William Schoepp in Portland , Oregon -
The first thing I did was to buy the latest issue of Gold Prospectors magazine, which led me to this website. The second thing I did was read ALL of the reviews in the price range I was looking for. I was impressed by the sheer number of good reviews I had seen on the Ace 250. My other option was a bounty hunter that I could purchase through my daughters employer with a fairly good discount. I chose the ace 250. After reading all those reviews I knew I couldn't go wrong. I found all of them had bits of info that were of great help to a novice such as myself, so much so in fact, that I felt I was armed with a fair amount of knowledge before I even stepped out to the yard. Now there are a lot less nails and other hardware in the dirt and more coins in my pocket! I took it to an old logging camp (do some research) I haven't found much yet but I will be back up there soon, with better tools to dig with! Right now I can't wait to get to the beach to see how it acts there. I would like to thank Metal Detector Reviews and all of the contributors to this website for helping me to make the right decision on the Ace 250.
Read the manual, get comfortable with the machine and do some experimenting

Apr 25, 2006

15 Yes
0 No

Was this helpful to you? 

Great ACE 250

Samuel in Lubbock,Texas -
I have owned a bounty Hunter and a GTAX1000 and
I have really never used them with much enthusiasm.I never really made time.The ACE250
had me excited for some unknown reason.Maybe because Garrett is from the Lone Star Sate. ?
The machine itself is bigger than what it looks in pics. I havent had it long but i have used it 3 times. I have only found 3 pennies, and several pieces of junk. The detector gives a good accurate display. Yes, the crushed can or tab will fool it but thats ok.I have noticed that when it jumps from iron/foil to coins it is junk. Yes,, it has 3 distinct tones. Dont let anyone say otherwise. Pinpointing takes practice but it can be done. I was skeptical about price to value ratio.This machine is a GREAT machine for the money. I have a sniper coil and intend to buy a larger coil which adds about 2 inches in depth approx for coins.i have thrown silver coins in a hole and it does ID correctly. The distinct BOING!BOING! means ..money. I feel this is a great detector. doesnt go 9 inches plus like the higher end detectors but i cant afford $700 + (usd)for a really deep detector but thats ok. with a larger coil i will be close i feel to getting that depth. Garret has finally made a real winner with this packaging.Great electronics at a great price.I will be using this with enthusiasm for a while . i will kep you posted on my finds and experience. HAPPY HUNTING

Apr 24, 2006

13 Yes
208 No

Was this helpful to you? 

Underpowered

Larry D Gressel in Sweet Home, Oregon -
I live in the PAC NW, and believe me, the little Garrett is not enough detector for all this high-iron soil here. Even my old Bounty Hunter with it's analog meter outdoes the 250.

It is an ok detector for kids and for using now and then or as a backup, but when you really get interested in the hobby, you wiil find a different home for it. The low-priced Fishers, Compasses, and White's are much better detectors, and they don't use the "delayed" sound the Garrett does. Personally, I don't really care for having to center a target by figuring out that the target itself is between the sounds on either side of it. It's backwards.

Another thing I don't quite understand, is why people actually claim that it will get 10" on a coin? Mine doesn't, and neither do any of the other 250's I've seen. Even in the ground this is almost impossible, I was a detector repairman from 1980 to 1990, and believe me, there is not enough power in the circuit to accomplish this claim, unless the coin is the size of a silver dollar, or larger.

Mar 23, 2006

51 Yes
15 No

Was this helpful to you? 

The cheap and helpfull detector

David Phillips in Panama -
Like many of us, IŽm new in the use of a detector. So when I read the OwnerŽs manual, I could understang how to use it and I did (but only whith practice), in my country (Panama) it isnŽt easy to do that. My avice is to put some items (coins, jewerly, relics, etc), in the ground and try to detect each one. Only when someone have enough practice, could get more treasures whithout complains about "I canŽt"

Mar 05, 2006

7 Yes
2 No

Was this helpful to you?