For all U Metal Detector guys....just a little help

Tom N wrote:
Today I ordered a Garrett Ace350 from Kellyco. $297.45 with lots of free extras, such as shovel, bag, etc.

Thanks teeznu for this thread.

I think you will be pleased with the Garrett. I have a 16 year old Whites Spectrum XLT that is currently in repair. About a year ago I bought a Garrett Pro Pointer pinpointed and was blown away by it. As a result I bought a Garrett AT Pro recently to use along with the repaired Whites with my grandsons who really enjoy detecting.

Today I ordered a Garrett Ace350 from Kellyco. $297.45 with lots of free extras, such as shovel, bag, etc.

Thanks teeznu for this thread.

overbrook wrote:

teeznu wrote:
Not looking to spend a fortune, but any models in the $200-300 range would be helpful.

In that price range, the Garrett Ace 250 is the way to go. It's an excellent detector, easy to use, very reliable, built in the USA, and backed with a good warranty.

Find them new on Amazon for $212.00 - Garrett Ace 250

I have one and have found everything from diamond rings to civil war bullets to lost screws near a job site.

Bill

From the comments here I'm ordering a Garrett Ace 250 although I may move up to the Ace 350.

-Tom

I was wrong about my detector being a White. It is a Minelab Explorer. Quite pricey when I bought it. I got it from KellyCo in Fla.

I have been googling recently and I also came up with the Fisher F2 being the best one for not burning up batteries.

Not sure about their prices but KellyCo(?) is a good place to preview many, many makes and models of detectors. (KellyCoDetectors.com)

teeznu wrote:
Not looking to spend a fortune, but any models in the $200-300 range would be helpful.

In that price range, the Garrett Ace 250 is the way to go. It's an excellent detector, easy to use, very reliable, built in the USA, and backed with a good warranty.

Find them new on Amazon for $212.00 - Garrett Ace 250

I have one and have found everything from diamond rings to civil war bullets to lost screws near a job site.

Bill

WyoTraveler wrote:
Bought a fancy White detector about 10 years ago. Only used a couple of times. Some of those fancy programable units really burn up batteries. If I purchased another detector I would be looking for longer battery life over the super duper features. Mine used either 4 or 6 D batteries. Been so long ago. Burned up 2 sets on one day use.

I agree' some brands burn through batteries like******though a goose! I found the Fisher F2 lasts somewhere between 30 and 35 hours (it takes 2 9v batteries), and I have got as much as 40 hrs.

My Garrett Ace-250 uses 4 AA's, and they seem to last 25+ hours. Expect shorter battery life when you detect using the built-in speaker. That's another reason I like to use detector headphones.

My wife uses a Tesoro Cutlass II, which she has had for 10 years. There is no meter or digital display, and it is only a single tone machine. The Ace and F2 are multi-tone machines, so the tone (hi tone, medium or low) indicate the type of metal it is detecting. But the advantage of the Tesoro machines is they are lighter (about 2.2 lbs compared to almost 3 lbs), andbattery life is even greater. Tesoro's also have a lifetime warranty.

Bought a fancy White detector about 10 years ago. Only used a couple of times. Some of those fancy programable units really burn up batteries. If I purchased another detector I would be looking for longer battery life over the super duper features. Mine used either 4 or 6 D batteries. Been so long ago. Burned up 2 sets on one day use.

We've been detecting for many years, and have used a variety of machines. Fisher has been in the business the longest, and they make excellent detectors, with 5 year warranty. At $200, the Fisher F2 is an outstanding machine, for land-based and beach detecting. The next one up in the F-series lineep is the F4. Same electronics, but comes with a double-D coil instead of a concentric coil. A little better able to discriminate in trashy areas, would be the main difference.

Garrett Ace 250 is an excellent and popular detector, and is the direct competitor to the F2. About $215. Same turn-on-and-go presets as Fisher, and also user can tweak settings to suit the conditions. 2 year warranty, but excellent reliability and customer service. You'll see Garretts being used on that popular metal detecting TV program.

Garrett and Fisher have built in speakers, and 1/4" headphone jacks. ALways best to use the headphones, to hear the faint (deeper) targets, and not annoy others around you. Garrett's Ace-350 is their next model up, and like the F4, comes with a double-D coil.

These are the detectors I would suggest to look at, as you will find them easy to use, capable and reliable. Other brands have similar products at somewhat higher prices. Let me know if you have any other questions, and happy hunting.

Start warching places like craigslist for a good used one. Garrett also makes some decent starter models.