Good beginning metal detectors?

[Brackish]

Me and a friend are planning on going half and half on a metal detector, and it'll be our first time using one.
I had an old one from 1972, but we couldn't get it to work.
We did some research, and nothing really stuck out.
We're planning on doing a mixture between beach and land, and we really don't want to break the bank since we're two poor college kids looking for something fun to do.

I read about the garrett ace 250, but I also read that doesn't do too well in beach hunting. Any suggestions?

 

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[Coin Digger]

FISHER F2

 

[SC_hunter]

Welcome to TNet. The Ace250 will do great in the dry beach sand...good in the wet with the sensitivity turned down...Not goooooood in the salt water. Depends on where you will doing the majority of hunting. My son is a senior in college and still feels a bit...."nerdy" at the beach with me..lol But, in secluded places he is a monster..Best of luck and sure you will enjoy the hobby.

 

[Brackish]

Thanks.
As for salt water, why/how does it affect the 250? Will it still affect it if I stay on the edge of the water?


As for the F2, I also read about that, but there seems to be more praise for the Ace. And by your own review ( http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,172319.0.html ) I'm not sure what to make of it.

 

[SC_hunter]

Brack...I have an Ace 250 and have used it at the beach quite a few times. When you get to the point where the salt water foam starts to gather, it has just too much mineralization to work without falsing all the time. Now, I guess there are some that can distinguish between all the false signals but I can't...It has to do with that the Ace does not have a manual ground balance. Still, if I had the choice of the 2, I would stick with the Ace with no regrets.

 

[hunterinthesky]

My first Detector was a Garrett GTI. Yes I aimed high but it was great. After 7 years hiatus I have returned to Whites DFX. So far so good. I hear very good reviews on ACE 250.

 

[littletwig]

Depends on the money. PrizmIII is a great starter unit. If you can spring for the bucks I would go for the M6.

 

[Mr.Jody]

My first one is a quick silver bounty hunter(cheap of the cheap),Still using it, been having lots of fun with it,it will payfor my good one.The main thing is learning "your" metal detector!!!I have found 2 gold rings,coins, earings,so all metal detectors "beep"..lol

 

[spisswgt]

I think my Radioshack Discovery 2000 (I believe its the same as a bounty hunter lone star?) is a nice beginner detector. It has been fun to learn how to use it and although I wish it had a pinpointer, would tell me the depth, its still good.