Ace 250 or DFX(hopefully not as ridiculous as it sounds)

[Hosensack]

I currently have a Quick Draw II. While it has served me well, I have been working a large area where I found sunken earth that turned out to be an old well, finally last year by sheer luck I found the old foundation of the home that was there. I would venture there are some good finds in the area, up to this point harmonica reeds and a metal button or two. The bounty hunter is just not quite what I am looking for as far as discriminating, and false reads.

I have asked about the 250 before and got very positive responses. However the foundation is about 18" below the surface, and alot of the finds are at about that depth as well. The Quick Draw is great with depth but horrible with discrimination at that depth. This is family owned private property so I have all the time in the world, and can do as much digging as I want.

After that overly long explanation, based on the amount of time I can and will be spending at this particular site, will the DFX make enough of a difference in finding otherwise missed items or will the Ace 250 be sufficient? Money is and isn't an issue, I would rather not spend the extra right now, but I don't really want to buy the 250 only to have to buy the DFX later, however if I am spending over $500 I'm just going all the way thats why the ridiculous difference in machines mentioned.

[Keppy]

Every thing i hear about the Ace 250 is that if you get the 10 x 14 Excelerator coil for it you will have a winner combo. there. My self i had a DFX and a Ace 250 i liked the Ace better. I sold the Ace and the DFX got a Garrett 1500 but i think i should have got the Excel. coil instead for the Ace.

[Hosensack]

Thanks Keppy, depending on how the responses went i was actually going to ask about the excelerator coil "factor" next, you not only gave me a real life usage comparison, but pre-emptively answered my next question. Much appreciated. I will respectfully read other replies(maybe) but I believe I have my answer.

[Monty]

I think comparing the DFX to an ACE 250 is like comparing a VW bug to a Sherman tank. I have had my ACE 250 ever since they first made them and I am darn well familiar with it. I know another member who uses a DFX and equally as familiar with it. He could kick my butt any day of the week if we were just digging deep targets. I just don't think that's a fair comparison. Monty

[Hosensack]

Monty, The question was more, if the difference between the two in my situation warranted the extra investment. It is private property(family owned) and will not be hunted by anyone else, so I can always go back and find missed targets when I am more prepared to invest in a higher priced machine. I was curious if the Ace 250 would be sufficient enough to do a fine job under the conditions, or leave me wanting the DFX or comparible sooner rather than later.

[Keppy]

Monty, The question was more, if the difference between the two in my situation warranted the extra investment. It is private property(family owned) and will not be hunted by anyone else, so I can always go back and find missed targets when I am more prepared to invest in a higher priced machine. I was curious if the Ace 250 would be sufficient enough to do a fine job under the conditions, or leave me wanting the DFX or comparible sooner rather than later.

To me if you put that excel. coil on the Ace 250 you will go as deep as the DFX .

[kando]

Let's see a Ace 250 with the Excel. coil = about $370.00........... and a DFX about $970.00 so what one would you think would make more sense to buy ? they will then both go about the same depth so why would you want to spend a extra $600.00..?

[mainer]

If it were me I would pick up a used DFX. You can always buy bigger coils for it, And you wont outgrow it. May take a while to get use to but once you do you will have a great machine.Good luck.

Mainer

[Keppy]

....... Yes used is a deal if you find a good one ..........

[The-Bone]

18" with any machine is simply unrealistic. There are no doubt a select few out there that can attain that kind of depth but the membership in that elite group is small indeed....furthermore, ACCURATELY discriminating targets at this depth is unheard of..if you really need 18" than look towards a pulse unit but be ready to dig

[Monty]

I was referring just to a comparison between the two, nothing else. Didn't mean to make it sound any different. But I know that sooner or later you will get hooked, addicted or whatever you want to call it. And you will want to move up to equipment with more bells and whistles and will not be satisfied just hunting on one plot of private land. I don't know anyone who hasn't. Just ask anyone on the forum. The DFX will have the bells and whistles you want providing you are willing to stick with the learning curve. Just my opinion, one opinion among many so whatever you want to do is fine with me. Monty

[Hosensack]

The-Bone, I wasn't as clear as I wanted to be, there is some larger items, and rust patches that the Bounty Hunter is picking up, and not discriminating out, granted I have found decent things during the digs(bottles, pottery, etc.) however I am already doing alot of digging and would like to keep it a little more productive, instead of being led to a rust patch. The problem is the B.H. has unbelievable depth, I just haven't been able to weed out the crap without going to far the other way and missing the good stuff. Add in the false reads, and I am wasting valuable time. Now that I located the actual home foundation I can move ahead with an actual attack plan, which is why I am looking to make the switch.

I spoke with a local dealer who said he could give me a V3 with the headphones for just a wee bit more than a DFX300, so I may actually lean that way...if I can hold off till tax return to help. 15" of snow on the ground buying me some time.

[Boilermaker27]

If you are considering an ACE250 and a DFX then you evidently don't let money stand in your way of making a decision on a good detector.

I personally would not buy the ACE250 because I have seen only one and it kind of looked like a toy to me. I really think Garrett would have done much better had they picked another color than that awful yellow. However, color has nothing to do with performance. People swear by the ACE250 and they are evidently a good detector.

As for the DFX, I had one and sold it. It was both complicated and proved itself much less deep than my Tesoro Tejon on relics, I did a comparison and the DFX could not pick up a minnie ball at the bottom of a twelve inch hole and the Tesoro was picking it up easily, that was it for the DFX. I did have the books on the DFX plus the DVD but there are just too many adjustments and not real good information on what each really do, although you can go online and many people post their adjustment. I do know that the top of the line White's is way overpriced and people are having problems with that machine.

Your local dealer is going to try and sell you the top of the line model. Be careful with local dealers, they will try and get you for all the money they can get out of you. You can go online and find the really rock bottom prices from good reputable dealers. As for your dealer, if he knows you have been doing your homework he may meet the price, but then you will be paying sales tax and most deals with dealers over the internet do not include sales tax unless you live in their State.

I would also look at the Minelab X-terra series and some other models since you do not let the price of the detector stand in your way of making good finds. I would do some more research and zero in on a few detectors and then come here or go to other forums and read, read, read, and also ask a few questions.

You are on the right track to a good detector no matter what you buy.

[NWMP]

I'm going into my third season in this hobby so it wasn't so long ago that I bought my first detector. I bought the ACE 250 because of the positive reviews. Yes I did well with it on old silver/coppers, but I wanted more depth. I bought the 9x12 coil and got deeper which helped with relics. But it still isn't deep enough for me. I came to a point were I realized that I couldn't add on or gussy the ACE up anymore for extra performance. I hit a wall with the ACE and It no longer met my requirements for some really old sites. If you have deep old sites you may as well get something with more capability from the start. It worked out well for me because I was a newbie and started from the ground up. School ground clad, to parks, to older home sites in and out of town, old one room school fields, deeper relics and now fur trade sites. If you are experienced and serious about the hobby, buy the most capable machine that you can afford.

[sandsifter]

Get a minelab

[BuckleBoy]

In the middle of this detector wars post... I will offer my advice.

Buy an inexpensive detector, detect the items that are within range. Then use a bulldozer to scrape off the top 10 inches of soil. Detect again.

[gallileo60]

In the middle of this detector wars post... I will offer my advice.

Buy an inexpensive detector, detect the items that are within range. Then use a bulldozer to scrape off the top 10 inches of soil. Detect again.

Great idea...I have always wanted to do that......The Ace is definitely not a toy...It is a fine machine at an incredible price......

[rmptr]

As said above, the Little Yeller Feller and the DFX are not in the same class of machine, and I don't care what kind of coil you install on it...

The LYF is a fun machine to use, with limited capability.
The DFX is a powerful, yet supposedly difficult machine to learn, for optimal results.

As stated above, also, the Tesoro Tejon would be my choice.
It's a pumped up hotrod.
They are built by a nice family in Arizona, and there is no better warranty.

Good luck with your search
rmptr

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Let me make a suggestion. If you are hunting a foundation that doesn't have a lot of modern trash you could do very well with a used Minelab Musketeer for $225 to $250. It will do the depth of the DFX and likely then some. I pulled a 1-1/2" crotal bell from 14" deep with mine (yes, twice as deep as my 7" Lesche blade).

To say 18" is unobtainable may be true of dimes and quarters, but big chunks of metal, or large round surfaces, will read deep. I spent the good part of one afternoon digging what turned out to be a pie tin from about 30" deep one day out in the middle of a cornfield.

If you end up with the Ace 250, and since it is family owned property, detect carefully and then scrape the area back taking 2" or 3" of surface soil at a time over a 6 ft square section with a gravel rake and then repeat.

[Sandman]

The little Ace 250 is a nice simple detector that is easy to use for most people but is no where near the capabilities of the DFX no matter what coil you put on the 250, it still has a set ground balance. For depth you need GB and good disc. The Tejon is a fine relic detector, I use one myself because it is very light weight for it's depth.

It is very hard to get extreme depth and disc at the same time. A PI will get the depth, but it will go off on those iron patches you mentioned. A lot better choice all around is a Minelab Sov GT. It has 17 freq instead of the only 2 you get with the DFX. Ignores Iron with it's iron mask to find coins under a railroad spike that the detector won't respond positively too. Install a WOT coil on it and 18 inches will be child's play for the Sov. GT. This is why many use it at the beaches because of the max depth and discrimination we get without it being unstable in high mineralization.