Garrett Ace 250 or Fisher F2

[Electrocute]

Looking to get my fiancee into this hobby. She so far has loved using my E-Trac. She wants a MD
just to get started with. She said she wants her own and doesn't want to spend too much. Which
would you recommend as I have not used either. By the way I'm still new to this hobby myself.
I got lucky and picked up this E-Trac for $80 at an estate sale. I honestly didn't know what these
ran until I got home and checked.

[BamaBill]

I would stongly recommend the Ace 250. Its a neater little package, gets good depth and there is an aftermarket coil, a 10X14 DD coil, that will get great depth on that machine. I know a guy that uses that combo to relic hunt and he consistently out hunts a lot of the rest of us. My son has the F2 and its a little clunky by comparison. These are just our experiences, take it for what its worth, but if I were buying him his first machine again it would definitely be the Ace 250 (we had one for a while and he liked it better than the F2, but now he uses my old X-terra 70).

[Coin Digger]

I own an F2 and it doesn't get any easier, it's a real turn on and go machine. The TID is accurate and pin pointing is spot on with one exception and that is a zinc penny lying on the surface. They pin point the size of a dinner plate but to compensate you just raise the coil 6-10 inches.
It also makes a great back up detector that you can let other family members use and you won't have to follow them around explaining things. It's also feather lite compared to other machines I've used and thats a plus for my wife who goes out once a year with me.
Can't speak for the Ace, but I hear it's a nice little machine.

[slowNsteady]

You're really opening a can of worms with this question, but here is my explanation. Put the two machines side by side and compare quality and features and the F2 clearly wins. The F2 has a higher build quality, period. The plastic is thicker and stronger in the arm cuff, control box, and screen areas. The shaft has locks that keep it tight, the Ace does not and the shaft wobbles. Both machines are about the same weight, but the Ace feels heavier on the coil end. The shaft at the arm cuff is shorter on the Ace which leads to fatigue early in the hunt.
Feature wise, they are both similiar, but different. The F2 and Ace both have sensitivity, discrimination, and notch features. The Ace has different modes, the F2 has VDI numbers. Basically the modes notch out different items for you. The numbers on the F2 help to classify the target. With practice this is a great tool to have. I miss it when using the Ace. The F2 uses 2 9V batteries where the Ace uses 4 AA. Only the 4", 8", and 10" coil are available for the F2. The Ace has a 4.5", 6"x9", 9"x12", the new 8.5"x11"DD, and 2 other large DD coils available plus the Sun Ray probe.
Warranty wise, the F2 has a 5 year and the Ace has a 2 year. If you're buying used, that does not apply as the warranty is not transferrable.
They are both fine machines, but each has pros and cons. You just have to decide which features you like best and can live with.

[Coin Digger]

The F2's TID numbers is it's real strength. It's weakness depth, but 90% of the coins you'll dig will be within in it's reach.
For me it makes hunting fun just digging good targets and with a little practice (digging pull tabs) it finds nickels.
4" is about the deepest nickel it can find just using TID numbers. The numbers are jumpy between 27 - 32 anything else it's a pull tab.
It also has fast recovery making it ideal for working trashy areas.

If it had auto tracking G/B it would be a real killer!

[slowNsteady]

One thing I've noticed, is that some people have trouble finding nickles with the Ace. I have not had this problem, but with the little squares that light up, it can be hard to see at times. The Ace has a plastic face that is above the actual screen where the F2's target readout is right in front of you. With the combination of the named target slots that light up and the numbers it's really easy to see and ID a target before you dig. I find nickles are usually a 28. The numbers do vary depending on depth and angle of the target.
The previous poster was correct when he said if the F2 had GB, it would be a killer. I picked up an F4 for this feature. It made quite a difference. The DD coil, threshold, and manual GB, really makes for a nice machine to use. Much more stable and it goes deeper.

[mydogisscout]

I sold my 250 to but an F2, and I'll never look back.

[Sim_Player]

This thread is dated but, I'll reply anyway.

I've never used the Ace 150 or 250 but I have had an F2 for two years this Dec.

Both machines are quite comparable in features and price and I'm sure that they both perform about the same with minor differences.

The F2 has a great Digital Readout and good depth (I dug a stamped piece of very old lead (the size of a 3 ringer) at 12" deep.

I don't believe the Ace has a digital readout which really helps to identify coins before you even dig them!

~Sim


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