F2 vs Ace 250

melvin_it

Full Member
Nov 22, 2006
114
1
South Italy
Detector(s) used
DeLeon; Vaquero; CX II with Treasure Hound; Tracker IV; BH3300; some chinese funny junk as MD1069:)
Nothing yet about F2, but sounds it's a hot gun...Will be nice to have some review. Anyway, I think it's not easy at all to beat the ACE for buck and features. You can't be wrong with ACE, thousands could swear on it!!!

Goood Hunts.

M.
 

EasyMoney

Sr. Member
Sep 15, 2007
476
7
Sweet Home, Oregon
Detector(s) used
Primarily my Fisher cz-70 and Compass Relic & Coin, plus many others
You can go REALLY wrong with an Ace!

It doesn't like salt beaches or high iron soils.

It doesn't pinpoint well.

It gets poor depth unless the soil is mild, and it likes hot rocks to the nth degree.

My recent review of the F-2 compared to the Ace 250 clearly shows that too. Read my posts.

The F-2 goes almost as deep as a Tejon, Vaquero, Minelab and SE, II, a
White's DFX, MXT, Nautie DMC2b, and a bit deeper than a Garrett 2500, 1500, 1350, 1250, plus many more. The F-4 goes a bit deeper with it's GB, and the F-75 a bit deeper yet. We are not talking about feet though, it's about 1-3 inches difference between all of them, nothing more.

All you have to do is put one side-by-side like I do and you can see the difference.. The F-2 is 4X the detector than the Ace is. None of this is a military secret and it's not rocket science either. The Ace is just an underpowered detector with a few toys on it, and by now getting to be an old one too.

Will someone please post this? Or at least post another side-by-side?

Thanks all.
 

Keppy

Gold Member
Nov 19, 2006
8,318
2,870
N.E. Ohio on lake Erie
Detector(s) used
** WHAT ONE I FEEL LIKE ON HUNTING DAY *****
Primary Interest:
Other
Well i have Minelabs and Garretts and the Ace 250 i am going to get the F 2 and run both of them the F 2 and Ace 250 then keep the one i think is best. I will keep you posted...........................==Jim==
 

SC_hunter

Bronze Member
Jan 16, 2007
2,410
160
South Carolina
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i,Whites XLT,Ace 250 and BH Tracker IV and Others.....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Just noticed Easy...Out of all the detectors used..I don't see a Garrett anywhere in that list...might have been in the "others".
 

EasyMoney

Sr. Member
Sep 15, 2007
476
7
Sweet Home, Oregon
Detector(s) used
Primarily my Fisher cz-70 and Compass Relic & Coin, plus many others
I don't really have any opinions about the subject, I just shoot straight from the hip. If I don't know by experience, I won't write it to be so, count on it.

Many years ago Garrett and Fisher had the deepest all-metal detectors ever made. This was back in the 70's. Garrett and White decided to chase the European and eastern US market so they didn't put as much into the makings of their detectors for high iron/salt soils any more. Garrett is more guilty of this than White's. Big mistake! A couple of years ago Garrett tried to remedy the situation by offering an aftermarket chip for bad soils. They didn't quite get it right though, they still suck.

I owned an Ace 250 (past tense) and compared it to the new F-2, and the Ace might as well be left in the truck if you brought another detector costing $150 or more, just like I did with mine. I too listened to the hype and when I got the thing I was really disappointed when I compared it to my cheapest Tesoros, BH's, old Compasses, and several different White's.

If someone is wanting a detector for the first time, the Ace is no better than a low-priced Bounty Hunter, because I own one, a Land Star. I paid 30 bucks for it, the right price. In fact the Land Star may be a bit better. One of the best BH I've owned (in the 70's) found more coins than any other detector I've ever owned, with the Silver Sabre finding the most silver rings and jewelry, and the CZ-70 finding the most gold rings. Out of all the detectors I've owned, all the I've used in the last 34 years and the ones that I've repaired, I can say that Tesoros and Fishers are the least trouble to work on and the least problematic. The A.H Pros were the worst. These new Fishers are the cream of the crop, and the Tesoros are a close second.

Right now, the best (new) all-around detector for the money is probably the Tesoro Lobo Supertraq, but it costs more than many others. It has the best and fastest automatic ground balance on the market, even better than Minelabs, and Minelab's auto GB is really good too. The LST does just about everything right, but doesn't have all the toys. It really is a professional's detector, an excellent cherry-picker, not a toy, and is great in bad ground, beaches, and nugget hunting too, nugget hunting anywhere. It will find BB sized nuggets at 5". The F-4 and F-2 are close, but they are not made for nugget hunting and the LST is.

The best low-priced detector for the money is the F-2, count on it. It is hot! It's light, precise, and keeps up with the high-priced VW's at the dragstrip too.
 

OP
OP
ikes4ever

ikes4ever

Jr. Member
Nov 27, 2007
55
0
Long Island
Detector(s) used
Whites Coinmaster 1000 and DFX
well I currently have a whites coinmaster 1000 that's about 20 years old and falling apart. i want to spend no more $300 for a detector. I like to hunt coins. I am really torn on what to get. which has better service and better coils and ease of use. I wont be getting a new detector until springtime.So I would like to see more reviews on the F2. Thanks for all the help guys.
 

SC_hunter

Bronze Member
Jan 16, 2007
2,410
160
South Carolina
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i,Whites XLT,Ace 250 and BH Tracker IV and Others.....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
ikes4ever said:
well I currently have a whites coinmaster 1000 that's about 20 years old and falling apart. i want to spend no more $300 for a detector. I like to hunt coins. I am really torn on what to get. which has better service and better coils and ease of use. I wont be getting a new detector until springtime.So I would like to see more reviews on the F2. Thanks for all the help guys.
ikes4ever....Don't make your decision on what one person says or doesn't say. Check out for yourself and then make a decision. I for one own an Ace 250 and love it. I also have whites and BH's..I don't have such a long list but I'm very satisfied with mine. The only place that I don't really like it is at the beach in wet sand...but on the dry sand it does fine. You just gotta remember, everyone has biases...and maybe not on purpose. The finale word is you be the one that decides and whichever one you end up with, I'm sure you will have fun and that is the main thing. As long as it is fun, it never gets boring.
 

OP
OP
ikes4ever

ikes4ever

Jr. Member
Nov 27, 2007
55
0
Long Island
Detector(s) used
Whites Coinmaster 1000 and DFX
well that is the truth. its a hobby not a way of living for me. just want to find some clad thats all.
 

dazoff

Sr. Member
Aug 7, 2007
321
3
Lower Mainland Vancouver,BC
Detector(s) used
To many to say
I also hunt with a number of machines : compass goldscanner pro, coin scanner pro, compass 77B , Troy X5 , XL pro, explore 11 , Excalibur, sandshark, Ace 250, teknetics mark 1, teknetics 8000, fisher 2 box, whites 2 box,
magnum 7, 94 B , nautilus 11b , and about 20 others and can say my ace250 has a place I like the sniper coil the best its a good machine. Dan
 

R

robert roy

Guest
Some reviews from Finds Forum.............

F2 vs other higher priced detectors....
Posted by: Andy,NM [ Send a PM ]
Date: November 24, 2007 12:28PM Registered: 1 year ago
Posts: 325
Today i thought about what i would have to buy to get a better detector than the $199 Fisher F2. I went to the pages of the other companies and it was eye opening what i found out.

Lets take the F2 vs the Garrett GTAx 500.

The 550 retails for $499 (street price $425), twice as much as the F2 that retails for $249 (street price 199 with two coils).

Now is the 550 the better detector ?

The 550 has more weight than the F2

The 550 doesn't have VDI numbers from 0 to 99 like the F2.
That means the 550 can not see the difference between the newer style pull tab and a nickel. The F2 can, because nickels read 32 to 33 and pull tabs 34 to 35.

The 550 doesn't have the locking nuts between the rods. They always wiggle. F2 has these locking nuts and they give it a more stable feel.

The 550 does NOT have a "depth on the fly" meter like the F2.

The 550 is slower in response than the F2.

The 550 does Not come with an extra small coil.

Well...you get the point...more money for less.

Next i looked at Whites Prizm 5 that retail for $549 and it is on sale now for 499.95.

The Prizm 5 doesn't have VDI number either.

The Prizm is slower in response than the F2.

The Prizm does Not come with an extra small coil. You can't even buy a small coil for it !!!

Again: Less Target ID for twice money.

I used the F2 the last two weeks and wouldn't even trade it straight up for one of the above $500 detectors.

Andy,NM
First day out with the Fisher F2....
Posted by: Andy,NM [ Send a PM ]
Date: November 10, 2007 08:15PM Registered: 1 year ago
Posts: 325
I went to a lawn at a high school today and hunted a part of the lawn that i hunted before with many detectors using larger coils (8" and 11").
Today i thought i give the F2 with the 4" coil a try. It was to easy, just press the power button and adjust sensitivity to max and that was it.
The detector starts in All Metal Disc Mode (every target zone accepted).
Within an hour i found 23 coins (7 nickels) and one junk ring. This side is really full of aluminum trash and iron signals. I dug some nickels really close to other trash signals and it is easy to tell that you have found a nickel. Nickels read 30 to 33 (never 34). The newer pull tabs that read as nickels on most detectors read 33 and jumped to 34 or 35. Within a short time a was able to tell the difference and dug a few pull tabs just to confirm that. That can not be done with an Ace 250,because nickel and newer pull tabs fall in the same target zone (nickel).
The speed of the F2 combined with the 4" coil and the very stable target ID makes that detector the best I've used in trash. In All Metal it was very nice to see how good signals came in close to iron signals. Target separation is a very strong point of the F2. The ring i found was 5" deep and came in loud and clear. Coins in the ground at 6 inches shouldn't be a problem for that 4" coil combo.
Air tests depth of the F2 with 4" coil is the same as the F4 with the 4" coil. (7.5 inches on a US quarter). Now try your more expensive detector with a small coil like that and hope to match the depth.
Some companies have only 5.5" or 6" coils as the smallest coil available. Not good enough for some extreme trash.

No secret that this detector is targeted at the Ace 250. Now you want to know : " Is it better than the Ace ?"

Yes it is !

Here is why:

1. Faster than the Ace
2. Deeper than the Ace
3. Pinpointing is easier due to the 8" round coil
4. The F2 shafts have cam locks (not on the Ace)
5. Better target solution, 100 numbers vs 12 zones on the Ace
6.Headphone jack on the left side (right side on the Ace)
7. Lower price $199 vs 212 of the Ace
8. 4" coil and lower stem for free (i don't know how long that offer will last). The Ace 4.5 sniper coil is about $60 and a lower rod $15.
9. Better balance due to lighter coil
10. More stable at higher sensitivity settings
11. Large DD coil available (Helps in bad soil)

Better on the Ace 250 is:

1. 4 AA batteries vs two 9 volts on the F2.
2.Keeps the last settings. F2 resets to factory settings every time you turn it off.
3. Modes can be changed faster. F2 has only one mode that can be programmed.
4..Notch in or out all 12 target zones. F2 can only notch 5 target zones.

You guys know i liked that Ace 250 so much that i made the Ace 250 tips and tricks booklet for it. It is still a fine detector but the Fisher F2 pushed the value level a step further.

No doubt without the Ace 250 the F2 wouldn't be here today.

Andy,NM
F2 - 4 hour field test. Long post.
Posted by: khouse [ Send a PM ]
Date: November 19, 2007 06:09PM Registered: 1 year ago
Posts: 1,019
First let me say that this isn't a scientific test.
Remember this test was done on MY soil.

I got my detector and it was packaged in a professional brown box.
Let's start with the coil. The 8 inch coil is lightweight. I prefer a solid coil to glide across the grass and for scrubbing the ground when pinpointing. But not many companies supply such a coil any more. The 4 inch solid coil looked great. It was as deep as any I've used. They both are two piece coils that are glued together like most. The shaft was 3 piece, strong and with cam locks. Solid feel. The lower shaft is stronger than most. The control head is about 1 inch larger all the way around than the Ace 150/250. The arm cuff is stronger and heavier built than most. No arm strap was included but it's not needed. But the slots are there for one. The balance, weight and feel of the swing is great. Fit and finish for the complete detector was top notch. I pried around on it and all was tight and strong. The battery cover looks like it should hinge up after you release the lock - DON'T DO IT! It pulls strait back. The 2 -9 volt batteries fit very tight so they will not jar loose. The F2 powers up in about 1/2 second. It starts out in the all metal mode. Not in the all metal mode it will pick up a small and large nail in any direction you pass the nail. This is good if you looking for small gold. The notch system takes some getting used to. I had to then read the manual for some help. Basically you push the notch button then + or - to find the notch you want in or out then hit the notch button again to set it. After about 1 hour of hunting you'll be able to notch out iron,foil and tabs in about 5 seconds. But the first time it will take you a minute. There are 8 target segments plenty large enough for my older eyes. The 0-99 numbers are huge and can be seen at about 3/4 of a mile. Great features. But since it has 99 target numbers they like to jump a bit as to be expected. Of course the beep is you #1 tool then the target segments, then tone ID and lastly the numbers. This would be true for any detector. I will say that this detector has the fastest target response of any I have used. I dug my last 20 or so targets without using the PP button. You can move the coil very slow about 3/4 inch and get a solid beep. Here is what I found in air tests and field testing. Targets 4 inches or less register very accurately. Then as the target is gets deeper the segments and numbers go up expotentially. Meaning a #35 tab at 4 inches will read a high coin and #80 at 8 inches. Then maybe read #99 at 10 inches. That's right it goes deep in the air and ground. At first thought this to be a problem. In the field I would get say a solid high tone and number 85. I would think that I had a nice quarter or better. Only to dig 8 inches to a tab. Crap I thought. Then after calming down I realized that this can be a good thing. How? Well we should be digging deep tabs anyway. Really we should be digging all tabs to find the jewelry. So this detector really makes me dig deep tabs. This should be good for my gold find? On average the air tests on coins with full sensitivity was 9 to 10 inches. I dug one aluminum can that was 4 inches deep. I had raised the coil 1.5 feet above the ground and still got a beep - but I dug it to verify a can. There is no large target or overload tone. I found that usually the large targets showed a 99 on the scale. Pinpointing was dead center. It has a large soft foam grip. This detector has non motion pinpointing. This is good. You can trace your target better. Also at first I thought the detector couldn't detune a target. But then found some tricks. If you detune your target you must either release and wait 1 second to repush the button or raise the coil about 1/2 inch and repush. Then it will detune. Speaking of pinpointing. The PP tone sounds like what you would think the electric chair should sound like. Most non motion PP machines have their own flavors usually a growl or something. About the buttons. They are just barely in the reach of your thumb. But they are so easy to depress. I have a set of 32 ohm headphones and the tones sound much better than the on board speaker. The coil plug has no nut to hold it to the control head but fits tight. I would say if your in the woods you would have to install a zip tie in it to be sure it doesn't pull out. 4 tones are a plus and there is a good range between them to easily tell the difference. The headphone jack in on the left side and is 1/4 inch. This detector sounds and acts different than my other detectors and you will have to run it for 2 hours to be comfortable with it's adjustments and sounds. After 4 hours it's a snap! Some things that could be better is 1. Last setting memory. I think this could be just a software reprogram. 2. The notch system could be simpler. You can't wave an object over the coil and notch it out by pushing the button. That's about it. All detector are not perfect and these issues are overcome by the 199.00 price with the additional coil and lower shaft. This detector in my soil is as deep or deeper than any I have used. I probably won't be able to hunt until next weekend. Maybe I'll find out more of what the detector will or will not do. I'm sorry this all ran together and I skipped around some.
 

khouse

Hero Member
Dec 6, 2006
789
74
I have a revision to my 4 hour field test of the F2

Robert copied my post on the F2. In the report I said the F2 classified deep targets with very high numbers. Well come to find out my detector's numbers were off. I sent it to Fisher and they sent me a new one. Now the numbers are solid on a deep target. So I wanted to say that the target numbers are spot on.
Khouse
 

Michigan Badger

Gold Member
Oct 12, 2005
6,797
148
Northern, Michigan
Detector(s) used
willow stick
Primary Interest:
Other
Oh no! Here we go...now the F-2 will be all we hear for the next 12-24 months.

Is it bye bye Ace? We'll see. But this thread sure is interesting. ;)

The F-2 deeper than the SE ???

Badger
 

Keppy

Gold Member
Nov 19, 2006
8,318
2,870
N.E. Ohio on lake Erie
Detector(s) used
** WHAT ONE I FEEL LIKE ON HUNTING DAY *****
Primary Interest:
Other
Michigan Badger said:
Oh no! Here we go...now the F-2 will be all we hear for the next 12-24 months.

Is it bye bye Ace? We'll see. But this thread sure is interesting. ;)

The F-2 deeper than the SE ???

Badger
...Badger i went into this web site.....garysdetecting.co.uk.......................... and they test a lot of detectors and they said thier test show the ...Sovereign... to go deeper than the...Explorer.... I always said this no matter what people say about there ..Explorers..i have used both................==Jim==
 

Michigan Badger

Gold Member
Oct 12, 2005
6,797
148
Northern, Michigan
Detector(s) used
willow stick
Primary Interest:
Other
roachnjim said:
Michigan Badger said:
Oh no! Here we go...now the F-2 will be all we hear for the next 12-24 months.

Is it bye bye Ace? We'll see. But this thread sure is interesting. ;)

The F-2 deeper than the SE ???

Badger
...Badger i went into this web site.....garysdetecting.co.uk.......................... and they test a lot of detectors and they said their test show the ...Sovereign... to go deeper than the...Explorer.... I always said this no matter what people say about there ..Explorers..i have used both................==Jim==

Oh ya, I've had many email conversations with him. Pretty neat guy. His favorite detector used to be a supercharged Silver Sabre (original). I think he still has that page up at his website.

As for the Explorers I know there are many different settings that can make a big difference in depth. I can't wait to test mine just to find out for myself.

Nearly every person on TN who uses the SE has told me nothing is deeper. Even some who don't like it have told me it is the deepest VLF detector made today (other than Nexus).

Come spring I'll know the true story fast. All I have to do is to set the SE at it's deepest settings and walk the trash free part of my coin garden. That will tell me everything I want to know within 10 minutes. If a detector is dead silent over a known target then the learning curve argument has no basis.
 

R

robert roy

Guest
Hi Michigan Badger:

What about the Xterra 70? Would you say the depth is equal ???
Robert R
 

Michigan Badger

Gold Member
Oct 12, 2005
6,797
148
Northern, Michigan
Detector(s) used
willow stick
Primary Interest:
Other
robert roy said:
Hi Michigan Badger:

What about the Xterra 70? Would you say the depth is equal ???
Robert R

Hi Robert,

Myself I've never used the 70. I've owned and used only the Excalibur, Sovereign GT, and Explorer II. Now I have the SE but haven't yet tested it. It's still new in the box.

I'd guess that all the models are rather close in depth. This is true of almost all brands with the exception of some very low cost models meant for kids.

One day someone on one of the forums posted that all Tesoro detectors get the same depth. In my testings in my soil I've found this true if the same size/type of coil is used on each model. With Tesoro it's the ground balancing that makes the difference. This is why the V and T are deeper many times. The new "hot" thing may mean an extra inch but that's debatable. Personally I like the older uMax machines better than the new "hots."

So what does this have to do with Minelab? I think most likely the same is true with them. The basic electronics are probably pretty close as far as basic depth goes. The separating factors would be added features and coil options. This is really what one is paying extra for.

I could be wrong because I've never done an actual side-by-side, but, from 40 years experience to me we're being sold a lot of banana oil today. I think we're just beating a dead horse and chasing our own tails. I had a Wilson Newman GBII back in 1983 that in all-metal mode could hit an indian cent at 7-9 inches deep. Guess what? that's about the max we're seeing today!

So the elephants take hold of each others tails and march around in a circle.
 

R

robert roy

Guest
Hi M Badger:
I might just try the Tesoro Silver Saber down the line if I can find a cheap enough one.
Never used a detector that didn't have a visual VDI though. Should be interesting.
Robert R
 

findit

Full Member
Jul 1, 2007
114
0
would like to here results on the f2. i also had(past tense a ace 250) it was alright,but definitly nothing to write home about. the best way to compare depth between two detectors is to make yourself a dime test garden like i did. and bury them at various depths and have it there at least a year or two before you use it. then go over the dimes with each detector JMO. the ace could not go past 5". the sovereign and newer tesoro's did great though. never tried fisher
 

dazoff

Sr. Member
Aug 7, 2007
321
3
Lower Mainland Vancouver,BC
Detector(s) used
To many to say
Just ordered an F2 will see how it does in real life next week not against it, but do agree with Badger, I think so much depends on the operator skill and that takes time with every machine. Until someone has used it more than just a tryout it needs a season to see how it measures up not a test garden. Dan
 

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