Best detector for $2-300?

[Silversound]

Hey guys! Newbie here coming over from the coin roll hunting forums. I've been in the market for a detector and was hoping for some experienced advice as to the best ones in the $2-300 range? I'm sure this question has been asked ad infinitum, but I'd appreciate any help! I'm mostly looking for coins and gold in dirt and sand.

Thanks,
George

 

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[dahut]

Something used from White's, or Tesoro. That nice Classic ID would be an excellent choice. Perhaps you can luck up on a DeLeon, at that price.
If you can find a Garrett GTP1350. That is the only Garrett I would recommend in any price range... run from those would suggest an ACE 250.

It depends on what you're hunting. I picked up an old GTAx 400 and that thing is killer on coins. It surprised the hell out of me. I think it's a great detector and can be had dirt cheap.

I know you are right, of course. There are an infinite number of detectors out there that might suit. And we could get bogged down until next year discussing in the many, many models that are out there.

But I wanted to offer just a few choices that I know would work, today, for many types of hunting. While the GTAx400 is functional, when taken as a package, it is not up to what the OP's $300 would buy in a used GTP 1350. The little ACE 250 certainly is not there.

 

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[ashleysflyr]

ACE 250.

~Tom

 

[GibH]

Kellyco has the Delta 4000 on sale for $279. Looks like a good deal.

 

[Gunny71]

I found a Garrett GTAX 550 with 'phones and digging tools for 300 bucks on craigs list. Has been a great macjhine so far.
Deals are there, just gotta look for them
The 550 was easy enough for me to learn on, finds pennys and .22 brass at 10-12 inches all day so I guess its deep enough, and the pin point feature has always been spot on.
I am very happy with it.

 

[scrounger d detector collector]

i haveonly had a 250 to mess with one afternoon

i enter a lot of competion hunts and these

are frequently given AS a prize machine

due to their inexpensive price

so maybe i will get get a chance to test it

thorougly sometime..

but in the short time i had to play with one

i felt it was a cheap toy....not a pc of crap

but a toy none the less.

detection depth was poor....pinpointing

a chore....the screen id is cheap and wrong

most of the time...target seperation is weak to non

existant. i do love the belltone. to me it sound

like hitting a vegas jackpot. but after an hour or so

it was somewhat annoying.

IMHO the bounty hunter cheapies are a better

choice if u need a screen. a pioneer 100 or 200 series

the discoveries 0r any used . i had a bh sharpshooter and to me it did a lot better than th 250.

to me forget the meter and get a tesoro of any kind

i own 3 and am biased. but the pinpointing is right on

and discrim cuts thru the junk like a hot knife.

 

[extractor]

a Tesoro Silver or an ACE 250

 

[dahut]

i have only had a 250 to mess with one afternoon, but in the short time i had to play with one i felt it was a cheap toy....not a pc of crap but a toy none the less. detection depth was poor....pinpointing a chore....the screen id is cheap and wrong most of the time...target seperation is weak to non existant.
I do love the Belltone. to me it sound like hitting a vegas jackpot. but after an hour or so
it was somewhat annoying.

I have to agree with most of what you say here. While my friends on the Garrett forums and the many ACE users will probably disagree, I find you pretty much hit the nail on the head. At first, I tried to give the Ace it's props. But as it wore on me, I began to be more annoyed by it than impressed. Currently, it is loaned out...

IMHO the bounty hunter cheapies are a better choice if u need a screen. a pioneer 100 or 200 series the discoveries 0r any used . i had a bh sharpshooter and to me it did a lot better than th 250. to me forget the meter and get a tesoro of any kind i own 3 and am biased. but the pinpointing is right on and discrim cuts thru the junk like a hot knife.

I have not had much experience with the BH models so cannot say a lot. The few I have tried were pretty shoddy and hardly impressed me with their construction. To be fair I didn't give them a thorough wringing out, but like you with the ACE, I was hardly impressed.

Something off the used market would be far better, IMHO.

 

[kickback]

I have used the Ace 250 and the Fisher F2.I liked the F 2 a lot better.The target ID numbers were pretty accurate and the multi tones were great.