CXIII vs. Ace 250 ...Old vs. New. The Verdict is in!!! (updated 8/13/07)

[West Jersey Detecting]

I have a 15 year old Garrett CXIII with extra coils. I love the features, including non-motion All Metal mode, but I know they upgraded this model after mine was made in the mid-nineties with 20% more depth.

I can still get $300 on ebay PLUS sell the coils for an addition $125-$150.

Am I better off "trading down" to an ACE 250, which will most likely get me better depth, or should I keep the unit due to the added features not available on the ACE.

What is your opinion?

 

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[Sandman]

Re: Old vs. New ...Input needed

You are still ahead with the better detector you have in the CX 3. The Ace 250 does not ground balance, so I don't know how it can get deeper depth then what you have. The ID on the 250 only has nine icons too. You won't get the extra money out of the extra coils if you sell it as very few newbies will even buy one extra coil when they should buy all that's available.

That non motion all metal mode is a rarity now and worth it.

 

[Ahunter]

Re: CXIII vs. Ace 250 ...Input needed

If you can sell your present machine for what you say and would be interested in a New GTAX550 contact me. You could even have money left over after the deal.

 

[mgdigger]

Re: CXIII vs. Ace 250 ...Input needed

I have both and each has its uses. The 250 is a great everyday machine while the cx3 I like to use in the desert and gold areas.

 

[TonyinCT]

Re: CXIII vs. Ace 250 ...Input needed

Keep and use the CXIII. By the way .... the upgrade didn;t get you 20% more depth
if everytime Garrett came out with a new best detector and got 20% more depthover the old one, we would be digging coins 10 feet in the ground now.

 

[JohnnyThunders]

Re: CXIII vs. Ace 250 ...Input needed

Geeeee I thought I lost my CX3 but found it in my brothers garage along with a 1968 Gibson les paul lol...
I was thinking of getting a GTI2500 or DFX until I found it a few months back....
I only used it 3 times in the 15 plus years and glad its still like new and maybe I will enjoy useing it.....
Maybe if garret or whites will come out with a new model maybe I will upgrade,but I might only use it another 3 times in the next 15 plus years lol..........JT

 

[cyeager]

Re: CXIII vs. Ace 250 ...Input needed

Stolen - A CX III with Standard Coil and Sniper in a blue SGI carry case. In pouch that was also stolen was a ACE 250 sniper coil. Sacramento Calif.
That said - CX III has depth elimination. Ground balance. Three program saves. More batteries. And talk is always disabled! Don't think twice.

 

[JohnnyThunders]

Re: CXIII vs. Ace 250 ...Input needed

I need to get out and use it abit.
I only used the CX3 maybeeeeeee 4 times but I think it was 3 times with less then 1 hour total lol....
I am in the Poconos and think many parks are federal land so it makes me a tad affraid to look for old parks and maybe get arrested lol..........JT

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

The Verdict is in! Follow up to my own post...

OK, so I purchased an ACE 250 with the idea of selling my CXIII. I figured I could get $400 for the CXIII with the accessories. After using the ACE for a few weeks I decided that they both have their advantages and disadvantages and I should keep both.

I have found the ACE250 to be a deeper seeking machine under normal operating conditions, however my CXIII does not have the Power Master circuitry that was added in the late '90's. This circuitry gives the CXIII about 20% more depth than the original.

The ACE250 is about 50% lighter than the CXIII, but I find that it is not as ergonomically balanced and the heavier CXIII is just as easy to swing for long periods of time. It also takes 4 AA Batteries vs. the 6 "C" cells on the CXIII. The 6 "C"'s will, however, last much longer before a change is needed.

Here is a comparison between the units.

1) Ground Balance: The ACE 250 is balanced at the factory. The CXIII has both automatic and manual ground balance adjustments. I have found the ACE250 to be sensitive to "hot rocks" where the CXIII ignores them.

2) Threshold: The Garrett CXIII features an adjustable threshold, while the ACE250 runs in silent mode. There have been numerous times that I have had to run my wedding band under the coil of the ACE to make sure it was operating properly.

3) Target ID: The CXIII features 24 zones the ACE has only 12. Although I dig all targets, more information is better. This is especially important in an area likely to produce large cents or colonial coppers which may read as a dime or quarter on the ACE, but are likely to read "8.5" or "9" on the CXIII, which are in between.

4) Discrimination: See above. 24 vs. 12 notches.

5) Pinpointing: I think the CXIII is far superior in this area. I have some difficulty pinpointing with the ACE although I am being told it just takes some getting used to. The CXIII also features VCO, which will aid pinpointing tremendously on deep targets.

6) Depth Reading: CXIII gives the depth in half inch increments, ACE gives it in 2 inch ranges.

7) Frequency: Preset for ACE250, adjustable for CXIIII. this is useful when on group hunts or in areas where there is electrical interference.

8) Bell Tone & Bi-Level Audio: CXIII allows you to toggle these features on and off. I like them both on, but some other users do not. The Ace does not allow you to override these features.

9) Last Mode: Allows the CXIII user to toggle quickly between two modes, such as "Coin" and "All Metal" mode without having to visually cycle through all of the modes like the user must do on the ACE250.

10) NON-MOTION ALL METAL MODE: The CXIII features a true non-motion, all metal mode which will give you incredible depth. This is especially useful for relic hunting or when searching for caches, however it is not useful in everyday hunting do to its extreme sensitivity to all metals, both ferrous and non-ferrous. I use this feature to help confirm that a deep, inconsistent signal is worth digging.

I think These are both great units and recommend owning both. The weight, depth and versatility of the ACE250 make it a great unit for a quick hunt or a long hike. The feature rich CXIII make this Garrett classic a great detector for relic or cache hunting, even under the most difficult ground conditions.

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

Good post Neil. Sounds accurate to me in regards to the 250.