UST, you have one coin poppin' machine on its way! I've had mine for about 8 months now and LOVE it! In fact, this weekend, I hit all 4 of the fireworks stands here and found right at $4 in clad......and only one of the coins was a quarter! Most were 2" or less in the ground.
As for tips, hmmmmmmm, first thing is learn to differentiate between the sweet bell tone of a penny/dime/quarter and the blat of a pop top! Also, check what tone and signal indication you get using both a gold ring and a silver ring! They show up in the "poptop" range, so be careful not to overlook them! When you start to find nickels, that's a real good sign. This'll start you off with more good targets dug and less trash.
Second thing, get the big coil if you can.....I think it's what 9X12?? You can cover bunches more ground and don't lose sensitivity.
Next, plan on hunting your yard first, playgrounds second, schoolyards third and under bleachers at sports fields fourth. Anywhere kids play, especially kids under about 15 (seems like at that age, they actually become money conscious! LOL) and if adults watch them, that's a good thing too.
Next, practice pinpointing.....AND get a little inexpensive pinpointer. I use a TinyTec Deluxe....on sale now for $39, I think, and that thing is invaluable! Cuts recovery time by a bunch and you dig much smaller holes. But it's only good down about 1.5-2", so for deeper targets, you'll have to learn to pinpoint using your Ace. There's a great video on the Garrett site.
Finally, "GETRDONE!" I mean, get yourself and that Ace out and use it! USE IT! USE IT!!!! Did I make my point?? LOL The more you use it, the better you'll get. I could easily get a "better" detector (ie, more expensive), but for what I do.....coin shooting and jewelry finding......the Ace is the top of the line!
I haven't found anything real old, but I have found several wheat pennies, bunches of clad and lots of rings. So far, the rings are pretty much cheap stuff, but I just KNOW there's a $15,000 ring just waiting for me to find it! I run almost all the time in "Jewelry" mode at about 3 or 4 bars. Any more sensitivity and I seem to get false signalling, especially at the end of my swings.
Good luck and enjoy the addiction!!
Kajun