could some set the record straight on The Ace 250

[strike it rich]

After reading the various reviews both here and in other places I've seen the Ace 250 described as a entry level machine/lower end model. With various depths claimed how can one machine vary so differently across the spectrum of users I'am interested in hearing for users that have higher end models and decided to give the Ace a whirl it would be interested I think. Another thing is some claim good for the beach wet sand turn sens down other claim no way. Is this due to different condtions from beach to beach or from Ace to Ace thanks

 

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[Jeffro]

Some operators have luck with them on the beaches and some don't. I would point to the particular beach or operator before I would think it was the machine.

The Ace 250 is a heckuva good machine. Great depth, great target ID. Pinpoint leaves something to be desired sometimes, but then I'm used to my CZ, which is excellent at pinpointing.

Also, something a little strange. Me and a buddy were hunting in a park near some powerlines. My CZ was chattering pretty bad the closer I got to them, but his Ace was unaffected. I would think this has more to do with the different operating frquencies, though. Mine may run smooth in a nother area, where his is affected.


For 200 bucks or so, I think its the best machine for the price, hands down.

 

[Colorado Kidd]

The ACE is a good entry level machine at around $200. It also is a machine you could use the rest of your life. Mine gets 7 or 8" on a quarter. Thats plenty deep. I've never dug a coin more than 7" with any detector except at the beach. Mostly its just fun to use and light weight. I have found the target I.D. to be very good. None are perfect. Mine gives the coin tone for small pieces of aluminum foil. That's the only problem I've had. You have to get the Sniper Coil. It's a coin finding son of a gun. On pinpointing I have found the response to be narrower going from side to side with the stock coil. So I do like I do with the Sovereign. I hold down the pinpoint button and move the coil side to side until the target is centered. Then I turn the coil 90 degrees without moving it off the center and go side to side again until the target is centered. The target is now exactly in the little notch in the middle of the coil.

Another thing is its pretty quiet in sites with lots of iron. If it does give a response its obvious its trash with the I.D. jumping all around. I have'nt used mine at the beach so I can't help there.

All in all its a great detector with the features of some of the higher end machines at a fraction of the cost.

 

[re-tek]

i just got an ACE250 and i'm impressed. seems like a really good deal for the money. easy to use. easy to learn. with the programmable notch filter you can really cherry pick coins!

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

After using the Explorer XS for about a month now, I can actually say I've come face to face with the 250's limits. In my own words, I've dug coins that I know or doubt the 250 would've been able to pick up. With that said, there is no question that the 250 is a very capable machine. You can and will find coins in the 4-6 inch range. Most will come in the 2-4 inch range. As far as I see it, anyone with an ACE would probably not need bother with upgrading to a $500-$600 machine because the unit is pretty close in performance to some of those. Depth performance can vary from park to park, soil to soil, soil conditions (Wet/Dry), mineralization, etc. It definately suffers in dry soil, I've seen this first hand time and time again. Look at it this way, where there is smoke, there is fire, and there has got to be a reason why the thing sells so well.

 

[Gulfcapt25]

Im new to detecting but I really like the Ace! The pic below is my first month detecting with the ace 250 (27.00 in clad). Its not gonna get the depth of the high dollar machine, but it is worth every penny you pay for it. John

 

[Murph]

Yes its a entry level machine and I dare say the best ever made. If you are new to metal detecting its the perfect price. It can be used to gauge your long term interest in the hobby. If you find the hobby is right for you there can always be an upgrade. If interest wanes and believe it or not it sometimes does the ace will be an easy resale and or a high dollar machine does not end up living in the closet. Usually right beside the golf clubs.

You hear a lot of outstanding reviews when it comes to the ace and IMO what is happening is it is often a new comers first MD and there is a certain wow factor and with nothing to compare it to or compared to other detectors in the same price range it seems like an outstanding detector. I know for a fact because this was my first impression with the ace.

Unfortunately as time went by I began to discover some of its limitations. For me it was finding that it was not to well suited for wet sand at the beaches which is my main hunting grounds. For others it could be finding that the fixed ground balance is not to well suited for the ground in there area and I am sure there are a whole host of situations that a more "adjustable" machines could overcome.

Bottom line if your new to the hobby I don't think you can go to wrong buying the ace. Just keep in mind that if you develop a high interest level in the hobby you will likely out grow the ace over a period of time and you will eventually have two detectors. Your ace and what ever you decided to upgrade to.

 

[skydiv]

after using the ace 250 for over 3 years I can't recall ever finding a coin deeper than the 2-4 inch range. larger items like pop cans at 4+ but never a small object. most of the time I hunt in all metal except totlots coin mode.

 

[gallileo60]

The Ace is a great little 200 dollar entry level machine....It is one of the BEST entry level machines.....It does NOT have much depth....Altho hands down it beats my Land Star in air testing in every category.....It is lite, and easy to use.....I have found over 200 coins with it...Several Silver Mercs, and old Wheat's, several Silver Quarters, 2 silver Knife handles, and lots of other junk........It has very poor depth, Oh I did say that already, but it is true.........I will get a better unit when the money is right....For 200 it is hard to beat.....Very well balanced.....Does not like salt water, oh and lacks depth.....Has a nice notch feature, with OK Target ID......NEEDS MORE DEPTH......With the Sniper coil (which I love) I lost even more depth.......It is a potent little coin hunter, and it is so easy to use...Mine is with me where ever I go........Tom

 

[Texas Coin Hunter]

Hi the videos that Crackbadger makes about the Ace250
will explain it

http://uk.youtube.com/results?search_query=ace+250


Dave

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I have found the Ace 250 to have decent depth with the stock coil. No complaint there. You have the option of using a larger coil for even more depth or the sniper coil for trashy areas. Its a dime finder for sure but will pick up every tiny piece of aluminum as well. I dont like the belltones myself. I have also had trouble learning the pinpointer feature. Definitely worth 200 dollars, for sure. It probably compares to some $500 units.
If you want a wet sand, saltwater beach machine, you will need to pay about $1000. You can turn down the sensitivity on the Ace, which will cause you to lose depth, but it still cannot compare with a saltwater Pulse Induction Unit or the Excaliber. You can use the Ace on dry sand no problem. For the surf, you need to spend more than $200.
I say buy it you wont be disappointed.

 

[strike it rich]

just to say thanks for all the great advice

 

[gallileo60]

I talked to a Garrett tech who said it was as good as the next 2 higher units.....On the pin point, if you will raise the coil up before you hit pinpoint then lower it it will work alot better...I had alot of trouble at first, even thought there was something wrong with the Ace, but it was just me....It is also easier with the smaller coil....The oval shape coils take a bit of getting used to, at least in my case....

The larger coil throws the balance off big time, yes you get more depth, but it sure does not feel the same....I stick to my comments on the lack of depth, BUT that is compared to much more expensive machines.......I would recomend this unit to anyone wanting a turn on and go machine...You can have it in the trunk, and be ready to hunt just about anywhere except in the saltwater.......I have used mine wading in a fresh water lake, with no problem, but on the saltwater beachs in Galveston...FORGET IT.....Even in the dry sand it was not real happy...If they would just give it a little more power...Near perfect for me.....

I wish there was a 100 dollar upgrade module you could plug in for another inch or 2...I would gladly pay it, Garrett could make more money that way just in volume alone....For 200 dollars they have made this detector too good....I use mine almost everyday, and I do not treat it kindly..I am rough on it, it lives in a hot trunk, and have had not one problem...It might break tomorrow, but so far so good...Ive got a shoe box full of goddies found with it....Tom

 

[KINGPULLTAB]

I hope this may help. If I'm hunting a play-ground I use the ace. If I'm hunting a volley ball court I use the ace. If I'm in a hurry I use the ace. That's not to say I don't re-hunt the same area with an SE or different machine. The ace will work in wet sand and I have found clad and jewelry at 6 inches plus. Its a simple machine that works well when use in the right situation. I have the good fortune to hunt a lot of different places all over the globe and I take the same 3 machines when I go and the ACE 250 is always with me. Go look at my Asian videos with crackbadger. Go to youtube.com, type in KINGPULLTAB and look at the first 2 videos then search under crackbadger or ace 250 and see the rest.

Hope this helps KINGPULLTAB

 

[Dan B]

I'm not new to metal detecting, but was out of it for a number of years. Got all wrapped up in mountain biking and had little time for anything else. A couple of years ago I sold my detectors at a yard sale.

This year I really got the urge to get back into it. I had my eye set on the Garrett GTA1350, as I had two Garretts in the past. When I started reading about the Ace, I decided to save some money and go with it.

I used it daily for the entire month of September and I think I got pretty good with it. Being in Canada, the ID for coins is all wrong, but that was a problem with my old 1000 too. I found a school that had not been hunted and I pulled 105 coins out of the yard on one side. I was meticulous to make sure I covered it all, and I only notched out the first 2 bars. I dug more than just the belltones. I thought 105 coins was pretty good.

A week ago I bought a Tesoro Tejon because of the outstanding reviews I read. I felt that since the oldest coin I found at that school was a 1944 (and the school was built in 1928) that the lack of depth may be depriving me of the old coins I'm after. So I went back to that school, with about 1/2 hour of experience on the Tejon, and retraced my steps exactly. Started in the same place, same grid etc. I found 52 more coins, with a larger percentage of dimes, and nickels. I was finding dimes and nickels with the Ace, but it missed a lot, including a 1942. Remember, this was while I was (am) still learning the Tejon.

Also, with the Ace, I found the need to buy a pinpointer as I could get close, but never exact. With the Tejon, I rarely use it, and I think I can now practice the art of plucking out coins with a probe.

So I would conclude that the Ace is probably the best detector in that price range, and should be the detector of choice for someone just getting into the hobby. For me, I'll take my Tesoro every time, as I don't have confidence in the Ace to be thorough enough, and I find machines with TID to just be a distraction.

Just my opinion,

Dan

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The Ace is a great little 200 dollar entry level machine....It is one of the BEST entry level machines.....It does NOT have much depth....Altho hands down it beats my Land Star in air testing in every category.....It is lite, and easy to use.....I have found over 200 coins with it...Several Silver Mercs, and old Wheat's, several Silver Quarters, 2 silver Knife handles, and lots of other junk........It has very poor depth, Oh I did say that already, but it is true.........I will get a better unit when the money is right....For 200 it is hard to beat.....Very well balanced.....Does not like salt water, oh and lacks depth.....Has a nice notch feature, with OK Target ID......NEEDS MORE DEPTH......With the Sniper coil (which I love) I lost even more depth.......It is a potent little coin hunter, and it is so easy to use...Mine is with me where ever I go........Tom

Hello Gallileo. You mention that the Ace 250 has no depth. Are you comparing it to your Ace 300 and Bounty Hunter Land Star? Are those two detectors really much deeper?

 

[strike it rich]

I hope this may help. If I'm hunting a play-ground I use the ace. If I'm hunting a volley ball court I use the ace. If I'm in a hurry I use the ace. That's not to say I don't re-hunt the same area with an SE or different machine. The ace will work in wet sand and I have found clad and jewelry at 6 inches plus. Its a simple machine that works well when use in the right situation. I have the good fortune to hunt a lot of different places all over the globe and I take the same 3 machines when I go and the ACE 250 is always with me. Go look at my Asian videos with crackbadger. Go to youtube.com, type in KINGPULLTAB and look at the first 2 videos then search under crackbadger or ace 250 and see the rest.

Hope this helps KINGPULLTAB

thanks to everyone for the great info by the way Kingpulltab and Crackbadger I love your videos on youtube keep up the good work.

 

[robert roy]

No doubth about it, the Ace 250 is probably the best entry level machine out there.....for now. We'll see how the Fishers new F2 plays out when it goes public probably Christmas or the first of next year. Its supposed to be an Ace killer. We'll see.
I checked out this site: http://uk.youtube.com/results?search_query=ace+250
and found it really useful. Thank you to whoever recommended it!

Robert Roy

 

[gallileo60]

The Ace is a great little 200 dollar entry level machine....It is one of the BEST entry level machines.....It does NOT have much depth....Altho hands down it beats my Land Star in air testing in every category.....It is lite, and easy to use.....I have found over 200 coins with it...Several Silver Mercs, and old Wheat's, several Silver Quarters, 2 silver Knife handles, and lots of other junk........It has very poor depth, Oh I did say that already, but it is true.........I will get a better unit when the money is right....For 200 it is hard to beat.....Very well balanced.....Does not like salt water, oh and lacks depth.....Has a nice notch feature, with OK Target ID......NEEDS MORE DEPTH......With the Sniper coil (which I love) I lost even more depth.......It is a potent little coin hunter, and it is so easy to use...Mine is with me where ever I go........Tom

Hello Gallileo. You mention that the Ace 250 has no depth. Are you comparing it to your Ace 300 and Bounty Hunter Land Star? Are those two detectors really much deeper?

No the ACE wins hands down with those 2, but compared to my 5900 D, and my CXIII it is poor...Dont get me wrong, I use it everyday, and love it, but just a few more inches would make it about perfect........And as for Fisher, man they got their work cut out for them.............Tom

 

[imafishingnutt]

Zoom View Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300 Metal Detector
Price: $259.99

11-segment digital target identification and 4-tone audio feedback
One-touch "zap" immediately eliminates unwanted targets
3-digit numeric target value and coin depth indicator
Headphones with 1/4-inch plug can be used with most headphones
8-inch interchangeable, submersible, waterproof open search coil
Pinpoint mode for deepest seeking detection and accurate location
Requires two 9-volt alkaline batteries (not included)
5-year limited warranty




I found this to be a great comparable machine
i own 12 detectors and use this one the most,
pin point is awsome and you dont have to hold the button one clik and its on,
i did find a 29 wheaty at about 10 inches but it may have a had a good halo oround it.
most coins found 2- 6 inches
when you hit foil it jumps all over but if you scan it again once you find it you can zap that frequency out
very comparable to the ace 250 i wont say its better but it has more options i think.

Product Details

What We Like About The Bounty Hunter

The Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300 Metal Detector has all of the convenient features you're looking for in a metal detector. The easy-to-use, one-touch discrimination and pinpoint mode for accurate locating make it great for beginner treasure hunters. The submersible search coil allows you to access coins and items under water, giving you a wide range of area to scour. 11-segment digital target identification and 4-tone audio feedback provides maximum identification of buried objects. Complete with a 5-year limited warranty. Batteries not included.


Weight: 2.6 lbs
Model: Discovery 3300
Recommended Usage: Advanced , Novice
Warranty: 5 Year Limited
Battery: 2-9 Volt (not included)
Brand: Bounty Hunter
Modes: Coin Depth Indicator , Pinpoint
Searchcoil: 8 Inch Submersible
Audio Feedback: Four-Tone