Only been out twice with the ace 350

[Arrowheadhunter]

How do you guys deal with not having a pointer? I went ahead and ordered the Garrett pro-pointer today. I know it's gonna make it so much easier to locate my target and cover more ground.

 

[kc817]

How do you like the 350? I am debating whether to get it or another similarly priced competitor model. I watched the YouTube videos on the 350, how does the discrimination and pinpoint features shake out in the real world? That will probably make my decision for me. Thanks!

 

[Arrowheadhunter]

It's my first detector and I've only logged about 5hrs so far. I also did a lot of research and decided on it for the price and for entry level. The best sounding hits so far where copper coated gun casings and it showed penny. I have a lot more to learn and can't recommend it yet.

 

[Jdett411]

I've had the 350 for about 2 years, I've gotten very good at pointing coins with in an inch or 2. 9 out of 10 targets I use the wiggle method, every once in awhile you get a tricky one where using the pinpoint button works better. No experience with other machines but by no means do I regret buying the Ace 350.

 

[Skidder]

I just bought my 350 a few months ago. Seems to work fine. Been digging coins in my yard till the ground thaws a bit more. It's going fast though. Your gonna love the Pro Pointer. Makes things much faster.

 

[hondapartshero]

What's your budget? If its only around 300 I'd rather have a 250 and a propointer than just the 350 alone. I'm a big fan of the smaller coil on the 250 as well especially in trashy areas. My biggest complaint about my AT Pro is the stock coil is a bit bigger than I like (8.5 x 11 like the 350 stock coil) so my next purchase will be the 8 x 5 coil.

 

[Arrowheadhunter]

I've done blown my budget up purchased the 350 for $297 and the pro pointer for $127 all in the last two weeks.

 

[Jay In NewKen]

Just an FYI, when purchasing gear i recommend contacting the sponsored vendors here. You can get some good prices a few bucks below msrp and free shipping sometimes. Just my 2c.

 

[Terry Soloman]

How do you guys deal with not having a pointer? I went ahead and ordered the Garrett pro-pointer today. I know it's gonna make it so much easier to locate my target and cover more ground.

I'm always disappointed when I see a post like yours Arrow. The first mistake many new hobbyists make is simply not having enough patience to learn how to pinpoint accurately with their detector. Increasingly, new hobbyists are convinced a handheld pinpointer is a necessity, when in fact it is a luxury item, not needed 95% of the time.

You cannot expect to learn by signal tone how deep the target is in 5-10 hours on the headphones, but with 10-hours practice you should be able to pinpoint where to cut your plug or insert your probe with no problem at all. At 25-hours, it becomes second nature.

Once the hole is open, simply running your coil over the plug and hole will tell you where the target is if you don’t see it. Yes, 5-percent of the time I wish I had a pinpointer because it takes me an additional minute to find that pesky piece of birdshot with my hand by waving handfuls of dirt in front of the coil, but so what?

35+ years of detecting, and I don’t use a pinpointer. I tried once for a week, but it actually slowed me down. Honest truth.

 

[TreasurePirate69]

Sorry Terry. I have to disagree. With my old eyes I can't see an item sitting directly in front of me sometimes. And I'm only 44. No matter how well I pinpoint with my detector if I can't see the target in front of me then I'm out of luck. I find it hard to believe that you used a GOOD pinpointer for a week and it slowed you down. 99% of the people out here who buy a pinpointer like a Garret ProPointer happily report that it reduces their search time by orders of magnitude. Therefore, you either didn't give it a good shake or you used a really poor brand.

You also are assuming that your detector is giving you an accurate depth reading. This simply can't always be the case. No detector can accurately tell the difference between a small shallow object and a large deep object of equal consistency. If the phase shift and magnitude of the signal are the same in both cases then the detector is just guessing. It may be right 75% of the time but that's about it.

My pinpointer also often allows me to recover objects without even digging a plug. The very first thing I do is swing the pinpointer over the area I've identified with my detector. Very often the item is right on top and I can just pick it up without any digging at all. You simply can't do that with a regular detector unless you want to play "knob fiddling in E minor".

Yes, a pinpointer is a luxury item and is not a necessity. So is a good digger, finds pouch, good shoes, good headphones, and a metal detector with discrimination. Show me someone who adamantly refuses to recognize that those items are useful and I'll show you a fool. I'm not calling you a fool. But you should recognize that saying people new to the hobby shouldn't buy a pinpointer is like saying someone new to the hobby shouldn't buy a good digger. It may not be entirely necessary. But for most people it proves to be a very good investment and makes the hobby much more enjoyable.

You're implying that somehow people with pinpointers are not as good at pinpointing the target with their detector. I think this is a ridiculous assertion. It's like saying someone who uses a peep sight on their rifle isn't as good of a shot as someone who uses open iron sights. That is not a given. It could simply be that the shooter gets tired of having to strain so hard to use the "classic" sights when there is a better, more enjoyable option available. Don't be afraid of new technology. Especially technology that continually gets rave reviews out here for being so incredibly useful. There are countless people out here who would literally turn around and go home if they forgot their pinpointer. That has to say something about the desire to use this so-called "luxury" item. And if we have the money to buy them, why not metal detect in luxury?

 

[Jay In NewKen]

I got a pro pointer after a year of learning how to pin point with my MD alone. I got pretty accurate in that time, but probably no where as good as some of the vets here. After using the pointer, i realized a few things. 1) recovery speed increased. 2) less damage to the soil. Its one thing to cut a clean plug, quite another to replace that nice clean plug back into a hole that is no longer the same size or shape as said plug. Just my 2c

 

[Arrowheadhunter]

Yes I do definitely need more hours with my detector but also found that it the clay soil here in Kentucky I'd like to pinpoint my target better once I dig the first plug out. I'm also sure some people are more tight with their money and don't buy things that aren't necessities. But like the other hobbies I enjoy fishing and hunting, better equipment make them more enjoyable to me.

 

[hondapartshero]

I'll triple the above 2 posts, the pinpointer is a life saver. When I first got my detector I practiced with it for hours and some targets I just could not find. I almost was convinced that some of them were set off by rocks. After about a month I got my propointer and went back to those same holes, almost all of them were small pieces of foil. Not that foil is valuable but it drove me insane not to know and get out what was in those holes. I double my targets recovered with the pointer and have drastically reduced recovery time due to not having to even dig a lot of targets because the pointer finds them either on or near the surface. Just my .02, happy hunting!

 

[Skidder]

I'll triple the above 2 posts, the pinpointer is a life saver. When I first got my detector I practiced with it for hours and some targets I just could not find. I almost was convinced that some of them were set off by rocks. After about a month I got my propointer and went back to those same holes, almost all of them were small pieces of foil. Not that foil is valuable but it drove me insane not to know and get out what was in those holes. I double my targets recovered with the pointer and have drastically reduced recovery time due to not having to even dig a lot of targets because the pointer finds them either on or near the surface. Just my .02, happy hunting!

Yup those little 3/8" mud covered pieces of foil got me a few times to before I ordered my Pro Pointer. Thing saves the day.

 

[Terry Soloman]

We will just have to disagree on this one folks. God Bless you all. Take your pinpointers, and go in peace!

 

[Terry Soloman]

I got a pro pointer after a year of learning how to pin point with my MD alone. I got pretty accurate in that time, but probably no where as good as some of the vets here. After using the pointer, i realized a few things. 1) recovery speed increased. 2) less damage to the soil. Its one thing to cut a clean plug, quite another to replace that nice clean plug back into a hole that is no longer the same size or shape as said plug. Just my 2c

Again Jay, cutting too small or too big a plug is a newbie mistake that goes away in 25-30 hours. Once you learn your machine, you can tell the difference between a shallow target (1/2" - 3") by signal strength, and a deeper one. You can consistently cut six-inch diameter plugs, or just place the tip of your Lesche under a shallow target and pop it up. Pinpointers may be a great newbie tool, but for a guy like me, it's just an added step that is time consuming and completely unnecessary.

 

[Skidder]

WOW I'm new here but have never seen anyone so against using something that works so well. Not criticizing you at all but years ago you had to guess where a treasure might be and dig your whole life and never find it without the tools we have now. Is it needed ....No! Is it a great tool to help find those hidden finds...Yes it is. I have a dog that dug a nickel in my yard but I'm not going to put him on a pole and use him to find stuff. Yes your entitled to an opinion as everyone here is and I so so respect that but you seem so one sided on this.

 

[Terry Soloman]

WOW I'm new here but have never seen anyone so against using something that works so well. Not criticizing you at all but years ago you had to guess where a treasure might be and dig your whole life and never find it without the tools we have now. Is it needed ....No! Is it a great tool to help find those hidden finds...Yes it is. I have a dog that dug a nickel in my yard but I'm not going to put him on a pole and use him to find stuff. Yes your entitled to an opinion as everyone here is and I so so respect that but you seem so one sided on this.

It is just a matter of personal choice and preference Skidder, coupled with over 30-years of experience with every machine you can imagine. A lot of guys won't go camping without an air mattress or Coleman stove. Some guys can't go shooting until they find their Oakley shooting glasses. If you feel you need a pinpointer - buy one. I have an opinion based on my experience and needs, not yours. Big Gold to you!

 

[Skidder]

It is just a matter of personal choice and preference Skidder, coupled with over 30-years of experience with every machine you can imagine. A lot of guys won't go camping without an air mattress or Coleman stove. Some guys can't go shooting until they find their Oakley shooting glasses. If you feel you need a pinpointer - buy one. I have an opinion based on my experience and needs, not yours. Big Gold to you!

No problem I here where your coming from. I just think this hobby is moving forward with new ideas and equipment why not move with it. No sense using a 1940's detector when the ones they make now are so advanced.

 

[hondapartshero]

I'm just waiting on the ability to hook my iPhone/android device into the detector as the control and interface device. That way more money could go into the coil and you could have more control and options at your finger tips.