What is the best metal detector for your buck?

[Shott1970]

I want to buy a metal detector but I dont have a fortune to spend, so I dont want to sell my srams or legs. Any ideas?

 

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[hollowpointred]

whats your budget?

 

[Keppy]

What kind of hunting will you be doing

 

[savant365]

Ace 250 from garrett gets my vote. easy to learn and you can start hunting with it as soon as you get it. Look for Kellyco chick she is a member here and sold me mine. I love it.

 

[Shott1970]

If you dont mind me asking, What did you pay for it?

My budget is about 300 right now.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Hollowpointred & Jim are right. It "depends". I mean, it's like asking "what's the best motor vehicle for the buck?" Someone might reply: "Will you be driving long haul? Do you need comfort? Speed? gas mileage? durability? are you going to be hauling tomatoes to market with it?" Same for detectors: what's your budget? How serious and competitive do you want to be? What're you looking for (as there are machines that excell in some areas, but NOT others). Ie.: coins? jewelry? nuggets? iron-ridden sites? beach? etc..... If you're just going to dabble now and then, on land, for coins and relics, the 6000 di pro is pretty good. They're on ebay for reasonable prices, and are pretty versatile (barring nuggets anyhow). There are more powerful complicated/adjustable choices than a di pro, but it's pretty good for what it does.

 

[Shott1970]

Thanks for the advise, I will check thm out on ebay.

 

[dAUg19.3]

For an entry level machine I feel that the Garret Ace 250
is hard machine to beat. they run for about $210
to $250 depending on where you go. Wish I would have
bought this one when I started. That is my two cents worth
Good luck
dAUg 19,3

 

[hollowpointred]

for general purpose land detecting i can think of a couple of nice machines in your price range. the Tesoro silver umax, and the Garrett ace 250. the fisher F2 might be worth a look as well however i have never seen one up close to make a decision one way or the other.

 

[thompy]

hollowpointred has some good advice, if looking on ebay check out the tesoros or a whites, like a qxt or id,idx,idxpro, solid dependable machines

 

[Digginman]

Tesoro Cibola. Easy to operate, if soil is easy, you won't need a ground balance (I don't in Northern Virginia Soil). $340.00 anywhere.

DM

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Easy money, I agree with you. I never understood why the Ace 250 gets such rave reviews. I mean, it's "ok" for a rogue beginner machine, but will quickly have its *ss kicked by other machines, depending on the hunt site. I hunted side by side with an Ace 250 user, and we found out that if a nail is too close to a good target, the masking is quite pronounced. And yes, you'd get clobbered on the wet salt beach, esp. cinammon colored sand (which is evidence of minerals). There are other more versatile machines, IMHO, that I would reccomend to a person starting out.

 

[gary in idaho]

I'd have to go with EasyMoney and Tom here, forget about the Ace 250, I had one and got rid of it, nice looking machine but that's about as far as it goes. I also have an F2 and would highly recommend this machine (found a silver ring with this machine second time out) and any machines in the Tesoro line. When I bought my 250 my 12 year old son and I went detecting to a local park. I was using the 250 and he was using his Tesoro Compadre. He kicked my butt with the Compadre. He went over an area I had searched and found a clad quarter and 2 nickels I missed with the Ace 250.

 

[twistidd]

My second detector was an Ace 250 and I used it exclusively for a few years before upgrading again. I still have it, and use it from time to time. I, for one, would recommend it to a beginner. I haven't used every detector on the planet but I do know that with frequent tot lot detecting (which is what most beginners do), you should be able to pay for the Ace 250 in less than a year.

 

[hollowpointred]

in my part of the country (eastern us) the ACE50 did a fine job as an entry level machine. it is light weight,easy to learn,had reasonable depth, and discriminates reasonably well. i would still use it from time to time had my brother not commandeered it from me! that being said, it is not the best detector in the world as some claim either, but for the $$, around here, it is a very good choice. ( for land hunting).

 

[Rd2nowr]

I started MDing with a BH Quick Draw II. I found some good coins with it , but quickly tired of it not being able to "notch" out pull tabs when I went coin shooting. I bought a used IDX Pro and soon after bought a 5.3 Bullseye coil. This little Md is right on the mark! If it said it was a quarter then you better dig cause that is what it was! It works on sandy salt water beaches and I found enough with that IDX Pro that I bought a new XLT. I am satill learning this machine but I have done pretty good so far! Tim

 

[SkiWhiz]

In my opinion the F2 is better than the Ace 250 and the Tesoro Silver uMax is better than the F2 and the Ace 250 put together. I have owned and used all 3 and in my ground the Tesoro is better by a long shot. Steve.

 

[gary in idaho]

Wow EasyMoney, can't remember ever seeing a better, lay all your cards on the table, post! Now I'd like to see someone prove him wrong. Well that's not going to happen, especially from an Ace 250 user. People, listen and learn from those with knowledge and experience, just like anything else in life. Trust me the man knows what he's talking about!

Gary

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Ah c'mon Easy money: Now tell us what you REALLY think!

 

[Keppy]

I just ordered one of those detectors at UBID did not get it yet .....$55.00 plus $15.00 shipping = $70.00