Garrett Ace 250 Metal Detector with Submersible Search Coil

This is a great detector. Works great and exactly as described. Within 2 hours of use I found a coin. Within minutes of first use I dug up part of an old lantern. It does discriminate so I can pass the old beer can tabs. Very satisfied customer. It should be noted that, so far, it hasn't given me winning lottery numbers or winning KY Derby names. It is light weight. It is easy to use. It has a nice display and sound. It has a head phone jack. It's coil is water proof and I've used and found items under water. The head is not water proof and I don't want to test that last part. Excellent detector for beginners. I specifically avoided detectors from Chinese Companies. Garrett has been around a while and is based on Texas with a solid quality record. And the price was comparable to other similar detectors. I'm a very satisfied and happy Garrett customer.

I lost my wedding ring in my friend's backyard at a hibachi party (don't ask), with this wonderful device me and my 2 year old son were able to find it and had fun doing it. Can't wait to see what other stuff we can find.Product is well made and the instructions are wonderful, takes a little bit of tinkering to dial in the settings depending on what and where you're looking, but like I said we found the wedding ring so huge win so far!

This little detector is great and easy to use. I took it out the first day I received it and found some metal junk in my backyard so decided to take it to a nearby kid's playground. I managed to find some buried aluminum cans, pieces of wire and also some coins (quarter, dime and two pennies). I was using the all metal mode as suggested by Garrett so I could get accustomed to the tones and sounds associated with each piece of metal. Now everything went well that first day but the problem began the second day when I took it out to the beach. I was excited ready to go and then I turned it on and started to search. Now, it was somewhat cold that day (lower 50s) so I thought that maybe that the sensitivity bar not showing up was because of the temperature, but then noticed the battery indicator was also not showing up. I thought it was simply a low battery but when I used it the previous day it indicated a full battery. Nonetheless I left the beach with nothing and decided to head home where I had some fresh AAs. Before heading home I did remove the batteries, hold down the power button to reset it, and of course turn it off and then back on. I even made sure the batteries were making sufficient contact with the terminals in the battery compartment. The LCD problem was still there. I got home and replaced the batteries with fresh ones and sure enough the missing information on the LCD screen still persisted. I also noticed that the pinpoint feature was touchy when I used it. After frustration I set it aside and then called Garrett. Sure enough there are known "LCD Problems" and they said I should send it in for repair and service. Because of Christmas I won't be able to send it in until January. They require the yellow box unit and also coil so they can make sure it is "matched" when it is worked on and returned. I have yet to decide whether to just send it back to the seller for a refund (paid returned shipping) or send the unit to Garrett for repair. In the end I think the unit is awesome and a good value and I just got a "lemon". The people at Garrett seem very helpful and this little hiccup won't dissuade me from staying with this new hobby.

Being new to the hobby of metal detecting, I was expecting a steep learning curve with the detector. By the time the ACE 250 arrived, I had watched over 2 hours of on-line video and read one book on the subject. Here is what I found out:1. Setup is super easy. Only small issue is fitting the rubber seals that act as a friction clutch into the races on either side of the coil. It is a very tight fit and the seals may rip a small bit. Order several to keep as spares...only cost pennies.2. Detector is very light. Almost comically light. Both me and my wife are able to use it for hours without arm strain or fatigue.3. Using this detector is extremely intuitive. Garrett has definitely invested time in engineering and provided an easy to use button layout and an easy to understand display.4. Comfortable arm rest.5. Very sensitive detector. Stock coil is sweet. Detects easily to 6~8 inches, deeper in optimal soil conditions.Within minutes of use in my backyard, I uncovered 5 rusty nails. Each target that I located was easily uncovered and target depth was close to where the detector indicated.With these things being said, it will be important to understand what your machine is telling you. In clay soil, I found that I need to turn sensitivity down to 50% or I get false signals. This is not a bad thing, just means that the device is sensitive to minerals in the soil.I have found that in loose soil and sand, this machine will find large targets as deep as 12" with the stock coil. I have found several pennies, can tabs, and foil easily in dense clay soil at 8". Color me impressed.There are a few things that I wish could be better, but, these are very small things (maybe nit picking), and some are most likely universal to all metal detectors to some degree.1. Better iron discrimination. In clay soil, this machine will ping at very small mineral deposits. Even with iron notched out, you will need to lower sensitivity to get past iron signals.2. If you are taller than 6'2" you will need a longer shaft or you will be hunched over.That's it for the cons. Overall an excellent first detector or back up. Light and fun to use. Excellent battery life (7 hours of use so far and still have 75% of battery life remaining). As with any detector, you need to understand its limits and understand the meaning of the data that it provides.In closing, just a few things. This detector will open a window on a hobby that is fun for the whole family. Once I have mastered this device, my next detector will definitely be purchased from Garrett.Lastly, don't expect to find valuable coins and relics the first time you use the detector. Keep your expectations low for what you will find and you will never be disappointed...enjoy the hunt. With time invested in researching, you will be rewarded.