Garrett ACE 200 Metal Detector for Adults and Kids, Made in USA, Waterproof 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.

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.

I've used various metal detectors off and on for many years. While I would certainly not classify myself as a hardcore-detecting hobbyist, I do try to do it properly when I participate.One thing I have noticed is that there are a lot of metal-detecting "snobs" out there that love nothing more than telling you that while your detector is cute, it might as well be a giant turd with earphones compared to theirs! It's weird--I like this hobby because it's different / not mainstream, but when that stuff happens, it may as well be golf...Anyway - I'm not into this hobby enough to spend $700 - $1500 on a detector, but I do want to get my moneys worth. There are A LOT of reviews on the web for this particular detector, and I would say that 1 in 10 were negative, with the rest being very positive. For $200, I gave it a shot. My findings:The good:When I received the device, I walked out into my backyard to play around a little, and immediately, with a resounding "DING", found a penny about 4 inches deep. It seems to really like coin shootingThe discrimination and sensitivity settings work well, and the various settings (coins, all metal, jewelry, etc...) work fairly well-- as far a coin shooting, the find usually is exactly what the detector says it is.I've read many reviews slamming the "pinpoint" feature. Honestly, after I READ THE BOOK and played with it for a couple minutes, I found that it worked quite well.It seems to work very well down to about 8". It may work well beyond that... I really haven't had the chance yet to hunt anywhere for really deep items.It's very light, and the display crams a lot of usefull stuff into a small area without being confusing.If you turn it off while you're digging, the batteries last a long, long time.The bad:The shaft is a bit on the flimsy side, although it is pretty easy to stabilize if you desire.It only has a couple tones - a dull beep for trash or unknown items, and a 'DING!' for coins. Honestly though, after I got used to them, they were plenty.It seems to like a slightly slower sweep than most detectors.There is no volume knob. This used to make me mad, but now not so much. Sometimes headphones are just a drag, I wish I could turn it down.In short:The bottom line is this - you really need to read the book that comes with it and spend an hour getting aquainted with the device for it to really work for you. I like it, and for the money wouldn't think twice about buying another.

It is nice to buy a product on Amazon made in the USA with full support from their company's website. We haven't tried it out yet but initial impression is "WOW! Pretty Cool!"

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!