For sale is my vintage, working Garrett ADS Groundhog metal detector. It comes complete with a new search coil and cover, original battery tray and pole assembly. It is a 15kHz VLF detector with an all metal and discriminate mode which is selectable from the handle mounted toggle switch. The detector has a 10-turn Ground Balance control, Threshold control, Sensitivity control and Discrimination control. Either Manual or Auto-tune of the Threshold can be selected.A Battery test switch is included for testing of both battery condition. Over all the detector is in good condition with normal wear for its age. A previous owner has scratched their name and phone number into the bottom of the detector. A plastic detector stand is included. The Garrett Groundhog is a time-proven 'classic' that many still successfully use today. Asking $135 + shipping. Continental USA only.
From the web: in the 1970's the garrett ground hog was a state of the art machine. In australia it was THE machine for finding gold. I've been told that it was a bad day when you didn't get 25 ounces of gold per day-the peoblem was that you couldn't tell the difference between a hot rock and a good target. Garrett Freedom 2 Coin Commander Metal Detector User Manual Free. Price: Aug 06, 2010 What is the best gold detector with the least # of knobs/easiest (under $1000). Garrett upgrade to this detector is the Scorpion Gold Stinger metal detector it has the same circuitry then the classic Garrett Groundhog metal detector + a few more gadgets. The Garrett Ace 250 is a portable handheld metal detector that enables you to discover coins, precious metals and other artifacts in a variety of environments. Because the mineral content of search areas will vary, knowing how to navigate the settings of the Ace 250 can help you maximize your chances of success.
Circa 1986 first manufactured. Garrett Ads Vlf Tr Groundhog Manual Read/Download GARRETT Master Hunter 7 A.D.S. Metal Detector w/ Headset & 3 Deepseeker Coils. ( Sun, 13 Garrett VLF/TR Master Hunter Discriminator Metal Detector VTG USED GARRETT GROUNDHOG 15 #5 METAL DETECTOR HEAD Vintage metal detector Garrett Operating Manual BFO TR Super Trouble Shoot box5.
Garrett Groundhog Manual Online
Welcome to the Garrett Metal Detectors review page, these reviews are written by actual users out in the field, this is their own actual opinion on what they use. Check back often as we add reviews to this page as we get them.
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The ace 250 is a great little machine. I have found almost 50 bucks in coins and 3 nice silver rings with mine so far.The discrimination is amazingly accurate. The ace 250 can be set so that it will ONLY find say quarters , dimes and pennies . If you turn off pennies it still rings on them but only gives a single tone in 1 direction. You decide whether you want to dig them or not . Silver items ring as a verry solid DIME every time. Basicaly it is a clad coin and silver killer.
There is a slight difference between nickels and pulltabs but its still hard to discern. The ace 250 detects newer aluminum tabs in only 1 direction , but the old style pull tabs ring as nickels.So since that is what a gold item shows up as you'll want to dig ALL repeatable signals for nickel.
You would be hard pressed to find a better clad and silver machine at twice the price or maybe at all. A hand held pinpointer is a must with this machine as it only pinpoints to within the center area of the coil. Again I'll tell you that the ace 250 will find a quarter and ignore other targets like say, the side of your car. pretty dang cool!I find the AT Pro works very well in soil and dry sand. The AT Pro does not work well in salt water. The AT Pro is easy to work and does what it says it will. I have dug coins in soil from 8 to 10 inches. Dug coins in dry sand up to 12 to 15 inches.
If you want a really impessive detector,get the AT PRO! 6 different modes,great depth (you need a longer arm!) right on target ID,goes deep!
Did i mention,you can hunt while it's raining? Best detector for your money. You can't go wrong here.I've been detecting 41 years,owned 70+ detectors.....This is the best! Also get the Garrett Pro Pinpointer....a must have.Pros: Have found a few old things such as coins ect.
Cons: the depth is not always right
Pros: Is Great for people just starting out.
Cons: Not able to put it in water
Pros: cheaper then most other Detectors but just as great to use!Well we have had the Mark 2 for over a year now and have had NO problems with it here on the California Beach areas and down to around 12 to 15 feet via snorkle... now the standard is pretty good however we will use the discrete mode mostly with tone at 4 or above in the water..
I would never argue with another UW team, and as they seem to have years of experience, between us all total we have a good 100 +++ years of it as well.. the dry sand is also good for us.. good old blacksand here is a pain but the Mark 2 comes through loud and clear.
Have you ever got a excellent signal on a target go to dig and it's not there 'broken halo',you try to maneuver your coil in every position in the hole that seems to be getting larger,large enough to drop your coil in.I've delt with this many times and actually give up on the target and moved on.
Well after purchasing the Garrett Pro-Pinpointer those days of lost targets are gone,it cuts recovery time on deeper hard to locate targets in half.It is powered by a single 9 volt battery that's easy to replace plus there is no worry in putting the battery in wrong,it's waterproof,no knobs to trap water,sand or mud and has audible as well as a vibrating alarm perfect for the hearing impaired detectorist and a LED light to help you see in the hole, it has 360 degree sensitivity around the scraper blade which comes in handy scraping around in loose sand as well as mud, the sensitivity beeps as well as a increase in vibration the closer you are to the target,the tip zeros in to give a solid vibrating tone.It is very sensitive, over 3' on a gold ring air testing and even performs better in actual hunting conditions.
I find this unit perfect over the Sun-Ray probes that weigh your detector down although the Sun-Rays use the detector to control the probes discrimination the Garrett still performs well.I don't use the belt holster because it can fall out when in a squatting position so I carry it in my pocket.You can lighty press the on button for quick easy recoverys and when released it shuts off but if it is completely pressed in and released you will have to remember to do the same to shut it off or it will stay on.My only dislike which is not a issue is the volume of the beeps,they are very loud especially while hunting stealth,I've read where some used tape to cover the speaker hole which I have yet to try.
Overall I give it 5 stars over ease or use,durability,excellent sensititivy and best of all it's waterproof for those muddy hunts.Charles Hattaway
GARRETT GTI 2500 by TKing
I have metal detected for over 30 years and owned 5 different detectors. I was hoping the GTI 2500 would be the end-all detector, but after spending all that money I am not completely satisfied.
I have found many good coins, however the machine is electronically unstable and gives many false signal beeps. It becomes difficult to tell which signals are real, resulting in slow going because I have to test and retest spots to determine if the signal is real. There are many adjustments in the setup menu, I have used and understand them all completely but I consider most of them just fluff. The bell tone feature is ok, but not a guarantee of real/false. The imaging is fair, accurate about 40% of the time. Depth is questionable in descriminate mode, and depth is totally lost when set to the salt elimination mode. Descriminate does offer good flexability in defining your target. I owned a Garrett ADS III from the early 80's, and consider it every bit as good as the GTI 2500.
I had really hoped to see a huge leap in capability with the new electronic technologies over the last 28 years, but was very disappointed. I even question if the instability is unique to this single machine? Is there an upgrade or tune up that can be done to fix it?? Wish I knew.
GARRETT 1000 POWER MASTER BY ANTHONY WAGGONER
I bought my Garrett 1000 'Power-Master' back in 1995. At the time, it was Garrett's premier coinshooting machine and my first TID machine.
Many years later, I have around seven different machines and the 1000 still gets regular use.
Mine came with the extra rechargeable battery back and charger which works great, Nimh batteries hold enough juice for several hunts with this machine.
This machine has several advanced features, making it an excellent buy on the 'used' detector market: bi-level audio, surface elimination, six user-adjustable programs etc. Balance and ergonomics are very good.
Pros:
1) Good depth, this machine found alot of 'firsts' for me, first Barber, first IH penny, first Buff-nickel, first ring, first diamond etc.
2) Accurate target ID. With practice it's not hard to cherry-pick nickels amongst the pulltabs. Many machines have a problem with this. I've had very good luck sniping-up jewelry with this machine in trashy sites.
3) Likes 'Hot-Head' coils! I see alot of bad press on the forums concerning the old hot-head coils. I have the 10.5' HH and the 5.5' 'Ferrett' HH coil as well and this machine loves them! Right now, the 5.5' coil stays on the 1000... I prefer it over the 4.5' Crossfire for depth and ground coverage. I currently have 4 coils that fit this machine and have tested them all extensively.
4) Power-Master circuitry puts this machine head-and-shoulders above the earlier 'Ultra' series. My buddy has an ultra 1000 and it can't touch the PM machines... the Ultra's surface elimination function only works down to about an inch, while the PM works up to 4' down (it's adjustable).
5) Target seperation in modern trash is better than most. Good at sniping-up coins in aluminum trash, especially good with a small coil.
Cons:
1) Target seperation in iron = not so great. My Tesoros do better in nails etc. making the Garretts not the best choice for most relic hunting. These are coin-shooting machines.
2) Doesn't handle heavy mineralization well. My 250 did better at hitting targets buried in wet beach sand and mineralized river soil.
3) Don't bother with the 12.5' Crossfire coil unless you're hunting caches/cannonballs etc. Sens. to coins isn't good with this machine/coil combo in my test garden. Get the 10.5' HotHead, it's just as deep and hits coins better. Sold my 12.5.
Conclusion:
An older model to be sure, but not obsolete! Underrated IMO. A decent choice for someone on a budget, or someone who just needs a good TID machine.
Will hunt with the best of them. Used coils for it can be picked up for next to nothing if you're patient.
Skillet
GARRETT ACE PLUS BY ANTHONY WAGGONER
Back in the '90s, I picked up a used Freedom Ace plus for about $160. I used it, in desultory fashion for a couple of weeks before I sold it to help finance a 'better' machine.
Years later, I picked up a second FA+. Again, with the wolf at the door, I sold it, but not before becoming impressed with its simplicity and unassuming performance.
Now, some years later again, I picked up yet a third FA+, with two coils for $100, delivered. After using the heck out of this one, I can tell you that it's a machine that I'll never sell.
I'll tell you this, some days when my brain is in 'relaxed' mode, I just don't want to fool with all the TID readouts and whistles. Cherry-picking battery money is the order for the day and in this regard, the FA+ excels.
Pros:
1) Finding coins in heavy, modern trash... this machine is simply the best I've ever used for snagging dimes next to pull tabs. Many, many times I'll pull a coin out with a piece of foil, etc. in the same hole. With the 4.5' Sniper coil, you can hunt areas that will give most any other machine fits. Better than even the 250/sniper rig. Hunts right up next to metal playground equipment without falsing. My Tesoros can't touch it in modern trash.
2) Surprising depth! One of my test targets is a dime buried at 5.5' in a nearby park. The FA+ hits it as hard as many 'hotter' and more modern machines. Will give that nice 'whisper' signal on deeper coins that we all like to listen for, kinda' like my Tejon. Hits deeper than My Titan 3300 did with way better target seperation (sold the Titan).
3) Fast target recovery. Swing it as fast as you want. Quicker recovery than my 1000 PM. I've used these in competition hunts and done very well. Intuitive pinpointing as well. Just 'X' over the target... it zeros right in.
4) Coil versatility: Mine has the X-pattern coil plug and will use the same coils as my 250. The stock elliptical coil that comes with the 250/150 series works great with my FA+... nice long sweet-spot for covering ground quickly and pinpoints perfectly. Don't pass on the opportunity to get one of these with the X pattern coils pins. Run it with the 250-type 'Pro-formance' coil and you've got a coin-sniffing hound!
5) Can be had inexpensively on the used market. Another 'sleeper' IMHO.
Cons:
1) Again, no target ID or notch. Doesn't hit nickels hard anyway. Not a nickel-hunter. Not the best in nails either. You have to run disc. quite high to disc-out big nails.
2) Changing batteries is a pain. Uses 3 nine volt batts and you have to remove the housing cover to get to them. Fortunately, battery life is very good.
3) Stereo headphones don't work. You will need 'phones with a mono switch to hear out of both ears (most 'phones have this selectable function anyway).
4) Primitive design, read: just plain ugly. Has all the aesthetic appeal of a battle-axe. Would like to see Garrett repackage the electronics in a smaller control housing (should be easy with today's micro-electronics) and ressurect this old war-horse. Set it up for AA batts like the 250 while you're at it Sir Charles.
Conclusion:
For an old design (I last saw these for sale new in the mid-nineties) this machine is a coin-sniffing, battery-money hunting hound! One of Garrett's best machines ever. When you get tired of all the bells and whistles and just feel like listening for coins, give this ugly old green-stick a try.
One last bit of advice: if you get the chance to check the machine out prior to purchase - go for the X-type coil pin pattern and try the pro-formance coil on it.Also, you want a machine that falses at maximum sensitivity! The ones where you have to reign it in a bit to get quiet operation are the ones you want, they will tend to be 'hotter' than those that run smooth at max sensitivity. You'll be able to tweak it up for the very highest sensitivity on your sites. Mine will bang a quarter 9' out in the air with the stock coil.
HH All!Skillet
GARRETT ACE 250 BY CHARLIE PARIS
The Ace 250 is the best thing in detectors that has ever come along! Well, not quite the best thing but very close. It is perhaps verging on 'Overratted.'
When I first got the Ace eight weeks ago I was ecstatic! I could not wait to get out into the field and see what this little guy could do. Already being familiar with the power of the MXT, I was quite surprised by the ACE and its simple turn and go application. There is almost NO learning curve to scare off the first time detectionist. The DVD and the instruction booklet are easy to understand. A first time buyer can be up and running in a matter of thirty minutes! That’s not an exaggeration!
The ACE 250 is solid and small but don’t let the size fool you. It’s a rugged little machine. The visual display is clear but may be too small for some of us with poor eyesight, even with eye glasses. The sounds of the machine, the tones that indicate when you have hit a coin, iron, or just trash, are all clear and distinct. You will KNOW when you hit a target worth digging. If you’re not sure about the target you will quickly learn to dig it anyway. Many iffy tones, while usually junk, have turned out to be real keepers. You will soon learn what to dig and what to ignore.
After having said all that, I have to vent my one complaint: the pin pointing is a real problem for many people and for my self as well.
The standard coil that comes with the ACE 250 is an elliptical 6.5x9inch coil. It does not pin point accurately with any consistency. It does NOT pin point dead center of the coil. Usually it will pin point in the front inner coil….maybe. Sometimes it WILL pin point very close to the center but be off to the right or left. You will have to perform a little “stunt†called “detuning.†This is not discussed on the DVD or in the instruction booklet but needs to be. The reader is lead to believe that all you have to do is move the machine forward, backward and sideways, while pressing on pin point and keeping your eyes on the visual pin point display. “In your dreams!†After referring to experts on the metal detecting forums, I soon learned how to pin point and detune the ACE 250. Has it helped me find my targets any better? Sometimes I find them, and at other times I spend too much time looking for them. The results are more wasted time and usually a bigger and deeper hole that need not have been dug.
The only way around this situation is one: too buy a hand held pin pointer that cost an arm and a leg, or two, buy the 4.5 sniper coil. The sniper coil is always dead on. There is no wasting time trying to locate your target. The third alternative is to just live with the situation. I do not agree with this last alternative. Garrett needs to address this problem by “fixing it,†or by providing an 8inch concentric coil for us die hards who like them.
Would I recommend this machine? Yes but only half heartedly. I would give it a full thumbs up when Garrett comes through and fixes the pin pointing problem AND provides us with an 8 inch concentric coil.
So, bottom line: if you can live with the pinpoint issues then by all means get the machine. You will cetainly find alot of coins and jewelry in the parks. Personally, I would not let the price be the overrideing factor. If you can afford a little more money, buy a detector that is going to be rated a 10 all around and is not going to leave you wondering, 'Where the heck is the target?' You'll end up doing digging that you don't need to do, and a hole bigger than it needs to be.
Just my opinion
Charlie Paris
GARRETT GTA 1000 POWER MASTER BY RED SKY
In my thirty four years involved in the metal detecting hobby I have owned several metal detectors progressing from the early Beat Frequency Oscillators on through the Transmitter Receivers and now into the computerized models which think for themselves.
In October 2006 I acquired a gently used Garrett GTA 1000 with the Power Master designation from an Ebay auction. It was difficult at first for me to transition from a machine that I could 'dial-in' myself for ground balance and sensitivity but decided to take the leap of faith based on what Charles Garrett wrote in his treasure hunting books.
The GTA 1000 is the best metal detector I have ever owned. The ease of operation puts a lot of high technology into the hands of even the most inexperienced detector user and only enhances the capabilities of someone who has been in the field for years. The key pad allows for easy programming and the unit is accompanied by a written manual and a video tape to explain all aspects of operation. The manual is available for download at the Garrett web site and the video tape was still in supply when I ordered it.
My favorite thing about this detector besides the ease of use is the Bell Tone feature that sounds off when a 'good' target is detected. Like any other detector it is imperative that the user familiarizes themselves with the specific tones their detector makes for common targets and this specific feature is just an bonus that I thoroughly enjoy.
As for detecting in trashy areas this detector and other Garrett units comes programmed with Notch Discrimination which allows for eliminating unwanted trash readings. I rarely use this feature unless the area is heavily burdened with trash as the Graphic Target Analysis shown above the keypad accurately shows the type of target detected. In one 'hunted out' park I was not able to retrieve any coins from other than the most heavily trashed area around the baseball diamond. Once I notched out the trash the familiar bell tone rang with regularity.
When sharing treasure tales with other local detector users I find they are consistently amazed at what I recover from the local parks and school grounds they have also searched. The GTA 1000 is accurate and with patience performs extremely well. I have recovered dimes from depths of twelve inches or more. While I may not be recovering everything I feel confident that I am not missing much.
In the past the most difficult coins to detect were nickels. This metal detector finds them with no added effort on my part. It clearly differentiates them from pull tabs and other trash items which are close in frequency response. Routinely I retrieve few if any trash items. It is always best to dig some marginal signals to not overlook rings and other jewelry items.
One of my principal reasons for trading up to the GTA 1000 was the Beach setting. This setting allowed me to search the local beaches with the same ease and response as searching a well manicured park.
This model is no longer in production and represents technology that is at least a decade old. Having stated that I would not trade this detector away without a lot of consideration. The response, the ease of use, and the results it brings are hard to beat. If I decided to trade up it would most definitely be to another Garrett detector. There are other fine companies that make very good high quality metal detectors. Some have been in the business longer than Garrett. I can only relate that I have never enjoyed metal detecting more than when using a Garrett detector. It was hard to break away from my old reliable Groundhog and switch to this more modern technology but now there is no turning back.
The kind people at Garrett have given me great service when I request technical information or parts ( I broke a piece off the housing when I accidentally dropped the detector on a cement walkway). It is always a comfort to know that this company stands behind its products and treats every customer like a valued client.
I hope this review gives some positive insight to what I believe to be the best line of metal detectors available.
GARRETT TREASURE ACE 250 (5 Stars) by William Lee
If you like lightweight micro-processor controlled detectors that have all the up to date features and high sensitivity but cost under $200 then Garrett's has a detector for you.
The new Garrett's ACE 250 is one amazing machine and is powered by four AA batteries.It is sensitive to deep targets and its audio is so sharp you will seldom use the pinpoint mode.It has features like tone ID, full range notch, visual ID, preset and custom modes, and sports a very high quality coil just like you would expect to find on detectors costing three times as much. It even works very well in wet salt water sand.This would make the ideal low cost beach machine that could easily pay for itself on the first trip to the beach.
I have never been a big fan of Garrett detectors but I gotta admit ... Garrett's has come out with a real winner this time and if you are looking for a low cost high performance detector you need to check one out.
Garrett Predator 2 by Unknown
The Predator 2 seemed like a great detector since I was a beginner, but as a beginner I didn't know much about metal detectors and I didn't bother to look at other detector reviews to see how each was, I was at 1st fooled by the 'Predator' Logo which seemed to look great with the mountain lion logo and all, so we might say what drew me to this detector was the looks of it.
I hate to say it but this detector is the worst ever, im not kidding, this detectors discrimination is awkwards, and fairly accurate, its depth probabilities are AWFUL 1' - 3' at most! ITS HORRIBLE, with the base price of $249.95 you should get a Whites SL series detector; and I almost forgott, if you see the Predator has a greater price than the Ace 300 from Garrett which has a target ID and is listed at a much lower price, so therefore the Predator series is a scam, they have horrible depth, 2 lights flashing dont help a bit since pinpointing is not so easy since the coil has to be moving VERY fast; To date I havent found nothing more than surface trash, trash and pennies, thats IT, I don't know how other Garrett detectors fare, but the Predator series are AWFUL, don't even go near them, having a magnet attached to a rope makes a better detector than this trash, $250 down the drain, im getting a Whites detector because the Predator 2 and their whole series are pure GARBAGGE! I've read good reviews from other Garrett detectors, just don't come near the Predator series detectors, I've had the Predator 2 for 3 years + and have found nothing useful to date, not even a quarter! not even a dime or nickel! only pennies.
Garrett Treasure Ace 300 (2 stars) by Brian Gilbert
I purchased one of these at a bargain price at a pawnshop, but sold itshortly thereafter. Depth was good, and the discrimination worked asadvertised, but that was about it. It certainly wasn't any better than myBounty Hunters, and the pricing on the Garret is higher. About the bestthing that could be said about it was that the higher list price brought bea better resale when I put it on eBay
GARRETT TREASURE ACE 300
Having owned the, Garrette Treasure Ace 300 for about a year now, I find it an excellent machine for the money. Having noticed a surprising amount of bad Treasure Ace 300 reviews here, I thought there should be some short advice for its use. Number one - this metal detector ( nor any other in its price range ) will perform equal to or above the higher dollar units - and in many cases reviewers are contrasting this one against those.
The Detection Tone: is a single pitch. It will not rise and fall in graduations. Deeper weak tones most generally ( using stereo headphones for detectors ) respond with a MonoTone or single side of the earphones. Bigger or shallower targets will result in stereo - and Increase in intensity - sometimes I almost have to remove my headphones, its so loud - and this tone tells me its generally a very large or medium sized solid object near the surface of the soil. There is a difference in sound if you listen and learn how it works.
Target ID Accuracy: The LCD Target ID, is as accurate as most detectors. Not many detectors will give 100% accurate readings, ever. And if any do exist, 'generaly' speaking, those are the higher dollar units. It takes patience and practice to determine what the TA 300 is telling you. If you operate this detector having precise and accurate readings in mind everytime - of course you will be dissapointed.
Depth: I have found one coin as deep as 12' with the Treasure Ace 300. Now I havent found very many that deep, but maybe one time to be honest. On the average I find coins at about 2 to 6 inches depth. After changing from the standard Crossfire II to the HotHead 'High Energy' coil I found things I missed before, even shallow targets and deeper targets.
Treasure Eye: Its a cool looking thing - but I never use it. Its a bit akward and a waste of time using this, when the old 'crossing the x' pattern works as good - better really. I suppose its kissing Cousin's LED indicator on the Preditor III is of more benifit than the Treasure Eye feature. Non the less - I choose to just ignore that particular feature.
Discrimination/Elimination Control: As I said earlier, this feature works no better and certainly no worse than any other metal detector on the market. The only exception would be the more expensive brand-name metal detectors, and even then I'd expect not too much better filtering.
CLOSING REMARKS: All in all, the Garrette Treasure Ace 300, is a fine metal detector 'if' the operator takes time to learn the machine, what it will do and what it wont do, and he will be finding coins even Novice users who have a little better detector, will miss. Dont go into the field with that juicy big high dollar detector on the brain. Certainly dissapointment will set in, and a perfectly sound metal detector gets shoved in the closet - only because it suffers by comparison. It works great, I had my share of finds, and you can have fun too.
- David Henry
Garret GTI 1500
My first detector was one of those $100 dollar radio shack specials. And believe it or not the first thing I dug with it was a 1918 s buffalo head nickel at Ft Drum NY. I was hooked on metal detecting after that. The radio shack detector just didnt do it for me so I decided to return it and upgrade.
I went to Jerry's Treasure Den in Syracuse. Jerry hooked me up with the GTI 1500 for about $500 and threw in a bunch of extra stuff to go with it. It was the dead of winter and the ground was hard as a rock, so I had to wait till spring. Spring time came and I was prepared.
I headed to an old park and decided to test out this Garret machine. I read the other article that was written about the GTI 1500 and the guy said not to use a coil cover because it would mess up the readings. Not true, I have used a cover on mine for 2 years now and havnt had a problem with it. I am lazy too, so if there is dirt on it I leave it on untill the grass finally cleans it off. The machine is perfect for coin shooting, I have collected quite a collection of coins, among other things. The only real thing that I dont like about the machine is that it sucks up batteries too fast. But wait, there is away around that too. They say useing headphones saves batteries, which i guess is true. But wait, me being the lazy person, I hate headphones because the wire gets in the way too much. How I save batteries is by pinpointing with out useing the pinpoint button, once I locate the object I press the pinpoint button once, get the size and depth, then turn the detector off and dig up whatever it is I have found. My batteries last forever this way.
I detect at least 30 hours a week, and I have only had to buy batteries once this season. With the sensitivity 3/4 of the way up, and the coil cover on, I have still managed to located object 10+ inches down. The deepest being a brass pocket watch, 20 or so inches down, I know it was that deep because thats the length of my shovel. All in all, I would say the Garrett GTI 1500 is just as good, if not better than any other detector out there. No detector is perfect. Has any other Garrett user discovered that they can find glass bottles with there detector? Anyone? Anywhere? Got milk?
( 'Semper Fi ' to all the jarheads overseas, ' Right of the Line' to the 2-14th infantry recon plattoon, 10th Mountain Division, Ft Drum )
TREASURE ACE 300
The detector also hunts better in softer soil than in hard, compacted soil. Any gold items will ring you as a pull tab, almost every single time. If you don't like digging pull tabs- don't hunt for gold with this detector. Of course, the case is the same with almost every detector. I found several Indians and Mercuries by learning how to work 'broken' signals. At a depth of around 7' the detector is running out of juice and if a coin-like object is found it will normally hit only once or twice and then nothing. DON'T GIVE THAT HIT UP FOR TRASH IF IT REGISTERED IN COIN RANGE! Instead, try changing the direction of your swing and your alinement with the 'hit'. If it hits well enough to get a point location in any of those positions, dig it up.
After learning the 300 well, I decided to upgrade to a GTI 1500. I thought I was gonna go over to the century old lot I had been hunting and just be like a kid in a candy shop. Not so. What I did find was that I had actually hunted the lot pretty good with the little 300. The GTI allowed me more designation control and the Treasure Vision related the size of the objects, so I was able to locate several things that I passed for trash with the 300. However, I was only able to find a few things that were deeper than what I had already hunted. I have have been using my 1500 for a while now and I know that the thing can hunt really deep. So, all in all, I don't think you can beat the performance of the 300 for the $200 price tag. I, also, do not believe that any other company's $200 detector can perform better. Given the opportunity to recommend an inexpensive, good performing metal detector to a beginner or someone on a tight budget- I would definitely recommend the TA 300.
Jamie Thoms President, RED STICK RAIDERS
GTAX550
After using the Treasure Ace 300 for a few weeks, I upgraded to the GTAx 550. I have been using the 550 for about a month now. It is not unlike other detectors in that you have to adapt to the machine and gain experience.
It comes with two preset modes. A coin mode and an all-metal mode. There is a button on the unit that switches back and forth between the modes.Either mode can be modified to include or exclude other targets using the 'accept/reject' button. Designing custom discrimination modes is as simple as arrowing the cursor under the target you want to accept or reject and pressing the 'accept/reject' button.
Setting the depth sensitivity and sound threshold are equally as simple. Press the corresponding button, use the arrow buttons to set it where youwant it, then press the corresponding button again.
The unit uses two battery packs with 4-AA cells each. I happen to use NiMh rechargables and they work great. They seem to have as much life as the 'cheapos' that came with the unit. The battery pack can be detached and hung on your belt to make the unit lighter for easier swinging.
The first thing I noticed was that this unit is far more sensitive than the Treasure Ace 300 I graduated from. I am now picking up targets much deeperand much smaller. I actually dug a piece of foil about 6'-7' deep, AND it was a very strong signal. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the 'Trash'zone...that's why I dug it. The deepest I have detected a coin would have to be in the 6' range. Even then it was a dime and the signal was reliable.I don't know about others, but I don't care to dig much deeper than that when coin shooting.
The Target ID is quite reliable. There is only one penny ID, contrary to the TA300 which had a seperate target for zinc and copper pennies. Manypennies actually show up a few notches below the Penny target on the display. I'm not sure if these are the zinc or copper but I'm sure thatthat is the difference. If I get a strong, consistent coin signal, the chances are pretty good its what it says it is. If the Target ID is jumpingaround, then it's generally not a coin. The 'Belltone' is helpful also. It will chime instead of just beep, when a coin is detected. Wheninterpreted properly, the belltone, along with the target ID can help eliminate trash.
The pinpointing feature is a big plus. In my experience, very accurate. Only on a few occasions have I dug a hole only to find out I was off aninch or more. I believe this has more to do with the mineral content surrounding the object, the way it is laying etc. than the detector itself.The detector can't 'lie'. It can only report what it is receiving. If the signal is distorted due to anomalies in the ground, then not much can bedone.
I can honestly say I have no complaints about this unit. It does everything I want it to, except dig the target and tell me exactly what it is before Idig it. I recommend using the Coins mode for the first few hours, like the manual suggests, to get used to the unit and avoid the many trash targetsthis unit will pick up. In the beginning, the trash targets and small blips can be quite a distraction, taking away from time spent getting a feel forthe unit.
I bought my unit used for a little over $300.00. I belive you can get them new for not much more if you know where to go.
Brian
TREASURE ACE 300
The first thing I noticed about the Treasure Ace 300 was the virtualuselessness of the Target Eye. Even with strong targets it seemed to givethe same response, regardless of where I was 'scrubbing'. With that in mindI decided to come up with my own method of pinpointing.
When I found a target, I would scan the ground left to right, at the sametime moving the coil slowly toward me until the signal stopped. I wouldthen draw a line on the ground (literally or in my minds eye) from left toright at the front edge of the coil. I then stand perpendicular to thatline and repeat the procedure, scanning back and forth across the line.Where the lines cross is where I dig. This method has been extremelyaccurate for me in wood chips and in sand (such as in playgrounds). In sandI would let the coil contact the ground and make its own line. In mostcases I can kick the sand or wood chips aside and there's the target.
In grass and with deeper targets, its not quite as easy. Generally, if Icut out a 3' plug, I will have my target. Frequently, my target 'moves' onme. After I start digging, I repeat the procedure above and find that myhole is off by a few inches. This could be my lack of experience though.
Since I got the detector (about 3 weeks ago) I have found probably 50pennies, one being an '46 wheatie, 6-8 quarters, a few dimes, a few nickels,a Hotwheels car, a live .300 Savage shell, a bunch of empty casings and myfair share of pull tabs and bottle caps.
At this point I can say that I like this detector and enjoy using it. Ittakes practice but I have reached the point where I 'know' if I'm onto acoin or not. It's quite accurate in it's target ID function. My maincomplaint is in pinpointing inconsistent targets. They beep sweeping onedirection and don't sweeping the other. It makes the area I have to dig muchbigger.
With a little practice and patience, this is fine coin shooter.
Brian
TREASURE ACE 300
I have had my Garrett Treasure ACE 300 for a little over a year now. Usingthe suggested presets, I first searched the yard (of my 13 year-old house)several times and I found a few pennies and a lot of aluminum cans. Then Isearched my grandmother's century-plus-old farm and found a few morepennies and a few dimes. All of these coins were around three inches(somtimes less) deep and all were modern coins. I was a bitdiscouraged... I felt there should have been more to find. I then tuckedthe detector away for almost the rest of the year.
A few months ago, I got the urge to give it another try. This time I wasdetermined to have better results. I found a collection of items (variouscoins, jewelry and junk) and just set them on the ground. I then testedeach one with the detector to see where it registered on the meter. Ilearned from this test that I should leave the discrimination set atslightly less than a nickel to detect a nickel. Most gold that I sampleddetected in a range higher than the nickel.
Then I buried an assortment of the coins at marked locations and testedthe detector. I found that I could detect a quarter at 6 inches but Icould not detect a dime at 6 inches even with the power turned all the wayup. I haven't yet tested to see the maximum range for detecting a quarter.I have detected larger items such as aluminum cans at 9 inches. From thistest, I learned that I should keep the power all the way at max unless Istart hearing unusual, wild signals. (Then I just back the power down alittle and it usually solves the problem.) When I detect a target, I canestimate the depth (assuming the computer has identified the targetproperly) by making several passes and turning the power down a little witheach pass until the signal disappears. I also saw that the Treasure Eyewas a little off during this test... the targets were usually about an inchcloser to me than the 'x' on the coil indicated.
Now, knowing the limitations of the detector. I searched my yard again andfound two quarters, 3 dimes, a nickel, a dozen pennies (both copper andzinc), two keys and a watch. I found that the Treasure Eye did a good jobof locating the quarters and the nickel but the signal from the dimes andpennies (especially zinc pennies that have already started to dissolve)tended to wander making me dig larger and larger holes to retrieve them.Old Pull tabs and bottle screw tops seem to project their signal and reallyconfuses the Treasure Eye when pinpointing.
After practicing and experimenting, my luck/skill seems to be gettingbetter and better. In the last month or so of casual use, I have scoopedup almost 6 dollars of coins including 3 wheat pennies (no silver yetthough), a child's ring, a modern bullet, many keys, and many otherinteresting items. Only occasionally do I still dig up a pull tab oraluminum can now that I am better at recognizing their behavior andcharacteristics. Modern aluminum pull-tabs seem to make the target I.D.and detector's beeping go into hyper mode. Aluminum cans (when whole),tend to register as a good dime signal BUT by making several overlappingpasses, I can usually tell that the signal is coming from an item longer inlength than a dime.
To summarize, I feel that the Treasure ACE 300 is a GOOD detector but it isa detector that needs to be adapted to. The target I.D. seemed fairlyaccurate for coins but has misled me on more than a few occasions. Depthis limited and requires the power to be kept at a high setting for bestresults. I have been able to get additional depth from turning thediscrimination to all metal BUT be prepared to detect trash then. TheTreasure Eye should just be considered as an aid and not a 'sure thing.'Being a motion-mode detector, getting accuracy from the Treasure Eye isdifficult and takes practice. I do feel that I would prefer the aid of theTreasure Eye than to do without (as with the Treasure ACE 100) model. Iwould recommend the Treasure ACE 300 as a model for the casual detectoristas opposed to the professional. I feel the price is good for entry level.I would only recommend the detector to a beginner if the beginner has thepatience to experiment with and learn the capabilities of the 300. I dolike my detector and I enjoy using it BUT I do wish to upgrade in the nearfuture to a model with a depth readout, non-motion pinpointing and greaterdepth capability.
PREDATOR 111
I purchased the Predator 111 thinking that it was a new model from Garrett,it was made for kellyco to sell it is apparently a Treasure Ace 300 with added led lights that flash when you go over a target. It is a very light machine and depth is fair but not as deep as they lead you to believe. It has good discrimination and does not false very much and you do not have a no motion pinpoint mode.
The treasure eye does not seem to help very much i find it hard to pinpoint unlike some others the coil has to be moving a little faster.It does have target id that seems to be accurate.
I would not recommend it as I believe you could get better results from a tesoro cutlass for about the same price.Ernie
GARRETT TREASURE ACE 300
I've used the 300 Ace for better than a year and have nothing but poorresults.No depth for starters, only one tone for everything, thetreasure eye is to erratic to pinpoint. Headphones don't make adifference either. I bought a hot head coil which turned things into abigger puzzle.
Garrett tech support told me hot heads are made for Garrett detectorsbut they have done no testing to the extent as the Crossfire coils. Withor without a hothead the results were poor. I should have bought a Classic ID instead.
GARRETT TRESURE ACE 300
I also have a Treasure Ace 300 and am also disappointed in the results. I have found the same problem with discrimination, it has to be turned so far down to get and real results. I feel this is not a good performer for the price. I have owned the unit for 2 years and would be glad to sell it back to Garrett.
GARRETT SEAHUNTER MARK II
We bought the newest 'Garrett Seahunter Mark II' about 3 weeks ago. We were attracted to it because of the easy 'change the batteries and go' feature which is very convenient. A lot of times when we go water hunting we don't have any place to plug in a detector to recharge it.
We were surprised to see that it has 2 modes, a 'Standard Elimination' and a 'Discreet Elimination,' (which you can use with the Discrimination knob). And we're still not sure what the difference is between the two. We have been detecting in the salt water and normally pull everything that 'beeps' anyway.
We started out by using the 'Standard Elimination' and found that it does not maintain a steady threshold in salt water. It kind of fades in and out, or sways. Because of this, you're unable to hear the 'whisper' of a deep target (which is normally gold). And when the tide comes in the swaying gets worse. Plus when you find a signal, and remove the first scoop and rescan it, the target produces a loud blast to your ears, even if it is a tiny target. We talked to the company we bought it from, and all they could recommend was 'moving the headphones' away from your ears. What a hassle this can be!
We tested the 'Discreet Elimination' mode by finding a target in 'Standard Elimination' and then switching it to Discreet. When we did this, the target became a whisper and we could hardly find it, couldn't tell if it was tiny, or deep. It seemed to be easier to pinpoint in 'Discreet' for larger targets, but we're not sure yet how deep it is finding things.
We tested the 'Discrimination' by putting it all the way to '9' to see what it would detect, and we were still pulling nails and wires. We took the Seahunter Mark II to a freshwater beach, and didn't seem to have any problem with maintaining a threshold in Standard mode, yet your ears still get blasted.
I don't know if we would recommend this detector to serious water hunters like ourselves. I'm afraid they would be really disappointed. Garrett needs to do something about the audio, or put volume controls on their waterproof headphones. So, this is our 'standby' detector, because the best thing about it, is the battery pack. The company that we bought it from says, 'You can't beat it for the money.' But it's costing us in 'missing' deep gold. Vlad and Carol
GARRETT GTA 1250
The first thing I liked about the Garrett was how easy it was to get started. I was digging around my 100 year old house 10 minutes after I put batteries in it (My wife was thrilled!). The GTA 1250 is a very solid machine, no loose parts to wiggle, and all the electronics are above the hand that swings the detector. This seems like a small detail, but my hands are usually covered in dirt and if the unit is under my hand the dirt falls onto the toggle switches.
WHAT I LIKED:
1. The depths that the GTA 1250 can reach. I don't here many people talk about the depth capability of there Garrett machine, but I routinely find coins at 8-10 inches,sometimes deeper.
2. The target ID, although I put the accuracy rate lower than most, probably because of the sites I chose to hunt. In low trash areas it is extremely accurate
3.The ease of use.
4.The many programs and option, all very useful.
5.The removable battery pack.
6.The tri-tone ID
7.The costumer service. I had a problem getting my 4' coil to work and the Garrett company did everything in a courteous and professional manner to correct the situation.
8. The depth indicator is very accurate.
DISLIKES:
1.NOT HAVING A NON-MOTION ALL METAL MODE!!!! I miss this function. If your starter machine has a non-motion all metal mode and you 'upgrade' to a machine that has not, this is not truely an upgrade. I'm not knocking any company, only my inexperience.
2.How fooled the Garrett gets when it comes to deeply buried rusted iron, puts it in the highest conductivity range. I've dug a foot down many times to pull out a large rusted square nail, expecting silver. I know this is part of the hobby. Hopefully as detectors become more advanced this can be less of a problem.
3. The ability to pinpoint(it was much easier and more accurate with the tesoro). I did purchase a White's pin pointer, now I won't hunt without one.
One truth about the two detectors I have own is, the more I use them the more I learn about the subtle things. Getting to know your detector can make all the difference.
GARRETT FREEDOM 2 PLUS
GARRETT TREASURE ACE 100
This is truly a 'turn on and go' detector. It's one of Garrett's base models, and one of the lowest priced 'brand name' detectors you can find. Shop around, and you can pick one up for about $140.
It comes with an 8 1/2' crossfire search coil. One of the cons is that the coil cannot be changed by the operator. Anytime the coil is damaged, the entire unit has to be sent in for repair. The unit operates on two 9 volt batteries, which are good for well over 20 hours of detecting. When the unit is turned on, the number of initial beeps indicate battery strength. There is a single dial on the face of the unit; This is what turns the detector on, and sets discrimination. Markings on the face give the operator an idea of what will be picked up at a certain position, and I found it to be fairly accurate. As with any detector, you can fine tune the settings according to what your finding/missing, ie. with experience. There is no volume control. If you pass the coil over metal, you hear a loud beep. You can even hunt without headphones because the targets that only give a whisper or click with the more expensive machines still give the same old beep with this one. Only after extensive use did I notice the 'slightest' variation in pitch between smaller targets and larger ones. Depth is similar to other detectors with similar sized coils. I've picked up several coins and rings in the 8 inch range, and other targets even deeper. There is no LCD or meter, so each target is a complete surprise. While I've found that to be a pain at some pull tab rich beaches, I have also dug good targets with it that I know I would have passed up with my other detector. Pinpointing is as easy as just X-ing over the target. It has a fast processor, so swing speed isn't as important as just keeping the coil close to the ground. The second target I ever found with mine was an 18kt gold Men's wedding ring at 6 inches on a football field. That was with absolutely no experience, and I was swinging the coil like I was chasing mosquitos.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone as an inexpensive, beginner's detector. Their is absolutely nothing to learn before using it; you just turn the dial, and start finding treasure. Dan
GARRETT FREEDOM PLUS
GARRETT GTI 1500
I have been detecting for some 20+ years here in New York and have been swinging Garrett machines for the past 18. This past year I added the Garrett GTI 1500 to my arsenal and found this machine to be like no other I have used. Granted I have used only Garrett's but I feel when Garrett introduced it's GTI series, a huge leap forward in the world of treasure hunting was achieved. The ability to get an approximate size reading of a target you have located, in conjunction with the approximate identification of the target, considerably reduces the amount of unwanted targets you will dig. Notice I said approximate size and ID. No machine is perfect. Soil conditions, amount of moisture in the soil and degree of trash in the area you are hunting play a role in the machines ability to properly identify the targets you will find. I can however, say that I find the GTI's target identification system to be correct about 90% of the time. This has saved me a lot of valuable time hunting instead of digging unwanted targets.
I have found this machine to perform well under a wide variety of soil conditions. I have hunted in soil that ranged from almost zero mineralization to soil that was so full of ore the ground was rust colored. I never found soil that was undetectable. You have to adjust the sensitivity and the distance between the coil and the surface of the ground but with a little experimenting, you can get the machine to find targets.
The imaging on the GTI is a huge plus. Being able to get an approximate size of a target saves time and a lot of digging. When used properly, you can feel confident that the targets you leave in the ground truly are unwanted targets. When used in conjunction with the ID scale, it's practically fool proof.
The notch discrimination is another big plus. You can disc out whatever you want with the touch of a button. This is handy when you want to find only one or two types of targets such as coins and jewelry or any number of other items. Be careful of what you discriminate out though. The conductivity of some unwanted targets are the same or very close to some targets you may want to keep. A quick test of some trash you may encounter at the site you are hunting and some of the desired targets you are looking for will eliminate the loss of a good target.
I find the balance of the 1500 to be very good. It may not be the lightest machine on the market but the balance of the machine does help on those long days afield.
Pinpointing on GTI is very accurate. I have found that, if used properly, the pinpointing on the 1500 is right on the money. It takes a little while to get the hang of it but when you do, you will be more than pleased with the results.
Another plus is the ability for the machine to operate at virtually any swing speed. You can swing it fast to cover a lot of ground or you can slow it down to a snails pace to find those good targets in trashy areas.
The GTI takes a little while to get used to. If you think your going to master it in a couple of hours, your in for a surprise. The imaging and pinpointing are the real time consumers as far as the learning curve. You can expect to put in some time before you master it. Once you figure it out though, it will be worth the time you put in. This feature is great.
Battery rundown time is not that great. You can expect to get about 13 hours out of a set of batteries when using headphones. When headphones are not used, about 6 hours is all you will get. The only good thing is that they are AA size so there not that expensive.
The coil on the GTI is pretty sensitive so the use of a coil cover is out of the question unless you clean it constantly. Any dirt or moisture between the cover and the coil will make the machine go nuts. Without the coil cover you have to be careful not bump anything to hard. The coil is pretty thin and I had to replace mine once already due to cracks at the seam.
In my opinion, the 1500 a great all around machine. After you get the feel for the imaging, there is not much this machine will not do. In the time I have used the machine, I have greatly reduced the amount of trash I have dug while at the same time significantly increased the amount of coins and relics I have found. Yes, I said relics. Over the years, Garrett has not been a name synonymous with relic hunting. I have a feeling this will change. I have used my 1500 for hunting Revolutionary sites and have had great success. With the imaging feature, I have the ability to decide to dig or not to dig. When hunting for relics, this is a huge help. Especially in areas with a lot of large trash.
TIM (NY)
GARRETT GOLD STINGER
I use a Gold Stinger with the stock 5X7' elliptical coil for prospecting in the in the Mojave Desert, and found it to be the easiest detector to Ground Balance and use. I primarily use the 'all metal mode' when Prospecting and when the ground gets real hot with mineralization I switch over to the 'Motion Discriminate' mode with the Discrimination set all the way minimum, which is the exact setting between mineral and metal. I demonstrated the efficiency of this mode to my prospecting friend by placing a small gold nugget on top of a black magnetite rock the size of a softball, and the detector still detected the nugget, he was impressed!
Most prospectors wouldn't even think of using the discriminate mode, but think about this aspect. When your in an area with a lot of hot rocks or black sand, what happens if a nugget is Amongst all this? In the all metal mode you would of passed right over this, thinking that you just experienced some mineralized ground without any clue of the nuggets presence.Granted, you do lose about an inch of depth,but at the loss of how many nuggets in mineralized soil? I highly recommend the Gold Stinger to anyone that wants a easy to operate unit without a steep learning curve, unlike some of the other Gold Machines now on the market.
Randy Seden
Simi Valley,CA.
GARRETT TREASURE ACE 300
I have a Treasure Ace 300 and I find it to be a very poor machine. Unless discrimination is turned off completely I cant pick up anything. I found it to be a disappointment. It doesn't appear to be able to do as other detectors I have heard of and give you gradually increasing tones . It is either full on or off and no partial tones. I am very disappointed with the machine. For a machine of this type and rather great expense the instruction manual was very small and sparsely illustrated. I don't like the treasure eye as it does not really help and I'm sure an analog meter would have been better. I use headphones but this does not seem to help. If any one can suggest how I can improve the performance of this machine I would appreciate suggestions. I realize this is my opinion but I would appreciate it if some one would tell me if it is possible to have this machine modified to work better and where it could be done.