Garrett 1138070 ACE 150 Metal Detector

Please bear in mind the following review is from a pure beginner. I literally only have a few weeks exposure to metal detecting.There may be people out there who have been detecting for years and may have other opinions on this model but this is my 'first time buyer' opinion.Like many people, I've been thinking of buying a Metal Detector for some time and spent quite a while checking out numerous forums and YouTube videos trying to find the best beginners detector for around £150.There are various cheaper detectors on the market for under £100 but the reviews I found didn't give me the confidence to buy them.The majority of the reviews I found on the Garrett Ace 150 were very good so I bit the bullet and ordered it.It was delivered within a couple of days and is extremely easy to put together. There are basically just a couple of parts you need to attach and then you're ready to go.Whats in the box ?1 - The metal detector - obviously ;0)2 - Headphones - they are the large 'jack' type rather than the standard Headphone size but assume you could use any head phones with an adaptor.3 - assembly instructions4 - A couple of books showing how to metal detect for beginners and how to identify all the different coins out there.5 - An instructional DVD6 - Coil CoverI layed various different coins and types of metals on the floor just to get a feel for the settings which are pretty self explanatory and obviously received strong signals and different tones for the various different types.I live near to the coast so the first test was on sand. I quickly found quite a few pieces of fishing lead in the damp sand/shingles but not much else. When I tried to move more towards the sea and onto the wetter sand I was getting all sorts of blips and beeps pretty much everywhere. I dug several holes but didn't find anything. I started thinking there was something wrong with the detector but now, after doing a little more research, I've found that due to all the different minerals etc in sand, the majority of the 'cheaper' detectors do have problems with this environment.I do need to point out however that being a typical man, I haven't really read the instructions fully so there may be a way around this but please do not let it prevent you from buying this detector. There is a disk that comes with the detector which I have yet to watch which may show you how to find things in wet sand ? Possibly with the right adjustment to the sensitivity settings you may have more luck ??However, with little success on the wet beaches, I moved over the drier Sand Dunes and that's where the Garrett Ace 150 excelled. The dunes, without trying the state the obvious are a mixture of sand and soil and I quickly found loads and loads of items. These particular dunes where used as a WWII firing range and I've found over 30 x 303 bullets and shell casings, lots of shrapnel from mortars, various buttons from army uniforms and the best thing so far is the remains of an actual WW1 mortar with the cartridge still in there. So despite my previous comments, the 150 does work very well in some types of sand. Just didn't work on the wet beaches for me.I was getting accurate depth readings from the Ace 150 which helps estimate how deep to dig.I did consider buying the more expensive Garrett Ace 250 which was around £50 more but to be honest, the only difference I could see are a few additional metal types settings and a pin pointer.Now, I have since bought the Garrett Pro Pointer Pinpoint Probe which was quite expensive (£90) in relation to the detector cost but it has saved me lots of time in digging bigger holes than neccessary. So in light of this maybe the built in pin pointer on the Ace 250 would have been a better option ??.....I don't know...?Anyway, to summarise, I can't fault this detector. If you're thinking of starting this hobby as a pure novice like me, then this is the detector to buy. Simple to put together, easy to set up and the most important thing.......it does actually work and you will find different types of metal !

The packaging of the item led me to think I had bought an older child's toy and indeed the coin books inside and the well written clear instructions seemed angled to a youthful treasure hunter. However, the quality of this item belays the cover. Sturdy 3 piece construction with adjustable easy click (tent pole type) fittings (rather than other plastic screw types I have seen on other models) easy fit AA batteries (included) which you could fit with gloves on, and a clear LCD display. The scanning foot is one of several optional attachments and is waterproof and comes with a removable plastic base cover. However, the control head and LCD are not waterproof and will need some protection in wet conditions. This came with a large hardback reference book of British coins, and a smaller paperback book of Ro,man coins, and instructional DVD (you can also see this online at the manufacturers website), an excellent instruction book, 4 AA batteries (it will accept rechargeable batteries), and a manufacturers headphone set which was not advertized and would cost about £15. Very lite and comfortable to use, very easy and quick to assemble, pack away. This and its bigger brother seem to be used quite widely by serious users and is well liked. I am very satisfied with this product and am certainly not shy of being seen using it. Highly recommended for a beginner who wants to use it as a proper tool - or as a present for a child - the price is good and it is robustly made.

This is a lightweight, easy to operate simple detector. Comes with an ancient DVD, best thrown in the bin and watch YouTube instead if you need help, though the book is adequate and its easy to pick up. The display is just for setting up the sensitivity and discrimination mode, the detection is indicated with different audio tones. Generally speaking, it will make a sound as you pass over a material - iron is just a beep but rare materials make a gong sound. In reality, you can make it produce any sound you want by the nature of the sweep, so its really down to experimenting and getting acquainted. The sound is far too loud and not adjustable, but I found taping over the speaker holes on the rear of the head muted it reasonably, but if you want to be discreet then headphones would be a must.Now to the warning about purchasing from Amazon - the detector is in a display box with an easy open lid. Mine was sent with just a label stuck on the outside, not packed in a proper box, not even taped shut. Its clear the contents had spilled out perhaps more than once, and it looked pretty second hand on arrival. I would have returned it had I not wanted it for a task (finding a buried heating pipe) immediately. Its impossible to complain, emails are unanswered, callback requests ignored.

Got this model as a first detector to start my hobby, and have to say its easy to use, great device ready for many areas to metal detect, it is light,and has a easy to read lcd display, comes with headphones and books on coins etc, fantastic entry level machine for the price. it does a lot for the money and it has a loads of accessories to make this an ideal starter detector and it came the next day it was dispatched, so excellent service and a great name to trust