really stuck between ace 350 and at pro

chances are youll have the at pro. whether you buy it now or after running the 350 for a year your gonna upgrade most do

Not to get too philosophical...but do I almost need to own a 350 to fully appreciate the at pro?

Hey there. No. You don't need to own the Ace 350 first to appreciate the AT-Pro. If you look thru pasts posts here on the Forum you will see the high praise the AT-Pro (especially with the 5X8 coil) recieves. If I were in your shoes and I got the Ace 350 I would wonder about the AT-Pro the second I felt I got the hang of the Ace 350. What about the water proof capability of the AT-Pro? Water hunting opens a whole new fronier to you for hunting. What about your valuable time? It decides to rain during your time put aside to detect. With the AT-Pro its no problem. I've had a lot of detectors over the years that have come and gone. The AT-Pro is a keeper because of the water proof factor. You may not know there are detector dealers that sponsor this Forum who are great to deal with. +1 vargg. You'll probably end up with the AT-Pro. Just my opinion. Let us know what you do. GL and HH. Matt