Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Garret ACE-250 vs Fisher F2

ChrisGilliam

ChrisGilliam

Full Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
107
Location
Foley, Alabama
I want to buy my first detector this coming month and I've narrowed it down (by reading here) to these two. The 250 runs $213 and the Fisher $200 on ebay, which is probably where I'll buy. I live in South Alabama, near the beach, but I'll probably be looking mostly in the fields and woods, or grassy river banks. Pretty sure I can't go wrong with either of these machines but anyone care to chime in on any weaknesses or advantages they may have?
 
I have owned & used them both and for me I would go with the F2 any day. In "my" ground the F2 was alot more accurate id'ing the targets. The F2 has alot faster responce and better seperation,I find the Ace to have a delay (lag). And the thing that I really didn't like on the Ace is the belltone. Most people will tell you to go with the Ace it is a good detector, but I don't think that they have used the F2. IF you want something better than either of them (if a non display is ok with you) go with the Tesoro Silver uMax. Instead of buying on eBay why not give one of our sponsors here a chance. They are good & honest people that help keep this forum going. Steve.
 
I love the ACE. I think a lot of people get attached to a particular machine or maker and then zealously support. I bought a 2nd Garrett machine because I was happy with my first Garrett machine , the ACE 250. I moved up to the GTI 2500. Like many I figured, correctly so, that it would reduce the learning curve and would make previous experience more relevent. So people who love Whites machines upgrade to better Whites and so on.

I wish I had the opportunity to try out every machine out there. If I do get another machine I will probably go for a different maker. Not because I am dissatisfied but because I want to learn more. Also I am sure some makers machines may shine in areas that others dont.

I cant speak for any other machine because quite frankly it must take 100 or more hours minimum to be able to fairly evaluate in my opinion.

I havent used 　a F2 so I cant speak about them. I have seen many happy F2 users on this forum who speak highly of it and I have no reason to doubt them. Same can be said for the ACE250.

As an ACE user I can say that it has found me thousands of coins and a pile of silver.

It is light and easy to use. I used mine for many many months without the benefit of a pinpointer- just using the pinpointing on the machine.

Bad points..... I broke the forearm supports on both of my aces ( I have one at home and one at my office ). I repaired on my own easily with duct tape...no problems since.

It is loud and you cannot change the volume. Some people wear the headphones around their necks :lol:

For people starting out the sniper coil is probably a good idea.
 
Soooo obvious hahaha!

EncrustedYen said:
I havent used 　a F2 so I cant speak about them. I have seen many happy F2 users on this forum who speak highly of it and I have no reason to doubt them. Same can be said for the ACE250.

Bad points..... I broke the forearm supports on both of my aces ( I have one at home and one at my office ). I repaired on my own easily with duct tape...no problems since.

It is loud and you cannot change the volume. Some people wear the headphones around their necks :lol:
Click to expand...

And many Garrett ace 250 prefer the Fisher F2 once they try it. Trying it makes it sooo obvious :cool:
 
You know, I heard the F2 has great pin pointing and accurate target ID, but not that good depth and short on options. On the other had, the ACE250 gets great depth, but not always accurate on the target ID and can be tricky pinpointing because of the elliptical coil. I was doing all this research because my 11 year old daughter wanted an upgrade from her BH 1100 Discovery. In the end my wife told me to get the ACE250 because it was yellow. <Sigh.....>
 
Two arms...

I have two arms, so maybe I can use one of each at the same time... Oh well, the Fisher should be here Friday I hope. Getting kinda excited already...:D
 
Romeo7 said:
You know, I heard the F2 has great pin pointing and accurate target ID, but not that good depth and short on options. On the other had, the ACE250 gets great depth, but not always accurate on the target ID and can be tricky pinpointing because of the elliptical coil. I was doing all this research because my 11 year old daughter wanted an upgrade from her BH 1100 Discovery. In the end my wife told me to get the ACE250 because it was yellow. <Sigh.....>
Click to expand...
Yellow is a nice color. Steve.
 
ChrisGilliam said:
I have two arms, so maybe I can use one of each at the same time... Oh well, the Fisher should be here Friday I hope. Getting kinda excited already...:D
Click to expand...
You made a good choice, if you are getting the small 4" coil with it give the areas where the bigger coils can't fit into at the tot lots, close to the swingset poles,etc. & you'll be surprised at what you might find. Steve.
 
Ace250...all the way! BATTERIES!!! ;)

I have an Ace250 and when I bought mine in November of this year the MAIN selling point was the batteries. The Ace uses 4-AA batteries...the Fisher uses 2-9volts. 9-volts are FAR more expensive and I use the AA rechargable batteries. I bought a boat-load off Ebay for a little money. My Ace works fine and I suppose it is a personal preference, but thinking long-term, I went with the Ace.
 
I'm thinking of going with the F2 also - are the batteries really that big of a deal? There are rechargeable 9Vs available too. I know the initial cost for the 9Vs would be higher, roughly 32 bucks for 4 of them (one set in the detector and one set as a spare), but then you would have just as many recharges as you would with the rechargeable AAs. The AAs would run roughly 24 bucks for two sets so there really isn't even much of a difference in the initial outlay...
(prices are from a quick search online of a couple of major retailers YMMV)
 
Yes 4 AA batteries is cheaper than 2 9 volts but if you weigh in all the benefits the F2 has over the Ace the F2 is well worth it. Steve.
 
Tectorist said:
I'm thinking of going with the F2 also - are the batteries really that big of a deal? There are rechargeable 9Vs available too. I know the initial cost for the 9Vs would be higher, roughly 32 bucks for 4 of them (one set in the detector and one set as a spare), but then you would have just as many recharges as you would with the rechargeable AAs. The AAs would run roughly 24 bucks for two sets so there really isn't even much of a difference in the initial outlay...
(prices are from a quick search online of a couple of major retailers YMMV)
Click to expand...

You are sooo correct, batteries have nothing to do with detecting:roll:

Go on eBay and check batterymonster what he is offering. Bought a kit of one charger and 4 9V batteries for my Bounty Hunter Time Ranger. Everything has worked perfectly until this end of hunting season 2008:cool:
 
I am in the same boat here. I am looking to get back into detecting after a long time away (I was originally looking to replace the coil on my Garrett GTA 500) and a local shop owner told me that both the ACE 250 and Fisher F2 would be better than the 500 with a new coil but that he recommended the F2 over the Ace. I have always been a brand loyalist but it seems like a resounding yes for the F2. He sells both and neither are that much more than a new coil so I don't think he would be biased from one to another. What is the general consensus as far as brands go? from what I have seen it looks like Whites and Minelab are the leaders. Where do you think Garrett and Fisher rank?
 
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