Garrett Ace 250 vs Minelab ctx 3030 on pull tabs

Rrnp

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On my Garrett 250 I can tell if my target is pull tab. The cursor will jump especially if it is over 4 inches deep. It hasn't failed me yet. On my CTX 3030 I will get solid numbers with no jumping, might be gold so I have to dig it. Does anyone have a comment or suggestion for the CTX? Is the Garrett 250 better on pull tabs?
 
Any time you pass up a target you're sure is a pull tab, you might be missing gold. I don't have experience with either machine but if you want to find jewelry you're gonna dig a lot of trash. If a charm is still attached to a piece of a chain it can make the ID jumpy.
If you're dead set against digging tabs just take an assortment of them and test with the CTX to find the number readings and don't dig them.
The downside is that you can probably find a ring or charm that will be the same as every one of them.
That's why I swing Tesoros, and dig lots of tidy little holes.
Park hunting for gold isn't very glamorous. Lots of foil and tabs but when
the gold comes out its all worth it.

Noah
 
On my Ace250 I've had pull tabs that ring up as a nickel multiple (MULTIPLE) times. Not sure how yours doesn't read them the same way. I'm always sure they're pull-tabs because I haven't been lucky enough to find anything else, but when I test gold it usually shows about the same as pull-tabs.
 
On my Ace250 I've had pull tabs that ring up as a nickel multiple (MULTIPLE) times. Not sure how yours doesn't read them the same way. I'm always sure they're pull-tabs because I haven't been lucky enough to find anything else, but when I test gold it usually shows about the same as pull-tabs.
This is only true of the statab that falls in the nickel area. Believe me! I have tried to resolve that with other high quality detectors like the MX5- which I THOUGHT placed them in the 22-26 VDI area. Imagine my surprise when some turned out to be nickels and one a nice gold ring at 26!. I finally ended up being THANKFUL that these statabs fell in the nickel area on my Ace. The Ace is more accurate than given credit and a jumping cursor is a sure sign SOMETHING is different. I haven't paid that much attention, as I now use sound to go along withe the audio, but I have observed the jumping cursor on multiple targets and usually something is up- iron/trash nearby, oversize deep targets, coin spills- the list goes on. But of course, not many post about this great detector anymore.
A final note: since you seem to like your Ace as I like mine (had it for almost 10 years)- when you switch to coins mode in high trash areas- Garrett was smart enough to limit foil reject to average size foil. So you still have a chance at a gold ring that some would ID as foil. AND, the cursor will jump from nickel to foil with broken audio.
 
It's not whether you can identify whether or not something is a pull tab. it's whether or not you can differentiate between a pull tab and gold.

I can tell you after having and running both an ACE250 and an ACE350, you cannot actually tell the difference between SOME pull tabs and gold rings. Cannot be done.

Bell tone, and notch bouncing aside, you are going to be correct 99.99% of the time that "yep, this is a PULL TAB! i KNEW it.." because 99.99% of the time, it's a pull tab. But you cannot tell the difference between pull tabs and many gold rings. If you're skipping targets with your ACE250 because you're "sure" it's a pull tab, 99.99% of the time you'll be DEAD ON.

But I guarantee, if you throw down 20-30 gold rings on the ground of various sizes and karats, you'll discover very quickly that they behave just like pull tabs do. Why? Because karat gold is an ALLOY. You'll end up with a 10K signal that bounces all over the place because it's got zinc, silver, copper, and nickel in it, along with the gold of just 41.6%.

I've known a whole lot of people who believe that you can ID a pulltab. And you can, most of the time. Why? Because the probability is that it's a pull tab. More pulltabs in the ground than gold. But if you're skipping them because you're "Certain" it's a pulltab, sooner or later, you'll skip gold. You may actually not have done so yet... if you're not in an area where there's gold dropped, you could very well just be skipping pull tabs. But if there's gold there, and you're skipping pull tab signals, eventually you'll be leaving the gold for someone else.

I speak from experience, my friend. I've pulled 41 golds out of the ground in the last 28 months. Most of them sound just like pull tabs, nickels, or the occasional penny. The largest of them (at 16.5 grams!) was ALL OVER The place... why? It was 10K. Bounced everywhere from low foil to penny. thought for sure it was trash. I dug it anyway, because sometimes that trash is a necklace or a big gold 10K ring. Tah-dahhh!! I pulled that ring out of an area other detectorists have been hitting for years, because it sounded just like aluminum trash. I'm certain everyone of them was convinced it was, so they skipped it.

It was the SECOND gold class ring I pulled out of that school. Almost nothing else in the lawns, too... because all "good signals" were pulled.

If you can't look at it, and say, "yep, that's definitely a pull tab," then you can't be sure. Dig it up.

Skippy.
 
I was merely answering the pulltab situation in the nickel zone-namely the statab. The MX5 showed me plain and clear if you want gold-beep/dig!:yes:
 
It's not whether you can identify whether or not something is a pull tab. it's whether or not you can differentiate between a pull tab and gold.

I can tell you after having and running both an ACE250 and an ACE350, you cannot actually tell the difference between SOME pull tabs and gold rings. Cannot be done.

Bell tone, and notch bouncing aside, you are going to be correct 99.99% of the time that "yep, this is a PULL TAB! i KNEW it.." because 99.99% of the time, it's a pull tab. But you cannot tell the difference between pull tabs and many gold rings. If you're skipping targets with your ACE250 because you're "sure" it's a pull tab, 99.99% of the time you'll be DEAD ON.

But I guarantee, if you throw down 20-30 gold rings on the ground of various sizes and karats, you'll discover very quickly that they behave just like pull tabs do. Why? Because karat gold is an ALLOY. You'll end up with a 10K signal that bounces all over the place because it's got zinc, silver, copper, and nickel in it, along with the gold of just 41.6%.

I've known a whole lot of people who believe that you can ID a pulltab. And you can, most of the time. Why? Because the probability is that it's a pull tab. More pulltabs in the ground than gold. But if you're skipping them because you're "Certain" it's a pulltab, sooner or later, you'll skip gold. You may actually not have done so yet... if you're not in an area where there's gold dropped, you could very well just be skipping pull tabs. But if there's gold there, and you're skipping pull tab signals, eventually you'll be leaving the gold for someone else.

I speak from experience, my friend. I've pulled 41 golds out of the ground in the last 28 months. Most of them sound just like pull tabs, nickels, or the occasional penny. The largest of them (at 16.5 grams!) was ALL OVER The place... why? It was 10K. Bounced everywhere from low foil to penny. thought for sure it was trash. I dug it anyway, because sometimes that trash is a necklace or a big gold 10K ring. Tah-dahhh!! I pulled that ring out of an area other detectorists have been hitting for years, because it sounded just like aluminum trash. I'm certain everyone of them was convinced it was, so they skipped it.

It was the SECOND gold class ring I pulled out of that school. Almost nothing else in the lawns, too... because all "good signals" were pulled.

If you can't look at it, and say, "yep, that's definitely a pull tab," then you can't be sure. Dig it up.

Skippy.

Thanks i'm sure your right!
 
It's not whether you can identify whether or not something is a pull tab. it's whether or not you can differentiate between a pull tab and gold.

But if you're skipping them because you're "Certain" it's a pulltab, sooner or later, you'll skip gold.

This. Dig all pull tabs. The only thing besides iron I ever disc out of my CTX is pennies and that is only when some yahoo decides to throw a few hundred of them to watch metal detectorists dig them up:mad:
 
This. Dig all pull tabs. The only thing besides iron I ever disc out of my CTX is pennies and that is only when some yahoo decides to throw a few hundred of them to watch metal detectorists dig them up:mad:

At a local playground, every month or so it seems like someone tosses a roll or two of pennies out in the grassy area next to it. Fortunately we cleaned that area out long before it started happening. Not sure that it is done maliciously but it is definitely odd. I saw a guy with a detector there one day and he was loving it. Might be like hitting the jackpot if you were just starting out!

Noah
 
If all I have read on post is to dig all pull tabs , why do we need $500 plus detectors ?
 
I'm in the school of dig less pull tabs.

The advantage of the more expensive machines (Minelab specifically for this comment), is that the machine gives you 2 numbers; one for conductivity other machine's VDI), and one for the ferrous content. I use an Explorer SE at the beach, and as it's a resort/tourist beach, lined with hotels and each hotel has a 'beach bar', there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of pulltabs on the stretches I hunt. If I dug every tabs, I'd never get anywhere. I've learned with the utmost of certainty, that on my machine, a pulltab hits at 07-07, 06-07, 07-08, or 08-08. So if I'm getting any of those combinations solidly, I walk on by. I will dig one occasionally as a 'lets make sure this still holds true', and it's always been what I expected it was.

A nickel will ring up as 10-06 or 11-06, down to about 8". I've noticed that at deeper then 8", the ferrous number can be off from that, but I know that a 10-06 or 11-06 will be a nickel. Haven't had those numbers be anything else yet.

Now, there is a very specific reason I will not (for the most part) dig what rings up in the pulltab zone as mentioned above. It's because I can't find any reports or charts of any type of gold having been recovered that has any of those 4 combinations of numbers. If I got a signal that was 09-07, 15-07, 04-08, etc., (in other words same VDI as a pulltab, but different ferrous), I will dig it. I do rely more on the Co (VDI) number then the Fe number, but I use both to make my assessment. Believe it or not, I look for a reason to dig, and not for a reason to not dig.

I still dig every beer can (same Co/VDI as silver and quarters), even when I'm sure they are cans. I dig them because I know that other things of value can ring up the same.

When you are working with a machine that only gives you a VDI, I would say it would be foolish not to dig a pulltab-like signal, as the potential to find or miss something good is greater. But when you have a machine that gives you twice as much information about a target, you're that much more ahead in knowing what lurks below.

I would suggest learning what a pulltab rings up at on the CTX in the ground at different depths. Ie., dig them all, and make a mental note of what each rang up as, and you'll find that most will ring up at the same small range Fe/Co numbers each and every time. Then you'll be able to discriminate them out on a case-by-case basis. There are a couple of pulltabs that don't ring up the same as the majority, and I still dig those. And don't use an air test to determine the numbers; use real digs to see how they report while still in the ground.

Foil is another one I'll happily dig. Small, thin rings have the same VDI as foil, and foil tends to be easy to dig; most isn't too deep has been my experience. Although I am mentally deciding whether or not to eliminate digging foil that has a VDI of 01, as that VDI has never been anything but foil for me up to this point. I will forever dig 02's and 03's, as that was where my second gold rang up, so no chance I won't dig those numbers.

Now don't get me started on ring pulls.... :p
 
If all I have read on post is to dig all pull tabs , why do we need $500 plus detectors ?

:yes::yes::yes: Another thing I have found is when you have weekly/monthly sites you work is that after clearing the trash, there's less to recover the next trip-and the next---etc.
;)
 
If all I have read on post is to dig all pull tabs , why do we need $500 plus detectors ?

You don't really need them IMO.
Maybe for a dedicated gold prospecting or salt water machine.
For land hunting some higher end machines give you the
option to be more selective but a sub $500 Tesoro will
still find the same targets in most cases.
All comes down to how much technology/information
you think you want/need.
Much like cell phones, TVs and even refrigerators. Lol

Noah
 
Yeah, but a 1500 dollar machine will find those pulltabs much deeper! :lol::lol::lol:
They are a pain in the butt and we all deal with them no matter the machine. As has been mentioned, dig them and get them out of the way for next time, or if there are just too many spend say the first 45 minutes of every hunt digging them and cherry pick after that. It will take a few more visits but eventually they will be gone.
 
i have never been able to tell the difference between a pull tab and a coin or ring... they sound the same to me... i DIG and sometimes i get a great surprise ! but i am glad many pass them over... MORE FOR ME !
 
i have never been able to tell the difference between a pull tab and a coin or ring... they sound the same to me... i DIG and sometimes i get a great surprise ! but i am glad many pass them over... MORE FOR ME !
I've never known anyone who could. I use the Ace/sniper coil for new high trash areas. If loaded with coins, I go back over with MX5 in low discrimination and use vdi/tone features to reach more coins. From then on-if a good site-I use less and less discrimination if it is a constantly renewable site.:cool:
 
If all I have read on post is to dig all pull tabs , why do we need $500 plus detectors ?

Come beach detecting with me one day and you will see why in minutes:D

A machine like the Ace 250 wont detect on the wetsand at all. Must have dual frequency for the beach. Otherwise the only important things are depth (which is huge) and being able to disc out iron (which is good for most sites). Other bells and whistles are worthless in my opinion although there are certain sites where they can be very useful (ie someone throws pennies on the beach on purpose and need to avoid them).
 
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