Best deal on an Ace-250?

[labdog98]

Hello All!

I am new to the group and hobby and have some questions. I am looking into the Ace-250 as my first MD since it seems to be the MD of choice for new and veteran hunters alike (was looking at BH at first b/c of seeing them at Walmart and finding a great price on Amazon.com for the Sharp Shooter II <$199.99 - lists at $349.99> - but after reading several threads here I am leaning toward the Garrett).

1. How does the Sharp Shooter II compare to the Ace-250 since price is about the same (although the 4" coil is twice the price for the 250 as the BH)?

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2. Looking at various dealers' sites I found what I seems like the best deal for someone just starting out:

(***Link Removed***)

It is A&S Company in California. They looked clean on the BBB web site.

3. Has anyone dealt with them?

4. It almost looks too good to be true ($212.45 w/ free shipping and 5 free gifts <headphones, carry bag, books, etc.>) so I wanted to see what the group thinks.

5a. Are coil covers just for protecting them during transport or do they stay on while detecting (5b. if so, does it affect detector sensitivity?)?

6. Anyone here in the D/FW area?

TIA...
Scott

[TonyinCT]

Why not support the forum by supporting the dealers who support it ? I am one of those dealers
All Garrett dealers sell the Ace 250 for the same discount price. I can sell you one for the same deal.
let me know if you need any more help or just go to my site and order from there.
Thanks

[cchughs]

Buy the 250, you won't be sorry. I have bought stuff from both A&S and Tony, but hey, if Tony can give you the same deal why not buy from someone you can trust and supports this great site?
The coil covers stay on all the time, you won't notice any difference in sensitivity of the detector. It is just for protection of your coil. I use them.
Get that detector ordered and get out there and start swinging that coil. We will be looking forward to hearing about all your great finds.

[labdog98]

Gregory - I apologize if I violated a forum rule about posting links; I guess I missed that in the forum rules. Newbie goof.


TonyinCT - Ahhh...that explains why most sites had the Ace-250 for $212.45 - kind of like why PlaySation and X-Box is always the same price no matter who is selling it.

I would love to support vendors that support the forum, but being a noob I am not yet familiar with who is a sponsor vs. just Yahoo or Google ads. Being a dealer I am sure you are a fountain of knowledge and experience that I could learn from.

You are the kind of member my original post was aimed at - someone with first hand experience with many different brands and styles of detectors. That is why I listed the two that I was looking at. I liked the "extras" that A&S included - it helps the beginner like me get a decent starter kit together <MD, carry bag, headphones, etc.> for a small investment, unlike Amazon.com where a carry bag, headphones, etc. would all be at additional cost.

It was not my intent to offend anyone here.


cchughs - Thank you for your input. I was not sure about the coil cover use.


Scott

[Gregory]

Hi Scott,
No offense taken, actually it's not in the rules about links in posts to business's so (my fault) I'll add that soon.

The main Sponsors have their own forum here: http://www.treasurequestxlt.com/comm...play.php?f=200

It's in no way a requirement for TQ members to purchase from our sponsors but we would like everyone to take a look at their shops and consider them when getting ready to purchase.

Thanks again for joining the TQ family.

Greg

[JoAnne]

Scott - I am sure no one was offended. I have dealt with Tony in CT and he is a great person to deal with. I would not hesitate to purchase what you need from him. I purchased my BH Tracker IV from him and it came with several extras (headphones, digger tool, apron) Talk to him and see what he can work out for you.

[John's Detectors]

Hello Scott, welcome to the TQ forum and glad to have you. I am one of the sponsoring dealers here on the forum. I also carry the Ace 250 and it is priced at 214.00. One thing you must consider is will the dealer give you knowledgable service with your purchase ? I as others here on the forum will provide that when some one buys from me. I need to express a thought, why do I need to try and bribe a potential customer with a bunch of freebies to get him to buy what he wants in the first place, a metal detector. If you would like I can say throw in a cap and coil cover but the service that you are going to get from me as well as Tony or any of the TQ sponsors is invaluable. So I hope you will consider doing business here because all of us want to make sure your going to get a great start in a wonderful hobby. Ok Scott please forgive me because I don't want to offend you in any way. God Bless you and where ever you buy your detector be sure to let us all know how it is going for you and show us some of your finds, good hunting Scott !

John Tomlinson, CET
John's Detectors
Best Little Detector Shop in Texas !

[labdog98]

TonyinCT -

I have had a chance to read more info on your web site and your sponsor page here. I tried to view your customer support forum from your web page. Is the link on your web page still good? I could not get the page to open.

You would seem to be the ideal person to answer my first question in my original post about comparing the BH Sharp Shooter II (upper scale model in the BH line) and the Ace-250 (seemingly lower end model for Garrett) since you yourself got started in business with the Bounty Hunter line and now carry a full assortment of brands and models.

From further research I see that Garrett is located in my neck of the woods - Garland, Texas; north-east part of the D/FW Metroplex so if there were any warranty/quality issues I could just drop it off with them and save shipping charges!

After viewing some on-line videos and reading more posts here I am also thinking about the Vibra-probe 560, although that may have to wait due to finances (kids, wife, mortgage - not exactly in that order! ) and to see how hard the MD/TH'ing bug bites me. What are your thoughts on a probe for a beginner?

Do you know of a web page that has a beginners FAQs without having to search out posts on forums for best tips/practices?

Thank you for your time and tips Tony.

Scott

[TonyinCT]

The forum is new to my site and was down at the time you tried to get in on it. It is back up now.
I still think the Ace250 is better than the II. Also the vibraprobe 560 is one of the best probes on the market and have newver had any problems with them. (over 100 probes sold).
And I must say ...... the treasure hunting bug WILL bite you and hard. have never seen anyone it hasn't happened to. If you have the right equipment and the right frame of mind you'll do great with this hobby.
Please let me know if you need anything else.