Garrett Ace 250 Review – Closer Look At The Garrett Ace 250 And Buyers Guide

The Garrett Ace 250 metal detector has been described regularly as a great beginners metal detector, durable, lightweight, very simple to use and very affordable. It’s a great model to start with when you plan on trying out metal detecting hobby.

It has also been advertised as the worlds best selling metal detector, due to it’s combination of great features, and simplicity it’s not hard to understand why this would be the case and many people opt to buy the garrett ace 250.


Similar design, with a more powerfull detection engine.

Don’t be fooled by the model design, as far as looks and design go the machine still looks very similar to the Garrett Ace 150, with the addition of a few extra buttons, they have opted to keep the simplicity. What you don’t see is what this improved metal detector can do with the improved metal detection that Garrett added.

Garrett Ace 250 video review

The buttons are all within easy thumb reach for quick adjustment. It can still be broken down into three pieces, the brains (control panel), the coil and the pole which makes it very easy to transport or pack away neatly.

The coil is interchangeable, so it can be upgraded. An internal speaker is included, but there is also a headphone jack to insert your headphones into. The top of the control panel slides of with ease, to change the 4 AA batteries.

Even with the price of this machine, it seems Garrett has not cut corners with comfort, the padding and grip are very comfortable.

There are 6 buttons on the Garrett Ace 250, Power, Discrimination, Mode, Sensitivity, Pinpoint, and Elim (Short for eliminating) and it features the simple LED display.

The LED displays the following features, battery level, depth of the target, the mode selected, and sensitivity.

The Power button is a simple one-touch operation and the machine powers up.
The Mode button navigates through the modes, which is kind of obvious.

Garrett ace 250 metal detector modes are:

  • All metal:- Detects all metals including Iron.
  • Jewellery:- Ignores items such as bottle caps and nails.
  • Custom:- Set standard as the same as coin mode, but the user can programme custom settings using the elimination, and discrimination to select individual specifications.
  • Relics:- Eliminates trash targets, but keeps good targets in the lower conductivity end, for example, brass and lead
  • Coins:- Eliminates all trash targets such as bottle caps, iron and pull tabs. However, some digging of junk can be expected for example soft drinks cans.
    Garrett Ace 250 Reviews Control

The sensitivity button increases or decreases the sensitivity of the machine.

PinPoint button determines the exact location of a target.

The Discrimination button is used in conjunction with the Elimination button, used to eliminate specific items while out hunting.

From what people have said in their Garrett Ace 250 reviews, the modes are one of the biggest selling points of the Garrett 250, many people stated that the features are so simple to use, with “one touch” hunting, basically meaning you press a button and your set to go. Which makes it great for us men who don’t like to read manuals! (you know you are one of them)

The depth indicator has advanced since the 150 model, now adding an extra 2 inches on to the display. Displaying depth of up to 8 inches, although reports of deeper finds have been made on other metal detector websites.

As with the 150 model great reports of the battery life being very efficient, and the machine itself being very lightweight, the machine weighs 1.2Kg so you will manage to be on all day hunts without becoming too tired or achy. The machine size is adjustable from 42″ to 51″

Is the Garrett Ace 250 waterproof?

Yes to a degree the coil is waterproof but you need to know the brains (control panel) is not. You can purchase waterproof housing for this at a low cost. With it being a beginners metal detector for the smaller budget it would also be fair to say that other people have mentioned how the machine can become a little temperamental in highly mineralised conditions, giving of an increased amount of false signals.

The Garrett machine comes with a 2-year warranty, and again they have created a great budget machine that seems to compete with metal detectors twice the price.

It would be worth watching the following couple of videos, one is showcasing the features of the ACE 250 and the second is displaying it in use making finds.

To summarise, I will have to come back to the price again.

The Garrett ACE 250 price is incredible taking into consideration the features you are offered, It gives the beginner or newcomer a chance to have professional features at half the price. With everything I have researched, these features also perform just as good.

Most importantly, you only have to read the Garrett Ace 250 reviews below to confirm that it does what is most important….it finds stuff!

You can read some of these owner reviews by clicking the button below.

Where To Buy The The Garrett Ace 250?

Steve

I’m one of the founders of this blog. A 32 yr old from Lincolnshire & proud father of 3 beautiful children. My first metal detector was a garret ace 150 but I am currently using the Garrett ace 400i. My best find was a roman coin. Feel free to ask me any questions.

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Andy lennie. - April 2, 2017

My detector is not working it is a garrett ace 250.the controls light up ok. All the modes are working .but no sound. Any ideas what the fault could be ,

Reply
    Steve Race - April 17, 2017

    Hi Andy,

    If the device is still under warranty I suggest you contact them immediately. It could be something as simple as a battery! You will surprised how many times this has happened to me lol 😛

    Cheers

    Reply
Ali - May 1, 2017

i am thinking about metal detecting with a friend who is also interested in it and this website is amazing and just wanted to thank you guys for the help in the reading material available.

thanks

Reply
    Steve Race - May 3, 2017

    Thanks for stopping by and the nice words Ali 🙂

    Reply
George D - August 31, 2017

Is the garret 250 a good all rounder, e.g. Wet sand, dry sand, ploughed fields and pastures? Looking at starting the hobby and everything points to this as a starter.

Reply
    Steve Race - August 31, 2017

    Hello George,
    Indeed, you are well documented and the Garrett 250 metal detector is a good all rounder and it’s really easy to start with it.
    Please remember to careful when you’ll use it on the beach because only the coil is waterproof while the control panel isn’t.
    As long as you don’t plan to throw the metal detector in the water, you will have no problems.

    Reply
Dan tempest - September 21, 2017

Im brand new to this at 61, been a customs man in my previous life so love finding things. By any chance is there a uk interchange faceplate for the Ace 250 , to get me on my Detecting road?

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Richard Smith - September 11, 2018

I am 73 and I now longer can move as I used to. I was very active before I became ill, and I am now looking for something to do in my last days.I looked for days/weeks and without realising it I have come to the decision that the Garret 250 is the best machine for me. I just hope that the various ordinary persons who are so delighted with this machine are not in the employ of the dealers.Sorry to be such a cynic, but as I already stated , I am 73!

Reply
    Steve - September 26, 2018

    Amazing review Richard, welcome among the detectorists! I hope you can show us your first pictures of what you found, I wish you the best!

    Reply
Malcolm Martyn - November 19, 2018

I have a tall 10 year old who really wants to get into detecting he has extensively researched his first machine and thinks the Garret 250 is for him. He is rather hoping Father Christmas will be forthcoming… I’m Just after a bit of advice as to weather or not you think it’s size would suite him reading your blog the weight sounds fine. We will mostly be using it for beach and field detecting.

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Sean Jones - January 3, 2019

I realise this was a couple of years ago, but I’d like to ask a similar question to Dan (That I don’t see an answer to). The video shows the indicator illustrations in US coins). How does this affect the target ID in the UK, if at all? Obviously we have different coins, and I assume made from different materials. Thanks in advance.

Reply
    Steve - January 9, 2019

    Hi Sean, this is a great question. The trouble with the coin settings is that it’s usually looking for metal coins and it’s not well optimized for coins made out of alloy (newer coins). When you are metal detecting I think this option won’t affect you if you are in US or UK, so you don’t have to worry.

    Reply
Craig allum - March 21, 2019

Hi i’am looking at the Garrett Ace 250 is it any good to use on the beach

Reply
    Steve - March 26, 2019

    Hi Craig, that’s a good pick for beach metal detecting. Garrett ace 250 is lightweight and the battery will last quite a few hours.

    Reply
Leeann - April 27, 2019

Hi Steve,
Are you able to recommend the best place to purchase the Garrett 250 from here in the U.K., or a fully working secondhand one would be better please? (That would deliver via courier). I’m not looking to spend silly amounts of money as we’re both complete novices. It would just be a bit of fun really for both myself and my daughter, we have permission from our local farmer to use his field. Also I should just add that the soil where we live is clay so gets quite hard when dry and quite sticky when wet. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks.

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Matthew De Pledge - May 29, 2020

Should I buy a garret 250 from amazon it’s the lowest I’ve seen the price at £189 ?

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    Steve - June 1, 2020

    I recommend getting it from there because if you’re not satisfied you can return it easily, while with other suppliers it’s usually more complicated.

    Reply
Alicia - March 21, 2021

Hiya iv have this ace 250 but when out using it on coin or relic mode it beeps then I pin point then dig and nothings there and when I go over the group again it dosnt beep. Iv had some good finds but mostly it does this which is a waste of time and annoying to say the least. Any ideas why it would falsely beep?

Reply
    Steve - March 28, 2021

    Hi Alicia, I think you can try different modes and see if you’re still getting false beeps. Another thing that can trigger that is from small coins that well buried and hard to see.

    Reply
Suzy - January 17, 2022

I’m a complete newbie, what’s the best detector for dry and wet sand please, tia

Reply
    Steve - March 4, 2022

    This model should be more than enough Suzy, it will help with dry and wet sand as well.

    Reply
Ashley Simpson - May 7, 2022

Good Afternoon everyone, i am a complete novice so complete i dont even have a Detector yet and i keeps researching and nearly parted with hard earned money but still completely undecided, now i have had my eye on the Garrett Ace 250 it seems a very good fit for me as its at the cheaper end of the scale a great starter detector, i live on the south coast and would love to try it at the beach but i have read it would give a lot of false readings on wet sand and being in Bognor most if not all the dry sand is covered in pebbles, i have read a few comments on here that it will be good on the beach wet or dry but can anyone give me a more certain answer to my question, like i said i am so very very close to pressing the button to purchase one at Amazon

Thank you in advance

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Wendy - May 14, 2022

Hi l am thinking about a 250 for beach use, does it say it picks up gold/silver

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    Steve - June 15, 2022

    I think with an Apex model for the beach you’ll have better accuracy if you can afford it.

    Reply
Tim - February 17, 2024

Hi,
I am currently metal detecting with a friend and his Garrett 250 metal detector , we started today after an 18 month break. After a few minutes use we noticed that the LED display for battery level, depth of the target, the mode selected and sensitivity, started to go on and off and now seems to stay off . we thought it was the batteries but that was not the case.
Any advice please?
Thanks, Tim.
PS It is a very good detector, so easy to use and it finds stuff!

Reply
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