Garrett Ace 150 Metal Detector Review

When it comes to beginner and entry level metal detectors, not a lot of machines come close to the popularity of the Garrett ACE 150. Simply put, it’s among the most popular detectors for those just starting to get into the beautiful hobby of metal detecting and treasure hunting.

Its popularity is not without basis, either – it has the perfect blend of affordability, ease of operation, and functionality. The Garrett ACE 150 even beats out higher priced products in many regards.

Garrett Series Top Picks for Beginners

The Garrett ACE 150 is part of the ever popular ACE series by Garrett, which includes the 250 and 350 – two other immensely popular machines for both novices and experts alike – and the new 200, 300, and 400 models.

Virtually all of the products in this line of metal detectors have been absolute gems, and consumers almost always have nothing but high praises to sing about the machines. Like with the ACE 150, the other members of the ACE family are known for their great quality and even greater value in the market.

All things considered, the Garrett ACE 150 is succeeded by the other models (starting with the ACE 250) but it is by no means an inferior product. For beginners who could do without the extra bells and whistles, the ACE 150 is the perfect metal detector for them to slowly ease themselves into the treasure hunting game.

 

Garrett ACE 150 Assembly

Out of the box, the Garrett ACE 150 is a straight forward assemble. The parts it comes in – the main detection body and interface, the metal detecting arm, the search coil and the coil’s wire, and a wing nut to secure the coil wire to the arm – are self-explanatory in how they’re assembled. Even before you start using it, Garrett had the foresight to plan that every single experience the user has with their product is a smooth one.

Ease of Operation

Moving forward, the actual operation of the machine is equally as seamless. The interface of the Garrett ACE 150 consists of three buttons: the mode selector, the sensitivity tuner, and the power button. For the modes that the mode selector button cycles through, the ACE 150 also has three variations: a jewelry search mode, a coin search mode, and an general use all metal mode. The sensitivity button can fine tune the detection sensitivity of the machine – useful for metal detecting in highly different ground conditions and environments.

One thing worth noting is the controversial phantom battery indicator that the Garrett ACE 150 is reported to have. The battery condition indicator had been programmed into the software but was only intended for the Garrett ACE 150’s successor, the Garrett ACE 250. Fret not though, users don’t have to consciously keep track of the battery life of the machine manually. It does have a built-in Low Battery Indicator that blinks on when the juice of the battery gets to a low enough level.

On the subject of battery and battery life, one would expect full 30 to 40 hours of operation on a single set of AA batteries. It requires four AA batteries as a power source. Of course, the actual battery life for one set mainly depends on the type of battery you would be using as well as how often and how heavy you use the metal detector.

As such, it is suggested to make it a habit of using fresh, quality alkaline types. One could also opt to use rechargeable batteries, but one charge of these would be noticeably less in lifespan than that of the disposable ones.

Battery indications aside, the LCD screen of the ACE 150 gives you a note of the current mode the machine is on. Secondly, it also keeps track of how deep a potential target is; it shows you a depth indicator to more or less accurate estimate of the depth of the target. Lastly, we have the sensitivity gauge that is indicated on the screen as well.

Physically, the Garrett ACE 150 is a joy to work with. It maximizes comfort with its lightweight design but in no degree sacrifices its durability. Ergonomics was taken into account in the form of its comfortable grip and the padding on both the handle and the top of the machine, where your arm meets the metal detector.

Fatigue has a hard time setting in even with day-long metal detecting sessions, making this a perfect metal detector for any type of enthusiast, regardless of age and physical capabilities.

Metal Detector Capabilities and Features

The ACE 150, much like the Garrett ACE 250, 350, 200, 300, and 400, has tons of useful features. For one, we have the clear tone speaker. With this, not only do we have visual indicators, we have audio cues as well. The tones are clear and very easy to get used to after using the 150 for a while.

As mentioned before, one of the modes of the Garrett ACE 150 is the All Metal Mode. As the name suggests, this type of mode makes it so that the machine detects all kinds of potential targets. The quality or type of subject is determined by the auditory cues – a two-sound bell tone indicates large coins, small coins detected give off a short clear note, and finally, any Iron detected will result in the machine making low tones.

The Jewelry Mode would filter out any Iron signals, however, any other metallic items such as old relics and coins will still be picked up by the metal detector.

Coin Mode, also quite explanatory, is specifically suited for finding small rings, coins such as pennies, nickels, old civilization currency, and even lost and found modern coins.

As far as sheer penetration power goes, the Garrett ACE 150 can detect targets from as deep as 8 inches into the group. This number varies with differing ground conditions, environment conditions, and the like, but many a customer has also commented that their Garrett ACE 150 could actually detect even deeper than 8 inches.

Ace 150 Video Reviews

 

Final Word

Many satisfied customers would attest to the quality of the Garrett ACE 150. As an entry-level machine, it goes above and beyond its duty as a beginner machine. If you’re working on a budget or are looking to get into the hobby or metal detecting but don’t want to invest too much on the onset, this is the perfect metal detector for you.