Garrett Ace 250 Detector Meter Depth Error?

My best advice to you would be to plant a "coin garden". Simply bury coins at specific depths, and swing your coil over them, and compare the readings.

Don't worry about the depth, it's kind of a useless feature designed to sell detectors. Most times they are not accurate, and fluctuate wildly.

Most coins and rings your going to find are between 1" and 8", well within the reach of a plug dug with a shovel.

Fair enough.

What kind of a percentage of accuracy do you think your detector gets on depth?

The ones I have observed seemed to be accurate about 60% of times at best. These were mostly low end detectors though one was a higher end.

They did not inspire confidence in me to the point that I would decide to dig or not, based on the depth reading.
I would worry about missing the chance to dig a chain necklaces or a broken rings etc.

I admit I don't know what they calibrate the depth on, I am assuming it's averaged sized solid round objects like coins.

I use a strictly audio machine machine myself and you can still questimate depth at times.

I do plan of getting a visual type machine if the price is right, just to play with it, like say a Whites DFX300 or something of that nature. Maybe spend some more time with one. I want to like them.