In Search Of Metal Detector

Then this may meet your needs and wants. I have the 250 model and am very pleased with it.

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/gar...t-ace150.htm

That Garrett has some nice extras Tim.

Should be great for sand.

If you can go up to $225 I'd recommend the Ace 250 over the 150. One of the big differences is the 250 has a pinpointing mode. Unlike the PI the Ace gives a "BONG" when it goes over the target but it won't make a sustained sound, so it is pretty hard to tell exactly where the target is without a pinpointing mode. By the way, the Ace series is generally considered the best entry level machine.

That being said, it has problems in the wet sand at the beach. Do you still have that PI? If so just use that on wet sand and use the Ace everywhere else. If not then you may need to look into a machine that has ground balancing. But that is often found on higher end machines that the Ace or Bounty Hunter.

I got my Ace 250 in January and have found several thousand dollars worth of finds, so this is definitely a hobby that will pay for itself. Once you make enough finds you can upgrade to a Minelab Explorer or Etrac (which I'm about to do)! I know it is early to think about high end machines but keep those in mind as most of the hardcore types that are obsessed with finding deeply buried silver coins use those machines.

If you look around for a used machine you can get a machine that is a step up in quality for a beginner machine price. If I had known more about detecting when I started that is what I would have done.

The only detector I would consider in the $150 price range is the Tesoro Compadre. A very simple, lightweight, rugged machine that comes with a no-nonsense lifetime warranty.

But if I had a little bit of time, I'd search for a used detector if I was limited to $150. Stick to Garrett, Tesoro, White's, Fisher, Minelab and you'll be fine.