Garrett Ace 400 Metal Detector Review

Are you in the market for a quality metal detector that won’t leave a burning hole in your pocket?

In our Garrett Ace 400 Metal Detector, we’re going to give you the lowdown on why this is one of the best mid-level metal detectors on the market today. 

Whether you want to spend your time searching for gold, coins, metal, or the lost treasure of Blackbeard himself, the Ace 400 can do it all.

After Ace discontinued the 350, they released the 400 as an upgraded version with tons of new features! Let’s get a little deeper into the details shall we?

The Review

Features

Digital Target ID

If you had ever used the Ace 350 or any models before that, you probably noticed that the Digital Target ID did not exist. Essentially, you didn’t get that On-Screen ID that people have come to love with the 400. We’ve come to tell you that the Digital Target ID is a massive step up from the segment identification that the 350 utilized.

While segment identification only gave you a ballpark guess as to what type of metal it believed you had stumbled over, had it been gold, silver, iron, etc., the 0-99 scale of the Digital Target ID gives you a much more accurate classification as to what type of metal you are targeting. You get a lot less room for wrong classification, which is awesome.

Think of it this way: Each number range on the Digital Target ID could represent a type of coin and the material it is made out of. For example, a U.S. Clad Nickel would be represented as 42-45, while a silver quarter would be in a different range. Models before could only tell you what type of coin, not the actual material.

Iron Audio

For the price, we were surprised to find out this thing utilized Iron Audio at all. Essentially, the metal detector will emit a low-range noise if it finds any iron traces in the object you are targeting. To actually utilize this feature, you must be set to a mode that has iron discrimination. There are some modes, such as zero-disc mode, that actually don’t discriminate iron at all, therefore you won’t get that noise.

So what is so great about Iron Audio? Well for starters, it can help you so that you don’t continuously dig up tons of junk because your metal detector says it might be something special. Some cheap metal detectors will recognize things like bottle caps or nails as coins. If you end up digging up a bunch of junk for hours, you’ve wasted quite a bit of time. Having Iron Audio allows you to check the iron contents before you make any decisions.

Adjustable Frequency

The ACE 400 is special in that it allows you adjust the frequency a bit if you need to. Basically, your ACE 400 emits a 10kHz frequency, though if you decide that you want to go hunting for treasure with a friend who also has an ACE 400, or some other metal detector that emits 10kHz, these metal detectors will end up detecting each other, ruining your hunt. This is pretty common, especially in beaches where there are multiple people walking around with metal detectors.

Being able to adjust the frequency allows you to get off the same one that others are on, separating your hunt from theirs. It’s a nice feature to have at hand when you need it.

Cam Locks

When it comes to the physical form of the ACE 400, the Cam Locks that are onboard are absolutely fantastic! The Cam Locks are the locking mechanisms that are located along the shaft of your metal detector, and they add a bit of durability and sturdiness to your device.

Because you can actually take your ACE 400 apart into multiple pieces for storage or transport, you need a way to put it back together without it wobbling around while it’s in use.  The Cam Locks come in handy by tightening the pieces together and giving it back its stiffness.

Search Modes

The ACE 400 comes with five different search modes, each selected by twisting the large notch that is on the face of the detector.

Zero-Disc Mode

The Zero-Disc Mode helps you detect all kinds of metals without discriminating against any. Essentially, no metal targets are notched out. This mode can be used to find all kinds of metal objects if there is nothing that you are looking for in particular. If you feel like something valuable might be next to a bunch of trash, this might be helpful.

Jewelry Mode

Jewelry Mode allows you to discriminate against iron and trash, only looking for things such as rings, necklaces, watches, bracelets, etc.

Custom Mode

Custom Mode allows you to discriminate against the things that you choose. It is programmed by whoever is operating it and is stored in the system, even when you turn the device off. If there is anything you don’t want to trigger the device, this can be helpful.

Relics Mode

Relics Mode will discriminate against small pieces of iron, instead trying to find metals that live in the range of low conductivity. These types of metals include lead, brass, or bronze.

Coins Mode

Coins Mode is design to help you find pretty much all types of coins. It will block out things like iron and foil to help do this.

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Other Model Comparisons

We’ve spent quite some time looking at  how the ACE 400 compares when put up against the 350, though let’s look at how it does when put against some other popular metal detector models.

Garrett ACE 400 vs. Garrett AT Pro

The AT Pro is one of the higher-level metal detectors just above the ACE 400. Unlike the 400, this metal detector is suited for any kind of terrain, even under the water. It comes packed with an array of features that the ACE 400 doesn’t have including:

Proportional Audio Mode, a wider variety of Iron Discrimination controls, 15kHz frequency for better sensitivity, and Automatic Ground Balance. If you are in need of a metal detector that is waterproof, we would highly recommend the Garrett AT Pro. Other than that, for beginner or intermediate users, we would stick with the Garrett AC 400.

Garrett ACE 400 vs. F44

The F44 is one search mode short of the Garrett ACE 400, though unlike the Garrett ACE 400, the F44 does come with a manual ground-balancing feature. This is a pretty major difference.

Secondly, the F44 not only has a waterproof coil, but is also completely weatherproof. This is a big step up from the Garrett ACE 400, which only has a waterproof coil.

Garrett ACE 400 vs. Garrett ACE 300

If you’re on a tighter budget, or you are just getting into metal detectors, we would recommend the ACE 300. It’s a very solid entry-level metal detector that shares a lot of the same features as the 400. There are a few differences you should keep in mind though.

The Garrett ACE 300 has a 7x10 concentric coil. This is a bit smaller than the one on the 400, essentially giving you a bit less depth and discrimination. The 300 also comes without built-in iron audio, making it a little harder to differentiate between things like real treasure or trash.

For a more comprehensive comparison and review list of the top beach metal detectors on the market, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Deep Into the Ground does the ACE 400 Work?

The depth that the ACE 400 can work actually depends on many external factors such as the condition of the ground, the size of the actual target, and the settings of the device. If the ground that you are working with is pretty mid-range in terms of density and mineralization, you should easily be able to find a coin that is 10” deep.

Why Does The Coil Size Make A Difference?

The coils on different metal detectors come in different sizes. Essentially, the bigger the coil, the more ground you can cover within one sweep. The Coil on the ACE 400 is very large, meaning you actually can cover quite a bit of ground in less time compared to other similar models.

Is the Garrett ACE 400 American Made?

Yes it is! Garrett makes all of their metal detector products in the United States, more specifically in Texas, meaning they are of the highest quality standards.

Can You Adjust the Ground Balance on the ACE 400?

Unfortunately you cannot. The ground balance on the ACE 400 is stuck at the stock setting unlike the ground balance on the AT Pro. If the soil is dense or highly mineralized in your area, this might be an issue. Otherwise, we wouldn’t worry about it.

Can I Use My ACE 400 on the Beach?

Absolutely, as long as you stay closer to land and on the dry sand. If you try and use it where the sand is wet or where there is tons of salt water, you’ll get a lot less range in terms of depth.

How Long Will The ACE 400 Last?

The ACE 400 utilizes 4 AA batteries. Regardless of the settings, you can typically get anywhere from 20-30 hours of full use with a fresh pack of batteries.

What is the Warranty on the ACE 400?

The ACE 400 comes with a 2-year limited warranty on parts and labor. There are some limitations to this as the name states, but instead of giving you a whole list on that, we recommend you check out their warranty page here.

How are the Headphones That Come With the ACE 400?

The ACE 400 comes with ClearSound Easy Stow Headphones. You can definitely get the job done with these headphones, though we would recommend upgrading if you can, as they are not the most high quality. All in all, the fact that they give you some to start with is still pretty cool.

Overall Rating

>> See the Garrett Ace 400 Metal Detector Product Page <<

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