Garrett Ace 250 Vs. Tesoro Vaquero - Comparison

Garrett Ace 250 Vs. Tesoro Vaquero

6,5 kHz     Frequency     14,2 - 14,5 - 14,7 kHz

7     Iron Discrimination   8
 

7     Target separation    9
 

8     Weight     9.5
 

9     User friendly    8
 

8     Target information     8
 

6     Depth    9
 

7.5     Best Value     9
 

7.5     Overall    9

 

Observations: Let's start by saying that comparing these machines is not fair, because the Ace 250 is more a low-end detector when comparing it with the Vaquero, which is more of a medium/high-end machine (there's also a difference in price). One of the proofs is simple, the Vaquero has a Manual-Ground-Balance function while the Ace 250 hasn't, that's why Garrett Detectors added that useful feature on their AT Pro.

But, how important is having a Ground-balance knob? and, what's the difference it makes? To better understand the difference, first we have to take into account the place we hunt, that's because every soil has a less or more amount of minerals that may cause, in case of high-mineralization, a loss of depth or target masking. Here is when the Ground-balance function gets handy, because it help us to get those finds others miss.

The conclusion is: If you are starting in the hobby, the Ace 250 has great reputation as being a nice starter. The Vaquero is made more for the intermediate or the advanced detectorist, but don't get scared, because with patience the Vaquero can be perfectly tamed by the novice, something that can be really rewarding, and let's not forget, the Tesoro's life-time warranty (only in US).


Garrett Ace 250: $249.95

Tesoro Vaquero: $525.00

Weight and Portability: Tesoro Vaquero Vs. White's MXT

This time I will consider two aspects regarding the Tesoro Vaquero and the White's MXT, those aspects are weight and portability.

So the point is, you may want a light-weight machine to hunt for several hours and regarding this topic, both machines have "pros" and "cons".

Tesoro Vaquero:

Pros:

-Lighter (only 2.2lbs.)

-Less weight by carrying spare batteries (you only need a 9V cell)

-Good portability

Cons:

-Not a so well-balanced machine, it's a bit heavy at the tip. Forget with a bigger coil than the stock 8x9con

White's MXT:

Pros:

-Very-well balanced machine

Cons:

-A bit heavy (4.4lbs.)

-Carrying spare batteries adds to the weight (it works on 8AA cells)

-Bad portability

The Conclusion: Considering what was said above, a good question would be: How are you planning to carry around your metal detector? are you planning to carry it in a car? or are you planning to carry it on your backs?. If you are planning to carry your detector in a car, the MXT should be a nice option for you, but if you are planning to carry your detector in a bag, then I think you should consider the Vaquero, or another lighter unit (depending on the distance you are planning to walk).

Let's be realistic, with the MXT you will be carrying 4.4lbs around no matter what and you will feel that weight specially when you stand up from a dig or while climbing obstacles, something that with the Vaquero is more trouble free.

Another great point is volume, The Vaquero will fit better inside of a bag than the MXT, but White's Electronics has a nice array of carrying cases specially made for their machines (link: http://whiteselectronics.com/products/accessories/carrying-cases.html), take also a look to the Tesoro accessories (link: http://tesoro.com/product/accessories/accessories.html).