Mid-range machines
Garrett ACE 400 Review: A Good Machine With an Awkward Price
Quick answer
Buy the ACE 400 if you want a simple, durable American-made park and field machine with iron audio. Skip it if you can find $384.99, because the ACE Apex adds multi-frequency, Multi-Salt and Z-Lynk wireless for a small step up from $357.99.
Reviewed here
Garrett ACE 400
Garrett publishes a 0 to 99 digital target ID, iron audio, electronic pinpointing, an adjustable frequency to cut interference, and a coil cover included.
Price was accurate when this page was compiled and changes often.
The Garrett ACE 400 is the top of Garrett long-running ACE line, and it is a genuinely good machine sold at an awkward moment. Garrett publishes a 0 to 99 digital target ID, iron audio so you can hear discriminated iron rather than only see it, electronic pinpointing through a non-motion all-metal mode, an adjustable frequency to dodge electrical interference, a coil cover in the box, and manufacture in the USA.
The awkwardness is internal to Garrett own range. The Garrett ACE Apex sits a short step above at $384.99 and adds Multi-Flex frequency selection, a Multi-Salt mode, Z-Lynk wireless and a rechargeable lithium battery. That is the comparison this page keeps returning to, and the ACE 400 against Apex comparison runs it in full detail.
On this page
- What does iron audio actually do for you?
- How does it compare with the machines around it?
- What each listing publishes about water, frequency and power
- The honest weakness: the Apex is too close, and the control box stays dry
- What do owners consistently report?
- Who should buy it, and who should skip it
- What should you buy instead?
What does iron audio actually do for you?
It lets you hear what the machine has decided to throw away. Discrimination silences targets below a threshold, which sounds helpful until you realise that a silent machine cannot tell you whether it just rejected a nail or a bottle cap sitting next to a silver coin. Iron audio puts those rejected targets back into your headphones at a distinct response, so an experienced operator can tell a flat sheet of iron from a nail and can hear when a good target is masked by junk.
On old house sites, farmyards and anywhere with a century of nails in the ground, that single feature is worth more than a few inches of depth. It is also the feature that most rewards practice, which the signal reading guide covers in more detail. Alongside it, the adjustable frequency is a quiet workhorse: in a park with overhead power lines or another detectorist nearby, shifting frequency is what stops the machine chattering, and it costs you nothing in depth.
How does it compare with the machines around it?
Published figures only. Garrett publishes less numerically about the ACE line than Minelab and Nokta publish about theirs, which shows as gaps below.
Garrett publishes USA manufacture for the ACE line and a multi-frequency capability only for the Apex, while Minelab publishes a 16 foot IP68 rating for the X-Terra Pro at a lower price than the ACE 400.
| Model | Price | Frequency type | Made in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett ACE 400 | $357.99 | - | USA |
| Garrett ACE 300 | $269.99 | - | USA |
| Garrett ACE Apex | $384.99 | Multi-frequency and single frequency | - |
| Minelab X-Terra Pro | $282.14 | - | - |
Figures are taken from each manufacturer's own published listing and specification sheet. A dash means the maker does not publish that figure for that model, not that the feature is absent.
What each listing publishes about water, frequency and power
This is the table that decides the purchase, because the ACE line wins on simplicity and loses on both water and frequency.
Garrett publishes a waterproof searchcoil for the ACE line with the control box not waterproof, while Minelab and Nokta publish full 16 foot machine ratings at or below the ACE 400 price.
| Machine | Published water capability | Frequency behaviour | Power published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett ACE 400 | Waterproof searchcoil, control box is not | Single frequency, adjustable to cut interference | AA batteries |
| Garrett ACE 300 | Waterproof searchcoil, control box is not | Single frequency, adjustable | AA batteries |
| Garrett ACE Apex | Waterproof searchcoil | 5, 10, 15, 20 kHz plus Multi-Frequency and Multi-Salt | Built-in lithium-ion, up to 15 hours |
| Minelab X-Terra Pro | IP68 machine rating to 16 ft | PRO-SWITCH frequency switching | Not stated in this listing |
| Nokta Simplex Ultra | Fully waterproof machine to 16 ft | Not published as multi-frequency | Not stated in this listing |
Quoted from each maker own listing. Garrett states in the ACE line listings that the searchcoil is submersible while the control box is not, which is the distinction most buyers miss.
The honest weakness: the Apex is too close, and the control box stays dry
Take the money first. At $357.99 the ACE 400 sits within a short step of the Garrett ACE Apex at $384.99. For that step Garrett publishes Multi-Flex frequency selection at 5, 10, 15 and 20 kHz plus a multi-frequency mode and a Multi-Salt mode, Z-Lynk wireless that it describes as six times faster than Bluetooth, a 6 by 11 DD Viper coil, a built-in lithium battery rated up to 15 hours, and 2.5 lb. That is a materially more capable machine for a small proportion more money, and no amount of affection for the ACE line changes the arithmetic.
Second, the water. Garrett publishes a waterproof searchcoil across the ACE line and states that the control box is not waterproof. That is fine for rain, dew and damp sand, and it is the wrong machine for wading. At this price both Minelab and Nokta publish full 16 foot machine ratings, which the waterproof roundup lists in full. If there is any water in your hunting, the ACE line is not where your money should go.
Third, single frequency and AA power. One frequency means salt beaches are effectively closed to this machine, for the reason set out in the frequency chart. AA cells mean a running cost and a habit: keep Rechargeable AA NiMH Batteries, 8 pack charged and a spare Spare AA Battery Holder for Garrett Detectors loaded in the pouch, because a detector on tired batteries behaves strangely long before it stops.
What do owners consistently report?
Durability and simplicity dominate the published owner reviews. The ACE line has been sold for a long time, parts and coils are easy to find, and the control layout is short enough that a new owner is hunting properly within a session rather than a season. Owners also consistently report iron audio as the feature they did not understand when they bought the machine and would not now give up.
The recurring complaints are the ones you would expect from the specification: no real waterproofing, noticeable chatter near power lines until the frequency is shifted, and a feeling of hitting a ceiling after a year or two on difficult ground. Owners on trashy sites consistently recommend adding a smaller coil, and the ACE coil compatibility chart sets out what fits. Target numbers move with soil and moisture on this machine as on every other, which is why the ACE 400 target ID chart gives ranges and tells you to bury your own test targets.
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
Buy it if:
- You hunt dry parks, fields, yards and school grounds and will never wade.
- You want iron audio and a short menu rather than a configurable flagship.
- You value USA manufacture, long parts support and easy coil availability.
- You find it discounted well below the Apex, which is when the arithmetic changes.
Skip it if:
- Salt beaches or wading are on your list. This is a dry-land machine.
- You can stretch to the ACE Apex, which adds multi-frequency and wireless.
- You want a rechargeable battery rather than a pocket full of AA cells.
- You want the deepest machine at this money rather than the simplest.
What should you buy instead?
Three alternatives, each better than the ACE 400 at one specific thing.
Garrett ACE Apex
$384.99Garrett publishes Multi-Flex with 5, 10, 15 and 20 kHz plus multi-frequency and Multi-Salt, Z-Lynk wireless, a 6 by 11 DD Viper coil and up to 15 hours from a built-in lithium battery, at 2.5 lb.
Best for: anyone who can find the extra money
Check price on Amazon
Minelab X-Terra Pro
$282.14Minelab publishes IP68 waterproofing to 16 feet, PRO-SWITCH frequency switching, 30 discrimination segments and handgrip vibration for less than the ACE 400 costs.
Best for: wet ground, rivers and rain
Check price on Amazon
Garrett ACE 300
$269.99The same platform and the same 0 to 99 target ID with iron resolution rather than full iron audio, at $269.99, which is the cheaper way into the ACE line.
Best for: a first machine on the same platform
Check price on AmazonHow we chose
We did not test these machines in person and we publish no find claims. Picks are researched from manufacturer specifications and owner manuals, published listing features, waterproof ratings and warranty terms, and the recurring themes in verified owner reviews. We favour the established detector brands because coils, shafts and control boxes have to stay available years after a model is discontinued, and we place every pick in the tier where its price and capability honestly belong.
Sources
- Garrett ACE 400 owner manual and product specifications
- Garrett ACE 300 and ACE 200 product listings
- Garrett ACE Apex product specifications
- Published owner reviews of the Garrett ACE 400
Frequently asked questions
Is the Garrett ACE 400 waterproof?
The searchcoil is, the machine is not. Garrett publishes a waterproof PROformance searchcoil across the ACE line and states that the control box is not waterproof, so you can work in wet sand, shallow streams and rain but you cannot wade or submerge it. At this price both Minelab and Nokta publish full machine ratings of 16 feet, which is worth knowing before you order.
Garrett ACE 400 vs ACE Apex: which should I buy?
The Apex, unless the ACE 400 is heavily discounted. Garrett publishes Multi-Flex frequency selection at 5, 10, 15 and 20 kHz plus a multi-frequency mode and Multi-Salt, Z-Lynk wireless, a 6 by 11 DD coil and a built-in lithium battery rated to 15 hours for the Apex. The ACE 400 is simpler and cheaper, and on a salt beach the Apex can work where the 400 cannot.
What is iron audio on the Garrett ACE 400?
It is a setting that lets you hear the iron targets discrimination would otherwise silence. Without it, a rejected target is simply quiet, so you cannot tell a nail from a bottle cap or notice a good target masked by junk. With it, iron speaks in a distinct response, which is why experienced hunters use it on old house sites and farmyards where the ground is full of nails.
Is the ACE 400 good for beach detecting?
On dry sand only, and with reservations. It is a single frequency machine, and salt water conducts, so wet sand and the tide line will produce instability that no setting removes. The control box is also not waterproof. If beaches are your main ground, buy a machine that publishes a multi-frequency or Multi-Salt mode instead of trying to tune around the limitation.
What coil should I put on an ACE 400?
The stock coil is a good general choice, and the usual upgrade is a smaller coil for trashy ground where a large coil blends a coin and a nail into one iron-sounding response. The ACE coil compatibility chart on this site lists what fits the platform. Buy a coil cover at the same time, since it costs a fraction of the coil and takes the damage a rock would.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published specifications, manuals and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Target ID numbers, depth figures and settings vary with soil chemistry, moisture, target size, depth, orientation and firmware version, so treat every figure here as a starting point and verify it against your own machine's manual and your own ground. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.