Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

It all started for me a little over 15 years ago with an old White's 5900. My grandmother lost a ring somewhere in her massive, poorly maintained yard, and it was up to me (and a second hand 5900) to find it. Long story short, I did just that - and found out that I rather enjoyed hunting in the process. Over the years, I went through many more metal detectors before settling on the Time Ranger some time in 2010. My previously favorite MD was the Garrett Ace 250 (which my wife currently uses - used actually). Hunting is a great hobby, and will pay for itself within a few years (or much sooner if you are lucky). I spent a little over $400 on my Time Ranger, and it paid for itself on the third day - when I dug up a very nice ring (while hunting a popular beach). I went back there countless times over the years, and while I didn't get any more major finds, I do quite often get silver and gold rings, as well as massive amounts of coin. This alone should tell you how great the TR is, since that beach is hunted by dozens of other enthusiasts. A few years ago I got my wife into the hobby and she has been using my old Ace 250. For a while we would go out a few times a week, but that came to an end when hunting made a comeback. These past few years everyone seems to be walking around with a metal detector, looking for lost treasures. While we no longer have time to hunt every week, we make it a point to go out at least once a month, and try our luck. I sometimes follow behind her (if the area looks promising), and since the TR has a greater depth range than the A250, often find things she missed. My deepest find was a coin that was almost 14 inches BELOW ground. Her Ace 250 swept right over it (literally), but the TR had no issue finding it. It was so deep that I almost gave up on it after digging out about 12 inches, but my pinpointer confirmed something, and I kept going. Now I know it's not fair to compare the Ace 250 ($200 dollar detector), vs the Time Ranger (400 dollar detector), but since the TR can now be bought for under $170, it falls in the same price range as the Ace! Both are great detectors, but the TR comes with more bells, whistles, and options. My cousin actually bought the 350 model a few years back and I often find good stuff he missed, while he has no such luck if I lead (although I do try to leave him plenty of junk). I also sometimes compete in sponsored hunts, where I usually end up in the top 10. I never actually took first place, that is usually "reserved" for people with thousand dollar machines and a lot more experience than me (but I did come in fourth twice so far, and fifth quite a few times as well - beating out some very expensive MD's). But enough ranting, let me tell you why you should buy this metal detector. First of all, the price is outstanding. Dollar for dollar, you can't beat this machine unless you move up to the Garrett AT Pro. I will be the first to admit, that machine is technically better - but the price difference is huge. If you have $600 to spend on the AT Pro, by all means go with that. Eventually I will upgrade to the ATP as well, but only when it falls into the $400 (or below) range. Second - as long as you know how to ground balance your unit, this thing will detect pretty much anything you want it to. Third - it is waterproof. Just don't submerse it too far and get water on the circuits/display enclosure. Having said that, their support is nice enough to repair your system fairly cheap and extremely fast if you do get it wet. Fourth - You can actually exclude certain items and metals from being found with a simple press of a button! Careful when using this feature though, since I found a LOT of jewelry that read out as pull tabs. Fifth - If you have the patience to learn this wonderful detector - it will last you a life time and get you a lot of great finds. I actually just bought another one for my wife, and sold her Ace 250 on Craigslist. To sum it up, this is a great detector at a great price. I hunted rocky mountains, sandy beaches, and everything in between. Never had an issue with the detection rate or quality. Salt water can get a little tricky, but adjusting the sensitivity quickly fixed the problem. So go ahead and buy confidently. For under $170, you will NOT buy a better metal detector at the moment.