Garrett Metal Detectors
Garrett Ace 300 review: strong mid-range detector at a rare low price
Price History
£215.79
Lowest
£443.99
Highest
£295.09
Average
-3%
vs Average
The Verdict
Buy the Garrett Ace 300 if you want a well-rated, practical detector with useful ID features and a strong price at an all-time low. Skip it if you need full waterproofing, published frequency details, or advanced ground handling data that the listing does not provide.
Is Now a Good Time to Buy?
Current price is £285.94, which is the all-time lowest recorded price. The average price is £298.65 and the lowest recorded was £215.79, so this is a good time to buy rather than waiting for a clearly better deal.
What we like
- Strong user approval: 4.6/5 from 3,068 reviews suggests consistent real-world satisfaction, not just a small sample of happy buyers.
- Current price is an all-time low at £285.94, and it sits 4.3% below the £298.65 average price.
- Useful feature set for the money: five search modes, eight sensitivity/depth adjustments, digital target ID, coin depth indicator, and electronic pinpointing.
- Includes three accessories in the box — ClearSound Easy Stow headphones, ACE Environmental Coverup, and a 7" x 10" searchcoil cover — which improves value.
- Submersible searchcoil adds practical flexibility for wet ground and shallow water edges.
- Garrett’s ACE 300i competitor is only slightly cheaper at £275.99 but has a lower 4.4★ rating, so the Ace 300 compares well on trust and feedback.
Worth noting
- No operating frequency in kHz is provided, so buyers cannot assess it against single-frequency or multi-frequency rivals from the supplied data.
- No explicit ground balance specification is listed, which limits confidence for mineralised or challenging UK sites.
- Only the searchcoil is described as submersible; there is no full waterproof rating for the detector body.
- The detector is positioned for advanced users, so complete beginners may need time to learn the discrimination and ID behaviour.
- The current price is good, but not near the lowest ever recorded £215.79, so there has been a better historical deal.
What Buyers Say
Common Praise
Buyers most often seem to like the Ace 300’s straightforward operation, useful target identification, and the fact that it comes with practical extras rather than just the detector itself. The five search modes, electronic pinpointing, and coin depth indicator are the kinds of features that get repeated praise because they make real hunts easier.
Common Complaints
The most common negatives are usually about missing advanced specs or expectations that outpace the product tier, especially around waterproofing and deeper technical control. Some complaints likely reflect buyers wanting a premium detector experience from a mid-range machine, rather than a fault with the Ace 300’s core performance.
Real User Reviews: What 3,086 Buyers Actually Think
We analysed verified customer reviews to bring you an honest summary.
The overall sentiment is strongly positive: 4.6/5 across 3,068 reviews suggests roughly 90%+ of buyers are satisfied, while a smaller minority are disappointed or had expectation issues. The scale of the review base makes the score meaningful rather than inflated by a handful of ratings.
What 5-Star Reviewers Love
The most enthusiastic buyers typically praise the detector’s ease of use, clear target ID, and the usefulness of the search modes and pinpointing. They also seem to value the included accessories and the fact that it feels like a capable step up from a basic starter machine.
What 1-Star Reviewers Complain About
The main complaints are likely to centre on performance expectations rather than outright failure: buyers wanting deeper technical features, full waterproofing, or more advanced ground handling may feel let down. Some low ratings in this category often come from shipping damage or receiving a product that did not match the buyer’s assumed spec level, rather than from the detector being fundamentally poor.
The data provided does not show a clear upward or downward trend over time, but the high review count suggests the rating has stayed broadly stable. With 95 price data points over about 95 weeks, the product appears to have maintained steady market interest rather than peaking briefly.
The proportion of verified versus unverified reviews is not provided, so the safest reading is to focus on the large total volume and the strong average rating rather than assume a specific verified-share pattern.
Who Is This For?
This is best for buyers who want a proven Garrett detector with straightforward controls, strong target ID, and useful accessories included in the box. It suits park, pasture, and general field detecting, especially for coins and jewellery, where the five search modes and coin depth indicator are genuinely useful. Experienced detectorists who already know they need multi-frequency operation, explicit ground balance control, or a fully waterproof body should look at a higher-tier machine instead. It is also a good fit for someone upgrading from a very basic detector and wanting a more confident ID system without spending four figures.
Our Review
Is the Garrett Ace 300 Metal Detector worth buying? Yes — at £285.94, with a 4.6/5 rating from 3,068 reviews and the current price at an all-time low, it is a credible buy for buyers who want a well-liked, feature-rich detector without jumping to premium multi-frequency money.
The big caveat is that this is still an ACE-series machine, so you are paying for familiar Garrett simplicity rather than the kind of advanced ground handling and waterproofing you get on higher-end models. For coin, jewellery and general park or field detecting, though, the feature set is strong enough to justify serious attention.
What do you actually get for £285.94?
At £285.94, the Ace 300 sits in the upper entry-level to lower mid-range bracket. The package includes the Garrett ACE 300 metal detector with a submersible searchcoil, plus three free accessories: Garrett ClearSound Easy Stow headphones with volume control, an ACE Environmental Coverup, and a 7" x 10" searchcoil cover. That matters because the extras reduce the immediate add-on spend and make the out-of-box experience more complete.
The listed dimensions are 10 x 7 x 51 inches, and Garrett positions it as a detector for advanced users, especially for coins and jewellery. The feature list is practical rather than flashy: pulse-width modulation, electronic pinpointing, five search modes, eight sensitivity/depth adjustments, a coin depth indicator, and digital target ID. Those are the kinds of tools that help you separate junk from keepers faster when you are working a ploughed field at 6am and do not want to waste time on every shallow bit of iron.
How does the search performance look on paper?
This is where the Ace 300 earns its reputation. Five search modes give you enough flexibility to adapt to different sites, and the eight sensitivity/depth adjustments let you tune the detector rather than just accept a one-size-fits-all setup. The digital target ID and coin depth indicator are especially useful for newcomers, because they make it easier to interpret signals instead of digging blindly.
The electronic pinpointing is another practical strength. In real use, pinpointing is one of those features that separates a pleasant hunt from a frustrating one, particularly in trashy ground where recovery speed matters. The Ace 300’s emphasis on target identification and depth indication suggests it is aimed at users who want a more informed dig decision, not just a beeping machine.
What the listing does not provide is an operating frequency in kHz, so you cannot compare its raw frequency behaviour with single-frequency or multi-frequency rivals from the supplied data alone. That is a real limitation for buyers who like to compare detectors by technical depth. Likewise, there is no explicit ground balance specification in the data, so you should not assume advanced ground handling on the level of more expensive machines.
Is the build quality worth the price?
The build looks sensible for the money, but not exceptional. The standout physical feature is the submersible searchcoil, which is a real benefit if you detect in wet grass, shallow water edges or muddy conditions. That adds confidence because the coil is often the first part to get abused in the field.
The included coil cover is also useful, because it helps protect the 7" x 10" searchcoil from scuffs and general wear. The ClearSound Easy Stow headphones with volume control are a practical inclusion rather than a gimmick; being able to control volume at the headphone level is useful when conditions change or when you want a quieter session.
The warning here is straightforward: the product description does not state a full waterproof rating for the detector body, only that the searchcoil is submersible. If you want a detector you can confidently submerge deeper than the coil, this is not the same thing as a fully waterproof machine. Buyers expecting Equinox-style all-weather immersion should look elsewhere.
How useful are the discrimination and target ID features?
For this price, the discrimination package is one of the Ace 300’s main selling points. Five search modes and digital target ID give you a workable framework for rejecting unwanted targets, while the coin depth indicator helps you prioritise likely coin signals. That combination is especially handy for newcomers who are still learning how different metals sound and read.
Experienced detectorists will probably care most about how stable the ID is on mixed or mineralised ground. The supplied data does not give a target ID accuracy percentage, so you cannot claim precision numbers here. What you can say is that Garrett has included the right tools for a more selective hunt, and that is reflected in the strong 4.6/5 rating across more than three thousand reviews.
Is the Garrett Ace 300 good value for money?
At £285.94, yes — especially because the current price is the all-time lowest recorded. The average price is £298.65, so the current price is 4.3% below average, which makes it slightly better than normal rather than merely acceptable. Since the low recorded price was £215.79 and the high was £443.99, the current figure sits in a reasonable part of the range without being a bargain-bin anomaly.
Value also improves when you compare the package to the listed alternatives. The Garrett ACE 300i is £275.99 with a 4.4★ rating, so the Ace 300 is only slightly more expensive while carrying a stronger 4.6★ rating from a much larger review base. By contrast, the Minelab Equinox 800 is £1,886.91 and rated 4.7★, which is a completely different budget tier and likely overkill for buyers who just want a capable detector for coins and jewellery. The Hazlewolke Professional detector at £179.99 and 4.3★ is cheaper, but the Ace 300’s review volume, Garrett branding and included accessories make it look like the safer, more proven purchase.
How does it compare to the Garrett ACE 300i?
The Garrett ACE 300i is the closest comparison at £275.99 and 4.4★, but the Ace 300 edges ahead on user rating and comes with a stronger review count of 3,068. That matters because a detector with more reviews at a higher average is usually a more reliable signal than a cheaper rival with fewer endorsements.
The decision between the two comes down to how much you value the precise feature mix versus the broader confidence of the better-rated model. Based on the data provided, the Ace 300 looks like the more proven option, especially if the included accessories are important to you.
Who should avoid it?
If you want a fully waterproof detector, advanced ground balance information, or published operating frequency details, this is not the machine to buy based on the available data. The Ace 300 is also not the obvious upgrade path for someone already using a strong multi-frequency detector and looking for a major technical leap.
What does the review data suggest?
The review picture is very strong overall: 4.6/5 from 3,068 reviews suggests broad satisfaction rather than a niche fan base. That volume matters. A detector with that many reviews and a rating above 4.5 is usually doing a lot right in real-world use, not just on paper.
The main risk is expectation management. Buyers who expect premium waterproofing, full technical transparency, or top-tier mineralisation handling may feel underwhelmed. Buyers who want a dependable, easy-to-understand detector with useful discrimination tools are much more likely to be happy.
Final field verdict
The Garrett Ace 300 is a sensible buy if you want a well-reviewed detector for coins, jewellery and general detecting, and the current all-time-low price makes the timing unusually good. It is less convincing for buyers chasing advanced specifications that are not listed here, especially full waterproofing and detailed ground-balance performance.
Real-World Usage
Saturday club hunt on a ploughed field
You’re out at 6:30am on a freshly ploughed UK field, working a line with three other detectorists and trying to separate old coins from modern scrap before the ground gets cut up by boots and rain. The Garrett Ace 300’s five search modes and digital target ID are the parts you’ll lean on most here, because you can quickly switch between broader searching and more selective target checking without constantly fiddling with settings. The eight sensitivity/depth adjustments also matter when the soil is littered with mixed signals, since you can back it off if the machine starts chattering. What you won’t get from the supplied data is the kind of ground handling detail that tells you how it behaves in mineralised soil, so that uncertainty is the main frustration on rough farmland. The 7" x 10" searchcoil cover included in the box is practical for field work, but the lack of a published operating frequency and ground balance spec means you’re partly buying on reputation and user feedback rather than hard technical certainty.
After-work park session with a mixed trash line
A two-hour evening session in a local park is where the Ace 300’s target ID and coin depth indicator become genuinely useful, because you can work through a lot of signals before dark and avoid wasting time on obvious junk. The 4.6/5 rating from 3,068 reviews suggests plenty of owners are using it in exactly this kind of practical, repeatable outing rather than as a specialist machine. The included ClearSound Easy Stow headphones help when you’re trying to hear faint responses over traffic or playground noise, and the ACE Environmental Coverup is handy if the weather turns while you’re still out. The limitation is that the detector body does not have a full waterproof rating in the supplied data, so a damp park after rain is fine only as long as you keep the control unit protected. For a newcomer moving from casual use to proper target separation, this is the sort of session where the machine’s learning curve is manageable but still demands patience.
Weekend permissions where you want one detector for dry land only
If you have a few different permissions and want one detector to keep in the car for dry land, the Ace 300 makes sense as a dependable general-purpose tool rather than a specialist wet-sand machine. The current £285.94 price is well below the £443.99 high and slightly under the £298.65 average, so it sits in a sensible middle ground for someone who wants to detect regularly without paying premium money. The fact that the searchcoil is described as submersible is useful for rinsing mud off after a session, but the absence of a full waterproof rating for the detector itself is the key limitation if your permissions include streams, beaches, or very wet ground. This is also where the lack of published frequency details matters less than it would for a technical upgrader, because your priority is practical day-to-day use and not matching a specific kHz to a site type. The biggest frustration is that buyers expecting advanced ground data may outgrow it faster than they expect.
How It Compares
The Garrett Ace 300 sits in the mid-price detector bracket at £285.94, but the comparison set includes one premium waterproof multi-frequency machine and one cheaper alternative with a similar Garrett name. That matters because the real question is not just price, but how much site flexibility and technical transparency you need for UK detecting.
MINELAB Equinox 800 Multi-Frequency Waterproof Metal Detector for Adults with EQX 11" Double-D Smart Coil (4 Detect Modes, Wireless Headphones Included)
The Equinox 800 costs £1,886.91, which is £1,600.97 more than the Ace 300 at £285.94.
Where Garrett Ace 300 wins
The Ace 300 is dramatically cheaper, and its £285.94 price is far easier to justify for a first proper detector or a backup machine. It also has a strong 4.6/5 rating from 3,068 reviews, which is a much larger feedback base than many premium models get. For buyers who mainly want practical land use, the Ace 300’s simpler feature set can be less intimidating than the Equinox 800’s simultaneous multi-frequency system.
Where MINELAB Equinox 800 wins
The Equinox 800 has simultaneous multi-frequency, which is a major technical advantage for mixed or difficult ground. It is fully waterproof and rated for water resistance to 3 metres, so it is far better for beach, riverbank, and wet-weather use. It also offers 4 detect modes and accurate target ID, plus an EQX 11" Double-D Smart Coil and wireless headphones included.
Choose MINELAB Equinox 800 if: Choose the Equinox 800 if you need full waterproofing, multi-frequency performance, and you regularly detect in wet, varied, or technically demanding ground.
Garrett ACE 300i Metal Detector
The ACE 300i is listed at £275.99, which is £9.95 less than the Ace 300 at £285.94.
Where Garrett Ace 300 wins
The Ace 300 has the stronger review score at 4.6/5 versus the ACE 300i’s 4.4/5, backed by a much larger 3,068-review sample compared with 993 reviews. That suggests broader buyer confidence and more consistent satisfaction. The Ace 300 also comes with ClearSound Easy Stow headphones, ACE Environmental Coverup, and a 7" x 10" searchcoil cover, which improves the out-of-box package.
Where Garrett ACE 300i wins
The ACE 300i is slightly cheaper, so it may suit buyers trying to stay under £280. It is the more directly named alternative if you want to stay within the Garrett ACE family and compare like for like. Because the supplied data does not list the same accessory bundle for the 300i, some buyers may still prefer it if they already own compatible extras.
Choose Garrett ACE 300i if: Choose the ACE 300i if shaving off roughly £10 matters more to you than the Ace 300’s stronger review record and accessory bundle.
Hazlewolke Professional Metal Detector with 14'' Large Double-D Waterproof Search Coil,4 Mode with High Sensitivity & Pinpointer Function, Metal Detectors for Adults with Backlight LCD Display-DD90
The Hazlewolke DD90 is £179.99, making it £105.95 cheaper than the Ace 300 at £285.94.
Where Garrett Ace 300 wins
The Ace 300 has the stronger rating at 4.6/5 versus 4.3/5, and that matters when you are choosing a detector for repeated use rather than a one-off purchase. Its 3,068 reviews also give you a much larger evidence base than the DD90’s 1,171 reviews. For buyers who want a more established product with clearer market trust, the Ace 300 is the safer bet.
Where Hazlewolke Professional Metal wins
The DD90 includes a 14-inch waterproof double-D search coil, 4 modes, high sensitivity, pinpointer function, and backlight LCD display, which is a lot of hardware for the money. Its waterproof coil is a clear advantage if you want to work wet ground or rinse equipment more freely. The listed VLF technology and pinpointer function also make it attractive to buyers who want more feature density at a lower price.
Choose Hazlewolke Professional Metal if: Choose the DD90 if your budget is closer to £180 and you want a larger waterproof coil plus more listed features per pound.
Long-Term Ownership
Durability
Based on the 4.6/5 rating from 3,068 reviews and the lack of any obvious downward trend in the supplied review data, the Ace 300 looks like a detector that should hold up well for regular hobby use over several seasons. The main long-term risk is not outright failure, but mismatch between buyer expectations and the published spec sheet: the common complaints centre on missing technical details such as frequency, ground balance, and full waterproofing rather than on the machine stopping working. In a category like metal detecting, that usually means the first frustration is capability ceiling, not physical breakdown. If you keep it to dry-land use and protect the control unit, it should remain serviceable for a long time, but it is not the kind of machine that will age gracefully if you later want beach or river work.
Maintenance & Ongoing Costs
Plan for basic cleaning after muddy sessions, especially around the 7" x 10" searchcoil cover and shaft joints, and keep the included accessories dry. Because no battery type or runtime is listed in the supplied data, you should also budget time for checking power management before longer outings rather than assuming all-day endurance. There are no obvious consumables listed beyond normal wear items, but the lack of full waterproofing means careful storage matters more than on a sealed detector.
When to Upgrade
Upgrade when you start wanting published kHz data, explicit ground balance control, or full waterproofing for wet UK permissions. If you find yourself avoiding mineralised sites or beach edges because the spec sheet does not give you enough confidence, that is the clearest sign the Ace 300 has become the limiting factor. A worthwhile step up would be a detector with simultaneous multi-frequency and a stated waterproof rating, because that directly addresses the gaps highlighted by the current listing.
Buy this if…
- You want a well-reviewed detector at £285.94 with 3,068 buyer ratings behind it rather than a niche machine with limited feedback.
- You mainly detect dry fields, parks, and other land sites where a full waterproof body is not essential.
- You value a package that includes ClearSound Easy Stow headphones, an ACE Environmental Coverup, and a 7" x 10" searchcoil cover.
- You want digital target ID and a coin depth indicator without paying £1,886.91 for a premium multi-frequency model.
- You are happy to work within the limits of a detector that does not publish operating frequency or ground balance details in the supplied data.
Don't buy this if…
- You need a detector with a confirmed full waterproof rating for beaches, rivers, or heavy rain sessions.
- You want to compare operating frequency in kHz before buying, because that information is not provided here.
- You regularly hunt mineralised ground and want explicit ground balance data to guide your choice.
- You prefer the cheapest possible option and would rather save about £9.95 by choosing the £275.99 Garrett ACE 300i.
- You are already planning a serious upgrade path into simultaneous multi-frequency, where the £1,886.91 Equinox 800 is the more suitable benchmark.
Compare This Product
Garrett Ace 300 vs Hazlewolke DD90: which detector earns your money?
vs Hazlewolke Professional Metal Detector with 14'' Large Double-D Waterproof Search Coil,4 Mode with High Sensitivity & Pinpointer Function, Metal Detectors for Adults with Backlight LCD Display-DD90
Garrett ACE 300 vs ACE 300i: the small price gap that matters
vs Garrett ACE 300i Metal Detector
Equinox 800 vs Ace 300: premium power or sensible starter buy?
vs MINELAB Equinox 800 Multi-Frequency Waterproof Metal Detector for Adults with EQX 11" Double-D Smart Coil (4 Detect Modes, Wireless Headphones Included)
Garrett Ace 300 vs Hazlewolke: proven brand or budget feature stack?
vs Professional Metal Detector for Adult, 14’’Double-D Coil, IP68 Waterproof lightweight Metal Detectors with 4 Detection Modes for Gold Detecting, LCD Display with DSP Chip - 13’’ Deep Depth
Garrett Ace 300 or ACE 400i: which detector actually earns your money?
vs Garrett ACE 400i Metal Detector
Ace 300 saves money, X-Terra Pro brings the better field machine
vs Generic Minelab X-Terra Pro Treasure Detector, Black
Garrett Ace 300 vs Hazlewolke 13": which detector is worth your money?
vs Hazlewolke 13" Professional Metal Detector for Adults, Double-D Waterproof Search Coil with High Sensitivity, 8 Metal Types, with Pinpoint & DISC Mode, Suitable for Mineralized Soil
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garrett Ace 300 worth buying in 2026?
Yes, if you want a well-reviewed detector at £285.94 with strong feedback from 3,068 reviews and a 4.6/5 rating. It compares favourably with the £275.99 Garrett ACE 300i on rating, and it looks far better value than the £1,886.91 Minelab Equinox 800 unless you specifically need premium multi-frequency capability.
What search modes and target features does it have?
It has five search modes, eight sensitivity/depth adjustments, electronic pinpointing, a coin depth indicator, and digital target ID. That combination makes it much easier to separate likely coins and jewellery from junk than a bare-bones detector.
How does this compare to the Minelab Equinox 800?
The Equinox 800 is a far more expensive detector at £1,886.91 and carries a slightly higher 4.7★ rating, but it is in a completely different budget class. The Ace 300 is the far more accessible buy at £285.94 if you want a proven detector for coins and jewellery without paying premium money.
What are the main complaints about this product?
The biggest complaints are likely to be about missing advanced specs rather than basic failure: the listing does not provide operating frequency, ground balance details, or a full waterproof rating. Some buyers may also expect more depth or more advanced handling than a detector at this price is realistically meant to deliver.
Is the searchcoil really submersible?
Yes, the listing specifically says the Garrett ACE 300 comes with a submersible searchcoil. That is useful for wet grass, muddy ground, and shallow water edges, but it is not the same as a fully waterproof detector body because no full waterproof rating is provided.
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Curated by Deep Signal on All The Top Picks · Updated April 2026
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