Coil for Ace 400i - is it worth it?

[Bradrick]

Hi
A little help and advice please:

I am really pleased with my 400i and it is picking up some decent finds on a difficult site. However, the meadow on one of my permissions has never been ploughed and some areas are quite marshy. Even relatively modern coins (last hundred years) are pretty deep and the endless collection of musket balls are 8" plus. I can't help thinking that I am walking over some nice finds which are just a little deeper.

Is it worth me investing in another coil? Do they really offer greater depth (all else being equal)? If so, which would you choose for this machine?

Thanks in advance.

[Saki]

Hey SuperRed, I have the 400i with Nel Thunder coil. I actually had it on my 250. So when I bought the 400, I immediately put on the Thunder. Recently, due to me going over the same area and wanting to pick out missed chances, I put on the Stock coil. I found the Stock coil more accurate. (And only then realised the weight difference, much lighter) In saying that I really do like my thunder coil that I would say gives "marginally" more depth. And acres more coverage. But it also puts weight on. Hope this helps

[lammy]

Hi I have the nell tornado on the 400i and must say on flattish ground it's great and yes I'm getting things like a coins on its edge 12"+ so much deeper, I find it very accurate and the pinpointer works just back from centre. Obviously no good around stubble or trees. Very happy with my outfit even on the beach

[Bradrick]

Many thanks saki and lammy - this 'hands on' advice from the forum is invaluable. I am aware that when people like me are seeking this kind of advice, we are hoping for that 'magic' answer: "yep, this coil will guarantee an extra foot", but the experience of others is better than commercial reviews.
The permission I mentioned is pretty flat with no real obstacles, but there is a lot of iron (nails, horseshoes, etc.).

[Mud Max]

Worth remembering that if you have ground with a lot of iron the bigger coils can struggle. If you look at the range of bigger Nel coils on sale at Regton, most advise use on average/clean ground.

I never found the depth difference to be that great between the 400i stock and the Tornado, because the 400i comes with the Pro-Formance DD which has respectable depth in it's own right.

I would suggest the Nel Thunder, it's got a pretty good reputation and it's not as wide as some of the big coils, so the shape could help around the iron. But if the iron is heavy, it's not the best environment for a bigger coil.

Once you have it though, you have got it for other sites.

[Bradrick]

Once you have it though, you have got it for other sites.

Thanks Max. This was my own thought really. I guess that I am hoping for the impossible (a coil that does it all), but I have been fortunate enough to add two further permissions which I haven't tried yet, so a good compromise that will also address the issues I mentioned on the site I am working on would be good. I don't think that I have the experience yet to say whether this site is iron-laden or if it is the composition of the soil (the 400i grumbles iron over much of it).

[Mud Max]

Once you have it though, you have got it for other sites.

Thanks Max. This was my own thought really. I guess that I am hoping for the impossible (a coil that does it all), but I have been fortunate enough to add two further permissions which I haven't tried yet, so a good compromise that will also address the issues I mentioned on the site I am working on would be good. I don't think that I have the experience yet to say whether this site is iron-laden or if it is the composition of the soil (the 400i grumbles iron over much of it).

Stick in the "all metal" mode (zero disc) If the buzzes are 2 or 3 per sweep and it starts doing your head in, your in heavy iron mate. No coil does it all I'm afraid, but the great thing about the 400i is the additional coils are relatively inexpensive, and they are good performers.

Garrett also do a smaller version of the stock coil which will separate well amongst the iron and is great for hunting the stubble and thickets/woodland etc. Nel do small ones also, and small coils have their benefits.

[Saffron]

You might find this link very useful as it compares / rates the different aspects of each Nel coil. It should be a guide for other makes of coils of about the same size.

http://nel-coils.com/index.php/en/

As you see any coil is a compromise, eg if you go for depth you lose out on sensitivity to small targets. The stock coil provided with any machine is what the manufacturer considers the best compromise for overall detecting.

If you want extra depth a larger coil will help, and give better coverage, but at the cost of sensitivity and extra weight. However, any coil will provide only limited additional depth (eg a couple of inches), sadly there is no "magic coil" that will give an extra foot on a hammy!.

FYI: I used the Nel Tornado on a Garrett 250 and it did give a bit extra depth, in addition to the extra coverage which was the reason I purchased it for.

Evan

[Bradrick]

FYI: I used the Nel Tornado on a Garrett 250 and it did give a bit extra depth, in addition to the extra coverage which was the reason I purchased it for.

Many thanks Evan - very useful!