Garrett ACE 400 Metal Detector Overview
The Garrett ACE 400 runs at 10 kHz, and its frequency adjust gives four minor settings (F1 to F4) to reduce interference from electrical sources or other detectors. Its headline feature is Iron Audio, which Garrett describes as letting you hear discriminated iron that is normally silenced. It reads targets on a 0 to 99 Digital Target ID with three audio tone levels, and has five search modes (Zero-Disc, Jewelry, Custom, Relics and Coins, the factory default) plus Pinpoint, eight sensitivity levels, four iron discrimination segments (Iron Check) and adjustable notch discrimination. Ground handling is automatic. The 8.5 x 11 inch PROformance DD searchcoil is submersible, but Garrett's manual says the control housing and connectors are not. The ACE 400 weighs 2.9 lb (1.32 kg), adjusts from 42 to 51 inch with camlocks, runs 20 to 40 hours on four AA batteries and takes headphones with a 1/4 inch plug. Garrett headphones with volume control come in the box, and Garrett covers the detector with a 3-year limited parts and labor warranty.
ACE 400 vs ACE Apex: Which Should You Buy?
The ACE 400 and ACE Apex share the ACE layout, the 0 to 99 Target ID, Iron Audio, eight sensitivity levels and a DD coil. The ACE Apex replaces the single 10 kHz frequency with Garrett's Multi-Flex technology: 5, 10, 15 or 20 kHz single frequencies plus Multi-Frequency and Multi-Salt for wet salt sand. The ACE Apex also adds 175-point ground balance, eight Iron Volume levels, a sixth search mode (US Coins), five audio tones, built-in Z-Lynk wireless and a rechargeable battery rated up to about 15 hours. ACE coils do not fit the ACE Apex, and Apex coils do not fit the ACE 400.
One step down, the ACE 300 runs at 8 kHz with a 7 x 10 inch concentric coil and no Iron Audio, with the same five modes and controls.
If you hunt inland parks, homesteads and fields and like the simplicity of AA batteries, the ACE 400 covers it. If you want saltwater beaches, a choice of frequencies, wireless audio or 175-point ground balance, we recommend the ACE Apex.
ACE 400, Best For:
- Older parks and homesteads with bottle caps and rusty iron, where Iron Audio gives an extra clue before you dig
- Coin and relic hunters on farm fields who want a DD coil on a light, simple detector
- Buyers who want headphones in the box and AA batteries they can swap in the field
ACE Apex, Best For:
- Hunters who split time between inland sites and saltwater beaches, using Multi-Salt on wet sand
- Mineralized or variable ground, where 175-point ground balance and frequency choice help
- Detectorists who want Z-Lynk wireless headphones and a Z-Lynk pinpointer with no extra module
Key Features That Matter in the Field
Iron Audio is the reason most buyers pick the ACE 400 over the ACE 300. With it on, a rusty bottle cap that gives a coin-like tone can also give a low iron response that gives it away, which is the job Garrett designed Iron Audio for. We treat Iron Audio as an extra clue rather than a guarantee, because some iron still sounds good and a good target next to iron can sound mixed. Iron Check sets how much iron discrimination to apply, the notch bar accepts or rejects target categories, and Graphic Target Analyzing shows the target's conductivity and your discrimination pattern at the same time. Frequency adjust is the fix at club hunts and near power lines: step through F1 to F4 until the detector settles. We recommend setting sensitivity where the ACE 400 runs quietly rather than at maximum, starting in Coins mode in a modern park and Relics mode on an old farm property, and checking a promising signal from more than one direction before you dig.
Where the Garrett ACE 400 Works Best and Its Limits
The ACE 400 fits older parks, schoolyards, homesteads, farm fields and dry beach sand. The DD coil covers ground well, and a DD coil can help with scattered iron and mineralized soil. The coil can go into shallow water, but the control housing must stay dry, so the ACE 400 is not a wading or surf detector. It is also not a wet saltwater beach detector: ground handling is automatic only, with no saltwater setting. It is a coin and relic detector, not a dedicated gold detector. For saltwater beaches, the ACE Apex has Multi-Salt, and for wading with the whole detector, Garrett's AT Pro is submersible to 10 ft (3 m).
Coils and Accessories That Fit the Garrett ACE 400
The ACE 400 takes Garrett's ACE series coils. In this collection that includes the 4.5 inch ACE Sniper for tight, trashy spots, the 5 x 8 inch DD PROformance, the 6.5 x 9 inch PROformance, the 6 x 11 inch DD Viper for ACE, the 9 x 12 inch concentric and the 14 x 11 inch DD Reaper for ACE, plus the stock 8.5 x 11 inch PROformance DD as a spare. The Multi-Flex coils made for the ACE Apex do not fit the ACE 400. We recommend the Sniper or the 5 x 8 inch DD for iron-packed homesteads and the 14 x 11 inch Reaper for covering open fields.
The ACE 400 takes any headphones with a 1/4 inch plug, including Garrett's MS-2 and TreasureSound headphones. Wireless audio on the ACE 400 needs Garrett's external Z-Lynk module, the Garrett Z-Lynk Wireless System with 1/4 inch jack. For recovery, the Garrett Pro-Pointer AT is waterproof to 20 ft (6 m) with an IP68 rating. Coil covers, the ACE Environmental Cover-Up, armrest parts and the Tallman shaft extension are in this collection too.
Garrett ACE Series Comparison: ACE 300, ACE 400 and ACE Apex
All three current ACE models share the 0 to 99 Digital Target ID, eight sensitivity levels, electronic pinpointing and Garrett's 3-year warranty. The differences are frequency, coil, iron handling, power and wireless audio.
| Feature | Garrett ACE 300 | Garrett ACE 400 | Garrett ACE Apex |
|---|
| Technology | Single frequency | Single frequency | Multi-Flex multi-frequency |
| Frequencies | 8 kHz, frequency adjust F1 to F4 | 10 kHz, frequency adjust F1 to F4 | 5, 10, 15 or 20 kHz, Multi-Frequency, Multi-Salt |
| Standard Coil | 7 x 10 inch PROformance concentric | 8.5 x 11 inch PROformance DD | 6 x 11 inch DD Multi-Flex Viper (8.5 x 11 inch DD Raider on Raider packages) |
| Coils That Fit | ACE series coils | ACE series coils | Apex Multi-Flex coils only |
| Search Modes | 5 plus Pinpoint | 5 plus Pinpoint | 6 plus Pinpoint (adds US Coins) |
| Digital Target ID | 0 to 99 | 0 to 99 | 0 to 99 |
| Audio Tones | 3 | 3 | 5, hybrid binary and proportional |
| Iron Audio | No | Yes | Yes, with 8 Iron Volume levels |
| Iron Discrimination | 4 iron segments (Iron Check) | 4 iron segments (Iron Check) | 20 notch pixels, 8 of them iron |
| Ground Balance | Automatic | Automatic | 175 points, ferrous ground to saltwater |
| Water | Coil submersible, control housing not | Coil submersible, control housing not | Coil submersible, control box not |
| Wireless Audio | Z-Lynk with Garrett's external Z-Lynk module | Z-Lynk with Garrett's external Z-Lynk module | Z-Lynk built in |
| Headphone Jack | 1/4 inch | 1/4 inch | 1/8 inch |
| Power | 4 AA, 20 to 40 hours | 4 AA, 20 to 40 hours | Built-in lithium-ion, up to about 15 hours, Micro-USB charging |
| Weight | 2.8 lb (1.27 kg) | 2.9 lb (1.32 kg) | Not listed by Garrett |
| Warranty | 3 years, limited parts and labor | 3 years, limited parts and labor | 3 years, limited parts and labor |
Read our Garrett ACE 300 vs 400 comparison to see what the ACE 400 adds over the ACE 300.
Why Buy the Garrett ACE 400 Metal Detector from Serious Detecting?
- Free Shipping on Orders Over $99: Your Garrett ACE 400 ships at no extra cost across the continental US.
- Authorized Garrett Dealer: Showroom in Ypsilanti, Michigan, full 3-year manufacturer warranty and product registration support.
- Help Before and After You Buy: Our staff answer setup, coil and ACE Series questions by phone or email.
