I totally agree about maximizing the ace 250. Of course, I've yakked about it before,
but it really does make a difference if you are really trying to go deep.
I've proven it to myself over and over.
From a $$$ standpoint, I think he's better off getting the two extra coils for the 250,
and then really learning to tweak them for max performance.
As an example, lets say moving up from a ace 250 to a 1350.. What more depth
would that give you in sheer performance using the stock coil?
I'm actually not sure, being I don't own a 1350, but lets say you get 2-3 more
inches with it wide open. It may or may not do that, I dunno. I'd let someone who
owns both answer that. So what does a 1350 cost these days? $550-$600 seems
to be about the norm..
On the other hand, you can add the 9x12 coil to the 250 and get the same 2-3 inches
more depth. For a lot less $$$$..
But for one serious about the ace 250, I really recommend getting both the 9x12
and the 4.5 inch sniper. The big coil gives you your extra depth when you need it,
and the sniper makes weeding through trash areas a lot more pleasant.
The ace 250 is capable of going pretty deep if you push it to the limit.
Not everyone really likes running it that way, as it does give you more chatter,
but it will let you reach down that extra bit to sniff out coins that it will completely
miss if the sensitivity is set mid range.
After you do it a while, you learn to tell what is chatter and what are good
repeatable signals.
Also, W.VA John has a good point. Not all places have old coins to find.
Some people lived in places and hardly ever lost coins back then.
I bet the families with lots of kids running around show the most coins..

If you had a house where two older retired people lived, they probably hardly lost
anything.
Anyway, my vote is keep the ace, get the two extra coils and just keep learning
the machine. Would be a lot cheaper, and I don't think the stock 1350 would
give you much if any more depth than just adding the 9x12 coil to the 250.
Course, you can argue that the 1350 with large coils might do even better,
and indeed it might, but then you are looking at $600+- plus the price of the
large coil.. You are getting into the $700-$800 range pretty quick.
About double what a decked out 250 will run.
I think you get more inches for the buck with the 250 and big coil.
Just no sizing, imaging, and I don't really care about that too much. I tend
to dig about everything I come across anyway..
My usual $2.91 worth of course..
