Is there anyone out there who has made a lot of money metal detecting?
I do not know anyone that made a lot of money but if you do your homework it may be a slightly profitable hobby. There is always hope for more! The Ace 250 from Garrett is most likely what you are looking for. I believe it is quite good has most features and sensivity it is comparable to 1k detectors (just missing high level imaging functions) and will only be about 225usd. Good Luck!