What to do....

[Knifemaker84 194]

I want to enter into the pi territory. Im having to do some deciding on what detector to buy. Im pretty much limited to a second hand machine. I currently own the gm1000 and the gb2 . Both are vlf machines.  My question is,  what would you as a newbie go with? I know that i like minelab so i will be focusing on that brand. I was thinking gpx5000 or sdc2300 but i want to hear from the people that use them. Remember i am a newbie, however i learn fast and im a very good reader when it comes to learning. Cheers!

[grubstake 585]

Someone has a GPX 5000 for a killer price on Robs forum, but I'd get the serial # checked first. to make sure its real. Grubstake

[frank c 786]

What are your "primary" intentions that you'll be hunting for ?
That should help you narrow the field.

 

[azdigger 1,424]

2300 is a good machine  , but you are stuck with one coil.

With the GPX machines there is a wide choice of coils to match your hunting area.

ASK Bill , he would give you great advice I am sure.

[Knifemaker84 194]

5 hours ago, frank c said:

What are your "primary" intentions that you'll be hunting for ?
That should help you narrow the field.

 

Gold nugget hunting is my main plan. Maybe when i talk my daughter to the park i will hunt the sandbox or wood chips, but that will be rare (i usually play on the equipment)

[Terry Soloman 751]

It was so nice to meet and talk with you at the outing! See if Bill has any trade in or used GPX units. I know there are smoking deals on the 4500 out there now. Good Luck! 

 

[Uncle Ron 1,407]

Knifemaker, I have the SD2100 and the GP4500 ...Both are excellent machines and can be had for a good price ...I'd also suggest the GP3500 because I've seen it work wonders in the hands of newbies and old pros alike ... Plus, you can get a huge number of different coils very reasonably, used... Cheers, Unc

[Knifemaker84 194]

2 hours ago, Terry Soloman said:

It was so nice to meet and talk with you at the outing! See if Bill has any trade in or used GPX units. I know there are smoking deals on the 4500 out there now. Good Luck! 

 

Terry, 

It was very nice to meet you as well! I look forward to meeting again in the future. I will give Bill a call and see if he will be on the lookout, i think i have settled on the 2300 just because it is a nice collapsible machine that will hold it value nicely in case i want to sell or upgrade in the future.  

[adam 2,892]

24 minutes ago, Knifemaker84 said:

i think i have settled on the 2300

If you want to hunt nuggets. Go straight to the 4500, and there will not be a need to upgrade.  Dont make me say " I told you so"  

[nugget108 1,410]

4500 like Adam said, or the 5000 if the pocketbook allows. Love my 5000.

[Buckeye Boy 139]

You already have two crumb chasers. Go with the big boy 4000, 4500, 5000.

AJ

[frank c 786]

I have to join the comments on  GPX model , …. 4500 would be and was my choice and excellent results with a variety of coils both Mfg's and aftermarket that can be had.
I used a 3500 for years before the 4500. and before that a 2100, 2200 along with the variety of Gold specific VLF's.
Hapy Huntn, ...........their still "out there"  !   Keep on Beepin  

[IloveAu 8]

Knifemaker, it all depends where you are hunting and what you are looking for in a machine. The SDC is excellent when it comes to shallow gold in highly mineralized soil. It has an 8 inch coil so you won't cover much ground. However, the machine is super sensitive to fine gold (I recovered 0.1 gramers in about 5 inch depth), but having the right headset and coil swinging techniques is key (move the coil slowly and as close to the ground as possible-sides of coil are the most sensitive). The machine is very compact and folds nicely to the size of a magazine. This makes it a perfect choice for backpacking. The threshold is a bit noisy though and you often need to reduce sensitivity to hear those faint threshold variations (setting 2 works in most cases, sometimes you need to reduce to 1). Tip: don't use the Pro-sonic wireless set, I found it adds up slightly to the threshold instability. Also, turn off your cell phone when you are hunting as it can add to the EMI. In sum, the SDC is a great machine that found me many nuggets. If you settle with a 8 inch coil and get used to the rather unstable threshold, you will have alot of fun with it. Another tip: buy the knuckle guard (eBay, import from Australia). Its a small investment that pays off big time as the coil mount knuckle is the most vulnerable part of the detector and quickly wears off. I like to backpack in remote areas and the SDC2300 is really the only choice for that.

[IloveAu 8]

One more thing, especially when you are a beginner: Patience, Patience, Patience. Don't get frustrated when all you dig up is trash. The SDC is so sensitive that it will pick up tiny bird shots 5 inch deep and small pieces of metal that you can barely see with your eye (i.e. from decomposing tin cans left behind by old-timers). It's not like you see on the youtube videos where they dig up 1 oz nuggets in the SW Australian goldfields by the dozens. It is hard labor with a lot of frustration, and on average you need to dig up 100 pieces of trash before you find a shiny (if you are lucky!).  However, enjoy the outdoors and just have fun with the adventure. Also, don't bother going for old mine dumps (as often suggested). They are littered (!!!!) with metal garbage and for the most part you are just wasting your time. Rather, look for alluvial fans in remote but gold bearing areas that are hard to reach by car and require hiking. Most importantly, the area needs to be known to produce gold nuggets.

[Swampstomper Al 1,336]

In a nut shell..? What adam said.. And frank c.. And nugget108, and grubstake, and Terry and Uncle Ron and Buckeye Boy and azdigger..................
The 4500 is a heckuva gold-finding machine at its price point; 2nd owner even better..!


Swamp

Edited November 18, 2018 by Swampstomper Al

[Nugget Shooter 4,309]

4500 for bang and buck OH and later after warranty is gone perhaps have it modded 

[Mike Furness 1,367]

if I had it to do again it would be the 4500 ... I have had the 4500, 5000, 7000 and 2300.