Garrett ATX vs Minelab SDC2300

[Goldpick]

The two detectors aren't nearly the same price in Oz, only if you are looking and comparing with the deepseeker package, which obviously includes the addition of an $830 mono coil, something that isn't currently an option on the SDC. I see Garrett are now offering $300 worth of accessories with the ATX, including the propointer, garrett digger, finds bag, and a cap (if that would be a deciding factor in the purchase).

The SDC has already proven itself many times over from various forum member's testimonies and finds, even without taking into account Nenad's excellent contributions and associated you tube clips

One of the best things about this forum is great variation of detectors owned and used, more of a case of what works in any given environment, or whether budget dictates the use of a certain detector vs brand loyalty or bias.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

Oh dear. I do not work for any of the manufacturers but they all send me free metal detectors. If anyone thinks that sways my opinions please never read any of my posts!

People who have worked in the industry are some of the most knowledgeable people you can find. I know a fair bit about detectors and metal detecting and I pay far more attention to people like Nenad than most. The worst for bias are the hard core single line dealers. Multiline dealers can be better trusted to steer you straight. And for bias nothing tops the guys who only owns one detector or uses one brand because it is "the best". Anyone who thinks any one manufacturer builds all the best machines or that any one detector does it all is delusional.

My advice to anyone wanting to know how two detectors compare is get them both and find out directly. If you do not want to do that, tread a bit lightly before making accusations of bias when others are doing something for you that you are unwilling to do for yourself.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Steve, You have always given a fair review of every Detector you have used and even when you find something that fits the slot a bit Better you still have Praise for the one going out the door, I use to be Minelab Crazy, But No More as they don't suit the environment I search/work in, Yes they are good but I need recovery speed and Discrimination, MineLab don't Listen and they make what they want and not what people need.

All the dealers Parrot Minelabs Quotes when they know stuff all about detecting and some of them I know have never ever used one,, One week I pay $12.00 for a ML Ball Cap and Next week I was asked to Pay $32.50, And its that kind of Price Fixing that also made me stop Buying anything related to MineLab ever again,

Staying on topic, The Point is there is no perfect Detector The Garrett has the Look of its Recon Brother, which I prefer and has the sheer Raw Power to deal with most aspects of its intended Use, But the SDC Looks like some one Got Lost half way through the Designing Stage as it's neither one thing or the other, If a Person is going to Buy A Metal Detector aimed at Prospecting then the GP/GPX series is a lot more of a serious machine or any other Branded Specialty Prospecting Machine

As for pricing I think ML make it up as they go along, IE a GPX Battery Most people don't earn that a fortnight,, Theres a lot more small Gold out there that can be found for under a $1000.

 

[Guest]

a GPX Battery Most people don't earn that a fortnight

They are expensive but I reckon most people would earn more than $390/fortnight.

It's one thing to be biased but it sounds like you just want to bash Minelab over pricing with some off track comments I.e.
- I need recovery speed & discrimination, I thought Minelab made several
- MineLab don't Listen and they make what they want and not what people need, in this case they should immediately stop making the leading pulse technology detectors with superior depth & ground handling abilities - no one needs or wants these
- All the dealers Parrot Minelabs Quotes when they know stuff all about detecting and some of them I know have never ever used one Please name these Minelab Authorised Dealers.
- One week I pay $12.00 for a ML Ball Cap and Next week I was asked to Pay $32.50 http://goannagolddetectors.com.au/minelab-baseball-cap.html - retail price $10. I would personally change supplier.
- Garrett has the Look of its Recon Brother, which I prefer and has the sheer Raw Power to deal with most aspects of its intended Use, But the SDC Looks like some one Got Lost half way through the Designing Stage as it's neither one thing or the other - the Garrett ATX exterior modeled on the Recon/the SDC exterior modeled on the F3 compact? The SDC results speak for themselves!

p.s. I have used & still recommend Whites detectors, especially to those that are looking at entry type low cost machines, so I am not a one brand only person. I do however believe that Minelab develop & sell the best gold detecting technology for our Australian conditions. Obviously these are expensive but they are without doubt the best there is! The Whites machines are competent & will find gold in the right hands but aren't in the same class & nor should they be expected to be at their prices.
Whining about the price won't change anything nor will bashing the brand name

 

[Ridge Runner]

Right, For A start, I'm Not Back home in Oz

AT Home you say the Battery cost $390, Here It's $730.37AUS, Cost of A GPX 5000 +$7285.92.

And the Rest of the World needs Faster Recovery Machines But Like you I Lived and Breathed everything Minelab and the best machine for over here they stopped making 7 or 8 years ago.

Yes Maybe do make Fairly good PI machines But they are far from being the Best and as of yet No PI Machine has the ability to do ALL what is needed which is why most people own a few different types/Brands of PI's,

It is hard to find Another dealer when the Importers and Minelab set the price's If I went to the Dealers 3 time I could Bet the farm that the price would change every time, and when I ask why I got told that's what they cost NOW and they said it was Down To Minelab.

As for Naming The Dealers That's Between Me and Des Dunn I take it You Know the Head/Field Tester Of Minelab EU.

In Australia we are Lucky that Humans have not used the Land so much as a Dumping ground Where No doubt ALL MineLab Products work Extremely Well, But In Europe Theres over 3500 years of human junk,
In Oz we complain about all the Iron we find when looking for Gold etc, Now back then there was only about 700,000 - 1.200,000 + people in Oz and that was 200 +/- years ago, So how much junk could 100,000,000 + people put in the ground over 18 Times 200 years + and that is why Recovery Speed is Important If you are Going to Market a Product Like Detectors Over Sea's

As for the Best Gold Detecting Technology well that's debateable Like I said No One Machine can do it All,

And The Foundations of these Advancements in PI machines, That was Set In Stone By Eric Foster in 1967, 20 years before Minelab was born.
So that Brings us to the VLF Market and the Undisputed King of the VLF's is Dave Johnson, Whom of which to Date is responsible For No Less than 45 Ground Braking To selling Machines and maybe quite a few others too.

Being an Aussie I was Very proud of MineLab maybe a little too much, I don't Know. And Then some Dipstick decides that they should Move it Over seas, Well the High price's I could live with but not for a Piece of **** made in Asia, At a Loss of Australian Jobs Just to Keep the Share Holders Happy,

And What's the End result of that, I Ask?. Well Now We have a world wide Problem of Fake Minelabs all over the internet, I wonder what bought that On. When it was Home Built it was 85/90% Safe, Now those figures are about 15 to 20% Safe, Minelab Make it Asia release's it a week Later. And I Think it's funny, Because with all that Technology there's Not A Brain Between Them. and To Prove this to you, I ask If you found a Patch where the Nuggets were No Smaller than 3 ounces would get Strangers involved NO, Well this is the Same Thing,

Remember God Beats With A Big Stick. and no I'm not a Religious Person.

As of 8 years ago I Spent well over $15,500 on Minelab Products NOT including Accessories, It doesn't sound much now But the GP machines where $4000.00, I know I bought One.
.

If you Like them then I am Pleased for you, But don't expect the rest of the world to feel the same. or Put us Down because we see the Loop Holes.

One Last Thing, I am a lot Closer to Minelab than I care to be, Which is why I stay well away.

PS, Cost of the SDC 2300 $6062.88,

 

[Ridge Runner]

Anyway Getting back on Topic there are a few things Externally with both machines that might cause an issue further down the track, Nothing major, Just the Cam Locks on the Shaft and how the coil Locks in to Place, That being because it can get pretty dusty out in the gold fields and that could get in and jam things up, And the only way round this is to strip it down every time you come back from a few weeks in the bush, Prevention being better than the Cure,

Seeing as Minelab Has such Vast amount of coils that they can use, Maybe it would be a Good Idea to re-invent the Lower shaft which would give owners access to all the other coils Available and that would save Minelab on re-Tooling and Testing new coils which would in tern make the People already owning Minelab machines Happy in the Process because they would be saving money Too.

The same thing applies to the Garrett Too although they have 3 coils made for it, They were Originally for The Recon. By Making a new lower Shaft MineLab and Gerrett would save Millions on making and Researching new Coils.

 

[stalker]

Just a shame the atx doesn't come with the 8" coil as std like the sdc . results would be different . But there aren't many using the 8" on the atx and those that do use one get good results .

 

[Ridge Runner]

Just a shame the atx doesn't come with the 8" coil as std like the sdc . results would be different . But there aren't many using the 8" on the atx and those that do use one get good results .

I agree, I have no Doubts that these Machines have unlimited possibilities but they are being Limited by just One thing, COILS.

My personal issue's although factual are unrelated, I would buy the Garrett In a Split Second But I don't Trust anything Made in Asia which Annoys the Hell out of me Because I Like The SDC and I always wanted the Mine Clearance Version,

The SDC Looks Very High Tech But I still don't know how I feel about the design, Colourwise My favourite colour is Blue and then Green. Still that's some serious amount of Cash and I would not be able to pick either one over the other so to save on Brain Ache I would Buy Both. and hang the expense but I would come home to get them,

 

[stalker]

The Australian army use Garretts .. isn't minelab in Asia somewhere now . The atx is usa made.

 

[Ridge Runner]

The Australian army use Garretts .. isn't minelab in Asia somewhere now . The atx is usa made.

Yes, Most Armies are using Garretts and the fact that The Australian Army Switched To Garrett Is A Worry, and yes Minelabs are Made in Asia. Still one day they might Bring it back Home, Aye.

 

[Guest]

Right, For A start, I'm Not Back home in Oz

Maybe you should have been clear about that before talking about prices. It appeared that you were having dig at Minelab pricing & local dealers.

Yes Maybe do make Fairly good PI machines But they are far from being the Best and as of yet No PI Machine has the ability to do ALL what is needed which is why most people own a few different types/Brands of PI's,

Which PI machine is better for Australian conditions?

As for Naming The Dealers That's Between Me and Des Dunn I take it You Know the Head/Field Tester Of Minelab EU.

Don't know him - don't really care how they perform in EU.

In Australia we are Lucky that Humans have not used the Land so much as a Dumping ground Where No doubt ALL MineLab Products work Extremely Well, But In Europe Theres over 3500 years of human junk,
In Oz we complain about all the Iron we find when looking for Gold etc, Now back then there was only about 700,000 - 1.200,000 + people in Oz and that was 200 +/- years ago, So how much junk could 100,000,000 + people put in the ground over 18 Times 200 years + and that is why Recovery Speed is Important If you are Going to Market a Product Like Detectors Over Sea's

That's why it's important to buy a machine to suit purpose. Bit like using a European detector on our ground. They may work ok but won't be optimal.

As for the Best Gold Detecting Technology well that's debateable Like I said No One Machine can do it All,

In Australian conditions what is better? Minelab PI's have the runs on the board through each model. The rest are improving but still playing catch up in my opinion & your right - no one machine can do it all.

And The Foundations of these Advancements in PI machines, That was Set In Stone By Eric Foster in 1967, 20 years before Minelab was born.

Ya snooze ya lose.

So that Brings us to the VLF Market and the Undisputed King of the VLF's is Dave Johnson, Whom of which to Date is responsible For No Less than 45 Ground Braking To selling Machines and maybe quite a few others too.

Wasn't this about 2 PI machines?

Being an Aussie I was Very proud of MineLab maybe a little too much, I don't Know. And Then some Dipstick decides that they should Move it Over seas, Well the High price's I could live with but not for a Piece of **** made in Asia, At a Loss of Australian Jobs Just to Keep the Share Holders Happy,

And What's the End result of that, I Ask?. Well Now We have a world wide Problem of Fake Minelabs all over the internet, I wonder what bought that On. When it was Home Built it was 85/90% Safe, Now those figures are about 15 to 20% Safe, Minelab Make it Asia release's it a week Later. And I Think it's funny, Because with all that Technology there's Not A Brain Between Them. and To Prove this to you, I ask If you found a Patch where the Nuggets were No Smaller than 3 ounces would get Strangers involved NO, Well this is the Same Thing,

Remember God Beats With A Big Stick. and no I'm not a Religious Person.

As of 8 years ago I Spent well over $15,500 on Minelab Products NOT including Accessories, It doesn't sound much now But the GP machines where $4000.00, I know I bought One.

Don't really know where your going with all that especially the God comment?
Every company has to keep shareholders happy - thats how the world turns now. All detectors regardless of build country would be using Asian parts. If not they would not compete. Completely agree that they should be made in Australia - so should our motor vehicles etc. but most aren't.
Most major detector brands have been affected by fakes - it's not a Minelab exclusive club.

If you Like them then I am Pleased for you, But don't expect the rest of the world to feel the same. or Put us Down because we see the Loop Holes.

Each to their own as I've said many times. Wasn't putting you down just saying your comments in some regards were off track, from an Australian perspective not knowing you are based in Europe.

One last thing re: ATX v SDC
If your after versatility & coil choice get an ATX
If your only interested in Australian Goldfield detecting then get a SDC.

 

[Guest]

The Australian army use Garretts .. isn't minelab in Asia somewhere now . The atx is usa made.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing of Minelab metal detectors is a world wide effort coordinated by our parent company,Codan Limited. Our sister companies supplyPrinted Circuit Boards(PCBs) and Electronic assemblies for our metal detectors, with final assembly, testing and coil manufacture carried out at theCodangroup manufacturing site in Adelaide, South Australia.

Codan Limited also has a partnership with the US basedPlexus Corporationfor manufacturing some Minelab products in the Plexus facility in Malaysia.

Plexus are manufacturers of many high quality products for various industries, including:

Motorola
Juniper Networks
Oxford Instruments

Minelab metal detectors are yet another sign of the global market we live in, designed in Australia, some made in Australia, and some madein Malaysia by an American owned company,from parts sourced from all over the world! One thing that remains constant, is that Minelab products are always designed and manufactured to world class standards.

Dont be fooled by imposters. All Garrett products are designed, assembled, tested for quality control and shipped from the company headquarters in Garland, Texas, USA. Garretts ISO 9001 certified Quality Management System emblems are an outward reflection of the true quality within.

Garrett Metal Detectors has a long commitment to manufacturing its products in the United States and maintains its only manufacturing facility in Garland, Texas. Garrett does not manufacture or license for manufacture its detectors by any other company. With regard to components and accessories, the company makes every effort to obtain these from U.S. sources. In some cases due to competitiveness or availability our suppliers source globally and it is necessary to offer these items to meet the needs of our customers. All items are marked with the country of origin as required by U.S. law.

Much of a muchness I would say?

 

[Ridge Runner]

Either way they are good yes, But Like I said there are other choices that will find 90% of the gold a Minelab will, The Hand of faith was found with a Garrett and More gold has been found in Alaska with the MXT,

And Borrowed/Stolen what ever you would prefer to call it Tecnology from Eric Foster and Reg Sniff is not a thing to be proud of but without it It would be nothing but just another blue box,

 

[Guest]

The Hand of Faith would have been found with pinpointer on the end of a broomstick if you were lucky enough to walk over it :lol:

 

[Ridge Runner]

The Hand of Faith would have been found with pinpointer on the end of a broomstick if you were lucky enough to walk over it :lol:

Can you imagine sucking that up with a new machine, You wouldn't call the King your Uncle

Let alone the Damage to your Ears,

 

[outboard]

I have checked with the leading authority on all things and the findings are conclusive my mum says the blue one looks better!!

 

[Ridge Runner]

I have checked with the leading authority on all things and the findings are conclusive my mum says the blue one looks better!!

Ok, I'm in, that settles it, Never Argue with Mum,

 

[trev111]

What I thought would be a short topic has turned out to be most helpful to me and very interesting. It also has helped me to get an understanding of the issue together with getting to know the views of the members that have participated in this topic.
Great work all.

 

[Guest]

And Borrowed/Stolen what ever you would prefer to call it Tecnology from Eric Foster and Reg Sniff is not a thing to be proud of but without it It would be nothing but just another blue box

Just to clarify for people Minelab aren't the only ones using "Eric Fosters" technology. All pulse induction technology regardless of Minelab, Garrett, Whites would no doubt have stemmed in some way from his work & others that worked on PI technology in Europe in the 60's. Not sure what Minelab stole/borrowed from Reg Sniff though?
Bruce Candy himself would have contributed enough to the ongoing development, research, improvement of this technology; like people in similar positions at Garrett/Whites etc.; to be considered an important player in the field. The difference is Bruce Candy has been at the forefront in the development, research & improvement allowing Minelab to stay ahead of the competition.
Throwing words around like "stolen" may not be wise & further makes me believe RR that you may be a member of that "Minelab Haters" club? All detector companies would have used it to some effect I would think?

In short without Eric Foster modern day PI technology may not be a reality regardless of brand, although Eric wasn't the only one looking at it - just the most innovative one at the time. Without people like Bruce Candy (& others at Garrett, Whites etc.) that PI technology may not be as good as what it is today or would continual improvement/innovation be strived for.

 

[KarlS]

I just hope this forum doesn't slide to shouting match about one company against other. I personally got Minelab VLF and I'm happy with it. I also got recently White's SPP, not because it is best, but because I could afford it. So far I'm happy with it , but that does not mean that I wouldn't get Minelab SDC, if I could afford it. The important thing is that there is range of good quality PI detectors that suit every pocket.
Karl