Minelab's next gold machine

[Hawkear]

Just thought I would pose a question as to what members think Minelab might be cooking up for their next gold machine.
5000 released 2010
2300 released 2013
7000 released 2014
Gold Monster released 2018
6000 released 2021
Seems we might be approaching the time window for a new one.
Would love to hear of any rumors but in the absence of any my guess might be an upmodel for the 7000.

 

[grubstake]

Just thought I would pose a question as to what members think Minelab might be cooking up for their next gold machine.
5000 released 2010
2300 released 2013
7000 released 2014
Gold Monster released 2018
6000 released 2021
Seems we might be approaching the time window for a new one.
Would love to hear of any rumors but in the absence of any my guess might be an upmodel for the 7000.

The amusing part about the above model schedule is that with time and experience, all of these detectors have earned a place in the prospector's armoury, but only after copping pretty heavy criticism upon release:
GPX5000 - too soon after GPX4500; too expensive with too few enhancements
SDC2300 - expensive and clunky, with poor ergonomics; pointless chasing flysh1t
GPZ7000 - outrageously expensive; too heavy; no good in saline conditions
GM1000 - noisy; no good in mineralised ground; flimsy construction
GPX6000 - expensive and pointless, with other models already doing the same; flimsy construction

Geez, we're a hard-to-please bunch!

 

[mbasko]

Most of the recent rumours have been fuelled by Codan half-year/annual reports where they usually mention we have X amount of new models due for release in FY 20XX. This is as much about maintaining & gaining shareholders as it is announcing new products IMO.
That's when the speculation begins.
For instance the annual report prior to the GPX6000 stated a new gold machine would be released so it was speculated it was a GPZ7500/8000, SDC2400 etc. but history shows now it was the GPX6000 all along that most thought would probably be left behind in favour of continuing the GPZ line.
Minelab have shown their cards with the GPX6000 direction IMO though & those waiting for another GPX based on the 4500/5000 will be disappointed.

In February 2022 the Codan half-year report stated 4 new machines to be released. Speculation kicked in again. A new GPZ has to be in the line up right?
1. Manticore
2. Equinox 700
3. Equinox 900
4. Xterra Pro

Minelab could do so much with both the SDC & GPZ just in the way of audio + ergonomics even. Will they?? Who knows.

IMO it will be a line up based on 3 detectors going forward.
SDC2300 variants
GPX6000 variants
GPZ7000 variants
Not sure about the Goldmonster's future.

The February 2023 half-yearly ASX report, as far as I can see, doesn't announce any new machines for shareholders or potential shareholders but rather talks about increasing sales of the 6000 & the new VLF type lines.
It would indicate nothing in the pipeline for release anytime soon but the annual report later this year may announce something for FY24 or 25?

 

[XLOOX]

Given that the 6000 was only released a few years ago, and so many experienced detectorists have traded (up?) to it & it is still selling well for a detector at that price point , I doubt another new PI release by Codan is less than 3 years away. Fixing 6000 reliability issues is probably their main focus.

There is a huge market gap between the $1200 VLFs & the $4000 SDC and an even bigger gap between the SDC & 6000/ GPZ but am not sure that they would make more money trying to fill those gaps since in AU at least it is a one horse race so you buy the ML detector that fits your budget & hunting ground and just grit your teeth at the price.

The 64th power law sets firm limits to detector max depth and we are there now. Metal detector improvement opportunities remaining are mineralization handling & the extras that make it nicer to use - gps, wireless audio, waterproof, weight etc.

Its a bit like cars - an economy car in 2023 mechanically is like a top range car of the 1980s and even in the top models you would be hard pressed to to improve performance or reliability significantly anymore, so models are differentiated by their extras - traction control, lane guidance, split aircon....

 

[grubstake]

There is a huge market gap between the $1200 VLFs & the $4000 SDC and an even bigger gap between the SDC & 6000/ GPZ but am not sure that they would make more money trying to fill those gaps since in AU at least it is a one horse race so you buy the ML detector that fits your budget & hunting ground and just grit your teeth at the price.

I agree completely, but bearing in mind that Minelab's biggest gold detector market is now in Africa and the Middle East (as was very evident in the marketing material for the 6000), I'd have expected that a model more angled towards durability than the 6000 has proved to be, would have been the best approach. Maybe utilising the ex-mine detector SDC body (solid and easily backpackable for carrying on a trail bike), would have been the way to go.

The fragility and unreliability of the 6000 and its stems and coils, has unfortunately become legendary and is a serious anomaly for a company with Minelab's wealth of experience in Australia's demanding conditions, much less Africa and the Middle East. I'm amazed that we haven't already seen the announcement of a heavier duty 6000 Mk II, accompanied by a generous trade-in regime for the existing model.

 

[Deano]

The amusing part about the above model schedule is that with time and experience, all of these detectors have earned a place in the prospector's armoury, but only after copping pretty heavy criticism upon release:
GPX5000 - too soon after GPX4500; too expensive with too few enhancements
SDC2300 - expensive and clunky, with poor ergonomics; pointless chasing flysh1t
GPZ7000 - outrageously expensive; too heavy; no good in saline conditions
GM1000 - noisy; no good in mineralised ground; flimsy construction
GPX6000 - expensive and pointless, with other models already doing the same; flimsy construction

Geez, we're a hard-to-please bunch!

You explained that the GPX6000 is “pointless, with other models already doing the same”.
~But others may think differently::

DALEO8
The biggest mistake people make with the 6000 is running the sensitivity to high this will render deep targets impossible to hear. and not running in difficult helps alot too if the sensitivity is down low you can run normal. Was the best day of my life when I sold my 4500 and upgraded to the 6000 paid it off in 2 months that's $8000 in 2 months detecting, my 4500 did not pay for over 2 years of ownership.

NENAD LONIC
The 6000 is kind of the missing link between the 2300 and 7000 but lighter than both of them. You can also sweep the 6000 a little faster than both the 7000 and 2300 before it loses sensitivity. The 6000 is using new technology which means finding gold that other machines will struggle on. The depth of the 6000 can exceed the 2300 and 5000 and can also give the 7000 a run for its money on “targets under one gram”. On “prickly-reefy type gold” the 6000 is far superior over the 5000. One time during field testing I found 5 nuggets in a small patch, when testing those pieces the 5000 would not even respond as I could only just get a response when virtually rubbing them on the surface of a 12×8 Evolution coil, but these were pieces that I found at several inches with the 6000. But both the 5000 and 4500 can go deeper than the 6000 on “larger chunky gold” (using the bigger coils and suitable timings) but how much of that type of gold is still left behind? In any given year I can probably count on one hand how many solid nuggety bits I find and the rest is all weird, odd ball shapes, flat thin pieces, or often iron encrusted specimens all of which the 6000 detects very well! The 6000 is also very light, well balanced, comes with wireless headphones, and collapses down to a very small size.
~There is no doubt in my mind, on “sub gram gold”, the 6000 is very, very good. If you add a “little texture and unusual shape” to the gold then the advantage of the 6000 is more noticeable over the 7000. But when it comes to larger targets then the comparison between the two gets a little more complicated that depends not only on target size but also target orientation, depth, mineralisation, and settings (mainly on the 7000). I found a “rough textured” 5.4g nugget with the 7000 and 12″ Z-search coil and later did a quick test with the 6000 (GPX 11”) and there was hardly any difference between the two machines, the 6000 maybe giving a slightly more defined signal response quite likely due to the monoloop coil. However when testing on a “more solid” 5 grammer then the 7000 showed its true colours particularly in General. One thing that clearly does stand out though is the 7000 in Normal Ground Type setting gives a greater boost in depth compared to the 6000 in Normal. And 7000 starts to win more as target sizes increase. So the bigger the gold and the milder the soils then the greater the advantage of the 7000. But bear in mind this is all in comparison to the 6000’s GPX 11” coil. On most targets under one gram the 6000 will do as good if not slightly better than the 7000, particularly when the 7000 needs to be used in Difficult Ground Mode.
~The 6000 is deadly with its GPX 11″ mono coil but being so sensitive and powerful does have a couple of drawbacks. 1) It does not quite handle very mineralised soils as good as the 2300 does and it will ping the odd hot rock that both the 2300 and 7000 will ignore. 2) Since using a much broader frequency band the 6000 is more prone to EMI so frequent Noise Cancels may be required on certain days. Luckily the auto noise cancel only takes about 4 seconds. If you want to quieten things down then this is where the 6000’s GPX 14″ DD comes in, it will handle mineralised soils very well including high salt content soils and this DD also cancels out bad EMI extremely well while remaining very sensitive to small targets.

 

[grubstake]

You explained that the GPX6000 is “pointless, with other models already doing the same”.
~But others may think differently::

No mate, you've missed the point completely. I 'explained' nothing of the kind - I simply summarised the negative comments of others, that were freely expressed at the time the models were introduced.

 

[fwdoz]

I think the next machine should be targetted at the older prospecting brigade.

It simply gives 2 noises...the first being a noise like passing wind or a fishing reel , which means "dont bother digging, its lead or rubbish"...and the 2nd is like the pokie machine going off when it pays out which means "get your pick out dude, kaaaaching!".

So I jest...as long as the next detector remains lightweight, has excellent battery life & a grid like screen showing the location under the coil & approximate target depth would be a good start.

 

[Deano]

No mate, you've missed the point completely. I 'explained' nothing of the kind - I simply summarised the negative comments of others, that were freely expressed at the time the models were introduced.

Oh I see now, it’s my fault, I am sorry I apologize, it was ‘not’ your personal opinion, but rather instead it was the negative comments expressed by other people.

 

[Hawkear]

We all do not have the resources to own every detector made. So we have to rely heavily, apart from our own experiences and intuition, the reports of experiences and opinions of others. It is perfectly valid to relate the experiences of people we trust or not in an opinion piece.
At the end of the day we make our own decisions, and I for one would like to hear whatever opinions people are prepared to put up openly.

 

[Allthatshines]

I think it is probably time for an updated replacement model for the GPZ 7000. Something lighter would be great (FYI, I have never actually used one, but hear it is a heavy machine and I'm 57yo, so weight has become more important). An internal cord and robustness (like SDC 2300) would be important factors for me personally. I like the military feel of the almost indestructible SDC 2300, unlike the GPX 6000. I shudder to think what outrageous price tag may be applied considering inflation, etc.

 

[glenno11]

You explained that the GPX6000 is “pointless, with other models already doing the same”.
~But others may think differently::

DALEO8
The biggest mistake people make with the 6000 is running the sensitivity to high this will render deep targets impossible to hear. and not running in difficult helps alot too if the sensitivity is down low you can run normal. Was the best day of my life when I sold my 4500 and upgraded to the 6000 paid it off in 2 months that's $8000 in 2 months detecting, my 4500 did not pay for over 2 years of ownership.

NENAD LONIC
The 6000 is kind of the missing link between the 2300 and 7000 but lighter than both of them. You can also sweep the 6000 a little faster than both the 7000 and 2300 before it loses sensitivity. The 6000 is using new technology which means finding gold that other machines will struggle on. The depth of the 6000 can exceed the 2300 and 5000 and can also give the 7000 a run for its money on “targets under one gram”. On “prickly-reefy type gold” the 6000 is far superior over the 5000. One time during field testing I found 5 nuggets in a small patch, when testing those pieces the 5000 would not even respond as I could only just get a response when virtually rubbing them on the surface of a 12×8 Evolution coil, but these were pieces that I found at several inches with the 6000. But both the 5000 and 4500 can go deeper than the 6000 on “larger chunky gold” (using the bigger coils and suitable timings) but how much of that type of gold is still left behind? In any given year I can probably count on one hand how many solid nuggety bits I find and the rest is all weird, odd ball shapes, flat thin pieces, or often iron encrusted specimens all of which the 6000 detects very well! The 6000 is also very light, well balanced, comes with wireless headphones, and collapses down to a very small size.
~There is no doubt in my mind, on “sub gram gold”, the 6000 is very, very good. If you add a “little texture and unusual shape” to the gold then the advantage of the 6000 is more noticeable over the 7000. But when it comes to larger targets then the comparison between the two gets a little more complicated that depends not only on target size but also target orientation, depth, mineralisation, and settings (mainly on the 7000). I found a “rough textured” 5.4g nugget with the 7000 and 12″ Z-search coil and later did a quick test with the 6000 (GPX 11”) and there was hardly any difference between the two machines, the 6000 maybe giving a slightly more defined signal response quite likely due to the monoloop coil. However when testing on a “more solid” 5 grammer then the 7000 showed its true colours particularly in General. One thing that clearly does stand out though is the 7000 in Normal Ground Type setting gives a greater boost in depth compared to the 6000 in Normal. And 7000 starts to win more as target sizes increase. So the bigger the gold and the milder the soils then the greater the advantage of the 7000. But bear in mind this is all in comparison to the 6000’s GPX 11” coil. On most targets under one gram the 6000 will do as good if not slightly better than the 7000, particularly when the 7000 needs to be used in Difficult Ground Mode.
~The 6000 is deadly with its GPX 11″ mono coil but being so sensitive and powerful does have a couple of drawbacks. 1) It does not quite handle very mineralised soils as good as the 2300 does and it will ping the odd hot rock that both the 2300 and 7000 will ignore. 2) Since using a much broader frequency band the 6000 is more prone to EMI so frequent Noise Cancels may be required on certain days. Luckily the auto noise cancel only takes about 4 seconds. If you want to quieten things down then this is where the 6000’s GPX 14″ DD comes in, it will handle mineralised soils very well including high salt content soils and this DD also cancels out bad EMI extremely well while remaining very sensitive to small targets.

Now I have used the 11'' for a fair while now and found over 170 nuggets and pickers using it but have just changed to a Coiltek 14x9 and noticed i'm getting smaller pickers than the 11'' but deeper and have found nuggets that were missed with the 11'' and were bigger and deeper .the coil runs a lot Quiter and is easy to pinpoint it makes the 6000 a beast can't wait for a bigger coiltek or Nugget finder coil to come on the market and that will be the end of the 7000 for depth just my thoughts cheers Glenno.

 

[Moneybox]

glenno, I just finished reading the problems you experienced with noise on the GPX6000 early on. Mine was exactly the same, just a noisy mongrel machine that could never be tamed. I had the coil replaced when it failed and then again after another letdown. When it was replaced the second time they also replaced the control panel and upper shaft but the reason for the replacement was never resolved.

Recently the DD coil got sick while I was waiting for the third replacement mono to turn up so Minelab sent me a complete unopened GPX6000. So far the difference has been very clear. I just posted my finds last week swinging a beautifuly quiet 14" DD. I've never had a stable threshold on the GPX6000 so at first I had my doubts about its detecting ability. This machine is totally different. It starts first time when turned on, needs a scan only once in a while and runs smooth and quietly. Hopefully the mono will perform in a similar way but so far if've not had the chance to check it out.

 

[Mackka]

I think it is probably time for an updated replacement model for the GPZ 7000. Something lighter would be great (FYI, I have never actually used one, but hear it is a heavy machine and I'm 57yo, so weight has become more important). An internal cord and robustness (like SDC 2300) would be important factors for me personally. I like the military feel of the almost indestructible SDC 2300, unlike the GPX 6000. I shudder to think what outrageous price tag may be applied considering inflation, etc.

Hi Steven.
I noted your concern with regard to the weight of both the 7000& the 2300 and rightly so at your 57 years of age. According to their website, the 7000 comes in at 3.32 kg and the 2300 at 2.3kg. Not much weight really? Well, those that are sniggering may I suggest you pop down to the local gym and put on a pair of 500grm boxing gloves for three minutes and see how that 500 grm feels like 5 kgs. You have brought out a very important point on two aspects, one, fitness and two, manufacturers providing a machine for older participants , which I suggest is the largest buyer of their products, and design the unit to suit both and not just the profit margin.

 

[Moneybox]

Hi Steven.
I noted your concern with regard to the weight of both the 7000& the 2300 and rightly so at your 57 years of age. According to their website, the 7000 comes in at 3.32 kg and the 2300 at 2.3kg. Not much weight really? Well, those that are sniggering may I suggest you pop down to the local gym and put on a pair of 500grm boxing gloves for three minutes and see how that 500 grm feels like 5 kgs. You have brought out a very important point on two aspects, one, fitness and two, manufacturers providing a machine for older participants , which I suggest is the largest buyer of their products, and design the unit to suit both and not just the profit margin.

Yes age tends to creap up on you. Perhaps we're asking too much in a machine. We got a nice light sensitive machine with all the wireless connectivity in the GPX6000 but what a lousy machine when it comes to quality control in manufacture . This is the sort of unreliable product we'd expect from an internet purchase out of a third world country. The only saving grace is the backup of their excellent warranty support .

I know we all love to be disconnected from the detector but for those who've experienced it in the past, remember just a few years back we carried the heaviest part of the detector on our harness. Perhaps we could take a step back and have a light weight powerful detector with a decent battery. The GPX batteries of old were way ahead in power and performance compared to the light weight products they are providing us with now. Imagine how light the detector would be with these new hollow coils, carbon fibre housings and shaft and no battery to lug around on you arm.

 

[Mackka]

Sounds like you are putting out a challenge to some bright, electronics nerd in Oz to make a prototype and send it to you for your appraisal. I am sure there is someone in Oz that has the brains, but not necessarily the money to manufacture. Mackka
ps. I always love your photos and stories Phil.

 

[Solid Luck]

I just want someone to bring out a smaller DD coil.
The current one is too big and heavy for me. I was detecting wet red clay yesterday and the mono was noisy as he'll.

 

[Flash Jack]

Hi Steven.
I noted your concern with regard to the weight of both the 7000& the 2300 and rightly so at your 57 years of age. According to their website, the 7000 comes in at 3.32 kg and the 2300 at 2.3kg. Not much weight really? Well, those that are sniggering may I suggest you pop down to the local gym and put on a pair of 500grm boxing gloves for three minutes and see how that 500 grm feels like 5 kgs. You have brought out a very important point on two aspects, one, fitness and two, manufacturers providing a machine for older participants , which I suggest is the largest buyer of their products, and design the unit to suit both and not just the profit margin.

Yes Mackka, and with a price suited to our old age pensions!

 

[Hawkear]

Yes age tends to creap up on you. Perhaps we're asking too much in a machine. We got a nice light sensitive machine with all the wireless connectivity in the GPX6000 but what a lousy machine when it comes to quality control in manufacture . This is the sort of unreliable product we'd expect from an internet purchase out of a third world country. The only saving grace is the backup of their excellent warranty support .

I know we all love to be disconnected from the detector but for those who've experienced it in the past, remember just a few years back we carried the heaviest part of the detector on our harness. Perhaps we could take a step back and have a light weight powerful detector with a decent battery. The GPX batteries of old were way ahead in power and performance compared to the light weight products they are providing us with now. Imagine how light the detector would be with these new hollow coils, carbon fibre housings and shaft and no battery to lug around on you arm.

Not a bad idea. For all the hype battery technology advances have been a slow creep rather than fast paced.
Never had a problem dealing with a battery lead myself although one of my mates would almost strangle himself in a flurry of excitement when digging out a deep nugget. Had to ask him to stand aside once before he completed his own strangulation whilst I helped with the dig. Nugget came out first dig. I hit it dead centre. It was an ugly nugget even before I hit it anyway.
Given that the 6000 battery voltage appears the same as the 5000 external battery voltage maybe all Minelab might need to do would be to provide an external power socket on the 6000 to allow the external pre 6000 GPX lithium battery to be connected if desired.
Another thing I would like to see is more use of S bend shafts In detector configuration. Due to arthritis on my hands I find it difficult to use grip handles to support detector shafts having to keep grip pressure on that handle for long periods. With a S bend the shaft weight can rest on top of the hand and can be controlled more nimbly with less grip force. Have modified my 5000 shaft and the difference is terrific.
Whilst the 6000 is a lightweight machine, the use of larger coils may offset that advantage for some.

 

[mbasko]

The GPX batteries of old were way ahead in power and performance compared to the light weight products they are providing us with now.

Power is the same as far as I know - nominal 7.4v to 8.4v.
Capacity is definitely less. I get about ~6hrs out of a GPX6000 battery (I have 2 & both about the same). GPX4500/5000 battery used to last 8hrs plus.
That's the loss with lightweight batteries.
With the 2 x batteries I've never had an issue with them performance wise?
For trips I purchased a small portable lithium battery powerpack to keep one battery on charge & one in use. It has kept both batteries charged over 3-4 days without it needing charging itself but can be charged via solar or 12v if/when required.
Personally I prefer the lightweight batteries without cords. Have always had extra battery/batteries + portable charging options too so that's not an issue to me.
There lies the biggest issue for detector manufacturers - pleasing everyone. We all have different preferences.