Dumping Minelab GPX 6000 For Garrett Axiom?

[Tony]

I used to play golf off a handicap of about 9.

My set of golf clubs were old and pretty beat up but when I bought them new they they were top of the line. I was at the driving range and the pro shop talked me into trying the latest fancy Driver which I happily took down to the range. Teed up the first golf ball and sent it sailing about 260 metres with a slight draw (right to left flight path). I hit a few more with similar results so I was liking this new club. A short time later I pulled out my old Driver that looked like it had been used for demolition work and actually had a small piece missing from the club face………..teed up the ball and launched it about 275 metres straight as an arrow to the far end of the driving range 😳

………….reaches for SD2100.

[Doc]

My only wish at this point is the GPZ7000 Version 2.  As light as the GPX6000, and with a switch to go into VLF discrimination.  That's all I want for Christmas.  I'm not holding my breath.

I've used the GPX6000, great light weight machine, very simple to use.  Nice features, certainly superior to the GPX5000 in my opinion.  But I have a love affair with my GPZ7000 and as long as I can swing it, that's what I will be using.

I've always maintained that you have to use the machine that you have confidence in. Take someone who has confidence in their Gold Monster vs. someone who has not spent the time learning their GPZ7000 and is constantly monkeying around with settings.  The confident Gold Monster user is going to bring home the goodies.

Doc

[Tony]

9 hours ago, Jennifer said:

I think we are well and truly passed the point of diminishing returns on these detectors. The stuff that is added now is Wizbang stuff and the saying that the more goodies means more to go wrong and more to break is fitting.

Yes to this ⬆️

[afreakofnature]

Totally agree

[1515Art]

20 hours ago, Jennifer said:

Like when was the last time any of us used the GPS on the 7000, I’ll go first….. NEVER!

 

I actually liked using it sometimes and it was helpful keeping my wandering in check giving me better ground coverage staying in one place, it was really handy twice up in the high sierra one time allowing me to retrace my steps in a heavily forested area finding my prospecting pick after hitting my next target some distance from where I’d  dropped it off my belt holder when it snagged on brush and another time when I wasn’t planning on detecting far from my Jeep in heavy Forrest so my GPS was not on me and I’d walked a little farther than planned and got turned around in the trees, I followed the 7000’s gps back to the Jeep, although it was not as easy as using something made for navigation. 
 

I’d actually be a customer for a small stand alone device or phone application better designed (Minelab hint, hint) for gridding while detecting with better resolution and maps.

[1515Art]

20 hours ago, Jennifer said:

It’s called a Garmin 60csx or similar.

 

Oh, cool… will it zoom in close enough marking trails to show coverage the 7000’s did seem only OK with the little square blocks it dropped on the detectors small low resolution screen?

[Chet]

I have used the GPZ 7000 GPS for 6 years and really appreciate having it built in to the detector.

Prior to the GPZ 7000 when in the wooded mountains and canyons I always carried a hand held GPS.

After I started detecting with the GPZ 7000 I always Set a Waypoint and Start a Track as I left my Jeep. And entered a Find Point for each nugget found. I quit carrying the hand held GPS since the GPZ 7000 was easier and faster to use.

Now with the GPX 6000 I carry my phone loaded with a map application, GAIA GPS. I have loaded it with most of the GPZ 7000 Way Points and Find Points.

[General Mayhem]

Hi new member here, although I have been lurking on this forum for awhile.

I am in the market for a new detector, primarily on my gold claims in my home Province of British Columbia. I thought I had made my mind up to get a GPX 6000, then I started hearing about some of the issues about bad coils/EMI, poor build quality, bad design of stem etc. This caused me to hold off on pulling the trigger on buying one. I just feel for what is a $7400 CAD + 7% Provincial tax and 5% GST, detector in my neck of the woods, I would expect a machine that runs the way it is supposed to right out of the box. Apparently, for what seems like to be too many people in my opinion, that has not been the case.

To the people who bought a 6000 and have had no issues with it, thats great, I'm not looking to pick a fight over this detector brand or that one. In my mind, Minelab still builds the best detector out there. If I could afford/justify a 7000, I would buy one...but I was never really in the market for one. A 6000 was in my mind the most I could afford/justify for my purposes.

   By and large the majority of 6000's seem to function just as they were meant to, but given Minelabs reluctance to deal with or even acknowledge in some cases, the issues that are obviously present... it's just not for me at this time.

 Now, given this new offering from Garrett, I have to say, I am truly considering buying one. Steve Herschbach's opinion matters to me, even though he says he is a bit biased on this one, I think we can agree he is biased in a good way... because the Axiom checks off most of his wish list in a detector. Even though I would like to see this detector in the hands of "unbiased" i.e. regular consumers, I am finding it hard to resist the urge of signing up for pre-purchase on one of these.

 I think this is going to be a popular product on release, and once proven to be popular...despite what Garrett says about building up stock of the units, I fear the MAP pricing of $4000 USD we are seeing now on pre-orders is likely to become MSRP of $4700 USD in short order. It might even go higher than that if supply and demand takes over. 

So I ask you, the diligent forum reader, do I throw caution to the wind and pre-order now? Or wait to see what the average Jane/Joe has to say about the Axiom? I suspect I already know the answer... as my cursor hovers over the 'buy now' button...

  Wow, this is a much longer post than I intended, but there you go.

[phrunt]

Here that decision is much easier as the GPZ and GPX 6000 only have $430 USD between them in price so it's better to go with the trusty reliable and better performing GPZ over the GPX.

That said it sounds like the price difference in the US is more significant.  The Axiom seems great and it may well be the right choice for you, it won't be long now and it'll be in the hands of a number of people giving their thoughts on it, I'm sure if they do intend to increase the price it won't be in the very short term as they're trying to break into the market.  They want the unit to sell and more people to use it as word of mouth is a great seller, I wouldn't be too concerned about the price increasing quickly.

By Steve being biased towards the Garrett it doesn't mean he's bias inflating performance or anything for that matter, that is not how he operates.  It's just a detector he wants to use now and he likes the attributes of it and they suit him personally and I understand that and can relate to it.  I don't think bias is the right word, perhaps preference is more suited.

[General Mayhem]

3 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Here that decision is much easier as the GPZ and GPX 6000 only have $430 USD between them in price so it's better to go with the trusty reliable and better performing GPZ over the GPX.

That said it sounds like the price difference in the US is more significant.  The Axiom seems great and it may well be the right choice for you, it won't be long now and it'll be in the hands of a number of people giving their thoughts on it, I'm sure if they do intend to increase the price it won't be in the very short term as they're trying to break into the market.  They want the unit to sell and more people to use it so I wouldn't be too concerned about the price increasing quickly.

By Steve being biased towards the Garrett it doesn't mean he's bias inflating performance or anything for that matter, that is not how he operates.  It's just a detector he wants to use now and he likes the attributes of it and they suit him personally and I understand that and can relate to it.  I don't think bias is the right word, perhaps preference is more suited.

Hi Phrunt,

           Yeah, not much of a price difference in your neck of the woods, be a no brainer in that case to go with the 7000. For me the price difference is a bit over 3000 CAD. My fears on the price increase is not so much on Garrett's part, but dealers. As far as I know dealers can charge whatever they want for it, the MAP is just the lowest they can advertise it for and the MSRP is just that... a suggestion. Who knows really though, if I could predict the future, I'd be far wealthier 😂