Under 4 Pound, Under $2000 Gbpi Challenge

[auminesweeper]

It's kind of strange seeing you picking machines like this one and the QED after all these years of seeing you buy the biggest and the best etc, I am in a similar place where unless something knocks my socks off I am going t stay with what I like,

Seems like all the new machines that have come out this last 3+ years or so all have their little quirks which is just enough to make me back off,

With the little camper just about finished I can't wait for this summer to come along so I can go and swing a coil for a week or two, 

[Smithobx]

Glad to see the QED included in your list of possibilities. I have been using mine since last October and am very pleased with the performance. It is quite a bargain price wise and with a 5 year warranty and free upgrades for 5 years I don't think there is better warranty and customer support  offered by any other manufacturer.  I have decided to order another one in the straight shaft configuration (I have the S shaft) in August after the new upgrades are available..

[auminesweeper]

Well the QED has morphed in to a great little machine and it has filled a gap that had been vacant for years,

[Steve Herschbach]

4 hours ago, Smithobx said:

Glad to see the QED included in your list of possibilities. I have been using mine since last October and am very pleased with the performance. It is quite a bargain price wise and with a 5 year warranty and free upgrades for 5 years I don't think there is better warranty and customer support  offered by any other manufacturer.  I have decided to order another one in the straight shaft configuration (I have the S shaft) in August after the new upgrades are available..

QED is a fine offering, and a shame they have no U.S. dealers or service. That alone has me waiting on the Fisher Impulse Gold Instead.

[Steve Herschbach]

Besides the Interfacion QED and Fisher Impulse Gold, the other detectors on my radar have been the Nokta/Makro PI, and what we now know is going to be called the Minelab GPX 6000. I set this up as an under 4 lb, under 2K challenge, but anything under 5 lbs and under $3000 will suit. I refuse to get any detector that weighs over 5 lbs and while I'd protest, I have to admit to being more flexible when it comes to price.

I'm guessing the Impulse Gold is going to come in at under 5 lbs and under $3000 and so it is the machine to beat for me right now. The Nokta/Makro PI is nothing more than a longstanding rumor, and we have no idea if it is a beach detector or a gold prospecting machine or anything at all really. I suspect a multifrequency model has priority right now, so I'm pretty doubtful of anything PI from Nokta/Makro anytime soon.

That leaves the GPX 6000. I can only hope the weight comes in under 5 lbs (the GPX 5000 weighs 5.3 lbs without the battery) but it looks like a poor bet that the machine will come in at under $3000 since it is being positioned above the SDC 2300 in the lineup. With the SDC 2300 currently sitting at $3299 and GPX 5000 at $3999 it's not looking too good for the GPX 6000 bringing the price down in a significant way. I'm guessing it comes in around $4999. Though a good Fisher Impulse Gold might put pressure on Minelab as far as the price if the Fisher comes in low enough. We will see, but for me personally it is turning into a horse race between the Fisher Impulse Gold and Minelab GPX 6000 in 2021. Which will come closest to meeting the challenge..... and how will they compare for features and performance?

If an Impulse Gold at $2900 has 90% of the performance of a GPX 6000 at $4900 and the ergonomics were identical, would I pay the extra $2000 to get that 10%? Knowing me and a lot of others, that is probably going to be the case. We may not be happy about it, but high up front cost is not as important if a person is producing gold regularly. The performance edge makes up the price difference in the long run. There will be more to it than performance however. Things like the coil selection will be a huge factor.

This challenge started in May 2017. Maybe after four years we will see this segment heat up in 2021. I hope so, as the gap left in my detector lineup that was left when the GPZ 7000 went away needs to be filled.

[MSC]

Hard to believe the 6000 would cost less than the 5000 when it comes out, the 5000 price would drop much below the 6. If the 6000 is around $3000, I would be in the market if it is a huge improvement.  

[Northeast]

On 5/14/2017 at 4:20 AM, Steve Herschbach said:

How many years have to go by with Minelab watching people strap external batteries and speakers on GPX detectors before we can just get a stripped down GPX with built in speaker and integrated rechargeable or drop in battery?

3.5 years Steve.  That's how many years had to go by.  Counting down the days now though  😃

[PhaseTech]

Well it's 2021 and your challenge is still open. I see you were willing to revise it, and have upped the price to sub $3000. Well that might be more achievable, and companies may be more willing to make the investment. 

Here in Australia, the SDC2300 is now $4499 retail. When the Whites SPP came out they sold really well as they were under $2000. The popularity of Gold Detecting seems stronger than ever, and I think a well balanced PI machine at around $3200 would be a hot seller, but it would have to be a good performer.  

The three most likely to come out with a unit that may fit the bill is: 

Fisher - you have covered this Steve, they have pretty much confirmed a gold version of the ImpulseAQ. I guess unless they hit some serious snags in ground balance or something else, then it is only a matter of time. 

Garrett - they certainly can build whatever they want really, with many mechanical platform options and now with the added Whites arsenal at their disposal. Definitely a possibility for a Frankenstein gold machine. The only question is do they want to? I guess that all depends on how much of a success the APEX release was/is? If it was a flop (I have no idea), then they may not be full of confidence. 

Nokta Makro - well they have a very good track record of...when they say something, it pretty well comes to fruition. They said they will bring out a PI machine, but yes I think the MSF unit is the priority atm. What I'd like to see from Nokta Makro is a PI beach unit. That is easier to achieve, and they already have good basic PI circuits; the 8" coil on the PulseDive pin-pointer is almost like a normal detector, especially in wet sand. That would certainly fill a void in their product line-up. Then......PI Gold Finder, or Gold Kruzer PI??? Or maybe the Fors Gold Pulse. 

In the meantime, Minelab are sure to sell a container load of GPX6000's regardless of the price. 

[Northeast]

20 minutes ago, PhaseTech said:

the SDC2300 is now $4499 retail

I find that price mind boggling when you can get a brand new GPX 5000 for $4,890 AU.  The SDC is great but I just can't see how the price is justified.  

At 4.6 lb the GPX 6000 is close enough for me in the weight dept.   The price has me holding my breath   😳

27 minutes ago, PhaseTech said:

Minelab are sure to sell a container load of GPX6000's

Only a container load?  I think they've already sent a container load to the middle east!  🤣

 

[PhaseTech]

That's a good point. I actually wonder how many detectors you can fit into a container? I can't be bothered doing the maths. So, maybe a really really big container 😁