DXBDave

Thanks to all of you who gave your opinions. Think I have decided to go with the GPZ and then take every last bit of training and advice I can get. Thanks again, and Steve thanks for such a great website

That is an awesome set up you have. Nice bit of engineering, and a great read in the ICMJ

34 minutes ago, Condor said:

The learning curve for the 2300 is practically negligible.  Before the 7000 I sold my GPX machine and used the 2300 nearly everyday for a year. I love that machine and if they ever find a way to add a bigger aftermarket coil I would use it again in a heartbeat.  The 7000 is an awesome machine, but it has its quirks.  It's noisy and loves ferrous trash.  I've used the 7000 as much as 40 hrs a week and I'm still learning its language.   If money is no object and you expect to prospect 20 or 30 hrs a week in decent gold producing ground, then get the 7000.  If you want to dabble in detecting you'll much more likely to find small gold with the 2300. 

If you're near Yuma look me up and you can run both machines and experience the difference. 

Condor, Thank you for the offer to look you up. I really appreciate the offer and will take you up on it. Won't be back in the USA before November, but I will stay in contact. You pretty much pegged it, I intend to spend my time full time out dirt fishing. I will be retired but not looking to become a golf addict. If I spend 6 hours wandering in the desert I want to be swinging a coil not a club....I digress. Its not that money is no object as much as I want bang for the buck. And if I invest serious money I tend to take it serious. If my wildest plans come true I intend to spend 8 months a year working the deserts of AZ and in the summer feeding the mosquitoes in AK. Again, my sincere appreciation at your generous offer.

Dave

As a total newbie, the more I read the more confused I become. I was leaning towards a 2300 as a first machine to use when I move back to AZ. But I was looking at the 4500 and 5000 as the price where I am are all within 100 bucks of each other. Makes for a tough choice........BUT then I keep reading about the GPZ and the size and depth increases it affords and I think that is the machine I will ultimately want anyway. I am new to the detecting(read zero experience since the 80's), but not to prospecting. Would I be getting over my head going straight to the GPZ?  I am not talking about the price as much as I want to know if as a first piece of equipment is it too much? Do I need to work my way up the ranks before I get the big dog? I do not want to buy and then sell a 2300 or a 5000 or both only to arrive at the 7000 as an end game machine anyway. So if I bite the bullet and skip the retirement watch..... I defer to the experts.

Very nice. Congratulations on your find