Gerry in Idaho

Jeff, We have not been informed of any other package options for the US at this time. I would hope Garrett has a + package with all coils or at least with options down the road. At this time, I have been advised to not expect much change until the demand gets caught up. Like the recent release of the other detector, it comes the way it does for now....and we are still waiting for coils. Did you send me a message or an email to gerrys1det@gmail.com I appreciate the support from forum members as you probably don't know it, but all the driving to 3 different states and multiple testing, burning up fuel, lodging, food...gets expensive.

No that I have been informed. The size of the box is pre-made for the way it comes and the contents in it. Most manufactures do the same but it sure does not hurt to ask. You are a very skilled nugget hunter so I look to hear what you have to say as well after you've some time in the field with one.

I guess my good friend Jim beat me to the punch by a few minutes.

Heck you must have been typing the same time I was. Sorry about that.

I've just been updated to the new Garrett Axiom pricing and what's in the box. Please read below and if you are interested, contact me "Gerry's Detectors" to get on the list. Military folks get the new 15% discount savings right off the top of the price = approx $600 savings. Garrett Axiom Quick Facts, Owner's Manual, Etc.

Who would that be??? Great times and memories.

I started using Minelab PI's (GP-Extreme) 20 yrs ago on Civil War Relic hunts in TN. At 1st the guys laughed at me for trying to talk up a silly $4000 detector. When the 1st trip was over, they were drooling at their missed treasures I came back home to Idaho with. My 2nd trip to TN and a great ass whooping of finds again and I had guys trying to justify to their wives the $4000 cost of a detector. Heck they were using sub $1000 units and having fun, but not knowing what they missed. I learned and taught myself the power of PI's in the mid 90's and how to use a DD coil in trashy sites to find gold nuggets out West. Today at DIV hunts and many top CW hunters, the Minelab PI's are 1st choice. Now take this new Axiom PI and it's ergonomics alone is a win. Add the other features, options of coils (3 DD & 3 MONO) that are waterproof (Minelab coil prior to GPX-6000 are not), plus a better price point and I think we'll have a great new detector to swing across some fields. I'm still out West doing the gold and so I know there are guys who will beat me to the punch on the CW sites. Caution - If you are not familiar with a Minelab GP/GPX using DD coil and Iron ID, I think you are not the one who should be testing the new Axiom. Folks, it's about options being available to us and I'm sure liking that another brand (an American one at that) is providing us with just that. If you like your current detector, then fine and stick with it and nobody will be mad at you. Now you have an option, which was not there yesterday. Thank You Garrett for giving us just that...a light weight, compact, easy to use, PI depth/performance detector.

That was a serious hard dig and took approx 10 minutes. Once I got into the rocks, I was most certain it was gold. I had found another only 10 feet away, but not as nice. Garrett Axiom Quick Facts, Owner's Manual, Etc.

When I was running it in a well known burned area, I did hear a faint sound on only a couple carbon roots, but I could easily get rid of them if needed. Do a Ground Balance right over and it's gone. I have yet to track out a nugget.

Glad to see open mind thinking and the realization of new products is a good thing. Your attention to detail and start up procedure is pretty simple and straight forward. Well done again Steve.

Here's a video I recently shot with my cell phone and a live dig of a monster gold nugget. As a guy who enjoys many detectors for different tasks, I'm very impressed with the Axiom.

I'll tell more details later. My phone is on fire... Garrett Axiom Quick Facts, Owner's Manual, Etc.

Axiom Pulse Induction... I'm liking it. Found someones gold nugget container and YES it even had gold in it.

Garrett Axiom party. Heck yeah.

Well I have pretty much tried to keep out of this detector saga and how it needs to stack up. But this evening, I'll bite and join in on some banter. Most of you that don't know me well, think I only sell and use Minelabs. The reality of my 45+ yrs of detecting were not with Minelabs as there was no such thing, a Minelab. 1st 20+ yrs was White's, Fisher, Compass, Garrett, Tesoro and I changed to different models as the task at hand...or the desired hunt changed. The last 25 yrs I've been pretty on top of the Minelab gold detectors (all of them) and see for myself what I prefer. I also enjoy the thrill of something new to play with and see for myself, if it can compete with my current best tool for the task. Now this is for me personally and how I hunt. But as a dealer, a true Multi line dealer who enjoys a vast majority of metal detecting styles (old coin hunting, water detecting, Civil War Relics, small gold and specimen detecting and of course looking for larger and deeper gold), I realize there is not 1 best detector for all tasks. That's exactly why some of today's detector manufactures have $250 unit and go up over $2500 and or more. Each price point hits a certain market and to have options for the end user (consumer) is vital and efficient. Look at the truck manufactures, say Ford and you'll see exactly what I'm referring to. Now realistically I'm most certain this new detector is not going to be a Minelab Killer. I'm not expecting it, but from some of your folks comments, you are pretty brash. So be it, no sweat off my back. But come on folks. Why is it such a dire that this new detector even be close to a high end Minelab? What if it's a really nice compact and light weight PI unit that has better capabilities than their old ATX? What if it's comparable to Minelab PI's of yesteryear but at a better price point? I for one owned an ATX for certain reasons and still used my GPX-4500/5000 for the serious prospecting. But Minelab didn't give us waterproof coils and compact at the time. Garrett did these and so did a few others and eventually Minelab stepped up their game with the WP coils. XP came out with the original Deus and that was a fine detector, one of the lightest I've ever used. Extremely compact, fast and wireless. Minelab had to make a move and eventually we get the Equinox from them. So I give credit to Garrett for not giving up on the high end gold detectors. Sure Minelab most certainly owns the greater part of the gold detector sales, but we pay outrageous prices to play with these detectors. Here's the bottom line and the truth be told. Minelab has the most powerful and deepest performing detector on the market, the GPZ-7000. That's a fact. But then why..........did so many of us get the GPX-6000 after we owned a GPZ-7000? Because the truth is...those few big gold nuggets are so rare to find and the depth different when comparing a GPZ-7000 to a GPX-6000 on a big nugget is not that impressively different. So you get nugget A at 34" with an $8500 GPZ-7000 and I get the same nugget at 30" with a $6000 GPX-6000. Plus I get the benefit of a lighter and easier detector (almost to easy). So again, hats off to an AMERICAN company that wants to come out with a high end gold detector. Who knows, it might be and probably is better than the ATX and it could just as well be better than the GPX of old. But I know this.... I doubt it will be $6000 or $8500. If it's 85 to 90% of the hottest selling high end Minelab = GPX-6000, and it's a couple thousand dollars less, then to me that's a winner. My customers will have an option now in a new price range and knowing it's American made means something to some folks. Like I said from the beginning. What I use one day may not be what I use the next on a different hunt and what I use and it's price point might be totally different than what my customer is requesting. I always ask my customer. What is your investment range for this new adventure? If this new Garrett is in the $2500 to $4000 price point, then my customer has another option. Now that Garrett is offering the 10% Military Discount, whatever the MAP price is, will be 10% less for those customers. As a long standing Garrett Dealer and one who has owned and used many of their detectors, this VETERAN is excited to see what they bring to the table. After all, the Garrett AT series detectors sold pretty dang well for many yrs, but it does not mean they were the best. Their price points and simplicity is what kept them selling. Now those are not high end gold detectors, but that guy on the front cover of the AT Gold Manual, he sure is a pretty hard nose nugget hunter. We'll know real soon (less than 12 hrs) more about it and I think some of you will be impressed.

Garrett hasn't leaked much out about this new detector, the testers and or general info, or even some sneak peeks. It's quite a different release from previous units. Does this mean a few small tweaks and by the looks of the pic, a nicer and lighter design housing? To be honest, I'm not expecting it to be a Minelab Killer. They never said anything to the likes of that...as they know where they stand (or sit at the table) for that matter. Now, for the good though. What if it's a rebuilt ATX to our liking of compact and light weight. Heck, that alone would get some folks excited again, as the ATX was just to crazy heavy. I doubt Garrett would make just those few changes though and not do anything new with the technology. Some of the Minelab patents have expired so I'm certain Garrett has created something new and exciting. Plus they bought out White's and also have their designs to work with. Let's hope and see that there is in fact a new decent Gold Detector at a reasonable price.

Pretty common on 6000's and 7000's as their softer plastic wears faster. Now on a side note, the sound of the scrubbing coil to the surface is much less with softer plastic. Some of the other detectors in times past, the coil covers were a harder plastic, which lasts longer, but you get this annoying scratching echo sound coming from the coil scuffing the ground. I myself prefer the quite softer plastic covers. Sure I have to send a few bucks more often, but at least I get to hear those faint signals.

Hey Steve, Glad to see you also out there giving the Deus-II some love. I was out West this weekend with one of my Field Staff and he too was running his D2. Found plenty of tiny nonferrous targets and one nice specimen about 1/2 oz. I think he said it read in the 40's. Yes, we too are really wanting to get the ellip coil as we know what ellips can do for a detector. Thanks for sharing your story and golden pics.

Very nice and chunky gold you are into. The size of those holes to keep open and finding the gold is serious back breaking work. Nobody said it was easy and that's why so many people can't take the detecting for nuggets, as it can wear your mind and body really fast. Well earned.

More coils are added benefits in certain situations. We all love the GPX-4500/5000 as there are probably close to 50 different coils to select. Yes that's over kill and I don't know anyone who owns that many. I did have about 10 different coils for my 4500 and each served a specific purpose. Simon - If you are trying to decide on the best GOLDHAWK coil for you., 10" Ellip vs the 9" round. Here's what I have learned so far in testing them. The 9" round has better depth on the small stuff, but the 10" Ellip can get into tighter areas. Both coils are better than the stock 11" round, when it comes to signal cleanliness and strength on the smallest of gold. I actually have customers needing both the 9" round and the 10" Ellip as they each have their place. I expect the 10" Ellip will be the most popular for US sales, as it is like many of the 10" Ellip coils on the market (which that size if most popular on so many detectors). An added bonus to the 10" Ellip is the ability to get the toe of the coil into the smallest or tight areas. Also for optimal pinpointing.

Amazing story, pics and memories. It brought me back to when I visited Kalgoorlie and the memories made. Well done and thanks for sharing.

Phrunt - You said "The GPZ is like fine wine, it's only improved with age. 🙂 ". I used to say the same thing with an SD 2100, then GP-Extreme and after that the GPX-4000. Each series has gotten better at depth on smaller and course gold. Each series also added more Timings and Fine Tuning. Many owners were afraid of the GPX series and left themselves short. For those of us who took the time to learn it, were rewarded with more Au. I also agree about the ZVT having more upside than the old PI. I'd love to see another manufacture prove us wrong. Norvic - You said "So just maybe we are better off where we are. Yes/No". I'm not much of one to settle. I'm always wanting more options and something better. I've yet to find the 1 best for all situations. And I agree with the rest of your above comments but hope some other manufacture will step up their game. Steve H - You said "The real problem is the gold patches basically playing out, and “going deeper” is not going to make the majority of them come back to life. We have lots of relatively shallow placer here, and with the last small bits getting hoovered up, there simply is not that much left in most of the places that most of us have ready access to. It’s a good thing you are getting near to retiring Gerry, because I don’t think gold prospecting detectors are a growth market anymore in the U.S." I have thought that out the last few years with the GPZ-7000 and then we were given another option of the GPX-6000. Where can it go from here is very interesting and has me scratching my head. I think Minelab is also aware, so their next new KING will have to be something quite amazing. Yes, my retirement is now being thought of a little more, but I still really enjoy the training of customers and helping with them as they find their 1st gold nugget, 1st Indian Head Cent, 1st gold ring etc. I'm not pulling the plug anytime soon, but I do see the writing on the wall. JP - Yes the truth hurts and a good amount of us long time DP members on here are in fact getting to the age that our body is not keeping up with the desires of our mind. Gone are the days of a 3 week Prospecting Hunt as my body is giving out before my mind and or the detector. Heck, I'm pretty dragging ass after a week of the hunt. But boy does the desire of thinking a new patch or a nice 1+ oz'er keep me going. Few a select few of us, it's almost unbearable just thinking about putting on a GPZ-7000 and having to swing it a day, but for those certain occasions, I know I still will try. Rob Allison - You bring up some great points. But I'm going to point the finger back at Minelab and their greed. You/Chris/Doc/I and a select few others remember what our margins were back in the day. We also remember the promises made and not selling in retail stores. Now Minelab USA cuts the margins even more on their higher priced detectors. Minelab almost forces the smaller dealers to not want to sell them and only promote and sell the smaller detectors. Which the dealers do, because the margins are greater. What's going to be funny down the road is when guys like JP, you, I and the handful (small amount) of dealers decide enough is enough. Who is going to promote their top end products then? I can't wait soon enough for the day another manufacture (anyone) can make a decent high end gold detector and that manufacture offers decent margins to award those who sell it. Why our margins in the US is so much less than Australia is silly. Heck, ask for a free hat on a $50K order and see what happens. Minelab has totally changed from when we 1st signed up. Oh well, theres only so many more waves I can ride and then I'll put the board away. mn90403 - I know your question was pointed at JP, but if you were to ask me the same. I would not recommend getting into detector sales as a fulltime job if you want to make decent money. One of my main reasons for being a dealer today, is I still enjoy the tax write off benefits. I'm much more different than many dealers as I do so many styles of detecting and some of you know I even organized many group adventures to different states and countries. Most are tax write offs for me as I also test and promote new products. Thats part of why I still enjoy traveling as it's part of my job. If I just sold a few units here and there, it's hard to justify to the tax man, a write off of trips to Bahamas, Cancun, HI, AK, England etc. Just to make a living selling detectors with no write offs. Stay away folks, as you'll be living a lean life. phrunt - You said. "Gerry could sell steak to a vegan. 🙂" Probably if I tried. But I do know, I'll sell about 7 GPX-6000 for every 1 GPZ-7000.

Do you have access to another GPX-6000 to try the same day/site/time? I feel like there might be an issue, but hard for me to know without testing it myself or one of my Staff. If you want, I can send you my own unit to compare or I can have you send your unit to one of my nearest Field Staff and he can compare. Sorry it has not been working out for you like the rest of us.

Norvic - You are correct about the 6000 still being quite young and us still learning it. The Settings I used and trained customers with when it 1st came out are different than what I train/use today, as it took time in many areas and fine adjusting. Now the 6000 doesn't have as many adjustments, but I agree 100% that it is deeper than many folks think. Time across the many gold fields by a variety of hunters with great selection of coil options and we'll see improvements. After all, we don't have 16", 18" or 20" round coils for the GPX-6000 yet. Jasong - Yes I too would like a GPX-6000 housing and it's abilities to find the gold it does better than the GPZ-7000...but also have the smoothness and the few extra inches of depth on larger gold. What would you/I pay? Depending on what other detectors are on the market at the time and the price of Gold itself. If gold is $2K an oz and there is no other detector manufactures making anything close in performance, I'll bite and pay around $6 to $10K as I know I'll pay that detector off. If gold price is $1000 or less, then I'll not be as big to pay top dollar, maybe $3 to $5K. For me, the KING of these 2 models, is the one getting me the most gold...period. Aureous - I feel like you do about the gold is there, but just out of reach. Hopefully this dream machine comes out before I get too old to dig that 4 and 5' deep hole. Gold Catcher - I agree 100% that there are areas and situations the GPZ-7000 is BEST. Heck I still have 2 Field Staff Experts that own them and have not moved to the GPX-6000? But the majority of my Staff have with great success and smiles, moved from their 7's to the 6. There is no right or wrong in answer and my opinion is for the majority of my detecting in the variety of areas I hunt for the different kinds of gold. And yes there are a couple areas I know, the 7is the preferred tool. But the overall Success is how I award the title KING. Norvic - You said "Tis amazing that we debate passionately about two competing machines that are not made by competing manufacturers." Yes it's kind of funny and Minelab is sitting back and laughing at the other manufactures. It's kind of sad in a way to see but that's what it's been for the last 20 yrs. Hopefully other manufactures are trying to crack into this high end market more than what they have in times past. I don't know if it's been because of lack of the right Engineers or lack of deep pockets. You would think the old PI technology with todays new coil schematics and lighter materials would allow a different manufacture to come out with something similar to a GPX-5000 or GPX-6000 but at a better price point. I just think it's a matter of time.

As a dealer, I remember being told the GPZ-7000 is not a PI. Now it was not Mr Candy who said it, but the way I was explained, it's different that a PI. I agree with some of what you say Aureous but at the same time, I don't feel comfortable telling customers it is a PI. Interesting read and I am all ears and willing to learn.