Minelab GPX 6000 Full Reveal In February 2021?

[jasong]

There was that odd 3rd party report that stated the 6000 has "slightly" different capabilities than the 7000 and won't cannibalize it's market. An odd thing to say since PI and ZVT are so different, but it was written by an investment advisor so who knows how much he understands. Anyways, the primary strength PI seems to have over ZVT right now is in salt I think. Significant gains depth-wise could be had in the alkali laden fields with a souped up PI that already has a large coil selection that manages to mitigate salt better than the 5000 while having SDC-like speci gold capabilities. Certainly in Northern Nevada anyways.

That report doesn't mention cannibalizing the SDC market, so it makes me wonder if they might wrap some SDC capabilities up into the 6000, with a coil selection pre-built into the market of course, and potentially get rid of the SDC or make it cheaper?

Then we have this GeoSense PI mystery, which seems to me not to be GPS but more likely to be related to their patents which deal with correlating the moving coil to data in the screen/control box, and potentially to ground balancing or enhanced target pinpointing/recovery. Or, maybe it has nothing to do with gold machines at all and I'm chasing rainbows there.

At $8000 (if that number is true, which I very much hope it's not), all I know is this machine better have more than just an updated screen, control box, wireless, and modern battery to impress the enthusiasts. 

We also have the NF Z Coils coming out around the same time by the looks of it. If the 6000 can't use DOD capabilities and is just a pure PI, then it's going to compete with the market of GPZ owners who can now buy new coils around the same time. That seems like odd timing for what is likely a ML sanctioned/licensed coil since it's rumored to be chipped.

[schoolofhardNox]

I'm looking forward to seeing what Minelab has in store for us in the 6000. I'm eager for some details on whether the 6000 is going to be a beefed up 5000 or whether it will intermingle some form of GPR. So all eyes and ears will be on Minelab's released info.

[Goldseeker5000]

What ever the model number is on Minelabs gold machines, you can count on the price being $1000-$3000 more. Some were spot on, like the 705. We all will just have to sit and wait till the product ads come out for the 6000. We have no choice, do we. I think Minelab has all this tech lined up a few years ahead of time before they release it, so they always have something coming out to sell. That is smart. They are probably working on technology now for detectors 5-10 years from now to be released. It keeps a steady flow of revenue coming in as they want and need it to. White's had tech they sat on and didn't put out there and look where they are. I think the 6000 will have something new that the 5000 and 7000 doesn't have. I also think the tech in the 6000 will be a new plane or a new platform to take gold detectors down a new road of capabilities, just as the GP Extreme was.

[Hamid]

I have no high hopes for every detector that release.....

Pure manuals what we needs.....

[Steve Herschbach]

Minelab GPX 6000 Data & Reviews

18 hours ago, jasong said:

There was that odd 3rd party report that stated the 6000 has "slightly" different capabilities than the 7000 and won't cannibalize it's market.

https://rogermontgomery.com/codan-goes-from-strength-to-strength/ (June 24th)

“They will in September launch a new gold detector called GPX 6000 which will slot in just below the current top model GPZ 7000 and sell for around $8,000. The capabilities of this detector are slightly different from the top model and hence there should not be too much cannibalisation between the models.“

Minelab is famously closed mouth so I take the analyst leak with a grain of salt. I hope he is wrong, because AUS$8000 (U.S. $5740) is way more than I was hoping to see. I sold my GPZ 7000 and Garrett ATX, both seven pound detectors, over two years ago, and officially boycotted heavy detectors. The article at the link set a low bar at 4 lbs and US$2000 but my internal limit is more like “no more than 5 lbs, no more than $3000.” I am hoping this is the under 5 pound high power detector with normal coils and U.S. service I’ve been pining for. The SDC 2300 is currently $3799, and basically I just want a SDC 2300 in a normal housing with normal coils. I might just be willing to pay $3799 for a dry land SDC, but really, why should I? The machine is done.... just take it out of the expensive waterproof housing. It should the end up costing less, not more.

The bottom line is AUS$8000 ends up way too expensive for what I’m envisioning, which is something that does for the PI world what Equinox did for the VLF world. Something that changes the power for the dollars equation enough to really get people to sit up and take notice. I think an under 5 lb dry land SDC with a standard set of coils should be US$2999 out the door at most. That would require a price decrease from the current GPX 5000. Will Minelab do that?

Before Equinox I would have laughed the idea off. Now, I’m not so sure. They could swing for the fences with an aggressively low price. But the GPX 6000 name does lend support for a price higher than the current GPX 5000 price of US$3999 and I could see US$5740 fitting into that scheme. There currently is a high gap in the pricing between the GPX 5000 and GPZ 7000 and maybe this fills the gap.

All I know is the Fisher Impulse Gold is coming soon. I am almost certain it will have the performance I am looking for (ATX equivalent or better) in an under 5 lb housing, and I am guessing well under US$3000. With 2 year warranty and local service. If the analyst is correct the price of the GPX 6000 may be the deal breaker for me, but if it has the ergonomics - and coils! - to die for..... we will see. But between the GPX 6000 and Impulse Gold my wait for a new nugget machine to replace my ATX/GPZ may finally be drawing to a close. Fingers cautiously crossed.

[Jonathan Porter]

Good ergonomics are vital to comfortable detecting. Overall weight is a weird one, for instance I find the GPZ really nicely balanced in flat terrain but can understand how people in steep areas would suffer terribly, I also prefer the weight to help maintain a good range of motion control over deep edge of detection signal responses, this controlled ranged of motion is especially important for a DOD coil design as they are a slow coil by nature, good control also helps in avoiding saturation signals. One thing that does drive me nuts with the GPZ is the delay in the menu button pressing, absolutely slow as a wet weekend. Seriously it’s Commodore 64 on dial up slow, its so slow it actually hurts my brain thinking about changing a setting, press button, think, think, think.... think some more then a tiny bit more then as your about to give up and try again chirp!!!😳🥵

I also find the SDC a nightmare to use because of the left right swivel knuckle and general klunkyness, yet they sell like hot cakes both new and second hand😬,  an all time ergonomic Frankenstein nightmare that just keeps on going and going, our hire machines cop an absolute pounding year after year yet step up time and again begging for more!!😅

Time will tell on what ML are actually offering, the usual catalyst for what people are willing to pay is the results from the early adopters, a price tag as described suggests ML are confident in what they are doing. 

Steve I’m interested in the Impulse too, is there a release date announced at all? (I’ll go click on your link so this question might be silly)

JP

[Steve Herschbach]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Porter said:

Steve I’m interested in the Impulse too, is there a release date announced at all? (I’ll go click on your link so this question might be silly)

Given that FT is struggling to just get the AQ waterproof version of the Impulse out the door by the end of this year, it’s hard to see how the gold nugget version could be anything but next year at this juncture. Or announce by year end to ship next year... same difference.

Based on the AQ I have in hand First Texas is on the right path. They fumbled the battery, but a new drop in battery design is in progress. Consider the ergonomics a solid win. Price should be good. The two questions on the nugget model... how well does it handle the ground, and what are the coils like? If the Impulse Gold offers SDC type performance at 4.2 perfectly balanced pounds, has decent coil options, and ships for US$2900 max, FT will have a winner for the U.S. Unfortunately shoppers in Oz have import duties and taxes to contend with, so any large price advantage the Impulse Gold might have in the U.S. will likely evaporate in Australia.

[Jonathan Porter]

I suppose I take it for granted that for me performance in our ground comes before price and historically even ergonomics. The ATX is a good example of this where it really struggles because of our mineralisation and to achieve performance the sensitivity has to be lifted a lot to get a signal response on the smaller SDC like gold, once you lift the sensitivity the other flaws like touch sensitivity come to the fore making it a very hard detector to use,  this makes things very difficult for new chums trying to learn the art before frustration kicks in.

Obviously ergonomics are extremely important also, as as you have said Minelab have demonstrated they can build a really nice metal detector in the form of the NOX800. 

Watching the FT story with interest.

JP

[jasong]

If this 6000 is in a slightly slimmed down GPZ style case, uses regular mono loops, and has a smaller battery than the GPZ then those factors alone should get it to 5lbs from the GPZs 7.2lbs I would think. I wonder if the shaft might be lighter too as it need not be as large diameter if it isn't accommodating an inner cable or a large mounting knuckle. 

JANUARY 2021 UPDATE - Minelab GPX 6000 Revealed!

I suppose its futile to ask at this stage when things are so mum still, but i might as well try...JP can you say whether you field tested this machine or not yet? Or if we will get public field test reports as we did prior to the GPZ release?

[mn90403]

I have another question besides the weight issue and ergonomics.  Will this machine find 'invisible' nuggets on existing patches?  We 'assume' that most if not all of the gold has been found on many patches these days.  We also know that no one gets it all.  The 5000 was designed to be more quiet relative to the ground and you could pick your coil for coverage and depth.  It succeeded for many in that regard and new nuggets were found.  The GPZ came out with the 40% deeper advertising and it proved with its ZVT to pull out some pretty nice nuggets from hammered patches that were previously invisible.  Minelab has many different other gold detectors such as the 2300, Gold Monster, Equinox 800 that will find tiny shallow nuggets missed and invisible in these same patches.  That does not make the gold taken off of these patches return.  I can now go back to some of our patches and not find any nuggets with an array of these detectors and coils or find so few that it is time to move on.

How will this 6000 fare on finding the invisible nugget?  Will it see specimens as its claim to fame?  Will it have a better audio enhancement on 'good' targets?  Will it make my 18" NF coil do back flips and make my most productive coil ever get put back on a detector?  If it does not fare well then will it be the cat's meow at helping someone find new patches which are getting harder and harder to find with good research.

What in the 'sales proposition' will be offered to make me part with one of my other detectors, money or both?