Steve's Gold Nugget Detector Guide Update

[Gold Catcher]

Good point, but perhaps even more so a reason to reset their business strategy and get partners on board who know what they are doing. If Xcoils would rise to quality standards of NF and Coiltek (perhaps they already are, but at least not in the perception of the majority of customers worldwide), then it would be a win win for everyone.

[DSMITH]

2 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Well, the Axiom fan club has at least three members now! 

I am liking mine, just a new learning experience is the way I look at it, but I believe i picked a easy enough one to learn on

[snakejim]

2 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Well, the Axiom fan club has at least three members now! 

I'm a fan!

[GoodAmount]

16 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

That's simply not true. I think the X-Coil is one of the best things that ever happened to 7000 owners, and have friends that love them. They proved what the 7000 was capable of if Minelab had ever truly gave us coil support on the model. My issue was simply disclosure. The risk of the modification being done was totally downplayed initially and people with concerns where treated as if they were irrationally concerned over nothing. Yet I know a guy that blew up two 7000s at huge expense. So yeah, the risks were real. Now, it seems to be under control as better adapters have come about.

To repeat, I think X-Coil did a huge service by producing the coils they have. My only issue was with proper disclosure of the risks involved, which I believe were downplayed initially. And even that really is not on X-Coil as they really don't communicate directly. Nope, nothing but respect for them, and even wish they were running the coil show at Minelab. 

But do I think X-Coil has kept GPZ 7000 users on board when they might otherwise not be? Not really, because I truly believe that a GPZ 7000 with a stock coil is still the best detector option available for getting all the gold possible in a single pass over an area. That is why people use it. A GPX 5000 can hold it's own on the big solid stuff with the 7000 but the 7000 will kill it on specimen gold, no matter how many mods you do. A 6000 hits specimen and smaller gold only marginally better than a 7000, and as you note simply putting an X-Coil on it is enough to bring the 7000 to 6000 levels of performance there. In the end however it is the 7000 ability to punch deeper on big gold than a 6000 that keeps people using the 7000. Do X-Coils help extend the usefulness of the 7000? No doubt about it. But it does not change how I view the machine anyway, which is as the machine to own if you are really serious about wanting to put weight in your pocket. Not numbers - weight. If I have to cover one acre of ground just once, with one machine and one coil, and will never get a shot at that ground again, then I'd pick a GPZ 7000 with a stock coil as being as my best shot at getting the most weight out of the ground in one pass as is possible, both large and small, solid or specimen, but with the emphasis one weight. If a few small bits get missed that not going to matter as much as missing the bigger ones at depth, the real bread and butter that pays the bills.

Gotta admit I don't see anything to do with detecting as right or wrong or ideological. I'm a big fan of just using what works, and anyone thinking they have a corner on knowing exactly what that might be, most especially me, has not been around enough. These things are all just tools and it's about getting to know your tools, and knowing when to use this one or that one. And sometimes that is nothing more than just an educated guess at best. What works in Australia most decidedly will not work in some of my old haunts in Alaska, and that's a fact.

Now after barfing that all out, good idea, I'll mention X-Coil. 

Just reflecting on your response to my earlier post. I’ve always thought that in your past posts the subtext to not endorsing cutting off a connector of a Minelab OEM coil to bypass their closed-source software/hardware for aftermarket coils was as a matter of principle. Sorry, my mistake. I totally get that the lack of acknowledgement from X-Coils that a dodgy patch cable will cause irreversible damage to a machine and that it needed to be addressed …and that is principled enough without getting into higher ideological debates around integrity.

BUT, it’s your integrity that anchors me to this forum, and it’s that integrity that has fostered an amazing group of awesome people that can engage in fearless and frank discussions that astonishingly rise above the sometimes-libelous slander some other prospecting forums fall into.

Your detector reviews are important in that mix. I agonised over the decision to spend my hard-earned cash on a GPZ 7000 and could only go by what I was able to read, without physically experiencing the machine for the 100 hours necessary to get to know it. I made the plunge based on your reviews triangulated with countless other posts by you, JP, phrunt, d4g, Lunk, jasong, Aureous to name a few. The mix of your integrity with a long history of well-proven skills breeds a strong sense of trust that is hard to beat.

This forum has been the lifeblood of my prospecting adventures and your reviews are a worthy centerpiece. Looking forward to reading the new ones. 🙂

[Jeff McClendon]

On 8/17/2022 at 12:31 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

There was one big shift in the order, as the Fisher Gold Bug 2 went up $100, and the XP ORX went down $150. That changed my view of the ORX in a big way. It wandered a bit when it came out with coils and price, but now has settled firmly into its' role as XPs nugget detector, and an excellent VLF option at $599.

XP ORX detectors with HF 9" round, HF elliptical, or one of the X35 coils and WS wireless audio headphones, charging cables, etc are available in the USA, I mean the entire package with great coil, headphones and remote (some dealers are including a nice XP finds pouch) for $549. 

I don't care much for the ORX coin modes, but I was always comparing them to something they aren't meant to be=original Deus full featured coin modes.

 But those two gold prospecting modes are no joke. A coil that will run at 14, 31 and 81 kHz plus with a little disc IAR and iron volume On, you get a two tone VCO gold prospecting/relic hunter/micro gold jewelry hunter that weighs about 2 lbs. 

That is insane.......thank again to Nokta Detectors (and XP).

Compare that to a Minelab GoldMonster 1000 with one coil for $799 to 999 US that takes 30 seconds to ground balance......I could go on but there is no point.

[Steve Herschbach]

2 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

XP ORX detectors with HF 9" round, HF elliptical, or one of the X35 coils and WS wireless audio headphones, charging cables, etc are available in the USA, I mean the entire package with great coil, headphones and remote (some dealers are including a nice XP finds pouch) for $549. 

The quote was from 2022 as this is an old thread that got brought back to life by accident. And looks like Monster is now $799 with the one coil - $999 with two coils. So I will be double checking all the prices what with price changes all hitting with the new year. But yeah, I agree, the ORX is a killer machine for the price, and still makes the Monster look overpriced even at $799. I'd be getting an ORX with a 5x10 HF coil at $549 before I'd ever consider a Monster at $799 with only a 5" coil. They added a second rechargeable battery pack but since it already had a AA pack for backup, I'd much rather have the 10" coil back and they keep the spare rechargeable. But that's just me.

This at $799....

or this at $549....

[RONS DETECTORS MINELAB]

I have several customers say that they want the Goldmonster for themselves or their spouse because it is so simple to operate, much like the 6000.

I guess a category for seldom used detectors or beginners would be for GM 1000 users and more professional repeat user for the more user control models even if at a lower price.

My friend had bought a 24k and brought it to me to sell, I said it is a good detector. He said his spouse was not wanting to many controls, so gm1000 it is.

Another customer used a Goldfinder 2000 and also said the same, liked it’s simplicity.

Gotta listen to your spouse.

 

[Jeff McClendon]

Have those spouses swing an ORX and they might think differently. 
 

They are really easy to operate too with just enough features to get serious. 

[phrunt]

Fully automated is great, as long as you can override it and have an advanced menu for those that like to adjust beyond the automatic modes.

You don't have to use advanced settings, but it's nice to have them when you need and understand them.  Fully auto is taking it too far and detrimental to performance for many users.

There is nothing stopping manufacturers having the best of both worlds having advanced menu's on an auto detector.

[GB_Amateur]

On 1/16/2024 at 2:08 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

the reality is the Gold Monster totally dominates everything else. Who other than Nenad even uses a Gold Kruzer? A used 24K on our classifieds never did sell, even at a bargain price and with testimonials. Nobody wants a Garrett 24K. It seems Minelab has come to dominate so much that anything other than a Gold Monster is almost irrelevant.

On 1/16/2024 at 2:08 PM, Steve Herschbach said:

I guess I could to a large degree just toss the guide out and tell people get a 6000 or 7000 and/or Gold Monster and be done with it. And in the end that’s pretty sound advice. It kind of rankles on me because I think competition is good for all of us, but is there really any competition in the world of the serious gold prospectors, other than Minelab vs Minelab?

I certainly can't speak for the "serious gold prospectors" but my story may still be relevant.  When I got back into detecting in 2015 I was looking for a gold detector and I found your guide from an internet search.  Having been gone from the endeavor for 30+ years I didn't know what 'Minelab' even was.  A bottle gas company?  (Oh, that's 'Mineweld'.)  But your guide was exactly what I was looking for and I bought a Fisher Gold Bug Pro based upon your recommendation of three (ML X-Terra 705 and Garrett AT/Gold being the other two) for a very good gold detector that could find other items (e.g. coins) and wouldn't break the bank.  What are the chances I ever would have even joined this site if I hadn't found that guide?  But obviously it was written not only by a knowledgeable person but also an open-minded and thorough one.  Checkmark, checkmark, checkmark.

When I buy a detector (in particular) I look at three things:  performance, ergonomics, price.  It has to meet all three (subectively, I admit).  Your guide and your detector database cover all three.  Checkmark.  One thing I don't get hung up on is "name brand".

If someone was wanting to get into detector sales and could only choose one brand then the "big name" Minelab is the easy solution.  But that's not this site.  If that dealer wanted to cater to the "I don't want to think or adjust" crowd then maybe the Monster is the one to sell.  However, that isn't what this site is about, AFAIC.  Sure, there are all types and you welcome them.  But what sets this site apart is people who go deeper than "turn on and go."  And some of those people are beginners who don't really have a clue (as I was 8 1/2 years ago).

Minelab is obviously playing off their reputation but people here aren't exactly drinking their Kool-Aid.  Better yet, finally they are getting serious competition from XP, Nokta, and Garrett.  Do they have the objective advantage today they built their reputation on?  Not in the IB/VLF world, that's for sure.  From what I can see your full guide is as meaningful as ever.