AlgoForce E-1500, Is It A Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Zip-a-dee-a? I Think So.

[phrunt]

I think the Algoforce build quality is superior to the 6000, although that wouldn't be too hard.  

The cam locks are so much better than the junk on the 6000, in fact they're the best I've seen for cam locks with a nice rubber grip coating on them too for doing them up, not just plastic.  No shaft twist at all, regardless of coil size. 

The screen is great, buttons are nice to press.  Headphone port has a little water-resistant cover which can be removed if necessary but also dangles there if you want it to which is a nice little feature.

JW does indeed have an SDC, if it still works, been in his garage for a decade or so unused as he doesn't like it much at all, it's just not a good detector in milder soils, the advantage it gives to those in tougher soils hinder it in milder soils.  

I think it will end up Minelab's answer to the E1500 though, they'll wait a few months to see if the E1500 is creating waves and if it is the SDC will go on sale and just remain that way.

I don't think they'll pop out with a new detector quickly, they're very slow at everything, the times we think they're fast is when development of something has been ongoing in the background with no hints its coming like the X-terra Pro, but when something is in the pipeline like the Manticore and it's coils it takes them forever to get them to market, and then in small numbers.    Thinking they'll pop out with a detector to combat it in a few months with no awareness they even had to do so prior is expecting far too much from them.

It was probably a bad time for them to discontinue the Legacy GPX series, unless they're planning on re-housing it into a modern design, that'd be a pretty cool detector if they did as long as they didn't mess with coil compatibility at the same time, I wouldn't put it past them.

[Gerry in Idaho]

17 hours ago, Gold Catcher said:

It's just that I like the robust and foldable design, combined with the MPF timings. The SDC is a tank compared to the rather flimsy 6k, and at times I need something for the rough 🙂 No doubt the Algo is a great machine, and I will get my hands on one for sure. But will it replace the SDC entirely, I doubt it. The 6/7k did neither. Is the Algo as tough as the SDC, that you can throw down the canyon when you need both hands to hike down? Doesn't look like it, but I don't own one yet so I could be wrong. As Gerry said, the right tool for the task.

GC

SDC is a great detector and many have done well with it.  Do you know it's background? It's housing is the exact one provided to the military.  One of the Minelab conferences showed us the military version before the SDC-2300 came out. 

Boy I would love to have Minelab provide a Dealer Conference again.  Last one I attended was Italy about 5 yrs ago.  They have not had another since.  Was great times as you were able to speak with Engineers and some of the heavy brass of Minelab/Codan. 

Myself, I don't care for the SDC-2300 cockeyed way it swings and transfers the weight.  As for compactness, the Manticore is almost as compact in length, but even slimmer and lighter.  I'll take SDC-2300 in Manticore housing and shafts, but what would I pay?  Considering the E-1500 at $1500 and I get 100+ coil options and numerical ID.  I would not pay much more than $1500 and that's only if the SDC actually had more power and depth.  It's close or even the SDC is a little deeper?  I would probably go with the newer detectors because of me being able to adjust the extra features the SDC is missing.

Don't get me wrong, SDC-2300 is still a great detector, just like and SD-2200, or GP-3000 or many other older Minelab PI's.

 

[Gerry in Idaho]

11 hours ago, Gold Catcher said:

 I am also not a member of the ML bashing crowd, as so many here. With all the criticism for many good reasons, ML got us all here where we are now. And as much as I hope that Algo will be the next big player with an exciting emerging product line, as much I wish that ML will solve its current challenges and continue to deliver fantastic new detectors, as it has done so over the past decades.

GC  

I don't think most on here are Minelab Bashers, as much as getting fed up with paying out the arse for a detector, paying crazy prices for a coil, then the same for the battery and the same for the headphones and other parts.

Competition of metal detector manufactures goes back before I started swinging in the early 1970's and still does so today and maybe even worse.

I've complemented Minelab more than most brands in the last 25 yrs 10X.  The majority of my various metal detecting trips are using Minelab detectors and technologies because I feel they are usually better performers vs the others.  At the same time, I also feel as a paying customer (even though I'm a dealer and getting a little discount), I still think I am allowed to compare and express my desires of a future detector.

Manufactures have folks who do read what we post, as they know we're the future sales, when those detectors get built.

As for Minelab being the one that has us all here?  I think not, and especially in the US.  USA made in America "White's" is what actually got me to here.  Then after White's it was Fisher and the GB-2. Those companies are the ones who planted the seed and so Minelab took it and cross pollinated it to what we have today.  And they did a stand up take my hat off and I salute you, job.

Many of us have done very well with Minelab technology detectors and if it wasn't for other manufactures pushing Minelab, I don't think we've have what we do today.

Example XP and the price point of the Deus pushed Minelab to come out with Equinox.  Equinox 800 was the best overall performing VLF gold detector out there.  

XP fired back with the Deus-II.  Minelab fired back with the Manticore, which I feel is now the best overall performing VLF type gold detector.

Heck, Fisher for some on here (the original Gold Bug) and Garrett (Ground Hog) were early pioneers in the gold fields.  

AlgoForce, we really don't know the outcome of longevity, well at least we can see the way they are listening to customers and doing it better than the competition (E-1500).

As already mentioned, the E-1500 will poke some competitors and then those competitors will respond.  Hopefully anyway.  In the end, that allows us end users more options, better prices and the desire to jump on here and ask for more, do more comparing and chatting.

I don't think it's Minelab bashing at all.  As we are now about to see what many of us had thought?  Someone is making a lot of money off of metal detectors and there should be a better way.  It seems someone listened and is now giving us that options.

It's all good though....for the end user "us".

 

 

[Lead Detector]

37 minutes ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Considering the E-1500 at $1500

It will be interesting to see what price point it actually comes in at in the US. So far we are just going off the price point in Australia.  We may see a surprise here in the US. What if it ends up at $2000-$2500 instead? Add a couple coils, batteries, and good headphones,  and your in the ballpark of the axiom price. All we can do is eat our popcorn till Gerry has them in stock lol

[phrunt]

8 minutes ago, Lead Detector said:

It will be interesting to see what price point it actually comes in at in the US. So far we are just going off the price point in Australia.  We may see a surprise here in the US. What if it ends up at $2000-$2500 instead? Add a couple coils, batteries, and good headphones,  and your in the ballpark of the axiom price. All we can do is eat our popcorn till Gerry has them in stock lol

The real big benefit is to those that already have stuff, like coils, headphones and well, batteries are a non-issue really as for once batteries for a detector are extremely cheap, not some custom-made thing to suit only that detector and you can really just get away with a 10000 mAh battery as it will last longer than a normal day.  

Power Bank 10K | Belkin US

$30 sure isn't going to break the bank for a good quality day long power bank 🙂

Fortunately, legacy GPX coils are pretty cheap, I can really only see most people needing two coils for it, a NF Sadie and a NF 14x9" EVO or 14x9" Coiltek Elite out of the coils on the market currently still available would be my picks but there are just so many options for good coils, Detech tend to be cheaper too and make great coils.  

Unless the manufacturer is willing to take a bit of a hit on profits, I'd guess the USA pricing will be $1600 USD, as they have transportation costs to get it there.

I can see someone being setup ready to roll for under $2000 USD.

[Gold Catcher]

2 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Calling people bashers is a way of downplaying or disrespecting opinions that do not fit the mold of being happy with anything a company does.

Fair point Steve, and I certainly did not want to insult anyone. So, apologies for that. I just sense that many folks hate ML so much that whatever they do or not do is bad. I have noticed that across many threads over the years, and also in other forums. Now, everyone is entitled to their opinion and that is of course totally fine. You have been involved with ML way longer than I have and on a much deeper level, so I am sure there are many reasons why this company is so much disliked, and I heard of some of them. I can just say that I enjoy their detectors and like their innovative thinking. I am not sure why they had a monopoly for so long, but I suspect it is not because they aggressively prevented others from emerging, or because of some unfair business practices, but rather because there were not many companies who would spend a similar R&D budget to come up with all these innovations (which also comes from their military work). Anyway, I am glad we now have true alternatives (Axiom, Algo, etc) and this will be good for everyone.

GC

 

 

[phrunt]

Some great reports are coming in from Aussies using the Algoforce on Facebook, particularly in regards to handling ground, it's running over hardpack ironstone like a dream and no issues with the red and orange clays in Victoria, the guy was finding bits around Bendigo. 

None of this surprises me.

[Gold Catcher]

2 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Do you know it's background? It's housing is the exact one provided to the military

Thanks Gerry and yes, I know. When the MF5 came out I hoped for a next gen SDC, but that did not happen...

GC

[Gold Catcher]

11 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Some great reports are coming in from Aussies using the Algoforce on Facebook, particularly in regards to handling ground, it's running over hardpack ironstone like a dream and no issues with the red and orange clays in Victoria, the guy was finding bits around Bendigo. 

None of this surprises me.

Which coils do you recommend for the Algo that you liked the best thus far?

[phrunt]

26 minutes ago, Gold Catcher said:

Which coils do you recommend for the Algo that you liked the best thus far?

I would say the 10" Spiral X-coil as it's handled everything I've thrown at it and is super sensitive to small stuff being a full spiral but seeing it's not sold at the moment it's the NF 8x6" Sadie for its size and nice edge sensitivity for rocky bushy areas and NF 14x9" EVO for general use out of the coils I've tried, I'd love to try the Coiltek 9" Spiral Elite though, I think it'd be great.  I have plenty of coils I liked on my GPX though so I've got a fair few to try out yet, part of the fun of getting a new detector 🙂

I haven't messed around much with bigger coils on it at this stage other than seeing that they calibrate fine.   The next spot I intend to hit is a black sand beach with a 15x10" Spiral and 12" Spiral, might also take the Coiltek Goldstalker 16" mono just in case for a bit of a play but of course that's more for the coin and jewellery side of it, it's nice to have a PI so resistant to EMI to even use on the beaches with a mono.

It kind of feels like I'm doing something wrong plugging these mono GPX coils into the Algo, the detector looks and feels so much like a VLF, yet I'm putting these GPX coils on it 🙂