Minelab GPX 4500 Is Back?

[phrunt]

I think combining the 6000 and 5000 into one model would be the best bet, keep the timings and settings of the 5000 with the discrimination, maybe add target ID and pinpointing, add in the 6000's small gold capability and housing with screen and button controls like the 6000 with the Manticore no twist shaft and a fibreglass lower and they've got a hit on their hands.  That's what I hoped the 6000 would be and would sell very well.  They could put a Manticore style screen on it where they could have descriptions and help on settings.

Then make a cut back fully auto version in the 6000 housing as the cheapie to destroy the cheaper competitors, oh, that's the 6000.  Maybe they could waterproof it.

A CTX housing 5000 at a cheaper price to kill off the cheaper PI's would be a good option for them, depending on what Nokta does as Nokta's already indicated theirs will be waterproof, and they'll likely throw everything they've got at it.

[Jonathan Porter]

3 hours ago, phrunt said:

I haven't seen any saying discontinued in Australia on their websites, most say out of stock through but keep it listed for some reason and some just don't have it at all on their websites.  I do know when I asked the NZ dealer about it, he said he doesn't stock them now but could order one in for me.  

It's been a weird situation. 983 is a massive stock number though, could be an error.  

There really aren't many dealers left that stock the high end machines according to the ML website, when you go to the where to buy map on their website the numbers now are quite small but there are errors as JP's shop isn't there but he obviously sells them and likely other stores missing as they've been messing with the map lately removing Miners Den, Lost Treasures, Phasetech and others.

The dense red dots on the major cities are mostly big box stores.

Either way, you're very likely right, it probably is discontinued and until stock runs out, they won't directly say that, far more expensive of a detector to make than a 6000 and also a heavier package to ship increasing costs, 6000 killed most demand for it until more recently with modders.

I’m a real boy I tell you, I’m real. 😭

SEE 👀 

 

[phrunt]

32 minutes ago, Jonathan Porter said:

I’m a real boy I tell you, I’m real. 😭

nah, you're too good to be true 🙂

Good to see they've fixed it.

[Aureous]

My 'Take on it' is that Minelab see the competition ramping up for 2025 and NEED a lower priced competitor in that segment. Several comments have suggested that ML should have created a whole 'New' detector out of the GPX4500/5000 with better ergonomics and options and I'd have to agree.....it would have made much more sense. I reckon the time frame needed to bring it  back to sale would have 'missed the boat', so they went with what they had. All of the development costs have already been spent on this platform so its a very cheap option. Given that ML run on a 300-500% wholesale markup, this would be peanuts to bring back and still make a tidy profit....although with such old tech, all the easy gold to be found with it would be limited. Still, there's a place for it and ML certainly need a 'real world' pricing segment in their lineup.

[Tony]

5 hours ago, abenson said:

Why doesn't Minelab just quit playing around and put the 4500/5000 guts in a CTX body and sell us something we really want instead of resurrecting the old GPX models.

Because these will sell well here in Australia. A CTX style would be great but that's for another time in the future when Minelab's hand will be forced (again) to react to the" competition".

I'd jump at a 4500 Lite version......just the control box.

[Tony]

3 hours ago, Aureous said:

My 'Take on it' is that Minelab see the competition ramping up for 2025 and NEED a lower priced competitor in that segment. Several comments have suggested that ML should have created a whole 'New' detector out of the GPX4500/5000 with better ergonomics and options and I'd have to agree.....it would have made much more sense. I reckon the time frame needed to bring it  back to sale would have 'missed the boat', so they went with what they had. All of the development costs have already been spent on this platform so its a very cheap option. Given that ML run on a 300-500% wholesale markup, this would be peanuts to bring back and still make a tidy profit....although with such old tech, all the easy gold to be found with it would be limited. Still, there's a place for it and ML certainly need a 'real world' pricing segment in their lineup.

Minelab only needs to "suppress" the competition models.......they know they don't have to bludgeon the competition to death with an all new compact model........at least not yet. Releasing legacy GPX models does exactly what Minelab needs them to do.

[Fishing8046]

It is not the detector that finds the gold; it is the detector, in capable hands, that is placed over the gold that finds the gold. 

[Reg Wilson]

For deep gold using big coils the old 2200 takes some beating. Will still pick up your pick if on your belt more than any other. Flyshit gold? Who cares anyway? Well maybe Simon, 'cos he chases that stuff.

[geof_junk]

I'm with you there Reg. It is not the extras on a detector it how it is used and where, plus most of all the time spent doing it. So a good basic detector is more than capable of finding good gold.