Metal Detector advice $500 to $1500

thanks heaps, $275 is a grate price but i have come to learn that minelab will not repair a modded detector, if something were to go wrong in time to come it may be an issue getting it repaird. Im am still on the lookout for a gp3500 and have 8 months to find it

Sylar said:

thanks heaps, $275 is a grate price but i have come to learn that minelab will not repair a modded detector, if something were to go wrong in time to come it may be an issue getting it repaird. Im am still on the lookout for a gp3500 and have 8 months to find it

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Ismael Jones repairs these if they need a repair. Ismael is an experienced technician.

This is why I modded mine, Ismael will first test the unit. If its a lemon he will tell you otherwise he will mod it.

You then can switch on or off any of the mods.

2 people have already purchased a modded gp 3500 via ebay and they paid about $3300 each.

There are knockers out there for just about everything.

This all comes down to price. If my GP was to blow up and be a write off it won't worry me because I paid only $2100 for the unit
minus the 3 coils which are worth say $800.

If I was to hire a 5000 I am limited for time and 10 outings could cost me $800.

So the story here is to put everything into perspective. Its plain and simple. You buy a new machine depending on price you will lose
$250 to a $1000 plus once 12 months or so goes by and once a new model is introduced. I learnt this the hard way.

I would be more worried and concerned to out lay $6500 for a 5000 which is top dollar and as time goes by and new model
is introduced be prepared to lose $1500 - $2000. If your a pro this won't matter if your a weekend warrior and you go out 6 times a
year then its a different thing altogether.

My motto is simple. Each to their own.

Sylar said:

thanks heaps, $275 is a grate price but i have come to learn that minelab will not repair a modded detector, if something were to go wrong in time to come it may be an issue getting it repaird. Im am still on the lookout for a gp3500 and have 8 months to find it

Click to expand...

Ismael Jones repairs these if they need a repair. Ismael is an experienced technician.

In fact Ismael was once in the Navy who was a Weapons Electronic Engineer.

http://www.minelabmods.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=33

This is why I modded mine, Ismael will first test the unit. If its a lemon he will tell you otherwise he will mod it.

You then can switch on or off any of the mods.

2 people have already purchased a modded gp 3500 via ebay and they paid about $3300 each.

There are knockers out there for just about everything.

This all comes down to price. If my GP was to blow up and be a write off it won't worry me because I paid only $2100 for the unit
minus the 3 coils which are worth say $800.

If I was to hire a 5000 I am limited for time and 10 outings could cost me $800.

So the story here is to put everything into perspective. Its plain and simple. You buy a new machine depending on price you will lose
$250 to a $1000 plus once 12 months or so goes by and once a new model is introduced. I learnt this the hard way.

I would be more worried and concerned to out lay $6500 for a 5000 which is top dollar and as time goes by and new model
is introduced be prepared to lose $1500 - $2000. If your a pro this won't matter if your a weekend warrior and you go out 6 times a
year then its a different thing altogether.

Whether you mod or not is up to you because all I am doing is giving some feedback with my experience and its not my responsibility if
someone mods a machine and for some reason it does not work out. A 3500 un modded is still a good machine.

Just make sure you get a sound booster for it though.

Good luck on your search..

If you are just starting out I would suggest you first invest in:

Goldpan $16-$20
Set of Sieves $50-$80
Shovel $40-50
Pick $50-60

Find a good creek and learn how to use them.

Get yourself a good 4wd to get into the goldfields.

See if the hobby is really for you and then do your research, talk to other prospectors in the field and then invest in a metal detector.

Enjoy.

im not so much into the idea of panning for gold or using that kind of equipment, dont get me wrong im sure they work well but i just prefer the idea of a metal detector to find gold or other items. what i know is this, Im sure that i want a metal detector, im now sure i want a minelab (Australian designed and built for our unique conditions) the only thing i am unsure about is what model to i buy, GP series and above is what i am now setting my sights on as i would rather something that wont get outdated for some time yet, A GPX5000 would be nice but struggling to justify $6500 on a detector just yet. I have no idea if the places i plan to hit have been hit before and if so what have they produced in the past and to what detectors (im sure that i will never know). I am now thinking that maybe some thing between a GP 3500 to a GPX 4800 is most likely the way i will be heading, once it becomes too far out dated i will look into mods to keep it up to date rather than buying a new detector.
I think that i will keep an eye out, see how the next 8 months go and decide sometime in October exactly what i want and take it from there. Who knows, if all goes well i might just lay out for a GPX5000 other wise i will enter the hobby with an older detector and try my luck there. That said Minelab seem to hold their value extremely well with not much difference between new and used models.

Am looking at a first machine has anyone tried all these or got suggestions? Would i be better with a modded army minelab or garret infinium for depth? Or i can get a new multi frequency Safari or At pro with a extra coil or a gold bug 2, not many options for a grand......

Depends what you want to use it for, and where you intend to use it - do you want gold only, multi use for parks and beaches as well, or a dedicated beach/water detector?

The Infinium is reasonably flexible for gold detecting, beach/water detecting, probably not the best on small gold, but has decent depth, and should be a good start to the hobby.

The Goldbug 2 will be good for near surface stuff, and excellent on small gold, but don't expect to break any depth records due to it being a high frequency VLF detector.

The AT Pro is a good allrounder for most situations, and can find gold, but not specifically designed for that purpose - will get better depth than the GB2, but less effective on small stuff due to its mid-range frequency. The Safari could also find gold, but once again, is more specifically designed for coin/relic hunting with its multi frequencies and discrimination.

The Minelab F1a4 is a relative unknown, despite being regularly advertised on ebay in modified and unmodified states. There are a few guys using them, some completely unmodified, some modified, but there certainly hasn't been a rush of finds with them that I have heard of. Most guys rather opt to purchase a second hand SD2000 or 2100, which are proven in the goldfields as gold specific detectors, plus should still be close to your price range. Most of the modded f1a4 detector are out of your price range anyway, with the cheapest one modded to accept other minelab coils, and that's about all they do to it. Hope that helps.

Definitely looking for gold mate on hopefully virgin grounds think im gonna go the infinium as ive seen too many posts on not getting a pulse induction machine and people regretting that and considering ill be working wet and dry creek beds mostly i think its the smart choice for my grand downpayment, the tdi sl are hard to pick up for a grand or id probably go one of them.Minelab cheap 2200s or 3500s are outta my price range for now unfortunately ,An f1a4 was advertised in my price range with added headfone jack and new gold terminals and coil adapter but i dunno theyre old machines and technology in electronics has improved alot ,considering the relatively untouched ground ill be scanning on a reasonably decent pi such as the infinium should hopefully pickup if theres any gold round there or not,learning to discriminate the mineralized ground and hotrocks with it and actually finding any gold maybe a lengthy learning curve

Look for a gp3500.

Awesome machine. Gets better modded and you could find
One around 2k.

Okay thanks wolfy ill do that while you look for another grand for me Selling my pop top off ground camper trailer soon so il think about an upgrade then maybe,unless someone wants to offer me 4grand and a modded gp3500 for it now haha

I got an infinium as my first detector. I found gold in the triangle and I hunted the beaches up here in queensland. its a great machine as its easy to use. I have just upgraded to a sd 2200d and now have a gpx4000. I will be selling the infinium down the track but for the moment I love having a machine that can be used in water and rain. they are cheap and come up 2nd hand for a good price. I cant say anything bad about chosing an infinium as your first machine. hope this helps and good luck, picking your first machine is a real pain as until you get out there using a detector everyone will have a different opinion of what the best first machine should be

Rhinocerus said:

Okay thanks wolfy ill do that while you look for another grand for me Selling my pop top off ground camper trailer soon so il think about an upgrade then maybe,unless someone wants to offer me 4grand and a modded gp3500 for it now haha

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spending just a little extra makes a huge difference.

The key is you need to shop around.

My GP 3500 with 3 coils cost me $1800 Add another $300 for the mod and we are off and running.

Have a good easter and good luck with your purchase.

Awesome thanks for the info pirate andy, hey did i see you on qld prospecting club aswell?

I'm looking into buying my first detector YAY!
So I'd really like some input. Firstly: I have done some research myself, but I'm still unsure what is right for me and my requirements. I'd appreciate any input.

What I'm looking for:
* A second-hand detector that is under $1000
* Preferable waterproof for use in streams
* I want to do 80% gold detecting and 20% relic/coin finding (beaches / parks)
* As it's my first detector, I don't want to get something too serious. I just want to have fun, and maybe upgrade in a years time.

I look forward to your response.

If your looking for coin, relic/gold detector the two that come to mind are the garrett AT Gold or the minelab xterra 705 pack with the 2 coils.
Hopefully someone with more experience with these detectors can give you some pointers or even give another option.
Greg

I have a xterra 705 gold pack not found no gold yet .I turned to walbanking /panning have 3 grams, I know there some nuggets in the area but the xterra 705 not finding yet .

This be the go if you could spare the cash .

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6376

Garret AT Gold with sniper coil

I have AT Gold and love it

AT Gold all the way.