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Ridge Runner said:
AEGPF said:
madtuna said:
Hi Julie,

While that may be true, I also know some who have on shifted their QED or are trying to.
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Of the many QED's sold I only know of 2 that want to shift their QED's. The QED is easy to use despite what you say and will match or beat the SDC on most tiny gold and beat it easily on bigger, deeper bits with bigger coils.It is also more immune to EMI than the SDC and runs much quieter and some users are doing very well with it near or under power lines.Some early QED users have already found tens of ounces of nuggets eg Reg Wilson, JRbeatty, "Yellowfin" ect. Dean at Goldsearch Dunolly has found dozens of small nuggets/specimens with his QED in hot Dunolly ground and would be happy to show you his pictures of them. For the cost of the SDC you can get a QED with one or 2 more coils and a cord free wireless setup.Their is also a QED users group on my forum where users care share their experiences and tips for use and talk directly with the designer and builder of the QED. The QED is very lightweight and can be easily used all day and is far more ergonomic than the SDC and can be set up and configured to best suit the needs of the individual user. In saying this the QED will not suit everybody but if someone buys one and finds its not fit for purpose then it can be returned to the dealer for a refund.
cheers,
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The point is the SDC has a massive following because it has an unbeatable track record, members here have been finding bits that weigh less 0.01 grams and smaller, No other PI finds as many nuggets, It even picks up the Gold the GPX leaves behind bordering on Gold that LF machines find, When it comes to finding Gold on a daily bases Nothing comes close to the SDC, Hundreds of Guys here have proved it here every week for at leased the last 3 years.
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The QED has found gold down to less than 10 milligrams and has detected some nuggets that the GPX and even the SDC cannot detect!
The SDC also has some serious design and ergonomic flaws which i am not aware have been rectified.
http://www.gold-prospecting-wa.com/minelab-sdc2300-metal-detector.html
http://golddetecting.4umer.net/t19535-sdc-2300-power-off
http://www.sdc2300upgrades.com/
PS i have no commercial or vested interest in the QED and get nothing from any sales.I am promoting it because i think its a good detector and is designed and hand built in Australia.Howard the QED designer and builder is a long time and close friend and has funded the whole project and brought it to fruition totally out of his own pocket and his own time.
 
AEGPF said:
The QED has found gold down to less than 10 milligrams and has detected some nuggets that the GPX and even the SDC cannot detect!
The SDC also has some serious design and ergonomic flaws which i am not aware have been rectified.
http://www.gold-prospecting-wa.com/minelab-sdc2300-metal-detector.html
http://golddetecting.4umer.net/t19535-sdc-2300-power-off
http://www.sdc2300upgrades.com/
PS i have no commercial or vested interest in the QED and get nothing from any sales.I am promoting it because i think its a good detector and is designed and hand built in Australia.Howard the QED designer and builder is a long time and close friend and has funded the whole project and brought it to fruition totally out of his own pocket and his own time.
Click to expand...

Yes, but what some folks see as flaws others see as features, the fact remains the SDC is still the hottest PI out there with the ZED as a very close second when it comes to small Gold, Some of the people named above I take with a pinch of salt, past reputations mean very little and conflicting stories by those people mean even less,

Howard has done a fine job and whether he has invested all his own money or not was his choice or maybe he could not get the backing but what ever the reason, It was his dream and he has done a fine job and the machine will prove useful. It most definitely will not replace the SDC and if anyone is chasing larger deeper nuggets they will buy the best being the GPX or the ZED, All 3 of ML's machines have found too much Gold in OZ so their future is secure,

There will always be tiny companies producing good machines and I wish them well, but they can never go head to head with major companies with unlimited resources, and as for GSA being Howards retailer, The last I heard the business was up for sale So it would not be a wise move to buy from a company who's future is not secure and it looks like Howard will be having talks with who ever the new owners might be if it sells, but that is a very big IF.
 
Ridge Runner said:
AEGPF said:
The QED has found gold down to less than 10 milligrams and has detected some nuggets that the GPX and even the SDC cannot detect!
The SDC also has some serious design and ergonomic flaws which i am not aware have been rectified.
http://www.gold-prospecting-wa.com/minelab-sdc2300-metal-detector.html
http://golddetecting.4umer.net/t19535-sdc-2300-power-off
http://www.sdc2300upgrades.com/
PS i have no commercial or vested interest in the QED and get nothing from any sales.I am promoting it because i think its a good detector and is designed and hand built in Australia.Howard the QED designer and builder is a long time and close friend and has funded the whole project and brought it to fruition totally out of his own pocket and his own time.
Click to expand...

Yes, but what some folks see as flaws others see as features, the fact remains the SDC is still the hottest PI out there with the ZED as a very close second when it comes to small Gold, Some of the people named above I take with a pinch of salt, past reputations mean very little and conflicting stories by those people mean even less,

Howard has done a fine job and whether he has invested all his own money or not was his choice or maybe he could not get the backing but what ever the reason, It was his dream and he has done a fine job and the machine will prove useful. It most definitely will not replace the SDC and if anyone is chasing larger deeper nuggets they will buy the best being the GPX or the ZED, All 3 of ML's machines have found too much Gold in OZ so their future is secure,

There will always be tiny companies producing good machines and I wish them well, but they can never go head to head with major companies with unlimited resources, and as for GSA being Howards retailer, The last I heard the business was up for sale So it would not be a wise move to buy from a company who's future is not secure and it looks like Howard will be having talks with who ever the new owners might be if it sells, but that is a very big IF.
Click to expand...

Their are two distributors for the QED so if anyone is worried about GSA going bust then buy from the other!
I repeat again that the QED with an 8" coil will match or beat the SDC on all gold sizes for depth and sensitivity (and will detect some ironstone coated pieces that the SDC ignores because if its smooth timings) Those that had had both will confirm what i am saying. The SDC is poorly designed as the above links show.Unlike the SDC Howard responds to the feedback from users in terms of ergonomics and firmware and has made improvements and changes to the QED as a result.More options and individualized setups for the QED are in the pipeline.
 
OK Ridge Runner and AEGPF. You have made recommendations to answer the original question. Now you are going off topic and just arguing about which is a better machine. Time to drop it and move on please.

Thanks.
 
Its the old Holdens and fords argument. But really it is to do with budget and experience.
I would always suggest finding a detecting club near you. Attend some excursions and try their machines.
You have loads of free advice and you can see if you like metal detecting.
I have seen too many buy a machine an then find detecting is not for them then sell their machine.
All machines have plus and minus.
But really buy what you can afford and ensure you try a few and get some hands on advice from a club.
You will not regret it.

Good luck with the search.

Cheers
 
The qed is good value for money, but for ease of use, the sdc is hard to beat, however, you are looking at another thousand to fifteen hundred dollars on top of the qed price.
 
davent said:
The qed is good value for money, but for ease of use, the sdc is hard to beat, however, you are looking at another thousand to fifteen hundred dollars on top of the qed price.
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SDC $3,450.00 AUD at coiltek.
 
It is a common fact that as Detectorists/prospectors that we will want the best and no matter what we will some how find the money to buy the most productive machines made, the ZED proved that at $10,500 we thought that no one would buy it but many have and still are,

This is a hobby where understanding wives and partners are the must have Accessory, Bless them one and All.

J.
 
Ridge Runner said:
It is a common fact that as Detectorists/prospectors that we will want the best and no matter what we will some how find the money to buy the most productive machines made, the ZED proved that at $10,500 we thought that no one would buy it but many have and still are,

This is a hobby where understanding wives and partners are the must have Accessory, Bless them one and All.

J.
Click to expand...

How true, how true!
 
Ridge Runner said:
It is a common fact that as Detectorists/prospectors that we will want the best and no matter what we will some how find the money to buy the most productive machines made, the ZED proved that at $10,500 we thought that no one would buy it but many have and still are,

This is a hobby where understanding wives and partners are the must have Accessory, Bless them one and All.

J.
Click to expand...

When Minelab released the Zed at $10,500 I also thought it was too high for the market but have been proved wrong. When you look at what some people pay for their hobbies the Zed doesn't look quite so exy to own the very best available, it is knowing the actual production costs are nowhere near this that makes it hard to swallow.

I have never earned more than $25 an hour yet I am about to buy a Zed. I have no expectations of paying for it with findings, I just want to have the best if I am going to spend months travelling the country looking for gold. Looking at the secondhand market it is obvious many people have bought a Zed for a big trip, found little and sold the Zed on return. If the detector is looked after they drop about $1500 in 6-12 months, not that much when you factor a 6 month trip to the West will cost about 10k, any finds will reduce the cost even further.

I have over $10.5k worth of fishing gear and that does not include my boat, I also have about 10k in archery equipment. As far as hobbies goes, prospecting is not that expensive.
 
Magilla said:
Ridge Runner said:
It is a common fact that as Detectorists/prospectors that we will want the best and no matter what we will some how find the money to buy the most productive machines made, the ZED proved that at $10,500 we thought that no one would buy it but many have and still are,

This is a hobby where understanding wives and partners are the must have Accessory, Bless them one and All.

J.
Click to expand...

When Minelab released the Zed at $10,500 I also thought it was too high for the market but have been proved wrong. When you look at what some people pay for their hobbies the Zed doesn't look quite so exy to own the very best available, it is knowing the actual production costs are nowhere near this that makes it hard to swallow.

I have never earned more than $25 an hour yet I am about to buy a Zed. I have no expectations of paying for it with findings, I just want to have the best if I am going to spend months travelling the country looking for gold. Looking at the secondhand market it is obvious many people have bought a Zed for a big trip, found little and sold the Zed on return. If the detector is looked after they drop about $1500 in 6-12 months, not that much when you factor a 6 month trip to the West will cost about 10k, any finds will reduce the cost even further.

I have over $10.5k worth of fishing gear and that does not include my boat, I also have about 10k in archery equipment. As far as hobbies goes, prospecting is not that expensive.
Click to expand...

Amen to that, just look at what it costs kit out ya truck and then add the camping gear, Yikes :eek: :eek:

we are only here once so we might as well go for it aye,

I hope you find the mutha of all door stops with your new machine, so you can retire to the GT.

John.
 
Is your head in a spin yet Julie? :)
You'll be off an running with a minelab,i cant comment on the gm1000 but as a few have stated if its gold only and if ya stretched the budget to a used sdc you will be better off,seen a few go for $2500 on the odd occasion,great little detector,i wouldnt reccomend the qed,i have one and its for sale,$1000 but as a newbie i think youd really struggle with it,sometimes when you try these other brands out it just cements how far ahead minelab is,a workmate bought a AT gold cuppla years ago,his first detector,not allot of use on mineralised ground,we went out one day as he said he couldnt get it running right,got it running the best we could but in the end on hot ground it wasnt very usefull,it sits in the cupboard now and he bought a gpx5000.....
 
Goldchaser1 said:
Is your head in a spin yet Julie? :)
You'll be off an running with a Minelab,i cant comment on the gm1000 but as a few have stated if its gold only and if ya stretched the budget to a used sdc you will be better off,seen a few go for $2500 on the odd occasion,great little detector,i wouldn't recommend the qed,i have one and its for sale,$1000 but as a newbie i think youd really struggle with it,sometimes when you try these other brands out it just cements how far ahead Minelab is,a workmate bought a AT gold cuppla years ago,his first detector,not allot of use on mineralized ground,we went out one day as he said he couldn't get it running right,got it running the best we could but in the end on hot ground it wasn't very useful,it sits in the cupboard now and he bought a gpx5000.....
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lol..goldchaser.. my head sure is spinning... have not even learnt how to do this yet and my head is spinning.. I think I may go to a Minelab demonstration day to have a go and get some more information... wowzers...lol
 
Well there are plenty of folks here that can help with that along with detecting Tours and Prospecting Clubs and not for getting that you can go with PhaseTech and a few others and go on a Training Day so you have loads of options to get you on your way.

good luck,

John.
 
Ridge Runner said:
Well there are plenty of folks here that can help with that along with detecting Tours and Prospecting Clubs and not for getting that you can go with PhaseTech and a few others and go on a Training Day so you have loads of options to get you on your way.

good luck,

John.
Click to expand...

thanks John. I have actually just signed up with a guy on gumtree in orange tonight who rents out minelab detectors and does individual and group training sessions so I am going out with him shortly to begin learning the art of detecting. thank you all for your advice and input. it is all greatly appreciated. :) :) :)
 
Your welcome mate, That's a great Idea and the right way to do things, they will give all the basics and the rest is down to learning what ever machine you buy and going from there,

Good luck and have fun.

John.
 
Ridge Runner said:
Your welcome mate, That's a great Idea and the right way to do things, they will give all the basics and the rest is down to learning what ever machine you buy and going from there,

Good luck and have fun.

John.
Click to expand...

thanks john. can't wait... :)
 

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