Minelab SDC2300 or GPX4000 / GPX4500 / GPX5000

The 4500 with the right coil will find the small bits I got this this weekend

I have been detecting for only 4 months. With the SDC I have found 32 pieces of SA gold so far. Only small pieces, but it's gold.

It's ease of use and sensitivity on small gold is second to none.

I would reccomend to anyone new to the hobby.

With a bigger coil it would be absolutely dynamite.

The 4500 with a Coiltek will save you thousands. It is a lot of gold you have to find to make up the price of a GPZ. But really if you have the money and it does not matter how much you spend get a GPZ and an SDC. About $13k for the GPZ and sdc or $7.2k for GPX and sdc and Coiltek its really up to how deep your pockets are.. Either would cover all angles.

Lesgold said:

Hi GaryO,

Good point. Thanks for the comment. My only concern is that the area that I will be detecting in has been worked so much that the rocks on top of the ground shine as they have been polished by detector coils. The small gold still needs to be considered as I would be expecting to see more smaller bits that larger nuggets in this area. Your comment has me leaning towards the 4500.

Cheers

Les

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Les the attributes of the SDC go way beyond being a clean up machine :Y: I won't list them here as there are page upon page of accolades regarding how good the SDC does what it does already and probably the reason why many with the king Z still keep or buy an SDC. :Y: What I have found is frame of mind is very important when hunting the yellow and after several days if nothing found one can become quite disheartened at times The renewed vitality and vigor that a small find can give to your detecting efforts to coin the phrase is worth way more than it's weight in gold. Surprising how even a few little tiddlers helps one to spring eagerly out of bed as day breaks to get back to the spot to find their bigger brother and trust me as long as he's not a metre deep find it the SDC will :Y:
At the end of the day as my wife keeps telling me ................ size doesn't matter it's the smile it puts on ones face that counts Not to sure what she's actually saying there
As you say and agree 100% that the small gold has to be considered especially given that in the areas that the majority prospect the ground has usually been hammered and there is far more small gold left than retirement nuggets. (A fact your already well aware of I add here)
Having said that sure I still hope to find the one I have to tow home behind the quad but then I'm not looking for that in the usual GPA's either
Good luck and enjoy your choice whatever it may be :Y:

Yep Boggs, far from just a clean up machine. I couldn't tell you how many times a patch has been first located with an SDC.
Often it's finding a few little ones that make you bring in and slow down with the 4500, 5000 or 7000.

An excellent machine for in the sides of dry creeks and erosion fingers in wash areas where a big coil wont fit. Have seen some whoppers pulled out with an SDC where nothing bigger could fit.

Hi Lesgold .... congrats on the retirement ..... I joined the ranks almost 2 years ago and have loved every minute, helps to have a couple of hobbies, including chasing gold.

Been said many times before ... the SDC is a hands down winner for ease of use and consistently getting gold, the GPX series with coil combinations will also do that but would suggest a few "tours" to help get you sorted with the settings, more to give confidence that you're in there with a chance. If you have the cash get a GPZ ......

In the end you have to be in the right place to actually find it, My biggest 21gms was found with a GPX 4800 BUT have hundreds of smaller pieces all found with the SDC.

Whatever you get you can always change later, have fun out there.
Cheers Tom

madtuna said:

Yep Boggs, far from just a clean up machine. I couldn't tell you how many times a patch has been first located with an SDC.
Often it's finding a few little ones that make you bring in and slow down with the 4500, 5000 or 7000.

An excellent machine for in the sides of dry creeks and erosion fingers in wash areas where a big coil wont fit. Have seen some whoppers pulled out with an SDC where nothing bigger could fit.

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Same same MT .................... use the SDC to sniff out the area and then bring in the big guns :Y: Then when finished with the Big Gun scope out the area again with the SDC and jobs considered done

Hi Les

I have the SDC and the 4500.
The 4500 has the Elite 14 x 9 on it and on the weekend I followed my mate who used the SDC .
I picked up three small nuggets over ground he had just walked over, one was only .1 of a gram.
The 4500 and the 14 x 9 is an great combo also for small gold as I ended up with five small nuggets and three species.

Hope this info may help you with your choice of machines, good luck.

AU.

Thanks again Folks.

I see valid comments for both. From a cost perspective there is nothing between the two. Looks like they both have the potential to find small gold but the 4500 has more potential in relation to deep and larger gold. Ease of use may be a factor as well. I will hire an SDC for starters and try following a local creek bed where I have panned a couple of .1 +gram pieces over the past couple of months. I have struggled to pan more than a small amount of gold so the use of the detector is a real option. Will report back with a view on the machine after the trip.

Cheers

Les

Lesgold said:

Thanks again Folks.

I see valid comments for both. From a cost perspective there is nothing between the two. Looks like they both have the potential to find small gold but the 4500 has more potential in relation to deep and larger gold. Ease of use may be a factor as well. I will hire an SDC for starters and try following a local creek bed where I have panned a couple of .1 +gram pieces over the past couple of months. I have struggled to pan more than a small amount of gold so the use of the detector is a real option. Will report back with a view on the machine after the trip.

Cheers

Les

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Good idea Les
I used a mates SDC 2300 last year for one day and found a 0.4g nugget. The great thing about the SDC is, it is very easy to use almost turn on and start detecting.
I am also thinking of getting either the SDC 2300 or the GPX 4500 but leaning towards the GPX for similar reasons stated, more options and more potential .

hi Les, hope all is going well with your decision making regarding the detector, from what i have read here you have had plenty of good info thrown up so i won't give my 2c worth but will say i was in the same boat with detector choice and went with the 4500 and haven't really regretted it.
Also from what you have said i think i know where you are looking at working with the detector you decide on, will just say a 4500 with the right coil and attitude will find the really small bits still lurking around out there and hope to see you out there sooner or later, if you like i will send you a private message the next time i am down that way and you can spend a hour or so with my 4500 if you like on the ground you will be working and see what you think
cheers
Jamie

I am weighing up either buying an SDC 2300 or a GPX 4500 new.

Miners Den have both on special right now.

I've had various VLF detectors over the years and more recently an XTerra 705 Gold Pack.

My main patches are around Maldon, Bendigo & Wedderburn.

I'd be interested in people's opinions as to which detector would be a better choice.

Bob do a search as this would be the most done to death compare of all ......................... there are literally pages and pages of all the info you could possibly need :Y:

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=21566

If your experienced 4500. Not expirienced sdc
I wouldn't sell my sdc unleeesss Minelab bring out an updated sdc with a choice of coils and the speaker on the left hand side and a standard earphone jack.
Can't really comment on the 4500 yet.

The sdc is a switch on and swing machine. The 4500
isn't. Takes time to nut it out.

I agree with Wishfull - just do a search, and it is the same question over and over.

I started with the SDC as a novice (I still am), but the thrill for me is getting out, and even finding a few little bits I am happy.

I think if you want to get serious, you go for the 4500 and swap coils etc etc, depends on how far you want to get into it...

Actually on second thoughts, get the 4500, the fewer people with the SDC the better (for me )

Hi BobDigger,

Two months ago I asked exactly the same question. The advice given to me was to hire out a machine for a day or two and see what you think. I was also given advice from both perspectives in relation to each detector and in reality both machines would serve you well.

I hired an sdc for a weekend. So easy to use. I was very impressed. I met a guy who helped me all weekend. He was using a gpx 5000. I was not considering a 5000 at that time due to the cost. But after that weekend, I decided that a 4500 or 5000 was for me due to my situation. I ended up with a second hand 5000 for the same price as a new sdc.

Ask yourself these questions:

Where do you plan to use the detector? If you plan to detect an area that has been hit quite hard and only small sub gram gold is likely, an sdc would be a good choice. If you plan to chase larger, deeper gold, in a variety of situations the 4500 would be more flexible. How much time do you plan to spend detecting? If you only venture out on the odd occasion and all you want to do is hit the switch and go, an sdc is an easy choice. If you want more options in relation to detecting and coil selection, a 4500 would be the way to go.

If I was asked which way would I go, the 4500 would be my choice. In saying that, I am also planning to save for an sdc. (For my wife and daughter to use)

Hope this helps

Cheers

Les

Well said lesgold, the 4500 has much more flexibility. But we all have met and know people in our life that cant even use a $50 nokia mobile phone properly, these people should stay away from the 4500's etc, and stick with sd series.
Saying such I am in no way bagging the sd's. They are a great weopon. Very simple to use.
But as said with the 4500, you can put a smaller coil on, sweep your area totally, then put the larger coil on sweep the same area and punch deep.

Bob no matter which one you purchase neither will cover areas the other will. SDC I would go as it will most likely see you go home more times with gold especially as a novice operator, resale value excellent and once hooked you wouldn't want to sell it anyway if you buy another machine as nothing does what it does as well. This along with the plus of the whole machine being 100% waterproof, compact and light plus will compliment any other machine you may purchase now or in future time.
Could add here if you decide the games not for you could be resold with very minimal loss where as the 45 you would probably need to take a fair hit when selling it as they are plentiful on the secondhand market.
As a good example an SDC on ebay at the moment is within $500 of new price secondhand with 3 days of bidding still to run :Y:
Good luck and choices are nice if not confusing at times :Y:

From me personally.
When I finally made my mind up last year I went with the 4500.
And it was a close call.
The only thing that swayed me was the versatility of a 4500.
I have just recently bought a 15" Evo coil for it as an example.
.
Put the 15 inch or 17 by 13 coil on and you can punch deeper for those lumps hiding out
of reach of an sdc,
Put the Sadie coil on and it is that close to an SDC it is not funny.
.
IF you are worried about the learning curve with a 4500, Get an SDC,
If you are happy to learn to read the ground and settings plus have an
arsenal of coils, Get the 4500.
.
The coils that come standard with the 4500 are quite up to the task and will serve
you quite well.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I've decided to go for the SDC 2300 initially and follow it up with a GPX 4500 or 5000 later in the year to replace my VLF kit.

Got a good deal from Maryborough this morning.