Minelab GPX 4500 information and questions

8 little ones today, 7 with the 12" evo, then after I had totally flogged the area, changed to the 15" evo and scored a .88 that I misses with the 12". Using a 4500, found the 15" (spoked) a little hard to pin point with, but easy to swing.
Very, very hot ground, RX 8 stab 9, quiet as a church!

Well I guess it's a race where all could be winners, so if I take some of my own advice, I shouldn't get too hung up on the "perfect" coil... and if I take the advice of those much more knowledgeablethan me... The 15" it is :Y:

isolation said:

Well I guess it's a race where all could be winners, so if I take some of my own advice, I shouldn't get too hung up on the "perfect" coil... and if I take the advice of those much more knowledgeablethan me... The 15" it is :Y:

Click to expand...

Don't discount the commander 15x12 mono either, I got a really tiny piece (under 0.1g) last week with it at a couple of inches, Nenad highly rates this coil and so do I, it's extremely sensitive.

Heatho said:

isolation said:

Well I guess it's a race where all could be winners, so if I take some of my own advice, I shouldn't get too hung up on the "perfect" coil... and if I take the advice of those much more knowledgeablethan me... The 15" it is :Y:

Click to expand...

Don't discount the commander 15x12 mono either, I got a really tiny piece (under 0.1g) last week with it at a couple of inches, Nenad highly rates this coil and so do I, it's extremely sensitive.

Click to expand...

Yeah I've read good things about it, but I've heard good things about most of the coils I'm considering. I'm hoping the girl with the SDC will pick up most of the small stuff the larger coil may miss, and potentially additional coils with different capabilites will come later. I'll have the two comander coils that come with the unit, so maybe a different brand may be good to experiment with?

nucopia said:

Minelab Bendigo has the 4500 on sale for $3,300 with two coils sale ends May 23..
Might be worth a trip out to see them ...

Click to expand...

Bugger... missed that then.

Bendigo will do it for $3400 with the std kit (2 coils, harness etc) and will throw in a control box cover and speaker and a 3hr training session.

Coiltek Maryborough will do the same deal with a full training day.

So don't just take the rrp ($3650) on their web sites, they'll do better if asked.

I was looking at second hand ones, but they weren't much less than the new price and some were years old with no warranty.
Apparently the newer re-released ones are much better than the older made 4500.
So I think it would be wiser to buy new.

Occasional_panner said:

nucopia said:

Minelab Bendigo has the 4500 on sale for $3,300 with two coils sale ends May 23..
Might be worth a trip out to see them ...

Click to expand...

Bugger... missed that then.

Bendigo will do it for $3400 with the std kit (2 coils, harness etc) and will throw in a control box cover and speaker and a 3hr training session.

Coiltek Maryborough will do the same deal with a full training day.

So don't just take the rrp ($3650) on their web sites, they'll do better if asked.

I was looking at second hand ones, but they weren't much less than the new price and some were years old with no warranty.
Apparently the newer re-released ones are much better than the older made 4500.
So I think it would be wiser to buy new.

Click to expand...

.
Like you I missed the $3,300 sale @minelab
Probably should have asked the people at coiltec when I was there last Saturday, if they would match other dealers packages and prices...Might do a ring around today and see if they will do it over the phone.

Waaayyyy back when the DVT was 'new' technology in detectors ie; GPX4K...i did a training day with a Minelab tester and he told me/us at the time, that the 4K was built around the 11"DD as the main prospecting coil to be used. Once on color (sml/med/or lrg) look to the other coils for clean-up...

Well, i never mounted my DD (still NIB unused) but if push comes to shove, i too would say most my gold has been found with the 11" mono. That's not to say other sizes are better, or worse, as the 11-12" size is good for catching a variety of targets/depth while 'prospecting'....and we all know there is tonnage more little gold over big gold.

'Prospecting' takes work, and weight of bigger coils adds to the burden....so most will have medium sized coils at max. for ease of use. I also do very well with the NF 17x10 elliptical....it too, is a good weighted 'prospecting' coil.

On the topic of modifications.....if you are buying a new, or used, with warranty detector....RUN!!!!!! Stay well away as Minelab will NOT honor Warranty as you (well, the 'modder') has contravened the warranty conditons...

Also, i ask you, who better than Minelab know their machines???...If there was a 'fix', wouldn't you imagine Minelab would be doing the Mod themselves?...this alone makes me wonder, without the fact ML won't even look at any having had the mod (leads one to think it must be a problem). Sure, folks will say their's is fine...but what if?....

PS,.. i do know some with it, and there is mixed results....and claims, as to the efficacy of the mods. How much of the positive feedback is 'justification for purchase'?....i can't say.

Cheers

Hey Nucopia, I spoke to both this morning, they'll both do the same deal for $3,400. Std pack plus cover and speaker thrown in. You just need a pick.

GypsyGoldAu said:

On the topic of modifications.....if you are buying a new, or used, with warranty detector....RUN!!!!!! Stay well away as Minelab will NOT honor Warranty as you (well, the 'modder') has contravened the warranty conditons...

Also, i ask you, who better than Minelab know their machines???...If there was a 'fix', wouldn't you imagine Minelab would be doing the Mod themselves?...this alone makes me wonder, without the fact ML won't even look at any having had the mod (leads one to think it must be a problem). Sure, folks will say their's is fine...but what if?....

PS,.. i do know some with it, and there is mixed results....and claims, as to the efficacy of the mods. How much of the positive feedback is 'justification for purchase'?....i can't say.

Cheers

Click to expand...

GG I've never bothered with modifications on anything much but history shows that sometimes slight mods make a big difference. I'm (was) in the automotive game so just as an example. Most vehicles over the years used a simple cast but inefficient exhaust manifold. A simple and extremely effective performance upgrade to most vehicles was to fit a set of extractors. Now some of these fittings were cheap and nasty causing rework before too long but some simple relatively cheap modifications made a big difference. Another common easily performed upgrade was or is to modify the camshaft altering the valve overlap giving a predetermined range of performance improvements.

Saying that, a standard unmodified vehicle is usually much more reliable but why didn't the original manufacturer make these slight improvements during manufacture?

Perhaps these guys that tweak the detector electronics are achieving a similar performance improvement that for some reason wasn't carried out when the original product was designed.

All true Mb.... just passing on my observations, not judging either way....spend your $$$ how you like after due diligence.

I've had a modded detector and can say without doubt it was more sensitive but also got a lot more ground noise to the point it was almost unusable. Stay away from modded detector.

The newer 4500 which got re-released 18 months ago is different to the older ones, so the new ones are "factory modded/updated" already.

I certainly won't be doing anything to mine.

Beg to differ - I've an older 4500 (around 5~6 years) and have tried it along-side two newer ones with no noted performance difference (even swapping coils) on a range of targets.
So OP, have you purchased a 4500? Let's go swing it!

Not yet mate I was going to do the purchase and demo day in one hit, hopefully this sat if I can get the time
Can anyone advise on ML bendigo or Coiltek to buy from?
I'll get the same machine, just the training will be different.

Hey BW will the training day be dumb nuts stuff you can teach me in an hour or is it worthwhile doing? If so I'll just get one from Mitcham.

The sellers all provide good training, and the three that you mentioned are all great dealers.
Wold be great to see you out there with your new machine. There's a group of us going out on the Queen's Birthday long weekend (weather permitting) and would also be a good learning trip for your 4500 as the ground out there is pretty harsh (mineralised hot ground & hot rocks). We could play with your standard coils, and try some newer ones. And watch some bush telly with a good red (supplied by jwal - ha).

that would mean a new detector for them to bring our for people to buy

Something like the GPX5000 or GPZ7000?
Agree with BW. The new 4500 isn't any different to the old one in as far as settings etc. Reportedly some electronics have been updated with newer components which many believe gives smoother operation. At the end of the day it's the same machine but having new warranty is the bonus.

The 4500 is a good detector once you get use to it . I got it running very smooth and finding gold at good depths and very impressed on the small gold it was getting also . I am now going to put the battery on the side of the box so i do not have any leads to deal with . Thanks everyone for your help .
Cheers

Rusty,

I don't have a detector as yet. I'm just digging dirt and panning it - with some success. In fact I am panning with a steel dogbowl!hehehehehhehe

Looking at getting a detector.

If you had your time again, would you choose the 4500? If not, what would you buy do you think?

Cheers,

Stu

Stuff, I'm into my 3rd year of detecting, and my 4th detector, I wish I had of bought a 4500 to start with.