Garrett ATX vs Minelab GPX5000

[user 4485]

I probably shouldn't get into this having minimal experience with the new type coils but heres my take. The new Elite & Evolution coils are definitely a lot more sensitive than Minelab coils or previous Coiltek or Nugget Finder coils. IMO they still won't turn a GPX into a GPZ or SDC as some believe. Theres no doubt that they're improved though.
BUT - they can introduce problems, especially for new users, with the extra sensitivity comes more susceptibility to ground noise etc.
I wouldn't say that the the Minelab or older type coils are no good or vastly inferior. People have been finding gold with these coils for years & will continue to do so. They are good coils - in fact my advice would be to learn the GPX with the 11" Commander mono coil. It remains one of the best all round coils & will be a tad more forgiving in bad ground conditions.
The best thing to do is look for or push the dealer for a package that includes one of the new type coils. Most new buyers get one thrown into the deal at very good prices. The GPX4500 & SDC2300 seem to be 2 x machines dealers are willing to bend over backwards to sell.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Matt.

Makes sense to learn the machine first before buying all the add ons! (Hard to resist a Camo Coil though, marketing genius)!

Also I know you have an SDC so when watching GPX users (youtube and TV) seem to not have the coil scraping the ground as we do with the SDC. Does the GPX not handle this.

I suppose I have the reverse problem to most as I learnt on the SDC and have to relearn to operate a GPX.

Cheers

RS

 

[Steve V2.0]

Makes sense to learn the machine and the techniques before shelling out on new coils. It does look like the dealers are pushing deals with the 4800 over the 5000... but no harm in asking!

 

[Bacchus]

Thanks Matt.

Makes sense to learn the machine first before buying all the add ons! (Hard to resist a Camo Coil though, marketing genius)!

Also I know you have an SDC so when watching GPX users (youtube and TV) seem to not have the coil scraping the ground as we do with the SDC. Does the GPX not handle this.

I suppose I have the reverse problem to most as I learnt on the SDC and have to relearn to operate a GPX.

Cheers

RS

Or as we have discussed before RS trade the blue machine on a Z I'm still struggling with that one , keep telling myself you can only swing one machine at a time. But a 4500 at current pricing is hard to pass up.

Cheers

 

[user 4485]

Also I know you have an SDC so when watching GPX users (youtube and TV) seem to not have the coil scraping the ground as we do with the SDC. Does the GPX not handle this.

I suppose I have the reverse problem to most as I learnt on the SDC and have to relearn to operate a GPX.

Cheers

RS

I sold near everything I own & got a GPZ awhile ago now. I'm getting used to only having one kidney :lol:
I'm still learning it & haven't been able to get the hours in I would like but that's life at the moment.

I think scraping the coil with the GPX comes down to personal detecting preference. I consider myself a coil scraper but don't try to push the coil down through the ground. Others do (cause of some breakage issues IMO) & others seem to prefer to keep the coil just above the ground. The GPX will handle coil scraping but I don't recommend the heavy handed variety.
My main problem when I had both the SDC & GPX was that the GPX rarely seen the light of day. Had SDC lust when I first got & still reckon it's a fantastic little machine.
I went with the GPZ for that reason - only 1 machine to use & I can concentrate my time on it rather than trying to swap around.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the valuable insight.

I would have a GPZ tomorrow if everything fell into place for sure, I am a big fan despite the price.

Two detectors will help me as occasionally one of my boys will come away with me.

When they have the SDC I follow them kicking rocks waiting till my turn hahahaha......

RS

 

[Steve V2.0]

Borrowed a 5000 and up in Castlemaine area with a detector for the first time! Wish me luck and I'll post an update later in the evening!

 

[Steve V2.0]

I've worked a small area where i have panned/sluiced before.... so far two small <5g nuggets! I'm running standard settings and swinging really slowly. Have to say that hard work and patience is the key guys. More later

 

[Guest]

Keen to hear your thoughts on the 5000.

 

[Mickybees]

I bought the atx with all 3 coils hard case cost me $5000 used it heaps and never found any gold only trash ,meanwhile my mate had the gpx 5000 and found lots of gold in the same spots I was detecting some small nuggets he found with the 5000 the atx couldn't even read them when placed on the coil, so last year I decided to sell it and buy the new gpx4500 ,and I can say it was the best thing I ever done I found gold the same day I bought it and I really don't think there's much difference between the 4500 and the 5000 it's sees everything the 5000 sees for a fair bit cheaper ..I go out with my mate all the time I use the 4500 and he the 5000 and even he agrees that the 4500 is as good as the 5000 we both use the Coiltek elite coils ..hope that helps ..cheers

 

[Steve V2.0]

Just finished a big day and full of learning so I am totally behind the 5000. On my way back to Melbourne so more details later. I've never detected before and happy to learn as I went through the day. It paid off and I have some small nuggets to give to my mate who let me borrow his 5000

 

[Jaros]

Great going Steve. More to come now.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. MB Yes it does help my decision. Appreciate you sharing your experience. Cheers RS

I bought the atx with all 3 coils hard case cost me $5000 used it heaps and never found any gold only trash ,meanwhile my mate had the gpx 5000 and found lots of gold in the same spots I was detecting some small nuggets he found with the 5000 the atx couldn't even read them when placed on the coil, so last year I decided to sell it and buy the new gpx4500 ,and I can say it was the best thing I ever done I found gold the same day I bought it and I really don't think there's much difference between the 4500 and the 5000 it's sees everything the 5000 sees for a fair bit cheaper ..I go out with my mate all the time I use the 4500 and he the 5000 and even he agrees that the 4500 is as good as the 5000 we both use the Coiltek elite coils ..hope that helps ..cheers

 

[Steve V2.0]

Here's my update.

As i said earlier I have never used a detector but have experience panning so i kept everything very simple - standard settings on the 5000 and swinging real slow. I decided to focus on one 10m by 10m area rather than wander. First impressions of the 5000... biggest surprise was how light 5000 is, i expected more weight! Second surprise was that the settings were easy to set - again i expected it to be harder to manage the switches etc. please don't read this as i mean i think the settings are easy to understand... like s lot of things in life easy to learn the basics but takes a long time to master.
Keeping the settings as they were ie not changing them every ten minutes allowed me time to learn how to ground balance, listen to what the 5000 was telling me and swing at a speed that suits me and the 5000. I figure that slow was good for the both of us! It took me a while to get everything to a point were things started to make sense... My advice to all newbies like me is to:
1. Use standard settings first before changing anything
2. Take your time... there's no first past the tape on this one
3. Focus on one patch of ground so you are probably dealing with the same ground type
4. Read the manual AND take it with you... you'll be the smart one out there!
5. Swing slow!!!!
6. Listen carefully - felt better using the external speaker that my mate also loaned me for the day.
7. I was using the standard 11" mono so no confusion on coils for me!

It took an hour to recognise a signal that made sense but once i did I decided to dig everything.

Long story short and given the approach above i found 4 small nuggets weighing in at 4.9 grams, 3 pieces of iron and a piece of lead. This came out of a 10 by 10 patch. I took my time and overall I spent around 4hrs. My confidence was ok and i decided to change to a setting or two.... i increased the gain and went over the same patch again.... Another 2 small nuggets totalling <2g. but no iron or lead.

All the finds at less than 6" depth.

Summary, I had a great day out and came away with finds that I absolutely did not expect! I learned a lot including that its hard work, needs focus and practice practice practice!

I'll be getting a 5000 and cant wait to learn more. I hope my experience is useful and thanks to everyone on this forum for your advice.

 

[Steve V2.0]

Happy to field any questions

 

[Guest]

Hey Steve,

Thanks for the assessment. Love the simplicity of your method particularly the 10m x 10m section to learn the machine. (I tend to be a bit of a wanderer and don't know what ground I have and therefor not covered)

4.9gms is a stellar day for me, in fact I have only ever achieved over that once.

I pride myself of be able to average 1gm per day with the SDC which pays for fuel!!!!

Looks like you were born to operate the 5000!

Cheers

RS

 

[Steve V2.0]

I didnt mention the bucket of luck that happened!!!

 

[PhaseTech]

The 5000 is a great machine. Lightweight, balanced, easy to adjust settings, can run it as smooth or hot as you want. The new flat wound coils have certainly brought them back to life. The real world difference is that on a target that is barely there, hardly a signal, sounds like a ground noise....with a new coil this will be a clear response that you will definitely be digging. The other big benefit is that with say a 15" Evo, the sensitivity equals a much smaller traditional wound mono, so in a way it is kind of like a GPZ7000, where you get depth and sensitivity with the one coil.

If you're a new user and a bit hesitant to fork out $500+ dollars on a new coil, Detech are a cheaper alternative, and perform just as well as the two bigger brands.

Nenad

 

[GaryO]

What type exactly would you recommend Nemad ?
Have a 4500 and would like to know the best option .
Gaz

 

[Steve V2.0]

Thanks PTech, I'll stick with learning the 5000 before i shell out for an Evolution coil. I am tempted but really need to get a better understanding of the techniques