GPX6000 Faults/Issues

[XLOOX]

Your local hardware store or ebay/amazon will have a " permanent paint pen" in the colour of your choosing , white, silver gold,red, green....

 

[Deano]

I am a proud owner of the GPX6000! One of Minelab's best machines. I recently ran into a problem though, my machine became very noisy and squirrely to where I was unable to detect. I sent it into the repair center in Illinois, USA to be repaired. First it cost me $136.00 US dollars for shipping. I am still under warranty. I was informed that my serial # was earmarked by Minelab of possible internal issues! WOW. They had to replace the complete guts of my machine! A very quick response to my issue and I should receive my machine in a couple of days. I have since learned that several of my fellow detectorists have experienced the same issues! Does Minelab have a quality control unit to address this problem? And shouldn't they be responsible for my shipping costs if it was their issue to start with? Has anyone had similar issues with their machine? Thanks Tim

~
Tim, I am in Canada and I have the 6000. The same as you going by my serial #, I also need the 6000’s audio upgrade recall ‘but’ >>I do ‘NOT’ want to send my machine to the USA over the border by post mail to get it fixed under warranty repair.<< If I lived within driving distance and could deliver it personally “or” if I lived in the USA then I ‘would’ do it. The repairman Nolan (over the phone told me that he has done this audio fix to two hundred 6000’s so far) who is near Chicago, Illinois explained that if I wear headphones then I will ‘not’ lose performance and I will ‘not’ notice the audio problem ‘because’ the audio problem applies ‘only’ to the external speaker and ‘not’ to the headphones. So I can just live with it and avoid the external speaker audio problem by wearing headphones and there will be no loss in performance by ‘not’ getting the audio upgrade fix done. So I have decided ‘not’ to send in my machine to fix it and use headphones to avoid the problem. Hope this helps you some how.

P.S. Also, I want to get some Avantree Torus (aptx Low Latency) neck-shoulder speakers to use on my 6000.

 

[Moneybox]

~
Tim, I am in Canada and I have the 6000. The same as you going by my serial #, I also need the 6000’s audio upgrade recall ‘but’ >>I do ‘NOT’ want to send my machine to the USA over the border by post mail to get it fixed under warranty repair.<< If I lived within driving distance and could deliver it personally “or” if I lived in the USA then I ‘would’ do it. The repairman Nolan (over the phone told me that he has done this audio fix to two hundred 6000’s so far) who is near Chicago, Illinois explained that if I wear headphones then I will ‘not’ lose performance and I will ‘not’ notice the audio problem ‘because’ the audio problem applies ‘only’ to the external speaker and ‘not’ to the headphones. So I can just live with it and avoid the external speaker audio problem by wearing headphones and there will be no loss in performance by ‘not’ getting the audio upgrade fix done. So I have decided ‘not’ to send in my machine to fix it and use headphones to avoid the problem. Hope this helps you some how.

P.S. Also, I want to get some Avantree Torus (aptx Low Latency) neck-shoulder speakers to use on my 6000.

Deano, My doctor recommended the Avantree Tours speakers and I found them very good however you still have to contend with the noise generated by the hollow coil if you work the coil right on the ground. Another member here introduced me to the Avantree Me noise cancelling earphones and that's all I wear most of the time now.

We'll see how the season pans out but I intend to spend some time swinging the GPX4500 again to try and uncover something bigger than the 10g max I've found with the 6000 over the last three years. At least my ears can have some respite between nuggets.

 

[Michael Pace]

Thanks so much Deano for that reveal on the GPX6000 detector,as I'm on the verge of buying the 6000 and join this friendly goldetecting fraternity. I have joined this forum in order to gain some experience and knowledge . Is there anyon e in Australia who has anything to reveal about the gpx6000 and its annoyances experienced .

 

[Moneybox]

Thanks so much Deano for that reveal on the GPX6000 detector,as I'm on the verge of buying the 6000 and join this friendly goldetecting fraternity. I have joined this forum in order to gain some experience and knowledge . Is there anyon e in Australia who has anything to reveal about the gpx6000 and its annoyances experienced .

HaHa. Michael the GPX6000 would have to be one of the most unreliable machines to have ever been produced and survived in any market. Perhaps the only reason in has continued to be sold is that it is one of the best performing gold detectors and Minelab are quick to respond to the many, I guess thousands of warranty repairs.

 

[grubstake]

Thanks so much Deano for that reveal on the GPX6000 detector,as I'm on the verge of buying the 6000 and join this friendly goldetecting fraternity. I have joined this forum in order to gain some experience and knowledge . Is there anyon e in Australia who has anything to reveal about the gpx6000 and its annoyances experienced .

Mate, just start at the beginning of this thread, because that's its very topic. It's up to 9 pages now and still growing!

The most annoying part is that the damned thing works so well when it's working. If not for that, it would have been written off long ago.

 

[Pirate pete]

To avoid the problems with the 6000 it's easy buy an garrett axium as good as the 6000 build quality is far better and 2k cheaper. Just my opinion. PP

 

[Nugget Hunter74]

~
Tim, I am in Canada and I have the 6000. The same as you going by my serial #, I also need the 6000’s audio upgrade recall ‘but’ >>I do ‘NOT’ want to send my machine to the USA over the border by post mail to get it fixed under warranty repair.<< If I lived within driving distance and could deliver it personally “or” if I lived in the USA then I ‘would’ do it. The repairman Nolan (over the phone told me that he has done this audio fix to two hundred 6000’s so far) who is near Chicago, Illinois explained that if I wear headphones then I will ‘not’ lose performance and I will ‘not’ notice the audio problem ‘because’ the audio problem applies ‘only’ to the external speaker and ‘not’ to the headphones. So I can just live with it and avoid the external speaker audio problem by wearing headphones and there will be no loss in performance by ‘not’ getting the audio upgrade fix done. So I have decided ‘not’ to send in my machine to fix it and use headphones to avoid the problem. Hope this helps you some how.

P.S. Also, I want to get some Avantree Torus (aptx Low Latency) neck-shoulder speakers to use on my 6000.

The Avante’s collar works great! My machine come in today yippie I can detect again!

Also kiddos to Nolan for a quick turn around!

 

[Deano]

Thanks so much Deano for that reveal on the GPX6000 detector,as I'm on the verge of buying the 6000 and join this friendly goldetecting fraternity. I have joined this forum in order to gain some experience and knowledge . Is there anyon e in Australia who has anything to reveal about the gpx6000 and its annoyances experienced .

~Michael, glad I could help. I think all the “new” 6000 machines have had this external speaker audio bug corrected and the problem has already been fixed on any new purchases. On the older machines the problem was “not” noticeable while wearing headphones but the problem was only noticeable on the external speaker.
~The only other problem I know of with the 6000 was the stock GPX 11” coil had some problems with the wires.

 

[Michael Pace]

~Michael, glad I could help. I think all the “new” 6000 machines have had this external speaker audio bug corrected and the problem has already been fixed on any new purchases. On the older machines the problem was “not” noticeable while wearing headphones but the problem was only noticeable on the external speaker.
~The only other problem I know of with the 6000 was the stock GPX 11” coil had some problems with the wires.

Thanks Deano for that info about the gpx6000. Very helpful.Thanks again.

 

[19.3]

Just a question...
New GPX6000 out of the box. With the 11" coil it is so noisy and random- cannot quieten it down.
With the 14"double D it seems fine.
Is it true that in suburbia there is some much emi that it is unusable - even if away from metal objects?
I know they're sensitive- but I wasn't expecting this sensitive!?
Got to get out in the bush - away from emi?

 

[Pro-oz]

Yes this is true! Can't run mine in the yard around the house, and yes the DD does quite it down. I go down the road away from the house for testing and both coils will run fine.

 

[gef12]

no you cant run the 6000 in sububia .. toooo much emi ... go out of town to test ..
u could try dd coil ..but will still pick up some emi

 

[Deano]

no you cant run the 6000 in sububia .. toooo much emi ... go out of town to test ..
u could try dd coil ..but will still pick up some emi

I have heard that the Nugget Finder Exceed 12x7” is the ‘quietest mono’ coil under EMI.

 

[gef12]

I have heard that the Nugget Finder Exceed 12x7” is the ‘quietest mono’ coil under EMI.

Heard ? or have tried and tested .. many forms of EMI ..depends where they were testing ..anyways .. EMI is the killer when testing in suburbia

 

[HarryHoudini]

My main issue with the 6000 is the round shaft. I have had the wind up collars replaced under warranty but I stll have this issue. And for a machine of this price point I would expect better. Yes I know there are after market shafts but for the price Minelab should provide these as warranty repairs. Plus if you run the larger coil you are always twisting the end. cheers

 

[mbasko]

My main issue with the 6000 is the round shaft. I have had the wind up collars replaced under warranty but I stll have this issue. And for a machine of this price point I would expect better. Yes I know there are after market shafts but for the price Minelab should provide these as warranty repairs. Plus if you run the larger coil you are always twisting the end. cheers

Even more disappointing when a ~$1500 VLF (EQ900) comes standard with a camlock locking shaft assembly that, from all reports, doesn't budge.
I didn't find it a big issue on the 6000 but went to an aftermarket shaft anyway - more for the 17" coil. Was glad I did as it was better to use & wouldn't have gone back to the stock arrangement after using the camlock. I imagine the screw type would wear/become looser with use (which due to changing I never had to worry about).
Such an easy to implement fix by rotating into new detectors & replacement under warranty for screw type failures.

 

[mbasko]

I have heard that the Nugget Finder Exceed 12x7” is the ‘quietest mono’ coil under EMI.

Generally smaller coils will be more EMI resistant but as said depends on cause etc. & even the GPX6 14DD gets the yips in suburbia.

 

[Jigalong]

My main issue with the 6000 is the round shaft. I have had the wind up collars replaced under warranty but I stll have this issue. And for a machine of this price point I would expect better. Yes I know there are after market shafts but for the price Minelab should provide these as warranty repairs. Plus if you run the larger coil you are always twisting the end. cheers

I agree with all your points Mr Houdini, in fact I would go further and say that the product should not be sold, with such an obvious fault. I paid $9000 for a faulty product.
They have their products tested by experts, like Jonathon Porter. I cannot believe he did not point out the problem to them.
Anyway, I could not be bothered arguing with the Company and purchased a one piece graphite composite shaft.....no further annoying problems.

 

[Northeast]

like Jonathon Porter

Pretty sure he did. They don't always listen to testers