Minelab GPX5000 vs GPX4500

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Looking to get a detector and tossing up between these 2.

Questions:
1) Is it worth going the 5000 vs the 4500?
2) What coils are the good ones to look out for?
3) How long does 1 fully charged battery last?
4) Anything else I should know?
5) Has anyone had any major problems to look out for? just to minimise risks when buying out of warranty.

Cheers
 
I've had my 4500 for around 11 years, and have only once replaced the power curly cord.
Have even had rain on the rear plate dripping out through the front :cool: Yeah: stupid me, but no issues.
What a bloody ripper machine!
I can detect easily 8+ hours on one battery, although these days I'm slowing down :(
It holds its own against an SDC - except on minute gold which I don't want to dig for.
Depending on where you detect, the "Fine Gold" timings may be advantageous on the 5000, but almost every where I've been with mates with the 5000 in the GT, they always use "Enhanced" like me, and not "Fine Gold". The GT ground is just too hot!
My "goto" coil is the Evo 14*9 which is an absolute gold magnet and great for pinpointing (and also is usable with my Titanium knee).
I occasionally put a bigger coil on, but must be very careful to keep it well away from my knee :(
 
Either way you're on a winner at the moment ..... heaps hitting the market with people wanting to switch to the 6000.

The few extra timings on the 5000 are probably not worth your while if you're new to detecting, most probably don't get used anyway (may be different in the WA goldfields or in the hands of very experienced users).

Look for someone offering a range of coils (Coiltek or NF, just personal preferences/favs)... an 8" Sadie (NF) is great to have as it will pick up smaller targets.

Good luck.
 
Thanks guys, what do you suppose would be a fair price for them? I can see some large variances between here, market place & ebay.

Any particular serial numbers to look out for, or earlier/later models in particular with each machine?

Are the made in Aus ones worth chasing or not really?

Thanks
 
Hi Dukes, I know you are new to the forum but if you see something in the classifieds here and the person selling has been on the forum for a couple of years or more then it's pretty safe to trust that seller, if they were dodgy then they would have been banished long ago.
The members here are pretty reasonable with prices too.
As far as Ebay and Market Place go you don't really know who you're dealing with, on here if you want to check a person out just click on their user name and see what they've been posting, you'll soon work out what type of person they are.
Hope that helps some :Y:
 
Hey dukes either machine is solid. The45 is every bit capable and you may find one 100 bucks cheaper than a 5.

12inch round nugget finder is a good alrounder, stays quiet in most states I've used it.

But don't disregard the minelab coils either, they have their use!
 
A reputable seller will provide you with serial numbers and quite often (but not always) original receipts ..... the serial numbers can be checked direct with Minelab to ensure genuine and not related to stolen equipment.

As mentioned long time members of PA can be trusted as can active members of FB groups BUT check S/Nos regardless to make sure.
 
Price is fairly dependent on a number of factors.

What I can say is cheap detectors sell faster than higher listed ones in most cases.

Most of the recent models hold their value well, especially if they still have factory warranty.

During Covid lockdowns in Vic 5k models 2nd hand were getting over new price because of a new supply shortage of them.

Gumtree and Ebay are placed in front of many eyeballs so there is a tendency for ads in higher pricing ranges to sit without a sale for longer.

Detector market has been a bit of a sellers market up until a bit more recently with the 6k being released.
 
Skip said:
Hey dukes either machine is solid. The45 is every bit capable and you may find one 100 bucks cheaper than a 5.

12inch round nugget finder is a good alrounder, stays quiet in most states I've used it.

But don't disregard the minelab coils either, they have their use!

Thanks mate, would the 12" evo be suitable for bigger deep nuggets as well? I like the idea of it being 1m waterproof for creek bed exploration.
 
I would look for a GPX with few coils, and add an X coil to really get the most out of your detector.
 
Hi mate as others have said the 12 is a fantastic coil. Personally I think there are other coils that seek out deeper gold. I like the 17x13 nugget finder and one could that is a little hard to master but a killer is the 14 mono Elite from coiltek.

I've never put my coils in water but keep in mind soon as you dig up a creek bed the mud stirs and you can't see a darn thing!

Listen to the long term members on here as they really know their stuff.
 
Righto I need some help making my mind up here guys - it's a price vs model decision;

I have found 3x detectors so far & i'm sure more will come along.

1) GPX4000 w/ 11" & 18" coils - $2400 - Could get this and have some money for a new battery + coil if needed
2) GPX4500 on here $3300
3) GPX5000 - 2 Mono Elite Coils 11" & 9" - 4 years old. $4200

Ok, hoping to get some advice of people who have experience with 1 or more of these machines. Should I just discount the 4000 straight away or is it a worthy contender? I.e if there was a 2 ounce nugget sitting at 2ft would there be any difference between the machines picking it up?

I'm not driven by making a saving, but happy to spend more if the machine is worth it.
 
Hi Dukes, I run an older 45 with the coiltek 14'' mono elite in enhance timing, the better half runs a 5000 with a 12'' nf mono evo in fine gold, and I know there are a huge amount of other variables in this comparison, like, experience, technique, time on ground, reading ground and distance covered but my average weight per nugget would easily be 5 times hers. Not bragging, oh sorry yes I am, but I often will outdo a lot of 7000 users also. I can only put this down to all those other factors and the most important one luck. I also would not shove any coil into the water.
 
If you go for a 4500 make sure it is one of the last released ,i have used both 4500 and 5000 earlier this year i purchase a 5000 that was only 2 week old and decided to sell my 4500 after using both detector ,i felt the 5000 was just a bit better out of the 2 detectors. Have been very happy with the 5000.regards john :Y:
 
With the 4000 you give up enhance. Is it worth the dollar cost difference? That will depend on many personal factors. But if you were serious about running modern monos and tackling difficult and variable ground and going out regularly then I would suggest enhance will give you a bigger advantage.

Always buy the best you can afford, because it will maximise your chance of finding gold, and the detector market second hand is pretty stable.
 
Be sure to call the local shops and see if they have second hand detectors available. I got a 5000 with over 2 years factory warranty still on it, with standard minelab coils, for $4200 from coiltek in Maryborough. The factory warranty was worth it for me.

Search oz wash on Facebook for a local shop in Bendigo. Phase tech also may have some second hand. There are many other shops, and if you buy from them youll often get a training day plus shop warranty (if not factory warranty). Plus you can be confident they are genuine and not fakes.

Oh and you are supporting a local business.
 
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