Minelab SDC2300 or GPX4000 / GPX4500 / GPX5000

[Gem in I]

But hasn't the z(soon to be) series had the biggest price drop also in the shortest release time than any other machine.
I'm buying one soon and I don't expect the used resale price to ever go up of course but I feel for the early buyer's.
I suppose the sdc is in the more general price and easy to use market range. I don't know if this is going to be a holden vs ford thing re the can of worms because the x series have proven their worth but you do need to learn good skills I believe?.

 

[Norvic]

I was a very early buyer of the Z and I don`t feel any pain whatsoever in its price drop. The Z is very easy to use, much easier then the Xs, just about as easy as the SDC, just up to the operator gold skills & determination to put its coil over gold. Those skills....... determination, patience, persistence etc etc will make any of the detectors discussed in this shootout, gold producers.

 

[vstrom]

So it's a lot better at seeing small gold so if the timing on the sdc see's small gold so much better why did they not use this as one of the timing in the 5000 and give people a better machine for $5000. Instead they make it not quite as good and then try and sell us another machine just seems wrong and is the z any better and are they on a par with sdc on small gold it's what $10,000 they are bringing out a 19" coil for the z so it punchs deeper and there going to make you pay big-time if the problem with the z is coil size on small targets why don't they bring out a small coil for the z because they wouldn't sell as many sdc I think marketing been working overtime. :/

 

[vstrom]

This is not a minelab bash I use one and love it just an observation and wanted feedback and a discussion about it.

 

[Heatho]

So it's a lot better at seeing small gold so if the timing on the sdc see's small gold so much better why did they not use this as one of the timing in the 5000 and give people a better machine for $5000. Instead they make it not quite as good and then try and sell us another machine just seems wrong and is the z any better and are they on a par with sdc on small gold it's what $10,000 they are bringing out a 19" coil for the z so it punchs deeper and there going to make you pay big-time if the problem with the z is coil size on small targets why don't they bring out a small coil for the z because they wouldn't sell as many sdc I think marketing been working overtime. :/

To be honest I don't know, minelab has a bunch of very smart people working for them so they probably could have been able to do it but they would have sold less detectors.....

Who knows mate, the 5000 has been around a lot longer than the SDC, though I wouldn't be surprised if they design detectors to miss certain types of gold, that would always leave some gold in the ground for the next model detector.

 

[Norvic]

Personally, this is just my opinion all Minelab do is produce detectors that can indeed make their users fortunes, simply as their motto says. They are lightyears ahead of any other gold detector manufacturer, so for me I just see a Company that produces the best product. In relation to the new coil size for the Z, a larger coil I suspect is what the majority of uses wanted first. I see nothing but a Company going in a direction to make money out of high tech, to survive they must, as a user I feel very privileged to use a OZ designed product, not only because it is OZ but because it is the best.

I understand with the SDC to be as stable as it is it requires a matched coil, I would have much preferred it in a CTX case with wireless, but they obviously seen a market for it in a fold up case. It takes a Company a lot of research and development for each new detector. They would probably had made a lot more money if they stopped R&D on new detectors and just kept making an old model with refinements as most other detector manufacturers do and we`d be still running around scratching the surface with VLFs. I am not knocking VLFs but for most gold hunting now, they just aren`t there. This is just my take.

 

[vstrom]

How generous of them to do this.Heatho :|

 

[user 7268]

SDC found a 3.5 gram coated in ironstone ..................... screamed at it and the 5000 with aftermarket coil barely made a peep. From the little I know it's as has been already said no one machine does it all
Edit to add here had a Z also thrown over it and yes would pull you up but didn't scream like the SDC but the 5000 you would not have even paused.

 

[vstrom]

And why not is my question they send men into outer space is it they don't want to or they can't like I said $10,000 is a lot of money for a z and by the sound of it the sdc is still better at the small stuff.

 

[BigWave]

IMO Minelab are a bloody amazing Aussie company, not only to stay ahead of the local pack but ahead worldwide. They listen very carefully to the market and respond brilliantly I'd say - no fanfare, just damn brilliant products time and time again. They've been leaders for many years. How many companies are just one-shot wonders and how many have lead for that long. I'm proud they're Aussie and will keep using.

 

[Norvic]

As a user of both the SDC and the Z, I cannot say the SDC is better on small stuff, it is easier to recover with the SDC, naturally because of coil size but the Z will pick it up almost as small but much deeper. In fact on say a 1/2 grammer a number of times deeper. $10000 might seem a lot for a detector but not when it as capable as the Z is. Lets face it in components and case the Z is worth bugger all, but the R&D money that went into its development adds the value. If the user doesn`t pay for such, there will be no technology gains, why would there be?

 

[vstrom]

Like I said earlier this was never ment to discredit minelab in any way I just used them because they are the leaders in detectors and as I said I have ,use and love my minelab detector it's just so many this one does this better this one does that better it's just a discussion on cost and what each detector does best so l hope no-one gets offended (Bigwave) I to am proud it's an Aussie company and world leaders in the field and Norvic so you say the z is just as good on small gold it's just recovery so they have made a great all-rounder fair enough they charge that much if it does everything great I just get confused when people buy zeds sell their 5000 and then get sdc if the z does it all.

 

[dam it]

Like Dude why do you go out Detecting ? To find Gold and do what we all enjoy doing ......... Yer
Or is it a full time job for you ....... No its a hobby
I own both the SDC&GPZ and the amount of money that I have put into this hobby and the small return $ wise is just a bonus
But the enjoyment ( most of the time ) is AWESOME and a feeling that $ can not buy
My Dirt bike and riding gear cost way more to buy and maintain and there is no chance of a $ bonus but get an Awesome buzz
Now every one has an opinion and mine is ....... the SDC is Deadly on sub gram Gold ( and getting good results on bigger nuggets at depth so
Ive read on other posts here ) .
The GPZ in the hands of a Good user ( tryhard1968 ) can be just as Deadly on sub gram Gold at more depth and just a Lethal on bigger targets
with loads of depth .

OZZIE OZZIE OZZIE loving all the Australian Pride

 

[Heatho]

The Zed is undisputedly the best minelab on offer in my opinion, if I lived in the goldfields it's what I'd own, though please keep on topic guys, the original question was not regarding the Zed.

 

[Dignit]

I'm just going to throw a point out for comment. I've noticed SDC users find a lot of small sub gram gold, even under 0.1g. I find a lot of sub gram gold with my GPX4500 and 11" Coiltek Elite mono, the vast majority of the gold I find, but no where near as many as an SDC user. I consider a 0.5g large because I will find these to 8". So I think the performance issues needs to be defined relative to size and depth (where have I heard that before, lol).
So when someone says they find subgrammers I think this is standard no matter the machine.
The real difference, to me, is that the SDC finds far more very small gold, even down to sub 0.1g; and does it significantly better than any other machine and coil, even the Zed in high yield.
This opinion is just from my observation of SDC and Zed finds relative to my own GPX experience.
This was my choice when I bought the GPX. I knew this would be the case.
Others may have first hand experience to counter the argument which I would be pleased to read, and accept.
Cheers

 

[vstrom]

Hi dam,it your Wright it's a hobby like others I have motor bikes cars Jet ski all not cheap hobbies was looking at forum and thought it was a bit quiet so start a discussion on difference on detectors and value of second hand ones though it would open a can of worms lighten up everyone we all love minelab and we all love our hobby .PS I like to stir the pot occasionally.

 

[RM Outback]

I'm just going to throw a point out for comment. I've noticed SDC users find a lot of small sub gram gold, even under 0.1g. I find a lot of sub gram gold with my GPX4500 and 11" Coiltek Elite mono, the vast majority of the gold I find, but no where near as many as an SDC user. I consider a 0.5g large because I will find these to 8". So I think the performance issues needs to be defined relative to size and depth (where have I heard that before, lol).
So when someone says they find subgrammers I think this is standard no matter the machine.
The real difference, to me, is that the SDC finds far more very small gold, even down to sub 0.1g; and does it significantly better than any other machine and coil, even the Zed in high yield.
This opinion is just from my observation of SDC and Zed finds relative to my own GPX experience.
This was my choice when I bought the GPX. I knew this would be the case.
Others may have first hand experience to counter the argument which I would be pleased to read, and accept.
Cheers

Good observation D'n-i, I use a GPX5k and SDC. The SDC has found more in quantity but the GPX will consistently find targets beyond the depth capabilities of the SDC. There are Pro's & con' for each machine. The SDC imo will keep finding the small gold for the next 10 years and beyond, maybe. If you own an SDC my advice is hang on to it, light weight, simple and consistent.

Never having owned a 4500 I can't comment on this machine. Apart from knowing with a GPX you mightn't find the .0 subgrammers (like experienced GPX operators) but you do have depth ability beyond the SDC on your side

 

[Davent]

Agree with the last few comments. The SDC operators up here, and there are quite a few, consistently find a lot more gold the gpx operators. Most of the gold at the most popular sites is pretty shallow. But, recently, a couple of Z operators have been doing well on deeper, bigger gold. Not huge Vic size stuff, 3_5 gmers and occasional 10gm to oz + stuff that no one ( or not many ) thought was there. Poor old gpx operators still find the odd sub gm size stuff, and also the bigger stuff, but we are missing out on the reef , prickly and specie gold....mostly, but did see a bloke with a 5000 get a good speccie recently.

 

[Bacchus]

My view is the SDC has a real advantage over the GPX series in specimen gold no matter what coil you are running and that is what makes up the bulk of my decent finds on the Adelaide goldfields which have been GPX thrashed over time. Recently a speccie which contained 1g of gold at 10 inches did not raise a beep on a GPX with 11" mono and an experienced operator , if the nugget was solid I reckon the GPX would have pinged it without a problem. Spikey , porous , speccie bring it on for the SDC . I particularly target and have had success in detecting areas with higher EMI knowing that GPX's would have struggled there , put up with and listen through the warble. The struggle at the moment is wether to take the plunge and upgrade to a Z or add a 4500 and a big nugget finder coil to compliment the SDC for a trip West .

Cheers

 

[vstrom]

Well it sounds like the sdc is the one to have so I say if you can't beat them join them a friend is selling one so I might have to give him a ring and add one to the arsenal handy on motorbike swell I guess.