Updates on the Garrett ATX Metal Detector


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Hello All,

I heard that the Garrett ATX has gotten pushed back to like the end of the month before the release date. Anyone else heard the same thing for the US market?

Curious how this detector is going to work for gold and on mineralized ground. I would only guess it would have to be better then the Garrett Infinium LS, which some have used with success nugget hunting the Southwest.

That being said, seems like most are using the Infinium LS for beach and coin/relic hunting.

Anyone want to chime in on anything related to the Garrett ATX, please do so.

Thanks!

Rob Allison

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Yeah last minute tweaking and twiddling.

My guess is Brent is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Unlike the GPX, the ATX will have only one timing. The goal is to get the ATX to be better on small gold than the Infinium, which was really lacking in that regard. Yet, to do that, problems with hot rocks and salt water are accentuated. These problems can be offset by lowering the sensitivity or increasing the pulse delay (discrimination) but then the sensitivity to small gold drops off. Vicious circle stuff. Minelab sidesteps by offering up the timing options which are custom sets of multiple pulse delay options designed for specific situations. Any time you try and do everything with one timing, you are going to hit a wall.

Got no inside info so I am just guessing here. The other problem is market timing with the holidays coming. At some point somebody is going to say "stop tweaking, build it".

Despite some if the bad press it got the Infinium has been a decent seller mainly because of the bargain price and extremely simple control set. It makes getting from a VLF into a ground balancing PI affordable and despite what some people think there are plenty of places where an Infinium offers an advantage over a VLF. If Garrett had made it a "prospecting only" detector it would have failed. It is the fact that it hits multiple markets that all add up that contributes to it being a decent seller. I am sure prospecting is low on the list of uses that the Infinium is actually used for these days.

Even the GPX is seeing lots of time as a beach and relic machine these days. But let's face it, the price is too much for many people, and lots of people prefer new over used. Garrett is going after that wide open $2500 price point and I think they have a pretty good shot at it. Since I do jewelry and coin detect with PI detectors I am literally the target consumer for this detector and I do want one. It does not in any way attract me as a replacement for my GPX. I have used lots of Infiniums and I currently have a TDI. I look at the ATX as something that will hopefully be much better than the Infinium or TDI and those two detectors are the standard I will judge the ATX by. If I get one and can tell myself it is clearly better than those two units then Garrett will have done their job. The Infinium costs half as much and can be chest or hip mounted. The ATX better make a good case for being twice as much money to convince Infinium owners they just have to have one.

Anyway, I hope they take all the time they need to get it right. I am not much interested in playing with prototypes - I am waiting on a finished product. I doubt Garrett will find a much fairer audience than with me, the flip side being I will also hold them to task for weaknesses in the unit as I have pretty high expectations for it after waiting ten year for a follow up to the Infinium. Surely the day will come when I can honestly tell people that there is a US made detector that is at least as good as a used SD 2100!

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Hey Guys,

Grubstake - Ya, I seen them. Pretty good demo of a Garrett ATX, but then again it don't show the sound on the original target, which I would of liked to seen or heard. The target was partially already dug when the video started from what I seen.

Steve H. - First, I would agree the ATX is not going to contend against the GPX 5000. I'm not sure it's even going to run against a GP series, but I also believe Garrett knows this. I firmly believe they designed this unit to catch the nitch market PI price range of $2000-$2500, which Minelab gave up when they discontinued the Minelab SD2100V2. I'm not going to talk for Minelab, but believe they lost a lot of business in that range for several years when they dropped this unit. I believe Garrett seen it, heard about the demand for a unit in this range and jumped on it.

I have a least a dozen potential customers right now waiting for me to test this unit. They have told me if I think it's a decent PI for entry level nugget hunting, they want one. This business would have went to a Minelab detector if it was available. I'm sure overall there are hundreds of customers just waiting to hear some solid field reports on this unit and they are going to purchase the ATX.

Secondly, I agree the Infinium LS wasn't a bit hit for nugget hunting. Many of the guys that I knew that purchased them, sold them within months of owning them. The lack of sensitivity to small gold with the stock DD, the flimsiness of the lower shaft and unreliable "reverse discrimination" got many discouraged. I know several guys that were conviced they were going to take the Infinium LS, run through the goldfields, leave all the iron rubbish with the "reverse discrimination" and pluck all the gold among the trash just didn't work!!

I still remember a member of this forum digging a large target buried deep and the Infinium was saying it was a good target. They were convinced it was a large gold nugget at depth, but it turned out to be a large piece of iron rubbish .... The member was pretty damn discouraged with the performance at that point.

Overall, I'm excited to see the Garrett ATX in the goldfield of Arizona. I think there will be a good market for the unit, especially since the Holiday season is right around the corner and many are ready to make a purchase.

Just my thoughts,

Rob Allison

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The reverse discrimination thing drives me nuts. It simply assumes weak signals have a better chance of being gold and strong signals trash. It is absolutely useless in areas where large nuggets lurk - unless you do not like digging large nuggets.

Despite people doing better with the latest Minelab GPX discrimination setting I simply do not trust it and except for one day in Australia have never used it. I refuse to get excited by any promise of discrimination on the ATX as it is almost sure to disappoint. Frankly, the best thing about discrimination is people using it and leaving nuggets for me.

I think Garrett has a winner on their hands and that means good sales for you Rob. Do us all a favor and see if the ATX can be sold as a "Prospecting Package" with 12" and 8" coil instead of the package with the 20" coil and what that would sell for.

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Hey Steve,

The ATX will be available with the "Deepseeker Package" which includes the 20-inch as you mentioned. I agree, a smaller coil like you suggested would be great, even in DD if that is all that is available. I'm not sure how soon I will see a ATX, but hoping I can get one soon. The minute I get one, you're more than welcome to come out for a weekend or whatever and we can experiment with it.

A matter of fact, I could place one in your hands before a purchase if you want to do a honest evaulation for me and the rest of the people that are interested. You might have one, tested or testing one now, just wanted to toss that out there if you're interested at some point.

It's just great that we have some new stuff coming out, which gives the end users more choices when it comes to PI detectors, how they work and resonable prices.

Talk with you later,

Rob Allison

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I would like to see a "Prospectors Package" that came with the 12" DD and 8" round mono. Actually more for your sales than for me since I will get all three coils myself. I want the big coil for on the beach and the small coil for in the water. The 12" coil is probably the best all around prospecting coil.

Thank you for the kind offer Rob. Let's see what develops. I am off to a Disney World anniversary vacation with my wife and have some stuff to take care of when I get back so am sort if busy right now. But I would not mind wandering down to Arizona so good chance I will see you sometime in mid-November.

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Hey Steve,

Sounds like the release date got pushed back. I'm having a bunch of call about the unit, if we have it in stock and when someone can get one.

Still a lot of people being this unit is going to run against the GPX. I've told them all it's not, it's got it's own market and place for a entry level, good PI.

Just my thoughts at this point in time. We can only hope it's better then what we expect at this point in time without being able to hold one.

Rob Allison

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Hello Bsumbdy,

I would say the Minelab GPX 5000 is the Flagship Pulse Induction metal detector, but also has the highest price tag @ $5795.00

I would say the Infinium LS, White's TDI and the Garrett ATX will all be in the same ballpark as mid-line Pulse Induction metal detectors ($2000 - $3000 range).

Just my thoughts,

Rob Allison

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  • 2 weeks later...

As an owner of the Garrett ATX, I can assure you that the ATX is "not in the ballpark" with the TDI or Infinium. It is much better than both by a wide margin. It will easily pick up .1 gram nuggets with the stock 12" DD coil as well as the 8" mono. Never had my Infinium or TDI do that...

See here of the ATX tested on small gold:

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Just my two centavos, but if minelab simply upgraded the packaging and boosted the audio, they could make a killing with the old original greenbox 2100 at $1,900 ... All these new units from Garrett and Whites are struggling to hit that very proven successful unit ... I had to grow butt to pack away the buttload of gold I found with that "Ol' Baboo" detector ... Fact is, ML, if you'd like to market the "Ol Baboo" line of Green Box 2100's, I'm down for working it out with you ! B) Cheers, Yer Unc in the Dubyah

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Hey Guys,

Bearkat - I've seen the TDI with the right timing adjustment find much smaller gold, some even invisible to the most sensitive Minelab PI. The Infinium was never really sensitive, since it came stock with a DD.

Uncle Ron - I agree with you. I can remember the day back in the mid 90's using the first SD's. I had good success with the SD2000 on old goldfields, but the SD2100 was awesome! I addressed my opinions to Minelab recently at the Conference about the SD's being discontinued. They said they knew what they were doing. I think they had bigger focus on the GP and GPX units.

I'm looking forward to testing the Garrett ATX on some goldfields here. It will only take a few days for me to give my fair shake on it. I think it's going to be a good mid-line PI detector. Some customers still seem to believe it's going to run against the Minelab GPX series, which it wont. The price at $2100 is very appealing though.

Just my thoughts,

Rob Allison

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Hey Guys,

Kyle - That is correct, the unit was never intended to run against the big Minelab's, but more so to take the place of the mid-ranged Pulse Induction metal detector that has been open for years now. I'm glad there is now a few mid-ranged, decent gold detectors on the market. I wish Minelab would have kept the SD's series, as it sold very well right up until they discontinued.

Steve - I have to agree, all the TDI's I tested, used and owned, they all were extremely sensitive to small gold, much better on certain types of very porous (invisible gold) that the GPX series couldn't even detect. I never had a problem detecting a .1 Gram nugget at the surface with any of the TDI's set property.

I would have to assume that Bearkat might of had something not set properly and unable to detect his 0.1 grammer. Regardless, I think we all agree that the Garrett ATX will fill a "gap" in the market that will allow end users to purchase a good, mid-line PI detector for gold nugget hunting, coins and relics.

I also appreciate Bearkat taking the time to make the Youtube video and posting it for everyone to see what the Garrett is capable of doing.

Talk with you all later,

Rob Allison

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Hey Steve,

Actually I don't. I have a list of guys wanting to buy them, but the date keeps getting pushed back. I contacted my Distributor yesterday and they still didn't have a solid ETA on the Garrett ATX. They said they are not sure how others are getting them, if anyone has purchased one, as Garrett hasn't officially released the product yet.

I will let everyone know when I get them. I'm anxious to try one out on some of the goldfields I hunt.

How about you Steve, have you tested or used one yet?

Talk with you later,

Rob Allison

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Well, I have been sandbagging a bit as I did get my hands on one courtesy of the good folks at Garrett. The few units like mine in the field as far as I know are final version preproduction units identical to what will soon be in dealer hands. Kind of a final safety check if you will. I have quite a few hours on mine now and so far it is performing flawlessly and meeting or exceeding my expectations. For personal reasons I have been unable to get out in the field much recently however so I have been holding off saying anything until I really have something to say. I will say this much however - Garrett has a winner with the ATX. Your customers will not be disappointed.

I am spending the entire day out with the unit tomorrow and will post some thoughts by Saturday.

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Good review..... i had a feeling this was gonna be a good detector.... you know i travel around alot And sometimes I'm not in gold country, but i still like to relic or beach hunt. I think i am on board now.

matter of fact i am going out this weekend to detect an old TX homestead.....

i have The MXT, GOLD BUG 2, And my 3500

(possible buried coins) !

i liked the excitement in your review!!

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From what it's worth department I email Garrett and talk with a guy name Rusty. I told Rusty that Garrett needs to put out a package for the nugget hunter and that being with the stock coil plus the 8 inch coil. I sure that will happen over night but he did say he'd pass on to the powers that be.

I would like to see all ATX have that hard case come with it. I know if the color of your money is right they sell you one but now it's just with the package. I seen one video where the guy had all three coils in his package.

If any of you cowboys out there look at the ATX handle I say it looks like a saddle horn.. Right now I'd like to see more field testing video's.

Chuck

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Right on Steve the one I saw I think you had more room to put another coil in other than the three that were. All this in the soft case and fit easy in the hard case. The coils cost is high but should be a quick change form one to another. I guess if you look at the cost of other coils and then add the cost of a full stem it's not that far off on the price. Thinking about it ,it could be the best buy going.

Chuck

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