Debates Continue on GPZ 7000 vs. GPX 5000 with EVO or Elite coil


Recommended Posts

  • Admin

Hello All,

  Still a lot of debate on which is doing better overall between the two detectors.  Many are claiming they are going back to the GPX 5000 with a new (similar or larger sized) flat winding coil (NF Evolution or Coiltek Elite) and getting better results over the Flagship Minelab GPZ 7000.  

I have noticed the GPZ 7000 sales slowing down a bit, but haven't seen a huge jump in GPX 5000 sales.  The new coils are selling well overall, but there thousands of users that have Minelab SD, GP or GPX's that can use the new coils.  

Curious if anyone has done any side by side comparison on various targets with both units?  

I guess the "million dollar" question is can a user now save $3000-4000 and invest in new GPX 5000 with a 15 or 17-inch new technology searchoil and get near or better results for a huge savings .....

New GPX 5000 for $4000 and new EVO or Coiltek coil for $500.  Total invested - $4500.00

New GPX 4500 for $2699.00 and new EVO or Coiltek coils for $500.  Total invested - $3200.00

New GPZ 7000 for $8000.00.  Is it still the superior detector with just the 14x13 coil right now.

My personal experiences last year with the GPZ 7000 was great.  I loved the unit, found a lot of gold I missed with the GPX 5000 and the 14x9 Blitz coil (my favorite prospecting coil and used 99% of the time).  Makes we wonder, do I crack out another GPZ or give the GPX 5000 (which I still own) a good run with a 15 to 17-inch coil?  Humm ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you do go back to the GPZ I'll bet you could order a spare upper shaft from Minelab and have a fabricator cut it in half and add a few inches to the middle to extend it. It's carbon fiber so it might be tricky but maybe there's an automotive specialist or somebody that could do it for you.

Also to battle the weight of the GPZ I looped the bungy cord to the handle like some of the Aussies were doing. It's almost weightless in your hand after that. The only weight you gotta bear is shouldering it when you hike in somewhere but when you're detecting the bungy works great and I don't find it gets in the way or anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin

Hey Guys,

   I have used the GPX 5000 on and off for over 5 years with great success.  This was also before the new flat wind coils were available.  Since I did a lot of searching new locations I always used the 14x9 Coiltek Blitz Mono.  

When the GPZ 7000 hit the market, I re-visited many of these areas that I hammered with the GPX 5000 and 14x9 and found a lot of gold missed.  Majority of the gold I found was under a few grams, biggest around 1/2 ounce.  

I'm not sure which direction I will choose this season.  I have all three units, just need to narrow it down as there is no use for over $15k in detectors.  

Today during field instructions on a GPZ 7000, I found three nuggets with the GPX 5000 and Coiltek Elite.  Hard to say if I missed them before or not.  I know I have been all over the areas, just not 100% certain I scan those exact spots or not! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Rob you know and I know that NO ONE ever gets it all-Ive been going back to some patches for over 20 years and still manage to squeek out a few-so I dont think its just about the latest and greatest or the operator only but factor in temp-moisture-angle of target alot of variables are different each time you go-I was up at one of Bills GB outings a couple of years ago and Bill let Lon use his 2300 well Lon found a little BB size specimen-so we took the specimen and laid it on a rock so I could see if my 5000 would hit on it-guess what not even a peep but the 2300 screamed on it :mellow:-then I took my test nugget which is a little 3-4 grain solid piece and passed the 2300 over it and it was hitting it at about 2 inches-then I took my 5000 and it hits it at 5-6 inches- Its obvious that the 2300 is better on sponge-wire type gold than the Gpx series but not even close on the solid pieces- So unless  the ratio of specimen gold exceeds solid gold pieces-I really dont  see any advantage except for the Gpx hitting on the deeper solid gold-and Ill put my chips on there being more soilid gold than specimen gold in most of the areas I beep-So bottom line is you give up one thing to gain another-Theres no doubt that the new generation of NF and Coiltek coils are more sensitive almost to sensitive -Just my 2 cents worth-Mike C...:ph34r:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin

Hey Dave,

  Ya, I seen that video once my US Miner and couldn't find it again.  I have embedded it here for viewing.  Thanks for that.

Mike C - I agree with you 100%.  I have done the same thing on a handful of patches.  You can always find another dink or so with a new coil, new detector or detecting a different way.  US Miner is the video does a pretty good job overall on explaining the GPZ vs. some of the other coils. 

The hot coil right now for battling against the GPZ's 14x13 is the new NF Evo 17x13 Elliptical.  Many guys in California are doing well with this coil on old patches.  A handful of these guys sold their GPZ's and went back to GPX 5000's with the new coils. 

In a nutshell for myself, it's just too expensive for myself or anyone to own all three units (GPZ, GPX and the SDC).  I agree they all do different things and will find a few nuggets the others may miss. 

I need to make it to one of the outings (if I'm welcome) .... LOL Mike. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My problem is I never used the GPX series for very long. I had a GPX 4800 for a little while and I always found the menu system a little confusing. I agree the ergonomics, weight and cost are must better over the GPZ but I just have so much more experience with the GPZ now. I've got all the settings figured out on my GPZ that I like to use and the screen and button lay out is super easy, I can flip back and forth pretty quickly from Normal to Difficult soil if Normal is giving me a weird signal that I think might be a hot rock.

I was a Normal guy for awhile until after the update then it just seemed to run too hot for me and I ran in Difficult for awhile and found a lot of gold. But now with this new detecting season I just started running Normal again and while I did dig quite a few screamin' hot rocks I know for sure there was a target that Difficult missed. It was a tiny old nailhead on the side of an old pothole. It sounded off on Normal then I switched to Difficult and got no response. I dug the target anyways and like I said it was just a nailhead but Difficult didn't hit on it at all. Wonder how much gold I missed last year using that setting :wacko:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just received my new GPX 5000 from Rob. I am a long time GP user and just needed one. Wow I think it is great for coil selection and light weight. I used to think how heavy it was before the GPZ. The 5000 is an awesome machine! However if you use the GPZ correctly, it is hands down the best. I am one of those who has $20 grand in detectors.(absolutely crazy and we should start a detectors anon club for how sick this truly is) Not too happy with Minelab for dropping the price after loyal users rushed out to buy one. I use them all and they all have their place. Currently and only with the stock coil available, if I had to give them all up but one I would keep the GPZ no questions asked . Food for thought, wait til the new coil comes out.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having used both machines side by side, the GPZ will hit deeper on small nuggets (under 2 grams) and specimen gold. This is using Difficult timings as Normal timings see way too much ground noise in my location. If I could run in Normal timings then the GPZ would be deeper over the GPX on larger nuggets as well. The GPX has a lot less ground noise to make nugget signals stand out in hot ground while on the GPZ signals blend in a little too much for my liking. (I have been using the 12" Round EVO on the GPX, Fine Gold or Enhance timings for hot ground.)

I feel the GPZ needs another ground balance upgrade, those ground noises are a problem for my hearing. The GPZ also needs a small coil. I don't know what the problem is at Minelab in releasing more coils.

My opinion if money is no object:
If you have mild to medium open ground and specimen gold, the GPZ is better.
If you have hot mineralized ground or rough terrain with solid nuggets, the GPX is better.

-Don

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rob:

I need to make it to one of the outings (if I'm welcome


 Having one at Jackass flats the second weekend of NOV....You better be there. Its only 20 miles from your house :)

Tom H.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin

Hey Guys,

   Tom/Mike C. - Bill has invited me to several of the more recent outings, but I just can't seem to escape all the crap that comes up at the last moment.  I couldn't even recall the last outing I attended it was so long ago.  I will try to make the one in Nov as it is just right down the road.  

As for the GPZ-GPX debate, I agree on the smaller gold.  I found a lot of smaller gold I missed with the GPX 5000, but only 2-3 larger nuggets.  I personally have seen a few multi-ouncers found with the GPZ were I was present, so I do know they have the punch power behind them.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, nuggethunting said:

Hey Guys,

   Tom/Mike C. - Bill has invited me to several of the more recent outings, but I just can't seem to escape all the crap that comes up at the last moment.  I couldn't even recall the last outing I attended it was so long ago.  I will try to make the one in Nov as it is just right down the road.  

As for the GPZ-GPX debate, I agree on the smaller gold.  I found a lot of smaller gold I missed with the GPX 5000, but only 2-3 larger nuggets.  I personally have seen a few multi-ouncers found with the GPZ were I was present, so I do know they have the punch power behind them.  

I remember...it was at Rich hill with Bunk and Chris :)  Bout 3 yrs ago

Tom H.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Just recently we were detecting (all experienced detectorist) in the grasslands of California, with two GPZ's, one had the stock 14" coil and the other had the 19" coil and two GPX's one had the 17x13 Evo and the other had the Minelab 12x15.  Towards the end of the day, we decided to perform a test.  We buried about a 9mm slug 14" deep.  I went over the target with my GPZ, HY, Normal, Sen 15, Smoothing Off, and barely heard the target.  Same settings with the 19" but much better results.  Heard the target about three inches above the ground.  Next, the GPX with the Evo coil in Sharp, General, don't remember the gain but a smooth threshold with the gold screamer, and no signal.  The next detector is the one that is really giving me heart burn, the GPX with the 12x15 commander in Sensitive Extra, General, don't remember the gain but a smooth threshold with the stock battery.  It gave an obvious signal about 5 inches above the ground.  I could not believe how loud of a target response this GPX gave.

After hearing the results from the GPX, I increased my Sensitiviy to 20, but there was too much ground noise to hear a target.  I also tried different ground and gold modes with the GPZ, but nothing compared to that GPX.  I wish we had more time to really investigate, but we were all tired, and the sun was setting fast.

Is this just one of those scenarios that we must except and move on, or is there some credibility here???

Has anyone done similar tests?

Still scratching my head,

Brian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin

Hey Brian,

   I happen to see this post on another forum, then seen you posted it here.  Thanks for making the post here.  

I haven't personally done much side by side comparisons, but have evaluated the gold I have found over the last year and how hard I have hit some of those spots.  I can contribute at least a couple hundred nuggets, most under 2-3 Grams, to the GPZ 7000 technology.  Now some spots might have changed from weather, but I'm saying a majority was due to technology of the GPZ.  

I also normally only used a 14x9 Elliptical on my GPX 5000 (Coiltek Blitz or the NF Advantage).  

I can tell you it's split when it comes to sales.  I sell a lot of the new Elite and EVO coils from 15 inch Rounds to 17-inch Ellipticals.  The sales on the GPZ have slowed down due to this, but they are still selling well at the $8,000 price.  I think the 10k price placed a lot of guys out of the market, but the $2000 price reduction helped in sales.  

To be honest, there are so many variables.  When it comes to detectors, I would say most are close out of the box, but there will always be a few that might be slightly better than the others, while maybe a very few amount might be just slightly under the norm.  Then you have all the variables when it comes to a person (experience, hearing, coil swing speed, coil height ....), then you have all the various settings/timings on the units, aftermarket parts, different coils ...... then ground mineralization, type of gold sizes, density of the target (solid sluggy, big and flat, specimen, sponge gold and more).  

I'm not sure you could ever get a real fair comparison. 

Purchase within your means, as you might never pay or justify for a high end detector.  Then again, the flip side could mean you might find that one in "whatever" odds nugget and pay for the detector and more in full.  

Always fun to talk about, but most importantly, "BE THE FIRST GUY ON THE GROUND AND GET THE LIONS SHARE OF WHAT WAS THERE!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/4/2017 at 10:48 AM, nevada brian said:

Just recently we were detecting (all experienced detectorist) in the grasslands of California, with two GPZ's, one had the stock 14" coil and the other had the 19" coil and two GPX's one had the 17x13 Evo and the other had the Minelab 12x15.  Towards the end of the day, we decided to perform a test.  We buried about a 9mm slug 14" deep.  I went over the target with my GPZ, HY, Normal, Sen 15, Smoothing Off, and barely heard the target.  Same settings with the 19" but much better results.  Heard the target about three inches above the ground.  Next, the GPX with the Evo coil in Sharp, General, don't remember the gain but a smooth threshold with the gold screamer, and no signal.  The next detector is the one that is really giving me heart burn, the GPX with the 12x15 commander in Sensitive Extra, General, don't remember the gain but a smooth threshold with the stock battery.  It gave an obvious signal about 5 inches above the ground.  I could not believe how loud of a target response this GPX gave.

After hearing the results from the GPX, I increased my Sensitiviy to 20, but there was too much ground noise to hear a target.  I also tried different ground and gold modes with the GPZ, but nothing compared to that GPX.  I wish we had more time to really investigate, but we were all tired, and the sun was setting fast.

Is this just one of those scenarios that we must except and move on, or is there some credibility here???

Has anyone done similar tests?

Still scratching my head,

Brian.

High Yield runs a little too hot for depth, I'd have ran it in General and dropped the Sensitivity down to 12. Might have gotten a better response with 14" coil on the GPZ that way with a good ground balance you ran for 15-20 minutes prior to doing the test. The GPZ doesn't take a fresh ground balance like a GPX, you need to run it over the ground for a little while to build a good algorithm to get maximum ground cancellation/depth. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.