Minelab News, Please read.

[nero_design]

The company may be seeking to move forward ...and yet these older detectors, many of which are beyond their lifespan due to use and abuse, are a bit of a dead weight. If you buy a new car, you can't expect the manufacturer to continue to supply you with repairs and parts beyond the typical warranty life but sometimes people do damage their cars or have accidents. That's where the auto-repair shops come into it. The dealerships will continue to sell new and recent models but at some point these cars simply cause a drain on company doing the repairs because the costs may eventually outweigh the value of the car.

The detectors on that list are really quite old. Sure, some are great/terrific detectors but they're also aging and people regularly mistreat their detectors. The number of people sending in their "modded" detectors to be repaired after the owner finds the results to be unsatisfactory means that there's a lot of unnecessary time spent trying to fix things that shouldn't be broken in the first place. The SD2000 (if you've either used one or have seen on one up close) has the old military couplings where the cables meet the control box. I seem to remember the Golden Hawk to have similar fittings. Both have a drab, military paint onboard. This is obviously a legacy of Minelab's military contract work and they are fantastic detectors but they're already aging and the repair or service costs may exceed the value of the units.

All the recent detectors carry the best of the latest advances in detecting technology and those immediately before them are not far behind. But demands by irate owners (if they happen to be irate) are kind of pointless because anyone wanting to own the best technology for metal sensing will not be put off by the thought that ten years from now, their detector might be unserviceable. People using the higher end detectors in the Minelab range will continue to seek them out because it should give them an edge on almost anything else out there. Gold hunters want the best available technology out there today so it would be an unfortunate decision (for them) to drop the brand just because the manufacturer doesn't see it viable or practical to support already discontinued models from quite a ways back.

[Ridge Runner]

If I want to pay more than the detector is worth so what.I'm paying Minelab to do the work they can make money off of me and my short comings that I have upstairs being I'm willing to pay more than the detector is worth.

Take Uncle Ron he has found more gold than most of you that have the GPX4500 with his old out dated rag of a detector that has been a friend for so long.

I guess when sales are down this is one way Minelab can try to get them back up.So everybody needs to throw their old detector away and let us help Minelab like they have help each one of you that have a older machine.

I hope Rob's sales are NOT down because Minelab may cut him to.If they ever do they have lost the most loyal Dealer that they have ever had and top seller of the GPX4500.

I just don't like it when someone starts telling me whats best for me and my pocketbook!

Chuck Anders

[nero_design]

I guess when sales are down this is one way Minelab can try to get them back up....

I just don't like it when someone starts telling me whats best for me and my pocketbook!

Chuck, who on earth said that sales were low? With Gold at an all time high these last 8 months, I've never seen a bigger stampede by people buying detectors.... you should ask your local dealer if he thinks sales are "low". I have no idea what sales are like where you are but it might be interesting to hear some feedback on this.

As for telling you what's best for you and your pocket book, I don't personally see an issue with the decision and I was actually surprised they were handling those older machines at all. What you may have overlooked is that the actual cost in service time and parts often exceeds the value of the unit itself (in relation to the older detectors). The warranty is still there and the support for years to come is still there. I suspect that this will create a submarket where repairers who fancy themselves as detector tinkerers as they will now be able to carry on with repairs for those people who have need of it.

If you want to swing one of those dinosaurs (and that's a reasonably fair term to use) go ahead. I don't have a problem with it if you do because I've seen how successful some of those older machines are. But they can't hold a candle to detectors released in recent years. If you don't want to buy one of these detectors in case they won't offer to repair it in ten years, you can always consider an alternative brand. I've heard that they won't support their older generations although that's unconfirmed. The purpose of a gold-detector (for example) is to help the owner find gold and all detectors depreciate over time to one degree or another, like any other appliance. If you treat it well, it may last a very long time. My own experience with nugget hunting electronic prospectors shows me that on the whole, they treat their detector like a tool. Many don't take care of them at all. But if your electric drill starts to fail you in 10 years, you go down to the store and buy another one in order to keep drilling holes.

That brings me to the question of whether you think detectors are fairly priced or not. Those with a GPX claim they're worth every sent. Those unable to afford one will find a way to justify their decision not top buy one. Detecting is one of the few hobbies with a potential to pay something back. If you took up golf, you'll spend a similar amount of money buying some good quality clubs but you'll probably not make much money with them unless you are related to Tiger Woods.

If people don't like the idea of buying a new detector to replace the old one, then they should start taking better care of their detectors so that they last longer and perform at peak.

Cheers,

Marco

[~LARGO~]

Darn it Marco, you make a lot of sense!

Thanks for spelling it out and making a non-sensical, sensical...

~LARGO~

[Paseclipse]

Hey Marco I don't see any reason why people still can't use the older detectors and get them repaired by Minelab. Electronic parts are electronic parts and the sizes of the PCB components don't change very much over time... so how is this outdated?

One thing I can say that I've definitely learned about the Minelab PI's is that they are very good quality detectors and are built to last. If you buy a brand new Minelab PI, most likely you will not have to send it in (unless it's a recall or something) during the warranty period. So I can't imagine Minelab is losing any money on the warranties.

And what about the second hand buyers who never get warranties? I'm one of those people... heck a few months back I had to pay to get my 4000 repaired and I didn't hessittate to do it. I'm williing to do the same thing with my old SD2100... I mean whats the harm if somebody is willing to pay for the parts and service?

As for your comparison to auto mechanics... there's plenty of people who still take their cars into the dealerships to get them repaired (though it costs an arm and a leg) even after their warranty has expired. Why do these people do this?... Because it's better to know you have a qualified technician who has all the tools and resources available at their fingertips for that particular model of car. Also I'm sure this is where the service departments make the bulk of their money.

You raise some very good points and I found myself agreeing with a couple... but like I say if your willing to pay for the parts and service from a qualified Minelab technician whats the harm?

[Ridge Runner]

Marco

For the first time I'm at a loss for words.What you are not remembering is when Minelab said we are NOT going to fix this,this and this detector the price on them drop to nothing.Do you think all these old Dinosaurs as you put it will beable to be sold to someone if they can't get it fixed by Minelab?

You are telling the guys to take a loss on what they have now and buy our new detector because I Minelab knows what's best for you.I don't know why but I think I've heard this before and it was and still is call government.

On the low sales statement I made that came from one of your top Minelab Dealers and things may have change by now but maybe he will read this and chime in.

I'm glad to have Minelab metal detector on the market and and I think the GPX4500 is at this time the best.I hope the next one they come out with is total digital.

Marco I don't know you but the way you talk you must have a connection to Minelab but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Chuck Anders

[AZNuggetBob]

I think minelab should contract the repairs out to another repair company on the older machines. at least give customers an option, it sounds like they want to go back to board swapping repairs. Im sure their stock piles of older boards and original parts are depleted. Some Original parts are getting hard to find but comparable parts are still availible. AzNuggetBob

[Guest goldstudmuffin]

Dear Minelab,

Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. Apparently customer service is not very important to you. Please contact Doc about the definition of customer service.

Do you think you are saving money by not repairing or servicing detectors you sold to thousands of loyal customers? Your customer service will only cost you money and customers in the long run.

[claim jumper]

I hear that someone in Australia is on the verge of releasing a PI detector that will beat the latest Minelab. Its called the QUED or something like that. And is going to be around $500.00.

[kamikaze]

It's a double edged sword for Minelab. Yes it will probably save them money BUT it sure does not win them any points in terms of customer relations. Might be a good chance for a qualified person to start a business offering service for these machines...as mentioned, like the auto industry.

Question though, was Minelab servicing these older machines for free? If they were charging, it really puzzles me why they would stop offering the service. After all, they wouldn't be charging less than what it cost them to do the replair. Perhaps some of the components were proprietary...

[nuggethunting]

Hey ClaimJumper,

I hear that someone in Australia is on the verge of releasing a PI detector that will beat the latest Minelab. Its called the QUED or something like that. And is going to be around $500.00.

LOL .... You must of talked with Doug in Australia.

Take care,

Rob Allison

[Reno Chris]

Wow. What amazingly POOR service. Kind of like giving the finger to all your customers.

I wonder when my GP extreme will no longer qualify for any repairs. Next year? The year after?

Since the new SD units and the old ones are virtually the exact same units, the flimsy excuse of "parts availability" to service one and not the other is a joke. How stupid does ML think we are?

I guess if you cant afford a new $5000 machine every few years ML does not want you as a customer. That does not seem to be very smart business sense.

Imagine the outcry if any of the auto makers announced they would no longer service any vehicle made before 2000?

Maybe Doug and his "hate Minelab" forum is right on the money after all.

I know from experience that certain ML employees do read these forums (I had a discussion with one once about a post I made that aciently caused some minor level of ruckus). I hope you guys are reading this and seeing the reaction of your customers. I plan to be in the market for a new detector later this year and your decison will give me pause because you dont even back up your own stuff for a full 10 years. That means by definition you have poor support for your own products. I will seriously consider other makes that do back up their own equipment.

Chris

[Guest Mike C...]

Its starting to filter into other forums as well this could get really ugly---a coupke of people are fed up and selling thier ML beepers---hmm I wonder what the reason could be Mike C...

[montana]

I recently had my GP3500 repaired and they charged me $130.00 and I had no problem with that. They obviously made a little money on the repair, so it seems that if they have to have technicians to do warranty work which produces no income, then they shouldn't turn their noses up at fixing an old detector for some cash flow. It seems like they would welcome the business. Puzzling!----Bob

[Ridge Runner]

When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Case in point, MINELAB.

Chuck Anders

[nuggethunting]

Hello Guys,

I talked with Minelab today and they stated they have received hundreds of call on this issue. They stated to me that Ireland and Australia don't stock the older electronic components, so they decided to stop servicing the older detectors. They did state that the newer v2 versions of the SD's are using much newer components than older versions of these units.

I do know that the newer v2 models are much more stable then the older original models.

Wish I knew more ....

Rob Allison

[Uncle Ron]

" They stated to me that Ireland and Australia don't stock the older electronic components, so they decided to stop servicing the older detectors. "

Rob, doesn't minelab realize that some upstart Americans began a quite successful parts delivery service....I think they're called UPS , and they do service countries like Ireland and Australia!!! ... And, by the way, they, unlike some other companies, do indeed understand and deliver excellent customer servce, so farflung MineLab outposts can get these "hard to find" parts...

By the way, service is often one of the most profitable arms of a company when dealing with out of warranty repairs...No one's asking ML to do it for freakin' free! Generally, metal detectors, unlike automobiles, do not have service shops around the country.

And one other thing...Why did MineLab simply drop the bomb on us, rather than saying something to the effect that after a certain date they would no longer take care of their customers with older, but quite capable machines??? I mean, for example, my issues are simply that my balancing pots are worn, sloppy and noisy and my internal tuning pot broke loose...The rest of the machine is awesome--I can work around the pots issue, for now, but the day I can't, well, MineLab will hear it in all their "farflung" locations!......

"MineLab--for serious detectorists"--who don't mind eventually having a disposable detector!

Not so much "Cheers" on this one...Unc

[rexb]

For some strange reason the word "karma" comes to mind. This kind of decision reminds me of a scenario with a CEO in a dark room making uninformed decisions flanked by "yes" men. I may be exaggerating a tad, but I can't imagine that this could bode well for Minelab customers or for the future of Minelab the company. I'm rather speechless and don't have much else to add except that I didn't think I would see the day where a metal detecting company would officially begin to cater exclusively to those who could already afford to purchase gold outright and could easily make due without a detector.

[Paseclipse]

I'll just keep saying this over and over... what does Minelab think is an "older component". I look at these detectors and see a printed circuit board, control box housing, front and rear control box panels, connectors, knobs, screws and electronic parts (resistors, capacitors, etc) soldered onto a printed circuit board. The PCB, control box housing, front and rear control box panels are definately custom made and the rest of the parts are all readily available from any electronics warehouse.If something goes wrong, it's most likely going to be something on the printed circuit board and can be removed and resoldered with a new component.... so... I'm stumped what is an "older component"? I can maybe see if the PCB goes out (very rare!), but the rest of the components that mount on the PCB are still very much available... so... what is and "older component"?... I still don't get it!

[Reno Chris]

Eveyone who buys or owns an expensive ML detector now needs to recognize that like a pound of hamburger, your detector now has an implied "no good after" date on it. Based on this latest policy, the ML plan is to set the "no good after" date at about 6 to 8 years after manufacture. After that date, if it goes bad, you need to throw it away and buy a new one. Its a business decision, pure and simple, made probably by some Codan exec who hasn't the slightest clue about the detector market, but knows how to read the bottom line and thinks he has discovered a way to sell more of those expensive detectors.

Codan probably figures they have a monoply and the customer has no other choice, so to heck with the cusmomer and any service ML would provide them. Customer service is irrelevant and does not make enough money per employee.

You know the in the 1950s and 1960s, the Big 3 automobile makers had a virtual lock on the world car market, especially the US. So they designed "planned obsolescence" into their cars making them so they would fall apart after about 4 or 5 years and the customer had to buy a new one. This was considered by management as a great strategy to increase car sales, because where else could the customer go? Detroit had a solid monoply on the US car market. Along came some Japanese car makers who decided to build quality cars that would last and get great gas milage. Eventually Detroit saw these challengers eat their lunch. The big three tried to improve their quality, and I think they did - but too late, a huge part of the market share had already gone over to the Japanese. Once you get a reputation for producing shoddy products, its hard to get rid of. Now look at the Big 3 auto makers: 2 are bankrupt, one is hanging on by a thread. The largest survives only because of a massive infusion of bogus printing press money given by politicians to secure votes and gain control of the company. GM now means Government Motors. In the long run, planned obsolescence and sticking it to your customers sure worked out to be a brilliant marketing plan, didnt it?

So I think if Codan wants to ruin the ML name and give all their sales over to the competitors, I think they chose the perfect way to do it. Build machines that will become obsolete after about 6 to 8 years and force the customer to buy new ones, because they have an unstoppable monoply on the market and no one could possibly steal their business. Treat the customer like CR@P and he will love you and want to buy more......

If I was Whites or Fisher, I'd be planning my new advertising program: "How we stand by and suport OUR detectors" and "Why OUR customer service is the very best" and "How we dont abandon our customers like that OTHER detector maker"

[Paseclipse]

Eveyone who buys or owns an expensive ML detector now needs to recognize that like a pound of hamberger, your detector has an implied "no good after" date on it. Based on this latest policy, the ML is plan is to set the "no good after" date at about 6 to 8 years after manufacture. After that date, if it goes bad, you need to throw it away and buy a new one. Its a business decision, pure and simple, made probably by some Codan exec who hasn't the slightest clue about the detector market, but knows how to read the bottom line and thinks he has discovered a way to sell more of those expensive detectors.

Codan probably figures they have a monoply and the customer has no other choice, so to heck with the cusmomer and any service ML would provide them. Customer service is irrelevant and does not make enough money per employee.

You know the in the 1950s and 1960s, the Big 3 automobile makers had a virtual lock on the world car market, especially the US. So they designed "planned obolescence" into their cars making them so they would fall apart after about 4 or 5 years and the customer had to buy a new one. This was considered by management as a great strategy to increase car sales, because where else could the customer go? Detroit had a solid monoply on the US car market. Along came some Japanese car makers who decided to build quality cars that would last and get great gas milage. Eventually Detroit saw these challengers eat their lunch. The big three tried to improve their quality, and I think they did - but too late, a huge part of the market share had already gone over to the Japanese. Now look at the Big 3 auto makers: 2 are bankrupt, one is hanging on by a thread. The largest survives only because of a massive infusion of bogus printing press money given by politicians to sercure votes and gain control of the company. GM now means Government Motors. In the long run, planned osolescence and sticking it to your customers sure worked out to be a brilliant marketing plan, didnt it?

So I think if Codan wants to ruin the ML name and give all their sales over to the competitors, I think they chose the perfect way to do it. Build machines that will become obsolete after about 6 to 8 years and force the customer to buy new ones, because they have an unstoppable monoply on the market and no one could possibly steal their business. Treat the customer like CR@P and he will love you and want to buy more......

If I was Whites or Fisher, I'd be planning my new advertising program: "How we stand by and suport OUR detectors" and "Why OUR customer service is the very best" and "How we dont abandon our customers like that OTHER detector maker"

Thats funny Chris!!

Come on Whites! Here's your opportunity to start taking the PI market over. Spend a little more money on R&D and continuous improvements on the TDI to get it up to speed with the Minelabs. This is your chance to take a big bite out of the PI market. In a few years I'm confident you will stand behind your product even if it is outdated (unlike Minelab). Many loyal Minelab customers are starting to look towards your direction and this is your BIG opportunity!

[Gold Guru]

Something jumped out at me and I wanted to toss in a few cents...

That brings me to the question of whether you think detectors are fairly priced or not. Those with a GPX claim they're worth every sent. Those unable to afford one will find a way to justify their decision not top buy one.

Marco, I'm having a hard time understanding where you are coming from on a few points.

Those unable to afford one will find a way to justify their decision not top buy one.

Do you mean it's now a pride issue for the working man, too prideful to admit the "truth"? I think not. People have to justify a non-purchase? Most of the time people justify expense, not lack of expense, and most men in this hobby are men enough to plainly state if they can afford a new detector or not.

Keep in mind, the whole point of a buying a new model is that the new model will supposedly find the gold the other units missed. Now here is where it gets real, the new model has to find enough of that gold, the gold the older unit missed, to justify the cost. Only the gold the older unit would have missed pays for the new unit, not every nugget found with the new unit. That's the bottom line and, I speak from personal experience from owning both a GP Extreme and a 3500. If I really wanted a 4500 I could hand Rob the cash tomorrow, not an issue, however, based on how well my old Extreme works and my previous experience with "upgrading" I'm not going there. Can't imagine digging deeper holes or squinting for smaller pieces, the old unit works both ends of the spectrum perfectly.

Those with a GPX claim they're worth every sent.

Not every new "GPX" (makes me think GP Extreme not 4500) user believes that "they're worth every cent". I've talked to several who had quite the opposite opinion. My thinking has a hard time with that kind of blanket statement.

There it is.

[Guest goldstudmuffin]

Rob,

I've owned 7 new Minelab detectors, my Brother has had 6 new Minelabs, 13 between the two of us... we bought 4 of them from you. Scott and I just sold our GPX 4000's in antisapation of a possible GPX 5000 sometime this fall or winter. We have kept our old 2100's for a backup as always, just in case the 4000 took a dump like it did in Montana, the 2100 saved my vacation. I'm tired of all the hype anyway... they'll just put a couple of new toggle switches and a new paint job on the 4500 and then presto-chango it goes 30% deeper! I have $5000.00 burning a hole in my pocket, but I will no longer spend my money with Minelab if they won't service my SD 2100 I payed $3000 dollars for.

You know I have a friend I just got interested in detecting and I recommend he buy a then new GPX 4000 and he bought it from Rob... I will never do it again! I'm going to buy me a new Gold Bug II and keep the $4400 dollars for some other new toys! Between the Bug and 2100 I won't miss much. If my 2100 goes down I'll take it to a TV repair shop and get better service than I can from Minelab. No more Minelabs for me!!! No more pictures of gold nuggets on my Minelab!

[Guest Mike C...]

I was reading on another forum about minelabs next move which is in the works now or has been---how many of you knew that minelabs were assembled in Ireland- --well it looks like they will now be made in malaysia -probably spelled wrong ---Mike C...

[Guest goldstudmuffin]

Hi Mike,

The Titanic was also made in Ireland!