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COMPARING MINELAB GOLD DETECTORS

Stephen, QMB
Jun 26, 2022
5 min read

Updated: Jan 11, 2023

What's is the best Gold detector? That question can hardly be answered without taking into consideration several parameters. The answer depends on the local context. Just as you cant answer the question which is the best car. Ferrari is good. But if you wanna go off-road its the wrong choice. Context rules.

Why do we need to compare detectors?

We need to compare them to evaluate which model will serve you best. The right choice is key to your success finding Gold. Why would you spend a lot of money on a very expensive detector model if a cheaper one would have done the job (or would have even done a better job)? That's a possibility. Don't just look the price as sole criteria determining which detector is good. Also, this comparison is an update of the Minelab Gold detector comparison made in 2016.

The “most expensive detector" is not necessarily also "the best detector". And the "cheap detector" is not necessarily a "bad detector".

Detectors model by Minelab that we compare here.

I compare the Gold Monster 1000 , SDC2300, GPX6000 and the GPZ7000. Those make sense to use and a suited for context in tropical areas such as Indonesia. I leave out the GPX5000 as I consider it an outdated model with a relatively difficult operational procedure.

Ok, let's start.

Parameters for the Detector Comparison

I look at 4 aspects. Those aspects cannot separated from each other, except price.

Size range of Gold nuggets that can be detected.
Mineralization levels that are suited for the detectors.
Detection Depth.
Price.

These 4 factors allow a comprehensive and balanced comparison. We cannot view any one of those factors separately as they are interdependent. Depth cannot be separated from the issue of Gold nugget size. Mineralization levels also cannot be separated from the detection depth issue. We commingle all those factors in the final illustration later on. Makes it easier to compare and understand.

1. Different Gold Nugget Sizes

I categorize Gold in 4 classes.

Why do we need to classify Gold nugget sized?

Very simple. Because not every lot contains every types and sizes of Gold. You need to know what's available at your site in order to pick the right detector. Why would you use a detector meant to detector very large nuggets in great depth when fine Gold is dominant in your area? Just an example. Large Gold is rare. Fine Gold isn't that rare. So what do you wanna go for?

# Fine Gold

That's Gold the size of coarse sand up to to a chili seed.

# Medium Sized Gold

Gold that's the size of a Chili seed up to a corn kernel.

# Gold Nuggets

Real nuggets. Rarely smaller than 12 grams. Around the size of a corn kernel or larger than that.

# Larger Gold Nuggets

Everything above and beyond 50 grams. The good stuff.

2. Soil Mineralization

The basic soil mineralization categories are as follows:

Low Mineralization

Red earth, clay, normal soil, silica sand, rocks with low content of metallic minerals.

Medium Mineralization

Soil containing medium amount of metallic minerals, soil filled with many different kinds of rocks, sediments with black sand, beach sand.

High Mineralization

Soil and rocks containing large amounts of metallic minerals such as copper, mangan, iron etc. Sediments sands with high content of hematite and magnetite. Magnetic materials.

This is just as important as the info about Gold nugget sizes. It gives you the necessary context. Why would you use a VLF detector suited for lowly mineralized ground in a place with highly mineralized soil? Again, context.

More details about soil mineralization.

3. Detection Depths

Detection depth cannot be assessed without taking into consideration mineralization levels and the size of Gold specimen. The GPZ7000 does a fantastic job when hunting large nuggets in great depth but its outperformed by cheaper models such as the Gold Monster 1000 even when hunting fine Gold in shallow depth.

4. Minelab's Gold Detector Prices

The Gold Monster 1000 comes at a cheaper price then the other models. Sometimes the Metal Detection Center Indonesia has good promotions going so that you can obtain a detector with a greatly discounted price.

The SDC2300 comes at a higher price tag but is still cheaper than the premium Minelab detectors such as the GPZ7000 or GPX6000. The price difference is significant. Just click the following link to check out the current pricing for Minelab gold detectors.

Prices need to be seen in relation to the potential output. Units like the SDC2300 upward are productive assets and let you find plenty of Gold when you are in the right place. Sometimes people have funny ideas about detector pricing and expect professional gold detectors to come at a price below a 100 USD or even less. That's of course not realistic. If you want to use a serious detector that is actually capable finding you Gold you will hardly find anything below 1000 USD.

Conclusion: Comparing Minelab's Gold Machines.

tabel perbandingan kedalam detektor minelab

Check out the infographic above. It illustrates and compare 4 models.

Sure, the GPZ7000, Minelab's new flagship detector, achieves the best depth. Leaving any other detector far behind. But its applications context is the hunt for medium or large nuggets in great depth. Its not the fine Gold at shallow depth. For the finer Gold the other units, especially the GPX6000 serve you better.

The GPX6000 is the fine Gold master and achieves impressive depths on larger nuggets. So I consider this the allrounder model. Comes at a friendlier price but still costly. Again, if you make the money back in a few days it cant be considered expensive.

Detector Rankings for Tropical Locations in 2023 are out. Top 3 detector for professionals, advanced users and beginners. Check out the Detector Ranking 2023.

The SDC2300 and the GPX6000 achieve somewhat similar results on fine Gold but the GPX6000 outperforms the SDC2300. Yet the SDC2300 has some unique features that make him a real contender and one of my personal favorites actually. Operations with the SDC2300 are childsplay, its super compact and fully waterproof. Thats what I need in a river in the jungle. I have more use for the SDC2300 there than for any other detector listed above. Performance wise, feel free to check out this session video where an GPZ7000 and a SDC2300 are used simultaneously.

The Gold Monster 1000 does a solid job on finding the fine Gold near the surface. And considering that it was originally made for beginners it achieves a really good performance beyond what was expected. Looking at the price as well the Gold Monster 1000 is really a good choice friendly on your purse.