We seem to be witnessing a detector price war. First the Turks with the Racer and Impact, then First Texas with the Tekdirect models and sales on G2+, F44 - you name it - now Minelab with the Equinox - manufacturers offering full featured machines are being offered at pieces from $500 - $900. What is left for the $1000 to $2000 price range?

What capabilities, operating characteristics, targets to be uniquely found - can now justify the "super" range of prices?

Your thoughts?

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

In some detectorist's opinions, no detector could ever justify $2000.

In others minds, $1000 could never justified.

Personally I think some of the prospecting machines that have ruggedized hardware can draw higher price tags.

To be honest, i'm happy with my machine running 1 freq with a tuned coil, 3 of my last machines were switchable freq with the same coil, i really feel they were compromising, cover all bases 90% machines, kinda like they were not as sharp as they could have been across all their frequencies.
The Equinox would need to be something special to make me bite!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2017 06:59PM by ghound.

What detector is worth $2000?
It depends on targets you are hunting for... If you are hunting for valuable ($) objects then any detector that will allow you to approach such targets will worth usd 2000, 3000... 5000... usd 7000

Metal detectors are overpriced. Period.

Nice that we have competitors competing for our business.

Remember how much Deus cost when it was first released?

Actually I think XP were surprised by how many units sold as fast as they did, hence they could lower prices with the heavier volume of sales.

I think this is what Minelab expects with Equinox, hence the lower price being offered for such a unit.

We may see the price of Equinox come down some too with time.

I think manufacturers as of late have really been sourcing their components, raw materials, trying to make newer models, better performers for price cheaper.

We'll have to wait and see but Deus and I think Equinox will both leave their marks, hence drive the whole industry in a direction faster which is good sounding to me.

More multipurpose, lighter weight units at good prices.

Also, a prediction.

Could how successful sales numbers wise drive how long we wait for a similar weighted/looking fbs type detector from Minelab?

Meaning if the Equinox is a bummer, we likely would see this newer offering sooner.

I also expect to see multifreq offering coming from the following manufacturers- XP, Nokta/Makro.

First Texas, where are you?

Better get into gear and fast, times a wasting.

White's- I just don't know. What is in a name? Not the same today as a few years back.

There have been some discussions on this forum over the last few years, with folks commenting on the direction the industry just might go.

Minelab actually was not one of the players mentioned much.

Yet here they are getting ready to try and leave another blistering mark.

The metal detecting industry as far as I can tell, looks to have taken the path (very similar) to the auto industry has taken during the last 30 years give or take.

This what has happened is no surprise to me.

One that will dig my hole and buy lunch! I had one. Eric Fosters GoldScan 5c! It was a great detector and found allot of Relics and Rings. It was the reason for the TDI getting done!

What detector would be worth 2000.00 bucks. Any detector that we have available to us but one that can disc out aluminum and/or give the iron tone without affecting the tones on the good stuff. Categorize aluminun as iron. Now that just might be worth a couple grand.

One that can reliably differentiate gold from all other manner of mid-tone trash? I'd pay SEVERAL grand for that one...that's a $2000 plus detector that I would ACTUALLY find a way to buy...

Steve



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2017 09:42PM by steveg.

Equinox 2 Switchable multi freqer low multi freq and high multi freq or run low multi freq find a target push button to save push another button run high mutil freq then push mix and a little minelab magic presto combine multi frequency #s and sound .They got the tec and if a low multi freqer is only $899.00 adding the another half would still be under $2000 . sube

sube - have another look at the cautions on that prescription bottle! LOL!

Rick Kempf
Gold Canyon AZ- where there is no gold

We can dream ahhhh sube

A serious diving detector could still command high prices. Waterproof to a decent depth, rugged, cordless headphones. This last one is tricky - RF doesn't go far through water, infra-red doesn't like dirty cloudy water. I've seen some very hydro-dynamic home-built underwater rigs, thin-section carbon-fibre shafts, shaped search-coils. Making that kind of niche rig in low volumes would make the retail price high.

walk through

Sod-buster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> First Texas, where are you?
>
> Better get into gear and fast, times a wasting.
>


Well it'll likely only add to the grapevine rumor mill, but Tim Mallory (I'm sure you recognize the name) recently posted an announcement for the new FTP pin pointers. Figured it was a good opportunity to ask if they had anything a bit more significant than probes coming soon. Honestly I figured he'd delete my post, instead he replied:

Brian When is FTP going to release a new flagship detector....sad seeing everyone else releasing new flagship machines for several years and only getting rumors (for years) that FTP is on the verge of releasing a new innovative flagship detector....
Like · Reply · 6 · October 17 at 6:59pm


Tim Mallory When we release it will knock your socks off and will likely have brothers and sisters quickly following... but we are committed to doing it right and we have had many set backs.. but THEY are coming.
Like · Reply · 7 · October 18 at 6:47am

No gold in Pa. except tracer gold too small for detectors in some streams however an excellent gold nugget unit can and some are more..

Heck money is no good unless you spend it...

I duuno, a detector that could see through minerals (both salt and iron) as if they were air would be worth a couple of grand. Would need a feature set to compliment it, too.

HH
Mike

Yet.... they still buy NEW CTXs..... some unknowingly paying full price. Id give $2000 willing for a DEEP disc PI...... why...? on the beach it will pay for its self.

What machine is worth 2 grand???? Any machine that makes your detecting enjoyable. My CTX 3030 on the beach with 17"coil- yep, worth it....Relic hunting? Not so much LOL A used GPX 5000 for relic hunting...definitely worth it. My old machines Coinmaster V Supreme, Eagle Spectrum, DFX... yup worth it, but luckily well under 2 grand. Honestly I would have a hard time spending 2 G's with any new detecting company that is still tweaking single frequency machines. Times are changing and some companies will not change with it. They will fail like Gardiner, D-Tex, etc.... Argue all you want on the half truths of multi frequency. If the machines out perform what we are used to, then they will dominate the market, even at $2000 and up.

I paid well over $2000 (each) for both my GPX and SDC. Both have paid for themselves and much more in found gold. I would happily pay their price tags again for the incredible performance and reliability they have given me.

Dean

TID accuracy on tabs silver foil and cans and tops etc

I guess we also have to ask now days. .... how much for the coils? They have doubled. Take a $1000 machine and buy two coils there you are..........

If it will see through the red/orange clay dirt of Virginia, then I'll have to acquire one. Here in Virginia all I mean all VLF machine are limited to around 7-8" of actual depth. That is why I bought a TDI a few years ago.
If 1st Texas releases a machine that will beat the TDI in my dirt, it will be a must for me.
I guess that is where the questionable $2k comes to play.

I agree any metal detector that could tell the difference between aluminum and gold jewelry would be worth $2000 because it would pay for itself in short order.

tabman

I would have paid $2000 for my Racer2 had I known what all it was going to find

Let's see:

1916-D Key Date Mercury dime
1860-S Key Date Seated Quarter
Victorian gold/diamond ring
1896 San Francisco Dog License
1859-S Seated Half Dollar
Spanish Reales
Several Phoenix Buttons
Dozens of civil war Union Army buttons

I'll just stop right there.

Obviously the R2 is a pretty good detector for a lot (not all) of the sites I detect, BUT the largest contributor was the site location.

QUOTE from above post...............Tim Mallory " When we release it will knock your socks off and will likely have brothers and sisters quickly following... but we are committed to doing it right and we have had many set backs.. but THEY are coming. "

Geez... more rumors from FT??? Coming from him I have to believe it. I hope they succeed in what ever they are designing. I wonder if it will obsolete the Equinox?

They are as slow tree sap in Feb when it comes to getting one out.......... at this point id just like to know some of what they THINK it will do........ iv got some pretty heavy socks. Im ready to get something new in the water.

steveg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One that can reliably differentiate gold from all
> other manner of mid-tone trash? I'd pay SEVERAL g
> rand for that one...that's a $2000 plus detector t
> hat I would ACTUALLY find a way to buy...
>
> Steve

Agreed. Worth $2,000 easily.