Minelab GPX 6000

I rarely post outside home base these days, but this is a equipment forum, and this is a new detector. The GPX 6000 is not aimed at you all, but there are some of you that should know about what it offers. For what it was worth, I worked on SDC 2300, Gold Monster, GPZ 7000, Equinox, Vanquish, and now the 6K.

The GPX 6000 is a PI that simplifies and automates the settings to the largest degree possible. The detector is designed with a lean more towards small gold nuggets than the largest ones, and so it is very hot on tiny gold. I recovered a 0.0037 gram gold flake, and I am sure I can hit smaller.

Ergonomics was job one, superb balance, 4.6 lbs but does not feel like it. Three coils for now, 11" mono, 14" DD, and 17" elliptical mono. Old coils are not compatible with the new GeoSense tracking system. The detector comes with 11" mono and 14" DD for $5999.

The GPX 6000 is very powerful, just like the GPZ 7000, but even hotter on tiny stuff. Relic hunters by and large have not found the GPZ 7000 to be an improvement over the GPX 5000, largely because it will sound off on the tiniest ferrous trash, and no disc. My gut feeling is GPX 6000 is the same, just too darn hot on the tiniest trash, and so I expect the GPX 5000 to retain favor with relic hunters.

However, the GPX 6000 comes with a 14" DD coil, and that coil has a specific salt setting that balances all the way to salt water. So in theory the 14" DD is good for saltwater beaches, and the 11" mono will probably handle dry to slightly damp stuff. The machine will have punch on gold obviously, as well as hots for micro jewelry. At $5999 not everyone will be out there with one, but for those with the money, beach detecting may be a sleeper application for the GPX 6000.

Anyway, not a sales pitch per se, more like a warning for the relic hunters, and a possible tip for beach hunters. In my world, this is the best Minelab PI made to date for U.S. nugget hunting conditions, so I'm sneaking up on my first ounce of recovered nuggets. I do plan on hunting the fresh water beaches at Lake Tahoe soon with the machine, and if I ever get near a salt water beach I'll give it a spin. But somebody is likely to beat me to that one.

The machine is being delivered to customers in Africa and Australia, and U.S. dealers should have stock any day now. The 17" mono is an accessory, and no word on availability.

Steve Herschbach

Minelab GPX 6000 Data & Reviews

Minelab GPX 6000 Accessories and Spare Parts

Minelab GPX 6000 Owner’s Manual

Minelab GPX 6000 Measurements & Part Numbers





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2021 04:45PM by Steve Herschbach.

Thanks Steve.. . .. nice looking unit, has that modern look.

Thanx Steve. Question : At the current price of gold (north of $1800 p/oz), what do you think a skilled hobbyist can net, on an average day, in the G.R. belt of CA ? Eg.: Auburn, Nevada city, Grass Valley, etc....

I heard one long-timer there tell me he considers $80 of melt value gold to be a "slow day". Others I've talked to tell me they would consider averaging $80 to be a high-point pinnacle. Ie.: they seriously doubted that anyone is ever averaging that high.

What does your feelers tell you that the average skilled guy can get these days ?

I used to do ounce plus days. Then half ounce. Then quarter ounce. Now I tend to average about 2 grams a day, half ounce a week. That’s an average per day, but close per week. Any new good find can change things, but I find that shooting for a half ounce a week is realistic for me at this stage of the game. It’s kind of leveled off as there are always small nuggets to find, but the big ones that add weight are getting rare. Though I line up trips where I can do better. Machine should have found over $6000 worth of nuggets by end of July.

How other people do, I’m not sure, but I’m one of the better hunters. It ain’t get rich quick stuff, but long hours of hard work.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2021 06:53PM by Steve Herschbach.

Steve Herschbach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>.... half ounce a week.....


Then, assuming someone was hunting most days per week (Ie.: every day), then that shows that my friend is correct: That "$80" would be a slow day for him. The other person I floated that to, was in Mariposa area. And he had serious doubts about this level of success. Perhaps he's just not as skilled. Perhaps he's not in a quite-so-fruitful gold-bearing area, etc....

The reason I'm asking is that my wife & I are considering retiring to Auburn area. Now that I'm on the "ugly side of 60". And as such, am considering taking up the prospecting side of the hobby. Thus far, I've strictly been coins/relic/beach. Since the nearest nugget region has always been 3 hrs. from my part of CA, I've simply never gotten into it. But if I move to G.R. country, it's an aspect of the hobby I want to get into.

Hopefully we connect at some time. Since I'll no doubt be doing some ghost townsy trips to Nevada, and will be passing through your area from time to time.

Sounds like a nice detector. I don't think you want to dig gold flakes that small. It's only worth $0.22. Still should pay for itself fast.

Steve....... Thanks for your report & evaluation. The GPX series units are indeed popular with relic hunters...... because of a form of ferrous/non-ferrous (mild) discrim abilities. Does you 'gut' tell you ...the ferrous/non-ferrous differentiation abilities of the 6000 are identical performance level(s) to the 5000........ or otherwise?

Your comment about it picking up tiny ferr .... it will do the same on the beach. Here in the Gulf there is a lot of rusted iron flakes.... ive noticed them even with the MDT. BUT... as you said for those micro gold hunting willing to learn ....and who has that kind of cash it could pay... especially during the winter months....maybe more so on Toms side of the island with a huge tide swing. Steve you have had both the AQ and this machine..... any comparison? Does it have enough salt balance to do say knee deep hunting in the salt water? Do you ever think ML will produce one of these HOT machines for water hunting?

Dew........ that's natural occurring ironstone. Usually about dime-to-nickel size. I use to think they were flakes of rust.....falling off of an old decaying ship. The good thing is...... they are weak targets. Kinda hard to detect. And...... on the EQX .....they ID as -9. Tarsacci also easily ID's them as a negative number also.
A PI without any form of discrimination? THAT poses a major problem/decelerator!

The GPX 5000 was the last Minelab PI with a discrimination control. It is more a surface blanking effect that does not work at depth, but is better than nothing. Ironstone is not a discrimination issue, but a ground balance/hot rock rejection issue. GeoSense may just tune them out.

The GPZ 7000 and now GPX 6000 have no discrimination control. You still get the tones in reference to the ground balance setting - high rising tones mean weak or small target, low descending tones mean strong or large target. But there is no disc per se. It is this, combined with insane sensitivity to very small ferrous trash, that make the GPZ 7000 and I think GPX 6000 of less interest to relic hunters. If for some reason you need a PI that can detect bird shot, then you'll love the GPX 6000.

Gold nuggets for sure, beach hunting maybe. Some GPX 6000 gold, about 1/2 ounce:





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2021 04:11PM by Steve Herschbach.

dewcon4414 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Your comment about it picking up tiny ferr .... it
> will do the same on the beach. Here in the Gulf t
> here is a lot of rusted iron flakes.... ive notice
> d them even with the MDT. BUT... as you said for
> those micro gold hunting willing to learn ....and
> who has that kind of cash it could pay... especial
> ly during the winter months....maybe more so on To
> ms side of the island with a huge tide swing. St
> eve you have had both the AQ and this machine.....
> any comparison? Does it have enough salt balance
> to do say knee deep hunting in the salt water? Do
> you ever think ML will produce one of these HOT ma
> chines for water hunting?


I was unhappy with the way the Impulse AQ Ltd has been handled by Fisher, so sold mine and stepped back from that situation. I was in line for a GPX 6000 anyway, and figured I'd use it at Tahoe instead. That's still the plan, and very, very soon. As far as how it does, open question still.

My nugget areas are littered with ferrous trash also. There is a point where if you want the gold, you dig the trash. That applies to beach detecting as much as nugget detecting.

Thanks Steve. Fishers made some changes in personnel so lets hope everything about the AQ starts to roll soon.... in a positive way. Picking thru thrash has always been a beach hunters issue when it comes to a PI and why most choose the easy route of a VLF. There is except able loss with both.... so pick your poison. Not only do you pick thru the trash left by the VLF, which do a pretty good job at getting most of the larger gold to a certain depth, but with that added depth comes a lot more trash. Most of the beach guys wants to run around like mad hatters covering as much as they can in the limit time they have before the people show up. Ive wondered thou why ML hasnt produced a PI for the beach since they have a lot of experience in the area. But then.... they do have the Xcal, CTX, and the Nox. Why invest in a niche area if you already have the machines most buy.... unless you could disc with it at a reasonable cost. Ive always like the sight of RAW gold. Thou me and the guys i hunted with out West every winter never found a lot of it lol.

Thanks to you too Tom.... i had no idea that was iron stone... duh. Ive hit a lot of HOT ROCKS when field hunting so that makes sense....as does ground balance and sensitivity.

"However, the GPX 6000 comes with a 14" DD coil, and that coil has a specific salt setting that balances all the way to salt water. So in theory the 14" DD is good for saltwater beaches, and the 11" mono will probably handle dry to slightly damp stuff. The machine will have punch on gold obviously, as well as hots for micro jewelry. At $5999 not everyone will be out there with one, but for those with the money, beach detecting may be a sleeper application for the GPX 6000."

I will offer my services for beach testing!!! Get your machine boxed and ready to send!!!!