is it worth upgrading to a gpx4500 from a gp3500?

Hi All,

The time has come to me to think about my options.

This time next week i would have paid off my gp3500 detector.

the question is: is it worth up grading to a gpx4500.

i know its a steep learing curve but i would like the added advantage when out in the gold fields.

I am at the moment happy with my gp3500 but i have not found much gold with it on my last few trips.

Just like to know is it worth upgrading to a gpx4500.

It also depends on supply of gpx4500 as they are a bit low at the moment.

Any how.

Cheers,

Tim Eureka

I would also like to ask the question:- For those that have up graded to the 4500 from a prier model are they happy with their 4500 or wished they stayed with there old model detector? I'm thinking of also up grading from a 3000 to a 4000 or even a 4500. I have heard mixed feelings from fellow detectorest, saying they are very happy with their 4500 and other wishing they had stayed with their old one. All these people that I had spoken to all had variose machines prior to there up grade.
Wombat

Tim hold onto the gp 3500 for now, buying a 4500 now would be a huge mistake as when and if the new model comes out there will be 4500's galore on ebay, just wait its not like your onto a really good patch and youve exhausted it with the 35, theres no reason to upgrade,

Trust me if you buy a 4500 now and the new one comes out in 2 months you will kick yourself because the 4500 might be going for $4500 or so i wouldnt pay anymore for one if theres a new model out, i might be selling my 4000 in maybe a month or two so ive got the cash to ether buy the new one or buy a 4500 when 30 of them hit ebay, i think we may get a hint of the new one if the shops across the board try and off load their stocks of 4500's by offering extra coils or a price drop.

Im not sure if theres still a waiting list for 4500's, but i do know while theres still a huge demand for them they wont bring out the new one, but if they cant move the stocks of 4500's they have made then they may release the new model to get the cash comming in again.

Thanks for your advise.

Like to know when the gpx5000 if that is what its called be available to the market?

I guess its wait and see.

Cheers,

Tim Eureka

Tim. Good advice about the new model. I've been in the game for 28 years or so and started with a Garrett Deepseeker. Every machine after that I have owned has been an improvement as I have always gone back to old ground and found more gold. I upgraded to a 4500 in 2008 and once again gone back to old spots and found quite a lot of gold. This indicates to me that there has been an improvement to the machine compared to the previous model. I think with these detectors if you can afford it, it is an advantage to have the latest machine. I certainly don't get out as much as some of the blokes on here but when I do I enjoy it very much and there are not many days that I don't bring something home. I am very happy with the machine and would not go back to the previous model I had.

Chris.
PS. Last year we had booked a trip and the travel agent we paid all out money too went bust. I had to sell my 4500 (plus some other stuff) to keep the trip alive. When the compensation money came through (2 months) I rang Coiltek in Maryborough and they were able to supply me with a machine within a week (Feb this year) right in the middle of the Sudan crisis. They know who I am and they were very helpful and the cheapest quote.

wombat hi
i upgraded from a 3000 to a 2nd hand 4000 and for a while there i thought it was about the worst mistake i had ever made. i have allways detected on my own and so i don`t get the benefit of learning from other people out in the field,so any bad habits i develop i end up passing on to the better half,but 2½ years down the track , i think the 4000 is the greatest invention since sliced bread.i have never had the pleasure of using a 45 ( i`ve only ever seen 2 i think) , but the 4000 blows the socks off the 3000. i was so impressed with the 4000 that about a year ago i also traded my 2200 in on another 4000 for the better half to use.we both find more gold with the 4 than we ever found with the 3 or the 22. the better half likes using the  8" mono cause its nice and light and lately i`ve been using the old round coiltek 11" mono.i only get out on the occasional weekend and maybe a couple of 3 week trips down to vic , but the more i use the 4000 the more i appreciate it

Gday


For me I would have to say that I have no regrets upgrading to the 4500, after using the 3500 for two or three years before hand I found it quite a big learning curve with the vast erray of setting available, and can well understand how someone could feel a bit overwhelmed with it all.

I know people that went to the 4000 and were not impressed, selling them and going back to 3000's, and friends that were running 4000's along side my 3500 were not doing any better or any worse, so from what I could see they had not improved in such a significant way that I considered it worth upgrading to one.

When the 4500 arrived there were the usual teething issues but once I started seeing that the issues had been sorted out and that the feedback I was getting was more positive, I started to get more interested and immediately felt that the Enhance settings were going to be a significant advantage as I had worked areas that were up until then the domain of dd coils only.

I have since proven these new settings do exactly as intended and have worked some of these areas with mono coils and been surprised at how many pieces had been missed from when they were first worked, if it were a few grams or even an ounce or so I would put it down to being careless, but when you can pull 6 plus ounces in a couple of days then you simply have to believe the new Enhanced settings are the reason, and apart from that the machine ran smoothly and quietly where as before you were sometimes struggling on a good day with good weather and while using a dd coil, if the weather became unsettled or you had some rain and the ground got a bit soggy forget it.

I wouldnt have an issue suggesting someone upgrade to the 4500, just be prepared to spend a while getting to learn your way around it, at least the machines that are about are less likely to have the bugs that the earlier ones did so that should not be a problem, sure there will be a new machine out some time but whos not to say that it wont have issues as well or that it may not be even as good as the 4500?



cheers

stayyerAU

i use to use a sd 2000 wich is a good detector, but then i got the gpx4000 wich i'm still working a few things out on but today i found my first bit with it....thank god....they are so much lighter and so many options that settings you can use...i'm happy that i got the 4000...the best thing was going out detecting with other people and watch and askin questions....i'v been showen and told so much about how to work the grounds....as they say the new 5000 is ment to be comming out but not sure when, could be this year still or next, if you could hold out till then....but if not go for it and you'll be glad that you did...
cheers and good luck
stoppsy

Thanks StayyerAU for your comments. I know to go from a 3000 to a 4500 is a real leaning curve as I have spoken to many an owner of both machines. As you said this may be some reason why some of them said if they had a chance to go back to their old machines again they would. They may not been able to rap their mine around the new technology. I'm now almost 65yr old and I hope that I can understand the workings of a new machine as well.

And Stoppsy well done mate on your 1st find. It is a great feeling and it builds up your personal confidence. From now on it will be easier as you know that your machine is working OK and all you have to do now is fine tune your technique because you can see by finding a nugget, it means that you are on the right track.

Wombat

Gday Wombat


I really think that the main problem for people with the 4000 and 4500 was that their was simply too many choices, looking at the menu board is like standing in the confectionary isle at woolworths trying to decide which block of cadburys chocky you want, too many choices and limited simply written information on what is good for you or what is bad for you.

But when you get your head around the menu and you spend some time on the ground you soon start to pick up what does what and when you have to change something, most high end users would most likely run with the settings that have been the best for them, the ones that have produced the most gold in the areas they work, I know that I dont alter my settings much, and sometimes think about experimenting with them a bit more but if I am finding gold all I do is tweek the settings I like to use as I know to alter them too much could mean that I wont get anything.

My advice to a new user of the 4500 is to stick with the basic factory preset settings and then slowly start to experiement while on the ground, other users in you area will possibly be happy enough to provide you with the settings they have found useful so ask about and if you get something then give it a go.

cheers

stayyerAU

I have just updated from 3500 to 4500 taken a while to nut out , but found gold over old ereas missed with 3500 . Main thing to learn on 4500 is gain and stabilizer and tend to run in general setting compared to 3500 always run it in deep mode . You be surprised how many times ya find gold in other peoples scrapes and how many multiple pieces ya pull out of the same hole when ya up date cheers nuggets

I see Link Technologies claiming a $1000 mod will make a 3500 as good as a 4500 or 5000

Too good to be true I guess but would appreciate feedback on just how valuable these mods are - is a modded 3500 a lot less effective than a 4500 ?

Rangirocks wrote:I see Link Technologies claiming a $1000 mod will make a 3500 as good as a 4500 or 5000

Too good to be true I guess but would appreciate feedback on just how valuable these mods are - is a modded 3500 a lot less effective than a 4500 ?

Well I know this much, you won't get any trade in from a dealer because Minelab will not repair them once they have been "modded"

Whether the mods work or not? some say not, some say yes, but for my money I would be getting an unmodded machine and keeping it that way.

cheers dave

I know you've already done the update, but i'll add my 2c worth.

I upgraded from a modded GP Extreme to a 5000. I found the 5000 easier to use, a load more stable and just a better machine.

Because my GP was modded i couldn't trade it in and had to rely on the ebay world to sell it.

As for modded detector performing better than a non modded detector. I can't compare. However, i think a standard GP extreme would run as well as a modded GP extreme.

Rangirocks wrote:I see Link Technologies claiming a $1000 mod will make a 3500 as good as a 4500 or 5000

Too good to be true I guess but would appreciate feedback on just how valuable these mods are - is a modded 3500 a lot less effective than a 4500 ?

I have tried to find the answer to this too, the service level and treatment I got form the detectormods forum was absolutley appauling so I am just thinking I will upgrade (not mod) and put my money into a newer machine over handing my cash to a rude and unprofessional individual such as Woody/Link technolgies.

That way I can still send it in to minelab if need be too. I will still consider the mods when Ismael gets back to me though, might even do both and write up a comparison between a newer model and a modded 3500 which I am sure heaps would want to see.

Anyone who wants to sell thier 4500, give me a yell if it's it good to excellent condition.