Explorer SE Versus GPX-4500

[gerrha]

I may be crazy, but I am trying to decide whether to buy a new Explorer SE Pro or a GPX-4500.

I already own a 10+ year old Excalibur and a Fisher Impulse. The areas we detect are mostly plain dry sand to salty dry sand. We are looking for bronze, silver, and very rarely gold in the form of jewelry and other various small tools. In terms of trash, there is not too much, but some aluminum (pop tops), some iron, and quite often lead fish weights. We have pretty much exhausted our favorite areas to the level that can be reached with our current detectors. We think that there are still items deeper than we can detect in some places. We are not prospecting for gold.

What do you think? Could the GPX-4500 be a very good general detector, or is it just too specialized for gold prospecting? Is the new Explorer SE Pro the model I am looking for? I need to decide soon though because I am not sure how much longer I can tolerate the never-in-its-life stable whine from my old Excalibur. What size coils would you recommend?

Thanks All

 

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[dazoff]

I think your wasting your money think how many good machines you could buy to equal the cost of the GPX.
Serious gold hunters can over look the cost because they get there money back in finds. Explore plus MTX plus a couple of water units maybe a Sov for good measure. The GPX is a specialized unit and wouldn't make a good general machine. Dan

 

[Dave45]

pi

 

[EasyMoney]

This may be a Minelab forum but the deepest detecting VLF on the market is currently the Fisher F-75.

And the best and deepest PI is the Garrett Infinium

The Sov and Explorer are only mediocre in depth. I own a Sov and it gets the same depth as an Explorer.

 

[TreasureGrabber]

Gerrha,
I've the aproximately the same problem, and it seems that EXP or DFX with larger coils will do the job on relics but not on gold ones, on gold they are not good especially on deep small gold... I mean on jewelry they are not good...
so maybe MXT with 18" coil will do the best... look at this thread
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,161561.0.html

what do you think?

 

[Dave45]

You said yourself there's not much trash if your finding alot get a pi.

 

[TimC (North Alabama)]

For coins and such Easymoney is correct with the Explorer running a close second for me and my soil conditions, but if your main objective is relics like me, the Nautilus DMC IIb has no equal in that category, it was developed to hunt relics and that is what it excels at. I also have an Infinium and it is very very deep and would be my choice for an all around unit next to the F75, but just remember with especially these machines you have to use them to learn them.

 

[TimC (North Alabama)]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the soil plays a very important part in which detector you should get. Is it neutral soil, light, med or heavily mineralized, if it is one of the latter you might
opt for a higher end model or a midrange model with a manual ground balancing option, but their learning curve is just a bit steeper but not much. Just a thought. What do you think
Easy?

 

[Ron B]

I've owned the GPX-4000; heavy and awkward. By the time I got strapped in, I was worn out! Lol!
Not really but it is not a leisurely stroll in the park to use the GPX 4000. It's a very capable machine however
but too expensive for most of us. One more thing to consider; you'll certainly lose when selling.

I now own 2 Explorer SEs and find them very capable machines also.
You don't really tell us much about your hunting enviroment but you did mention fishing weights leading this reader
to conclude, you are near water. The SE doesn't do well in or near salt water by what I understand. I really like mine as IMO the SE is the best land detector out there at this moment in time. Dressed with the new PRO coil it's hard to beat.

I've owned the F-75 also. It too is a fine machine.
You just won't find as many accessories for it as you can for the SE.
Personally, I didn't find the F-75 capable of outclassing the SE depth-wise. But, then again
I have a lot of coils for my SEs ranging from 4.5x7 to 18 inches.

Have you thought about the Exterra 70?
Many are really excited about the machine. I personally have never used it.
One drawback; no SunRay inlign probe is presently being made for the Exterra models as was the case
for my Fisher F-75 at the time of ownership.

I can't imagine anywhere not having much trash. But, if that is indeed the case, as others have suggested Pulse Induction
may be ideal. Chances are, no matter what you decide you'll end up with at least two machines. One, PI; the other VLF.

Good luck!
GRB

 

[bazinga]

This may be a Minelab forum but the deepest detecting VLF on the market is currently the Fisher F-75.

And the best and deepest PI is the Garrett Infinium

The Sov and Explorer are only mediocre in depth. I own a Sov and it gets the same depth as an Explorer.

How deep will an F-75 get? I've been an Explorer use for 3 years and have never seen a machine come close to the depth that I am getting. The only time I've detected side by side with F-75's though has been in iron filled farm fields where you are just hoping to get any signal at all between all of the nails laying on the surface, so you really couldn't compare there.

 

[bazinga]

I now own 2 Explorer SEs and find them very capable machines also.
You don't really tell us much about your hunting enviroment but you did mention fishing weights leading this reader
to conclude, you are near water. The SE doesn't do well in or near salt water by what I understand. I really like mine as IMO the SE is the best land detector out there at this moment in time. Dressed with the new PRO coil it's hard to beat.

I've used my explorer with the stock coil and 15" WOT at a saltwater beach before. The stock coil I took out into about a foot deep of water without any issues. The WOT became useless once it got wet, though.