I have heard 2 negatives about the mine lab 1000 if you want to call them that. I have not tested one, so I can't say if the information is correct.
1 It's top-heavy and falls over when you set it down.
2 It loses its GB if the coil stops moving.
I actually just recently sold my GM 1000 (Gold Monster) for the very reasons you just mentioned, you have to stay on the ground balance constantly, if you raised the coil to high you had to re GB, if you sat it down to retrieve a target you had to re GB, it was very very top heavy every time you sat it down to retrieve a target if there was any slight slope it fell over a lot of times if it was on level ground it would fall over, and please do not take my comments as saying it was a bad nugget detector because it was not, it was very very hot on small gold nuggets there were just things that for me personally were very very frustrating
like I said I recently sold my GM 1000 because of the things I mentioned and replaced it with the Garrett 24K which I have four different coils for it, the 24K is just as hot, on small gold as the GM1000 in my opinion, the 24K has features and settings that the GM 1000 lacked, like a true threshold, and SAT (self adjusting threshold)
the GM 1000 is a silent search nugget detector which is the other reason I sold the GM 1000, i just never could get accustomed to the no threshold on the GM 1000
the one thing I did like about the GM 1000 is it did come with two coils and the Garrett 24K only came with one coil which is a 5 or 6 by 10 you can find the 6 inch round for the 24K
also the coils for the Whites GMX sport which is the same detector as the Garrett and Whites 24K except the GMX sport is submersible under water the 24K and GM 1000 are only rain proof to an extent
they made two coils for the GMX sport a 4x6 and a 6 inch round, there was a forth coil also which will work on the Garrett 24K, Whites 24K and GMX sport that coil is a 14x8
like I said I have all four coils for the Garrett 24K and Whites 24K and GMX sport the 4x6 and the 14x8 are like trying to locate a needle in a hay field but can be found with a lot of persistence and internet searches
all the things I have mentioned are reasons I like the 24K much much more than I did the GM 1000
the GM 1000 only has two coils available for use on the GM 1000 still to this date a 6 inch round and a 5x10 coil
the 24K has four coils available for use on it, having that ability to switch to that many different coil options make the 24K way more versatile than the GM1000 in my opinion.
hope this all helps in your decision
