New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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Gold Bug 2 vs Minelab X-Terra 705 Gold Pack

kiwipete		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 1:59:32 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 17/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 17 Location: Otago Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Hi Guys, I had pretty much decided to buy a Gold Bug 2 since gold is my main interest, but having looked into the Minelab X-Terra 705 Gold Pack specs it seems it may offer the best of both worlds with the 2 coils. Bearing in mind I'm a newbie know-nothing I would appreciate any advice/thoughts.

simon		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 11:17:35 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		i don't know the x-terra but all i see is gb2's and minelab 4500 / 5000 s when it comes to the serious guys. the question is these guys are running around with these great detectors so what are you going to use to be able to still find gold? if everyone is going to the same spots it will be hard to find much if you are up against a good detector and an experienced operator. i know people have found stuff with the shittiest of detectors but this is often pure luck. the thing is how much are these cheap detectors missing. time is money so there is little point in wasting your time. i find my gb2 is easy enough to use. it is prob the best at finding the real small stuff. which is what is out there. i know everyone dreams of the big one but they are few and far between. the good thing with the gb2 also is there are a lot of users around who can show you the ropes. the gb2 is nice and light too, esp compared to the minelabs.
		WWW

Lammerlaw		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 12:21:21 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		I have a MInelab Xtreme and have never yet found gold with it - in my country it is heavy to carry and tiring to use - my son however has done well with it and has found up to 3/4 ounce in a day and never fails to get something - in fact he seems to get depressed if he gets less than about five grammes and considers the day a total failure...thats the younger generation! After talking to Robert the Goldbug man about the various attributes of the Goldbug and Goldbug2 my son and I each purchased a Goldbug - NO regrets, very pleased, thrilled to bits and both machines paid off several times over I would think...need I say more? To me the Goldbug, and this coming from a guy who has been detecting for over thirty years with Garrett Deepseker and Whites 6000 and with Minelab - the wee Goldbug is the best thing since Pavalova and whipped cream, beer and lemonade on a hot day and Good keen Women.

kiwipete		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 12:35:15 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 17/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 17 Location: Otago Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Originally Posted by: simon i don't know the x-terra but all i see is gb2's and minelab 4500 / 5000 s when it comes to the serious guys. the question is these guys are running around with these great detectors so what are you going to use to be able to still find gold? if everyone is going to the same spots it will be hard to find much if you are up against a good detector and an experienced operator. i know people have found stuff with the shittiest of detectors but this is often pure luck. the thing is how much are these cheap detectors missing. time is money so there is little point in wasting your time. i find my gb2 is easy enough to use. it is prob the best at finding the real small stuff. which is what is out there. i know everyone dreams of the big one but they are few and far between. the good thing with the gb2 also is there are a lot of users around who can show you the ropes. the gb2 is nice and light too, esp compared to the minelabs. Thanks Simon, I appreciate the advice and value your comments. A good point about the ease of use, particularly for a beginner. The weight and price of both models are about the same, the Minelab seemed to have an added dimension with the coin/relic coil if the gold coil didn't pan out. (forgive the pun)

kiwipete		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 12:45:26 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 17/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 17 Location: Otago Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Lammerlaw I have a MInelab Xtreme and have never yet found gold with it - in my country it is heavy to carry and tiring to use - my son however has done well with it and has found up to 3/4 ounce in a day and never fails to get something - in fact he seems to get depressed if he gets less than about five grammes and considers the day a total failure...thats the younger generation! After talking to Robert the Goldbug man about the various attributes of the Goldbug and Goldbug2 my son and I each purchased a Goldbug - NO regrets, very pleased, thrilled to bits and both machines paid off several times over I would think...need I say more? To me the Goldbug, and this coming from a guy who has been detecting for over thirty years with Garrett Deepseker and Whites 6000 and with Minelab - the wee Goldbug is the best thing since Pavalova and whipped cream, beer and lemonade on a hot day and Good keen Women. Thanks Lammerlaw, a ringing endorsement indeed! There's no substitute for personal and lengthy experience, hence the value of these forums and your input. If the GB is up there with the other kiwi icons you mention then it's certainly good enough for me! To clarify, did you purchase the GB or GB2? Cheers.

asterix		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 12:50:40 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 14/04/2012(UTC) Posts: 29 Location: Bournemouth UK Was thanked: 6 time(s) in 6 post(s)		I've been using an Xterra for the last four years,not tried it on gold but it certainly has the advantage of being versatile.Coin/relic,prospecting and beach modes makes it a very good all rounder.The 12.75 KHZ DD coil will pretty much do all you want,altho you do lose some depth if you're looking to detect on parks,fields etc.I use 7.5 KHZ coils and they will get anything down to around 2-3mm so the 12.75 should be pretty good for small nuggets. You can invest in a lower freq coil later on if you end up spending more time chasing coins and relics.

asterix		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 1:01:54 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 14/04/2012(UTC) Posts: 29 Location: Bournemouth UK Was thanked: 6 time(s) in 6 post(s)		Just to add,you may have trouble getting your hands on a 705 from a dealer,they've been pretty much cleaned out due to a gold rush somewhere over in Africa.I know a couple of guys that have been on a waiting list for over 3 months trying to get one.As i stated,never tried using it for prospecting but it speaks volumes to me that they are all sold out. Not sure if its the same situation in NZ/Aus.

kiwipete		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 1:08:49 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 17/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 17 Location: Otago Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Originally Posted by: asterix I've been using an Xterra for the last four years,not tried it on gold but it certainly has the advantage of being versatile.Coin/relic,prospecting and beach modes makes it a very good all rounder.The 12.75 KHZ DD coil will pretty much do all you want,altho you do lose some depth if you're looking to detect on parks,fields etc.I use 7.5 KHZ coils and they will get anything down to around 2-3mm so the 12.75 should be pretty good for small nuggets. You can invest in a lower freq coil later on if you end up spending more time chasing coins and relics. Hey thanks Asterix. The '705 Gold Pack' comes with an 18.75 DD coil for gold apparently. Not an electronics wizz but the GB2 operating frequency of 71 kHz sounds superior for that purpose.......maybe.

asterix		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 1:14:03 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 14/04/2012(UTC) Posts: 29 Location: Bournemouth UK Was thanked: 6 time(s) in 6 post(s)		Originally Posted by: kiwipete Originally Posted by: asterix I've been using an Xterra for the last four years,not tried it on gold but it certainly has the advantage of being versatile.Coin/relic,prospecting and beach modes makes it a very good all rounder.The 12.75 KHZ DD coil will pretty much do all you want,altho you do lose some depth if you're looking to detect on parks,fields etc.I use 7.5 KHZ coils and they will get anything down to around 2-3mm so the 12.75 should be pretty good for small nuggets. You can invest in a lower freq coil later on if you end up spending more time chasing coins and relics. Hey thanks Asterix. The '705 Gold Pack' comes with an 18.75 DD coil for gold apparently. Not an electronics wizz but the GB2 operating frequency of 71 kHz sounds superior for that purpose.......maybe. As its a more specialized machine i'd imagine it would be better on the gold.It really comes down to what you want from your machine.If you are just going to be prospecting i'd imagine the GB would be the one to go for,altho i have no experience of it. Whatever you decide to go for,good luck with it. : )

x-terra steve		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 2:17:13 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 7/04/2010(UTC) Posts: 224 Location: Nelson NZ Thanks: 103 times Was thanked: 69 time(s) in 42 post(s)		Both are good machines but i would go for the X-Terra using the round 6inch 18.75 khz DD coil,will fine the smallest crumbs,the eliptical coil is a but of brick for my liking and is a tad less sensitive than the 6inch, cheers Steve

kiwipete		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 2:24:12 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 17/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 17 Location: Otago Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Originally Posted by: x-terra steve Both are good machines but i would go for the X-Terra using the round 6inch 18.75 khz DD coil,will fine the smallest crumbs,the eliptical coil is a but of brick for my liking and is a tad less sensitive than the 6inch, cheers Steve Hey thanks Steve, it's all good info in making the decision.

overdog		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 4:28:40 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 2/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 418 Location: nelson Thanks: 69 times Was thanked: 82 time(s) in 68 post(s)		General purpose the x-terra.Gold only the gold bug. My 10 cents worth!

kiwijw		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 9:25:55 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Hi there KiwiPete, Xterra Steve has done very well on gold with his X-Terra 70. So it obviously works & well. I run an older model minelab GP 3000. The next model after the Extreme. I love it & wouldnt swap, sell or trade it for anything else. It gobsmacks me how I can go over ground that has seen every make & model even the minelab 4500, not sure about the 5000, & still pull gold with it. ANZAC day gold from these old workings I know a lot of guys are very happy with their Gold Bugs. The real secret to succesfull detecting is to get to know your detector inside out. Get to know its full capabilities & limitations. Good lock out there JW :)

kiwipete		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 10:11:41 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 17/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 17 Location: Otago Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Originally Posted by: kiwijw Hi there KiwiPete, Xterra Steve has done very well on gold with his X-Terra 70. So it obviously works & well. I run an older model minelab GP 3000. The next model after the Extreme. I love it & wouldnt swap, sell or trade it for anything else. It gobsmacks me how I can go over ground that has seen every make & model even the minelab 4500, not sure about the 5000, & still pull gold with it. ANZAC day gold from these old workings I know a lot of guys are very happy with their Gold Bugs. The real secret to succesfull detecting is to get to know your detector inside out. Get to know its full capabilities & limitations. Good lock out there JW :) Hi JW, very nice gold & great photos! That's good advice and I appreciate your thoughts. Cheers, Pete

nzpoohbear40		Posted : Thursday, 24 May 2012 11:50:00 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,482 Location: Matura Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 384 time(s) in 329 post(s)		Hi kiwipete...you talk about the x terra as haveing the added dimension with the coin/relic coil if the gold coil didn't pan out....maybe you dont realize you can also get the COIN/RELIC coil for the gold bug if the gold doesnt pan out....i have all 3 coils for the goldbug...i havnt done any gold hunting with it yet but i know a small nugget was found with the small 5" coil down in southland....as i live in CHCH i use it mainly for coin relic hunting and have plenty of rings to prove it...lmao...but most are silver...like others have said the goldbug is lightweight from from all i have heard it has no probs finding gold...if you want a great all round machine then i would also say the GB and not the GB2 as the GB2 is specifically for gold and doesnt disscriminate real well and also doesnt have the digital readout...where as the goldbug does. havnt used the mindlab so cant say how it compairs.
		Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/

1864hatter		Posted : Friday, 25 May 2012 10:41:40 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 4/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,007 Location: Auckland.... Thanks: 49 times Was thanked: 566 time(s) in 269 post(s)		poohbear- just one small nugget? Ive found hundrets with the 5inch! If I had the money I'd own a Mnelab tho just because the extra depth they offer. I recon the X-terra would be virtually the same on gold as the goldbug but its a bit heavier.
		And now....On sandy beaches and muddy soil, rings and coins await my coil!

kiwipete		Posted : Friday, 25 May 2012 12:14:25 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 17/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 17 Location: Otago Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Originally Posted by: nzpoohbear40 Hi kiwipete...you talk about the x terra as haveing the added dimension with the coin/relic coil if the gold coil didn't pan out....maybe you dont realize you can also get the COIN/RELIC coil for the gold bug if the gold doesnt pan out....i have all 3 coils for the goldbug...i havnt done any gold hunting with it yet but i know a small nugget was found with the small 5" coil down in southland....as i live in CHCH i use it mainly for coin relic hunting and have plenty of rings to prove it...lmao...but most are silver...like others have said the goldbug is lightweight from from all i have heard it has no probs finding gold...if you want a great all round machine then i would also say the GB and not the GB2 as the GB2 is specifically for gold and doesnt disscriminate real well and also doesnt have the digital readout...where as the goldbug does. havnt used the mindlab so cant say how it compairs. Hi Poohbear, you're right I was focusing on the GB2 being limited to gold detecting and hadn't considered the other GP models (base, pro & DP) I'd figured because they were cheaper they probably weren't as good. I can see how the digital display would be a benefit. I'd also assumed that when other members were talking about finding gold with GB, they were referring to GB2. You make some good points, thanks.

kiwipete		Posted : Friday, 25 May 2012 12:19:15 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 17/05/2012(UTC) Posts: 17 Location: Otago Thanks: 15 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 2 post(s)		Originally Posted by: 1864hatter poohbear- just one small nugget? Ive found hundrets with the 5inch! If I had the money I'd own a Mnelab tho just because the extra depth they offer. I recon the X-terra would be virtually the same on gold as the goldbug but its a bit heavier. Hi Hatter, hundreds! very nice!! you can probably afford whatever machine you want :-) The GB & X-Terra appear very similar in weight at 2.5lb & 2.9lb respectively, or are you saying you would want one of the other Minelabs 4500 etc given the choice/money ?

kiwijw		Posted : Friday, 25 May 2012 6:31:24 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,152 Thanks: 92 times Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)		Pretty sure I have posted this link before but here we go again. I know it is based on detectors for use in Alaska but all good sound advice from a bloke who knows what he is talking about. This will be the best comparisons & opinions on the different makes & models you will ever come across.. ENJOY. http://www.akmining.com/...commendations-for-Alaska JW :)

nzpoohbear40		Posted : Friday, 25 May 2012 11:46:01 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/07/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,482 Location: Matura Thanks: 26 times Was thanked: 384 time(s) in 329 post(s)		yup hatter just the one small nugget..lol..i havnt been where you have been YET,,lmao..
		Chris - Fisher Dealer http://www.puiakisupply.co.nz/

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