The Minelab Gold Monster 1000 is a good detector for one job: finding small gold in mild to moderate ground with almost nothing to set up. It runs a single 45 kHz frequency, automatic ground balance and automatic sensitivity, comes with a 5 in Double-D coil (the pack we sell adds the 10 x 6 in coil as well), and gives you a Gold Chance Indicator instead of a numeric target ID. If that is your job, it is the detector we hand to most first-time prospectors. If your ground is heavily mineralized or salty, or you want a number on the screen, it is not, and the rest of this review is about where that line sits.
What the Gold Monster 1000 is
A 45 kHz VLF gold detector. The high frequency is what makes it sensitive to small gold; the trade is that a high-frequency VLF reads mineralized ground loudly, which is why the automatic ground balance matters so much on this machine. It has two search modes, Gold and Deep All Metal, an iron reject setting, a 50 segment discrimination scale, and a Gold Chance Indicator that shows whether a target leans gold or iron without putting a number on it. Audio is a continuous tone through the speaker or the included wired headphones. Minelab sells it two ways: the two-coil pack with the GM05 5 in round Double-D and the GM10 10 x 6 in elliptical Double-D, which is the one we stock, and a 5 in only pack. Both coils are waterproof to 1 m (3.3 ft); the control box is splash and rain proof, not submersible. Minelab lists it at 1.33 kg (2.94 lb) and 94.4 to 138.2 cm (37.2 to 54.4 in) long. Power is two 7.2 V 2700 mAh lithium-ion packs or eight AA cells in the included adapter. Warranty is 2 years on the control box and coil.
Who it is for
The Gold Monster 1000 is for someone buying a first dedicated gold detector for mild to moderate ground, who wants to spend the savings on a pick, a classifier and gas rather than on ground-handling electronics. It suits bedrock, washes, tailings and old workings where the gold is small and shallow and the work is slow. It is also the right pick for a coin and relic detectorist who wants a second machine for gold trips and does not want to learn a manual ground balance. It is the wrong pick for Arizona, Nevada or similar difficult ground, for salt, or for anyone who wants a numeric ID to sort trash; the Gold Monster 2000 exists for exactly those cases, and our Gold Monster 1000 vs 2000 comparison covers the difference in detail.
In the field
The first thing you notice with the Gold Monster 1000 is how little setup it asks for. In ground where the mineralization shifts as you walk, the automatic ground balance does its work in the background, which is what makes it approachable for someone who does not want to be adjusting settings all day.
The Gold Monster 1000's 5 in coil is where it gets interesting. Working slowly around exposed bedrock, cracks and the places where material collects, it responds to very small pieces of metal that a coin and relic detector would walk past. The small coil also gets between rocks and into spots a larger coil simply will not fit.
I treat the Gold Chance Indicator as additional information, not a dig or do not dig display. When you are after gold, a repeatable response is usually worth investigating even when the indicator is not convincing. Small gold gives subtle signals, and the ground shapes what the screen shows.
And do not run the sensitivity as high as it goes by reflex. In mineralized ground, backing it off slightly makes the detector noticeably calmer, and a quieter detector makes a faint, repeatable target easier to recognize than maximum sensitivity heard through constant ground noise.
How deep does the Gold Monster 1000 go?
Minelab publishes no depth figure for the Gold Monster 1000, and any inch number you read for it is somebody's test in somebody's ground. The honest answer is that depth on a 45 kHz VLF is set by target size and ground mineralization more than by the detector. A sub-gram piece is a shallow target on any VLF; a multi-gram nugget in quiet ground is a different story. What the 1000 is built for is the first case, and the 5 in coil makes it better at it, at the cost of ground coverage. Treat it as a small, shallow gold machine and it will not disappoint; buy it to find deep nuggets and it will.
Common problems, and what is behind them
Three complaints come up again and again with the Gold Monster 1000, and none of them is a fault in the detector.
It chatters in hot ground. That is the 45 kHz frequency reading ironstone and hot rocks. Back the sensitivity off from maximum, let the automatic ground balance settle, and work slower. If the ground is bad enough that this does not quiet it, the ground is the problem, and the Gold Monster 2000's soil handling is the answer, not a setting on the 1000.
The Gold Chance Indicator said gold and it was not. The indicator is a probability gauge, not an identification: small gold, lead shot and some hot rocks can all push it the same way. It is a hint. The audio and whether the signal repeats from several directions decide the dig.
Short battery life. Minelab publishes no runtime figure for the 1000 on its spec page. In practice the two 7.2 V packs are the limit of a long day, and the AA adapter is what makes a remote trip work: carry alkalines and the detector does not stop when the packs do.
Which coil to put on first
The two-coil pack gives you a choice on day one. The 5 in GM05 Double-D is the coil that defines this detector: it is the one for bedrock, cracks and the edges of old workings, and it is the one most owners leave on. The 10 x 6 in GM10 Double-D covers more ground per sweep and Minelab lists it for a wider search area and more depth, which makes it the coil for open washes and flats once you know a stretch holds gold. Start on the 5 in, learn what small gold sounds like, and switch to the 10 x 6 when the ground opens up. If you bought the 5 in only pack, the GM10 is sold separately.
The verdict
Buy the Gold Monster 1000 if you prospect mild to moderate ground, your gold is small, and you want the shortest path from box to first target. It does that job as well as any VLF we sell for small gold, for a fraction of what a pulse induction machine costs, and the AA fallback makes it a sound remote-trip detector. Do not buy it for difficult or salty ground, for depth on big nuggets, or for sorting trash by number. Those three wants point at the Gold Monster 2000 or, beyond that, at the pulse induction detectors in our gold detectors collection.
What to do next
If the 1000 fits, add a pick and a classifier from the prospecting equipment collection and read our post on reading a river for gold before the first trip. If you are not sure the ground is mild enough, read the 1000 vs 2000 comparison first; the ground decides it.
Detectors in this article
| Best for | Detector | Price today | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Also covered | Minelab Gold Monster 1000 | $899.00 | In stock |
| Also covered | Minelab Gold Monster 2000 | $2,399.00 | Out of stock |
Prices and stock are live from our store and update automatically.
