I'm still happy with my 12-year-old GTI 2500. Still pulling out deep finds regularly, and I love the imaging system on the detector. I also just scored an unused (still barcode stickered) 12.5" imaging coil for $100 that a guy thought would work on his AT Pro!
That being said, I have come to realize that technology IS catching up and advancing, while my body is slowly starting to feel the weight of heavy swinging. The problem for me, as I'm sure it is for others, is that I KNOW my machine. I know its strengths and its quirks. I can fine tune a hunt based on the location in seconds. Notch our 5.5 to avoid the tabs, drop discrim by a point or two instantly, and select All Metal with a button push. It's as familiar as knowing the radio controls in my car.
I was getting ready to pull the trigger on an AT Max when the Nox suddenly appeared on the scene. Now I don't know what I want to do. My dilemma is multi-faceted. First, the AT would be a far easier machine to master, while the Nox will have a very significant learning curve. Second, there are far more coil options currently for the AT than the Nox. Third, the Nox's multi-freq is a significant advance that Garrett has yet to offer. Fourth, the 600 for me is significantly cheaper than the Max, because we are a military family, and Minelab is offering us a 15% discount off of MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) during 2018 on their products. Fifth, questioning whether I really am going to hunt enough to justify having to learn a very foreign operating system. And sixth, having had years of experience with Garrett's Customer Service and support, it's an unknown whether Minelab can match that level of excellent service.
So I find myself in this quandary. I DO want a lighter and higher tech detector, though I'll always keep the 2500 if for no other reason than the Treasure Hound "Eagle Eye" dual box coil system I have for it. But I don't need TWO new detectors and need to decide between the two mentioned. Decisions decisions. Sigh...