Minelab Excalibur II

twizzlerlord

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Acworth, GA
Does anyone know if this is a good detector? I found one on a website for what I believe is a pretty good price, but any information on this would help. Thanks
 
The Excalibur is one machine to be careful with. A lot of issues with those machines because they are used in saltwater..

It might work fine dry, then go nutz in the water

Not like buying a used ace 250...

<°)))>{
 
It is a great Detector, but you need to check out things like:
How old is it? Was it used a lot? Have O-rings under each knob ever been replaced since new?.... This Nneds to be done every couple years if used a lot in salt water. Do the knobs turn easily?
How old is the Battery? these can cost another $150-$200 to replace and after time they do need to be replaced for not holding a charge....I'm on my 3rd year with a new one.
Check the coil cables for cracks, as well as the coil...very important to inspect cables closely.
Headphone cable, same thing, wiggle it at both ends while unit is on and listen to make sure its got good connections and not cutting out.
Besides doing a air test with a coin/gold ring......If possible water test.
DL
 
Does anyone know if this is a good detector? I found one on a website for what I believe is a pretty good price, but any information on this would help. Thanks

Excal is multi-frequency detector, so it will effectively handle conductive salt (ocean beaches) and be able to discriminate unwanted targets like junk iron. Being waterproof is a major benefit as you can hunt in the rain, surf, or even dive with it.

New Excal's come with a 2-year warranty. After that the owner is on his own when it comes to repairs -- repairs that can be quite costly. As others mentioned, there are o-rings in each of the knobs. These eventually dry, crack and leak....and may require servicing more sooner than later if the detector was exposed to salt mist from being at the beach or actually submerged. The same goes for the headphone and coil cords. Some owners will regularly clean these after each use and apply treatments to prevent cracking. Other folks may just rinse the unit, and then some don't do anything at all.

Also the battery is another costly item that, depending on use and charge routines, may wear out in as little as 2-3 years.

If you are buying used, assume the worse and the buyer is hiding something. Ask him/her to meet you at the beach where you can test it. Be sure to submerge the detector for at least 5-minutes to soak all the components and then use it. Often times detectors that have leaks will start giving erroneous sounds or falsing. By hey, if you test it, it works, and it holds a charge, more power to you!

As far as price, the forum sponsors often have deals on brand new units with warranty that are way less than the $1,500 MSRP. Also, I have bought used ones from sponsors that were just gone through (replaced seals and installed new batteries) for $600 and 700, but you'll spend more if the detector has any add-ons like a knob guard or straight shaft; or it has modifications such as the headphones, coils, or remote pinpoint.

For list of other competent salt water machines, visit this thread.... http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=248905
 
Batteries are easily replaced if you are willing to do five minutes worth of work opening the pod, sliding out the old battery pack and putting the new one in...
 
New Excals come with 1 year warranty not 2 years. O-rings should be changed ever 2-3 years as they do dry out.

As far as cables go, you can greatly reduce the chances of the insulation pealing off over time if you wash the excal with hot water when you return home, cold water does not rinse off all the salt residue. Next, spray your cables about every 3-4 weeks with a vegetable base silicone spray ( based on hunting once a week). I use McNitt, if you type in McNitt Silicone Spray in google it comes up.

Potential problem causes..

Owners over turning the knobs going past the stop points which is easy to do if the o-rings have dried out as the knobs are hard to turn.

Tossing the excal in the back of a truck or car and not being careful with the knobs, there are collars around the pot shaft for each knob and if the knobs are hit hard it can crack the collar which allows it to leak if the crack protrudes below the o-rings. It can also damage the pots and the traces on the motherboard.

Another issue is people using waist/chest or back belts for the controls which causes shorts in the cables from the constant flexing of the cables while sweeping the coil left and right.


Excal is multi-frequency detector, so it will effectively handle conductive salt (ocean beaches) and be able to discriminate unwanted targets like junk iron. Being waterproof is a major benefit as you can hunt in the rain, surf, or even dive with it.

New Excal's come with a 2-year warranty. After that the owner is on his own when it comes to repairs -- repairs that can be quite costly. As others mentioned, there are o-rings in each of the knobs. These eventually dry, crack and leak....and may require servicing more sooner than later if the detector was exposed to salt mist from being at the beach or actually submerged. The same goes for the headphone and coil cords. Some owners will regularly clean these after each use and apply treatments to prevent cracking. Other folks may just rinse the unit, and then some don't do anything at all.

Also the battery is another costly item that, depending on use and charge routines, may wear out in as little as 2-3 years.

If you are buying used, assume the worse and the buyer is hiding something. Ask him/her to meet you at the beach where you can test it. Be sure to submerge the detector for at least 5-minutes to soak all the components and then use it. Often times detectors that have leaks will start giving erroneous sounds or falsing. By hey, if you test it, it works, and it holds a charge, more power to you!

As far as price, the forum sponsors often have deals on brand new units with warranty that are way less than the $1,500 MSRP. Also, I have bought used ones from sponsors that were just gone through (replaced seals and installed new batteries) for $600 and 700, but you'll spend more if the detector has any add-ons like a knob guard or straight shaft; or it has modifications such as the headphones, coils, or remote pinpoint.

For list of other competent salt water machines, visit this thread.... http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=248905
 
Can't go wrong with Excal in salt water. Do take good care - maintenance.
Do get a knob guard.
Do get a straight shaft if you are using it for wading as the shaft it comes with is tough on the wrist and arms.
Do get a good size scoop as they do detect deep and you will need it especially in the water.
HH, phil
 
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