Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Minelab Equinox Coil Issues

ksdiver

ksdiver

Full Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
137
Hello Everyone,
I'm seriously thinking about pulling the trigger and buying a Minelab Equinox, but I've been reading allot of horror stories concerning the coil ears breaking, even after a few months of use. I do allot of detecting in the woods along trails and canal beds. I'm not rough on my machines, but I do get the occasional bumps against a tree or other obstacles. Has Minelab made any attempt to remedy this issue? Should this be a consideration for my future purchase? Let me know your thoughts - have you had your coil break? What did you do to prevent or remedy the problem?

Thanks in advance fellow diggers!
 
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Don't over tighten or use to lean on when getting up from retrieving a targret and it shouldn't break. 3 years no issues with my stock coil but i did break a ear off the 15 in coil from over tightening it.
 
I've had my nox800 for about a year now never had an issue. I keep the screw loose enough that I can move the coil if I put it on the ground. I'm a woods hunter as well and I do hike-ins through brush and trees. You don't have that much to worry about as long as you're not someone who is using it as a brush clearing tool or hiking stick.
 
The Equinox rocks and outweighs the possible problems with its design flaws. I have a 600 and an 800. The 800 has been waterlogged which ended up with me getting the 600 while I was waiting on a new controller from the repair center. I had rinsed it with a hose after a day at the beach and did not have it submerged in the ocean. It was fine all the way home and fine when I plugged it in to the charger, but the next morning I went to grab it to go detecting and it was repetatively resetting and flashing "FP" for factory preset over and over again. I have been through a 15" and a 11" coil, they both went back and were both covered without issue. The 11" on the 600 broke both ears on the first trip out. My coils are on so they have some swivel to them and are not overtightened. I use my shovel to aid in getting upright, never my detectors. I would definately get a couple of coil stiffeners right from the start. I run them on all my coils now, even the 6". I read somewhere that the newer coils are coming through with updated stiffer ears but do not know for sure.
 
Never had an issue and ran mine without coil ear stiffeners for a long time, but If you buy one put the stiffener on it first thing just in case. I really don't know why Minelab has not solved the issue or has not started sending coil ear protectors out at least with replacement coils.
 
No issues with mine

I purchased mine early on and have had no issues and i am ruff on my nox. Rides in the back of my pickup and I do cellar hole hunting in thick weeds and brush.
 
No issues with mine and I was on the waiting list and got one of the first runs. However, I also bought a carbon fiber Anderson shaft. The Anderson shafts come with their own lower rod which uses round rubber washers instead of the minelab teardrop washers. The Anderson also comes with thin plastic shims. Another thing I should mention is that I only tighten the mounting bolt just enough to keep the coil from moving under its own weight. Just to be on the safe side I recently had fellow forum member Torquemaster print one of his coil ear stiffeners specifically made to fit the Anderson lower shaft (it’s bigger than the stock shaft).
 

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Thank you all for the responses! I appreciate your knowledge and input.
I'm going to move forward with the Equinox purchase - most likely go with the 600.
Now just have to come up with the funds and justify the purchase to the wife!
 
I too have not had any issues with mine and I am not gentle with it. I do a lot of water hunting with decent currents, in the woods, etc. Like the others said, I keep my lugs tightened only enough so the coil will hold under its own weight, but can be easily moved.
 
ksdiver said:
Hello Everyone,
I'm seriously thinking about pulling the trigger and buying a Minelab Equinox, but I've been reading allot of horror stories concerning the coil ears breaking, even after a few months of use. I do allot of detecting in the woods along trails and canal beds. I'm not rough on my machines, but I do get the occasional bumps against a tree or other obstacles. Has Minelab made any attempt to remedy this issue? Should this be a consideration for my future purchase? Let me know your thoughts - have you had your coil break? What did you do to prevent or remedy the problem?

Thanks in advance fellow diggers!
Click to expand...

As others said. Keep the coil bolts loose enough so it can move a bit. It really depends on how rough you are with it. I baby mine and I dont swing around sticks and rocks risking banging the coil. Everything I swing over is smooth ground give or take a few ground hog borrows. If you hunt wooded areas with lots of uneven terrain then coil ear stiffeners should ease your mind. Good Luck
 
Multiple issues involved in my opinion with the equinox coil ears. First is that by design the ears have a draft angle to both sides of both ears. So it’s sides are not actually parallel to begin with. Second is poor tooling design and part design. Simply adding 4 gussets to exterior of ears would add significant strength. Various stages of wear on rubber washers and user preferences on tightness also come into play. And lastly and perhaps more importantly is the material itself. Very few plastics are stable in water. Most inexpensive plastics like nylon have an absorption percentage that has the potential to cause swelling and over tightening, which in theory could be why the majority of broken Nox coil ears are reported by water hunters..just my 2 cents boys..
 
Just buy the $5 aftermarket coil ear.


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