Minelab Excalibur vs. CZ21

[Jeff Harris]

I want to get a water machine, main use is river hunting in AZ on a river that has thousands of tubers drinking, applying sunscreen and losing jewelry in the river each weekend during the Summer. Mild to moderate mineralization, some hot rocks, lots of trash. May hit some California beaches occasionally. How are their respective repair records and ability to operate in fresh water? Will I really lose chains with the CZ21? If you own both I especially want to hear the pros and cons. Thanks a lot for your input.

Jeff

 

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[seeker41]

well....i have been told recently that the cz20/21 is not the best choice for freshwater since it is locked in the salt mode. when used in non salt areas it loses sensitivity to small gold objects.
i have used mine(cz20) in freshwater and i have found small gold rings!!!!
can anyone else confirm the salt mode in freshwater lack of sensitivity??
chuck.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

My personal choice and what I recommend is the Excalibur....It will null on any iron and still tell you if there is a gold ring right by the iron.....If it was me I would not lose any sleep on the chains, most of them are tiny, many are hollow and not much gold weight there for most of them, not all of them, but most of them. I would concentrate on the gold and plat rings....Most gold chains are seen as individual links, not as a chain, unless it has a charm on it or a large clasp...

Excalibur works equally in fresh or Salt water....

 

[Sandman]

It is true that the CZ-20/21 is in a permanent salt water mode, but it does find gold earring backs. Is this small enough for ya? As Treasure Hunter said the Fishers do have trouble finding thin gold chains as do most water detectors and it has more to do with what freq they use. My CZ-6a is the land version of the CZ-20 and it has a saltwater mode switch for turning it on or off.

I used my CZ-20 in fresh and salt before I got my Excal which I now prefer because of the responding to thin gold rings under a large nail. With other detectors, CZ's included, when you disc out iron you can mask out the gold near by unlike the Excal that will respond to the gold while nulling on all but the larger iron.

It is my understanding that First Texas charges an arm and a leg to repair CZ-20's when they can repair them at all. The lucky guys that they did repair for upgraded the 20 into a 21.

 

[Old Tom]

I have been watching this thread, with a lot of interest. Because I too have been thinking of getting a new water machine this season.

Nothing was said about the Excaliber, as far as what problems they have and how fast they take to get repaired, and how much do repair cost. Also wasn't there something about the batteries? How long do they last, and do you have to recharge them after each time they run down or can you swap out battery packs?

Both these are on my list, just wanting to know as much as I can before making a purchase.

 

[stevefisher7767]

New man on the board, no offence to any one here,but the cz is my best friend and its best friend is all gold.....

 

[digum smacks]

now now folks,simple answer get the excal,i say this only because its freshwater,if you said salt,it would be a tie in my eyes. 2 great machines,also take care of any machine it will last a long time.my buddy has a cz we go hunting all the time and i use it once in awhile this is salt water though,comparing the cz will go not much deeper than the excal about 1 inch in my guesstimation.and the cz will most definitaly pick up smaller gold now small im talking about things it the pic above,ring backs and such.the excal is a all around great machine "even though i cant stand them".it is rugged ,discriminates great,the depth sucks,than again if it would go another 12 inches it would be the best machine in the world.i want a machine to discriminate and go 30inches down and find a ring"yea right keep dreaming". this one is easy get the excal

 

[digum smacks]

by the way welcome to the forum

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have been watching this thread, with a lot of interest. Because I too have been thinking of getting a new water machine this season.

Nothing was said about the Excaliber, as far as what problems they have and how fast they take to get repaired, and how much do repair cost. Also wasn't there something about the batteries? How long do they last, and do you have to recharge them after each time they run down or can you swap out battery packs?

Both these are on my list, just wanting to know as much as I can before making a purchase.

I have had 3 Excals the last 4 years, still own 2. Onlyone has been to repair, once for a bad headphone wire left ear, and once for a cracked coil (my fault). Cost for both trips to repair and back was under $200....repair times vary depending on the time of year you send it in, winter is slowest time, spring picks up....It can vary from 14 working days to 25 working days, there is only one repair site in the U.S.....

New or good battery lasts about 14-16 hours before recharge, I recharge battery before every hunt, there is no "memory" to worry about on the batteries. Yes there is also a AA battery pod you can purchase for use with AA in emergencies. I used a AA battery pod for a year before I replaced a cracked battery...

It is just my personal opinion, but for the money you just can't beat the Excal, it is the only detector I know that will not only null on iron, but will report a gold ring by a piece of iron, unless it is a larger piece of iron.... My backup to my Excal with a WOT is another Excal, soon to have the S-12 coil on it......I have dug deep targets with my Sovereign GT with the WOT coil (14"+), I expect to dig just as deep with my Excal with the WOT coil.............

 

[digum smacks]

the hole will need to be bigger,ask people who know me.i have the biggest scoop you will ever see in your life

 

[stevefisher7767]

This topic was ,can the cz fisher find(small gold/chains)not large.

 

[seeker41]

yea, i don't really understand the "locked in salt mode wont detect small gold" in fresh water because i personally have!!!!

fisher service vs minelab service....... there have been many negative reports on both fisher and minelab service on some of the forums and i can only report what i know....i have experience with fisher service and they get an a++++

fisher will not repair the cz20 with cz20 parts, they will replace cz20 parts with newly designed cz21 parts. the cz20 had problems with the pinpoint button, led lights and front panel leaking/breaking. the "old fisher" was loosing lots of money on repair of the cz20. if you have a cz20 and want it upgraded with new redesigned cz21 parts fisher will do this! if you buy a used cz20 and it breaks you will have to have your cz20 upgraded to the new cz21. not cheap but not brand new cz21 price either.

PROS OF A CZ21......1. excellent depth at least equal to the excal.
2. audioboost feature(weak deep targets are heard at the same level as strong shallow targets so you don't miss a good target because you couldn't hear it!!!!!!!!!!!(also loud audio in the noisy surf.)
3. very well built
4. battery compartment separate from main boards so if the battery compartment leaks you don't ruin the detector!
5. easily hip mountable with a belt clip supplied when purchased.

CONS OF A CZ21.......1. i have heard the pinpoint button is difficult to operate
2. if you are going to use it in freshwater investigate this supposed lack of sensitivity to small gold in freshwater further! i have not noticed it myself.

OK SOMEONE GIVE THE HONEST PROS AND CONS OF THE EXCAL.
hope this helped
chuck.

 

[stevefisher7767]

The real answer to this question is ..With a little luck and lots of ambition anyone can find gold, with any detector.Its not about Brands or the Money spent, its about the fun.....

 

[stevefisher7767]

diggin is fun, and thats just my game.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

This topic was ,can the cz fisher find(small gold/chains)not large.

Sorry, but that wasn't the question of this thread.

I want to get a water machine, main use is river hunting in AZ on a river that has thousands of tubers drinking, applying sunscreen and losing jewelry in the river each weekend during the Summer. Mild to moderate mineralization, some hot rocks, lots of trash. May hit some California beaches occasionally. How are their respective repair records and ability to operate in fresh water? Will I really lose chains with the CZ21? If you own both I especially want to hear the pros and cons. Thanks a lot for your input.

Jeff

 

[stevefisher7767]

This is what i dug before the beach brute, oh yea the Beach Brute is my digger.

 

[GreenMeanie]

The excals threshold is annoying.
At least for me it is.
It likes to lock in high and low and all kinds of buzzing sounds that gives me a headache. I have to keep resetting it with a shovel so I can keep hunting.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

On a Properly tuned Excal.. You should be able to have a Silent Threshold...

check your battery charge..

Check your Sensitivity..

Check the coil cover.. you may have sand trapped inside..

Check the area to see if there is a target.

check to see if there are powerlines above ya... if land hunting.. "Resetting it with a "Shovel" " Not sure if that's your beach digger or not.

if all fails.. you need to send it in for repair..

You should be able to set it so that you only hear a very slight buzz.. or No buzz at all if you wish..

The excals threshold is annoying.
At least for me it is.
It likes to lock in high and low and all kinds of buzzing sounds that gives me a headache. I have to keep resetting it with a shovel so I can keep hunting.

I set mine to a very tiny buzz, like a small mosquito in my ear. I need the threshold to hear the deep targets.....Silent search is one of the great features of the Sovereign GT. You adjust your threshold till your satisfied with it, then turn on silent search. You do not hear the threshold, but targets will respond just like they do with the threshold...I have tested it with targets I found with normal threshold and they work the same.....

 

[stevefisher7767]

Hello people of this very helpfull forum.I am a diehard Fisher fan,back to the Topic,if i was looking to purchase a detector to hunt the river First thing would be the Warranty...... I have never hunted A.Z. rivers N.C. rivers have alot of trash so the small coil i think would be helpfull.A hardwired large coil may be a bad choice......Theres nothing worse than having to leave a hunt because of a sudden rain storm.WATER PROOF is the best feeling there is in a downpour. My CZ is a Tank, but Fisher has New owners ...and i will never purchase a New Fisher again.........I have 20+ years of using Garrett,Whites,Fisher andTesoro.I will answer your question Jeff , and agree with MT Pockets.When my CZ20 stops, i will order the Minelab Excalibur.

 

[thrillathahunt]

Great topic guys! I too am looking to buy a water unit, and from past experiences can not stand threshold noise. It drives me INSANE.