Beach Hunter 300

[Jack Straw]

Given the price increase and the lack of customer service with minelabs i cant justify the excal. What has been the overall take on the Whites Beach Hunter 300? I would love to hear of any personal experience with this machine before i take the plunge.

 

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[Buried Crap NJ]

I was forced to use one these units for about two months while my Exclaibur was being fixed. While I was giving great help from others on learning this new machine it's not a Minelab detector and you need to know that going into it. The reason Minelab Excalibur's take time to repair is due to there 300 ft tank test that they need to pass. This causes back logs at the tank. Most of the complaints came around the move from NV to IL and this is all over. Yes it still takes longer than 2 weeks to get your machine repaired. ( about 5 now) But look at the shear numbers of them you see in the hands of hunters. They all can't be wrong. Minelab needs to repackage this same machine and make it for shallow water use only. They could drop the price by hundreds and sell them buy the truck load! That being said the BHID worked well and I did find gold and coins without a long learning curve. I won't have the problem of the Excalibur repairs again as I eliminated the waiting time to 0 days for repair. How you ask. I just when out and bought a second unit, and since the Minelab GT is a better machine on the beach (not water) I bought one of them too! Each one has paid its own way in finds in a very short period. And that's the reason I did it. I am not sure I could say the same if I used the BHID for that same period of time. I won't be without one.
This was not a paid advertisement!
Steve

 

[DewGuru]

due to there 300 ft tank test

Based on the cheap components their put together with, I would not assume that to be the case. Many of the manu's claims (all manus) regarding depths are questionable. Course, I was wrong once before in 1973.

There are alot of these machines out there -- they also have the most on the market being sold as used.

 

[mandad76]

I've been using the bhid300 and have had very good luck with it - it goes as deep as I wanna dig - and I don't dig iron all day anymore. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Toymad]

I have had my BHID 300 for nearly a year now, I could not be happier. Whites customer service is fantastic, and I don't think I would have to wait two months for repairs, like Minelab.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

due to there 300 ft tank test

Based on the cheap components their put together with, I would not assume that to be the case. Many of the manu's claims (all manus) regarding depths are questionable. Course, I was wrong once before in 1973.

There are alot of these machines out there -- they also have the most on the market being sold as used.

I have 4 Minelabs, 2 Excals and 2 Sov GTs, they all work perfectly, I never had an Excal leaked, but I had a Beach Hunter ID leak twice within 6 months. All of my Minelabs have big coils on them and they find deep targets, pulled many good targets at 10-12 inches and more and that was not questionable depth either, plus I dig no iron at all, none............You say Excals are the most for sale on the market used, go count and see you are wrong, just check TN alone and see how many excals were for sale vs whites water detectors over the last 6 months.....

I have had my BHID 300 for nearly a year now, I could not be happier. Whites customer service is fantastic, and I don't think I would have to wait two months for repairs, like Minelab.

The current waiting period on repairs is 21 working days, which the last time I looked at a calendar was not 2 months........

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

due to there 300 ft tank test

Based on the cheap components their put together with, I would not assume that to be the case. Many of the manu's claims (all manus) regarding depths are questionable. Course, I was wrong once before in 1973.

There are alot of these machines out there -- they also have the most on the market being sold as used.

Where are all these Minelab Machines for sale on the market? I would like to pick one or two more up for people that come visit for the summer months. Since so many are sold (Minelab's) There are a lot to be sold on the used market,that's just common sense.

 

[DewGuru]

due to there 300 ft tank test

Based on the cheap components their put together with, I would not assume that to be the case. Many of the manu's claims (all manus) regarding depths are questionable. Course, I was wrong once before in 1973.

There are alot of these machines out there -- they also have the most on the market being sold as used.

Where are all these Minelab Machines for sale on the market? I would like to pick one or two more up for people that come visit for the summer months. Since so many are sold (Minelab's) There are a lot to be sold on the used market,that's just common sense.

http://www.searchtempest.com/result...0&category=8&subcat=sss&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max

Is a good starting point.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

due to there 300 ft tank test

Based on the cheap components their put together with, I would not assume that to be the case. Many of the manu's claims (all manus) regarding depths are questionable. Course, I was wrong once before in 1973.

There are alot of these machines out there -- they also have the most on the market being sold as used.

Where are all these Minelab Machines for sale on the market? I would like to pick one or two more up for people that come visit for the summer months. Since so many are sold (Minelab's) There are a lot to be sold on the used market,that's just common sense.

http://www.searchtempest.com/result...0&category=8&subcat=sss&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max

Is a good starting point.

Same thing works for all the Whites and Tesoro detectors too....

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Dewguru Thanks that's a pretty cool link! What I saw was some good prices. See another thing I learned today.

 

[DewGuru]

Dewguru Thanks that's a pretty cool link! What I saw was some good prices. See another thing I learned today.

Your welcome! Lots of good deals to be had on all brands. It's searching within 1000 miles of my location, so you can edit it to yours and find even more. In this economy, there are deals to be had frequently, especially around the end/first of the month when its time for the bills to be paid, so check it often if your in the market.

 

[trainer]

Go and buy the best that's the one who will take care of any problems even take care of you when your warranty ends and charges you nothing, There is only one and that's the whites brand
My friend has to carry two minelabs when we travel, its just incase the other fails I only have the best with me, I only have to carry one That Never failed and that is the Beach hunter ID 300
Seriously minelab has a good product but I think they are not thinking of thier customers They should stay put and stop moving so much to save money, Customers are # 1 Mine lab your penny pinching is costing you alot of customers

 

[EZrider]

CZ-21

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

My friend has to carry two minelabs when we travel, its just incase the other fails I only have the best with me, I only have to carry one That Never failed and that is the Beach hunter ID 300
Seriously minelab has a good product but I think they are not thinking of thier customers They should stay put and stop moving so much to save money, Customers are # 1 Mine lab your penny pinching is costing you alot of customers

I carry 2 Excals when I go hunting, and one Sov GT, but I'm not carrying them in case one fails, I have the WOT coil on one, and the S-12 on the other, I also take my Sovereign GT which has the SEF 15"x18" Butterfly coil on it.

When you go golfing, you don't just take one club, when I go detecting I don't just take one detector either....

 

[DanFL1962]

I bought the BHID about 7 years ago. In 2010 I used it almost weekly. It took a real beating from the waves a few times. Has never leaked. My headsets broke when I was in rough water. Sent it back to whites southeast service center and they had the repair done in 2 days.

 

[FloridaBill]

I am sure many of us could go back and forth all day and justify why ever machine out there is better than another. Just like some vehicles, some folks are die hard Ford, Chevy, Dodge ETC. ETC.

I own both machines. I ordered a ex cal ll when they first came out got a bad one, sent it back got another bad one , sent it back got another bad one, finally I said I don't want to spend all summer sending detectors through the mail.

So send me one of the new beachhunter300 (they had just come out) In fact I was the first one to buy one from Kelly co. It came and guess what? , bad , yes bad , sent back, received another bad... Now I am starting to think something is wrong with me however Pete (Eriikk) who always hunts with me was there all the time and agreed the machines were screwed up.

I finally got a whites that worked and it was great for about a year and then leaked. Sent back to Whites and received a brand new one in the mail in a few days no questions asked. I think its a awesome machine and has found many rings over the few years I have had it and paid for it self ten times over.

Then this year I said I want to try a ex cal. ll again and purchased another, and guess what? I finally got a sweetheart its purrs like a kitten and I have been using that more than the whites for now.

I think each one has its place . I don't think one is better than the other, any top of the line machine will find the good stuff. Like we always say you could have the best detector in the world and if your coil doesn't pass over it your not going to find it.


There are some things I hate about the ex cal such as no indicator light to show you its charging or a simply led light that shows its charged. A charger that doesn't take 17 hours to charge the battery. (by the way I solved that problem with a quick charger) Knobs that last a month or so and then break. (so used heavy duty ones from radio shack and replaced their screw with a SS Allen type screw so I could clamp down on it. You pay what we pay for these machine and we shouldn't have to deal with stuff like that. It is common knowledge about these issues, it been going on for years with no attempt by minelab to fix these problems.

Then White a square box that makes it hard to glides through the water, leaking issues that should have been corrected years ago, I love the lights but if your machine is underwater like mine most of the time you cant see the lights. A coil that they claim is neutral buoyancy but if I let my machine go the coil comes to the top like a cork

Sorry for getting so carried away but I am just trying to point out there is good and bad with every machine, and it really boils down to what the person likes.

I love them both and am lucky enough to own each one....

And in closing I think every metal detector sold should come with a straight shaft.....

Sorry for the long post LOL......

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Good analogy Bill, and it wasn't too long.......

 

[Sandman]

Bill, you hit the nail on the head. I found that each detector has its pros and cons and add to the different locations most are used and things get squirrelly. Like you I did not like the floating coil on the Beach Hunter while in the water, but the light weight is nice for dry sand where most of the hunters go anyway. Mine leaked too and White's bought it back from me. I love my Excal 1000 and have only had to send it in once for a bad coil in the years I have had it. The charger is the worst in the business and I haven't bought a Battery Tender yet. I also like my CZ-20 and the Tiger Shark and would be lost without either one. As Treasure Hunter says you need a different golf club for each shot to do it right. If not going in the water I think the Sov GT is the king of the sand and I have a Sunray inline S-1 Probe with mine though I don't use it in the sand because of the size of my scoop, but the probe is nice in the grass. And Ya gotta love the Iron Mask feature of the Minelabs!

 

[DewGuru]

The current waiting period on repairs is 21 working days, which the last time I looked at a calendar was not 2 months........

A fellow from Canada was here recently, and had his excal go down. Something about the battery connectors ... He mentioned they told him 60 days or so. I sent minelab an email inquiring about turn around time. Their reply today: "The current turn-around time for an Excalibur is approximately a month-and-a-half to two months." Screenshot of said email attached.

Bob is a nice fella - Hope he gets it back quicker in time for the canadian treasures.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

If that email is recent, then the turn around time has increased since the last time I heard which was maybe 6 or 7 weeks ago. There is something that I have noticed contributes to the repair time, people will sit on a detector with a problem during the winter, then when the hunting seasons starts geting close, they will decide to send the detector in for repair work. Repair time always increases as Spring rolls around....