Equinox S-Shaft Please

[relicmeister]

I have an f75 that I will look into whether it would fit on the equinox.
Both the equinox and the f75 have already been modified with a folding mechanism that folds the detector in half and fits in a tennis racket bag. Extremely portable. But won't be hard to see if the s-shaft will work on the nox.

 

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[flgliderpilot]

I thought the 11" coil would be too big, but it's so light and the recovery speed is so fast, I'm liking it.

 

[Echoplex]

Slight update - Anderson will not be making an S-Shaft and I never heard back from Plugger, so I'm assuming that's a no as well. Has anyone heard of any other possible aftermarket s-shafts in the works?

After a 3 hour silver cherry-picking hunt yesterday (lots of swinging, very little digging), I feel pretty wrecked and am still wishing for an S-Shaft. My next option is to proceed with having the pipe-bending shop adjust the current stock shaft, which if you read earlier in this thread is very risky. I don't want to ruin my only stock shaft, so I was going to order one from ML. ML Parts Customer Care replied: "Due to the unprecedented demand for the Equinox, we do not have the middle shaft currently available as a separate spare part. We are working diligently on obtaining spare shaft parts, but this may take a few weeks." Sooooo, it will be a while before I can try that option...

 

[flgliderpilot]

Resizing the cuff with a heat gun fixed the wobble for me completely as long as I hold closer to the bottom of the grip. S shaft may make it even better but for now it feels great.

 

[Echoplex]

Resizing the cuff with a heat gun fixed the wobble for me completely as long as I hold closer to the bottom of the grip. S shaft may make it even better but for now it feels great.

Thanks for the tip. I've been wearing pretty thick winter clothes, so the arm cuff is snug and tight and agree that helps. But when I rigged the White's s-shaft to it, it swung like a dream, and that's the experience I hope to replicate.

 

[vferrari]

Resizing the cuff with a heat gun fixed the wobble for me completely as long as I hold closer to the bottom of the grip. S shaft may make it even better but for now it feels great.

I also added padding using a product called "The Cuffer" I got off ebay based on someone's recommendation. The AT version fits perfectly.

 

[relicmeister]

Echoplex
I think I may have an option for you that will make the
straight shaft of the equinox feel similar to an s-shaft. I modified my 600 and 800 equinox with the
installation of a folding mechanism. It's easy to do and the part costs $50. Search on eBay:
Fold and go metal detector modification
Well if you lock it forward one notch ( automatic detent) it brings the coil under the control pod like an s-shaft, and the coil slightly to the left. It feels real
nice to me, and a heck of a lot easier, plus it is folded
For easy transport.

It's a neat solution

 

[Echoplex]

Interesting. Do you know what the weight gain/loss is with that setup?

 

[Jason in Enid]

I had an ETrac for years, weight was never an issue as I always use a harness. (Better to light a candle, than curse the dark) LOL

LOL, thats like saying there is no problem with your broken leg because you just use a wheel chair. The point there is that a problem existed requiring a crutch to still be useful. The amazing performance of the E-Trac was the only reason I kept it. I hated to swing that thing!

 

[Jason in Enid]

Slight update - Anderson will not be making an S-Shaft and I never heard back from Plugger, so I'm assuming that's a no as well. Has anyone heard of any other possible aftermarket s-shafts in the works?

After a 3 hour silver cherry-picking hunt yesterday (lots of swinging, very little digging), I feel pretty wrecked and am still wishing for an S-Shaft. My next option is to proceed with having the pipe-bending shop adjust the current stock shaft, which if you read earlier in this thread is very risky. I don't want to ruin my only stock shaft, so I was going to order one from ML. ML Parts Customer Care replied: "Due to the unprecedented demand for the Equinox, we do not have the middle shaft currently available as a separate spare part. We are working diligently on obtaining spare shaft parts, but this may take a few weeks." Sooooo, it will be a while before I can try that option...

Don't try to re-make the current shaft. Look up online for aluminum tubing and find one with the same diameter. Take THAT piece to the shop to bend and have them install a new shaft locker and drill comparable locking holes. Have them do this to remake the handle / control head portion and leave the lower rods straight.

 

[relicmeister]

Interesting. Do you know what the weight gain/loss is with that setup?

It's 5 oz actual weight, easily offset with similar counterweight at the armrest. I'm all about the lightweight feature, but the ease of folding the detector as is and carrying in a tennis racket bag
is a major convenience as carrying the detector into work so it's not in the hot or cold car, and long hikes
for example. This is however my first straight shaft
and I have to say it is more comfortable swinging in the "6:35" position ( clock analogy) which while it looks a bit unusual, is effectively equal to an s-shaft.

 

[detectorben]

I don't get the arm fatigue with this tiny light detector?? I am a wimp at 150 lbs and I swung it for 8 hours yesterday with no issues or soreness today. Maybe you have the lower shaft extended out to far? Or your holding the handle in the wrong position for your swing? I just don't see how this is an issue this detector is one of the lightest and easiest to swing detectors I have ever used.

 

[Echoplex]

I don't get the arm fatigue with this tiny light detector?? I am a wimp at 150 lbs and I swung it for 8 hours yesterday with no issues or soreness today. Maybe you have the lower shaft extended out to far? Or your holding the handle in the wrong position for your swing? I just don't see how this is an issue this detector is one of the lightest and easiest to swing detectors I have ever used.

It is a light detector, but the issue most are having is rotational torquing, where it takes unnecessary effort to keep the coil parallel to the ground. This is easily solved with an S-Shaft, which corrects the imbalance in this regard. Not everyone is going to feel the same thing because of different body types and being used to different detectors. But, for those of us that want an S-Shaft, this thread exists... My MXT, which weighs over a pound more, requires less effort to swing than the Nox to me.

 

[Cal_Cobra]

I just wish that manufactures implementing straight shafts would make the handle adjustable forward/backward say 15 degrees each way, because what's comfortable to one person is not to another. Don't really have a preference between straight shaft and S shafts, I've used some that were ergonomic and some that were unergonomic.

 

[flgliderpilot]

I just wish that manufactures implementing straight shafts would make the handle adjustable forward/backward say 15 degrees each way, because what's comfortable to one person is not to another. Don't really have a preference between straight shaft and S shafts, I've used some that were ergonomic and some that were unergonomic.

Agree, I feel like the handle could be tilted just a bit more forward. The size of your forearms effects your grip angle, and I have big forearms.

I think an S shaft with a slight second bend under the grip to adjust the angle would be nice.

 

[jeg208]

I just wish that manufactures implementing straight shafts would make the handle adjustable forward/backward say 15 degrees each way, because what's comfortable to one person is not to another. Don't really have a preference between straight shaft and S shafts, I've used some that were ergonomic and some that were unergonomic.

Exactly! The handle is close, but not quite the perfect angle for me. I shorted the shaft, and swing right in front of my toes, but I wish I had smaller feet for this machine

 

[fuceye]

That's great....remindes me of something......now what was it....oh ya I rember now.....What would a chair look like if our knees bent the other way?

 

[smokeythecat]

Fuceye, rofl! That's a picture I don't want to ever see. My knees do not bend as it is. The Equinox series may be great for some types of detecting but for people with arm issues, it's not going to work as it is out of the box. The ergonomics are horrid. I think it's disgraceful to manufacture something so unwieldy at this price. Now if you were used to swinging a GPX model, oh yeah, it's much lighter, but you probably used a harness for that. It would have taken minimal brainpower to make the blasted thing more user friendly. The thoughts a lot of you have for reengineering it to make it work better ergonomically (which are admirable) reflects very negatively on the manufacturer. When I buy a car, the last thing I want to do is put new seats in, or a different set of wheels, etc. The stupid car should work "out of the box" without having to modify it. After all, I paid good money for it.

Detetorben, the Deus is at 2 pounds is 1/3 lighter and is ergonomically balanced.

 

[jeg208]

Took the heat gun to the arm cuff, and it is night and day better. The grip is still just a little off, but shorten the shaft and swing right by your toes and fit the cuff to your arm. Swings better than my ATGold for sure, just different

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, I've heard some folks have modified he arm cuff. That I'm sure will help with the upper arm "slop".