Detector Tune-ups???

SwampHunter

Sr. Member
Mar 6, 2007
422
16
Samuel Watson's Old Place
Detector(s) used
Minelab Xterra 70, Tesoro Silver uMax, Fisher 1265X, Garrett Ace 250, Garrett Pro Pointer
I have an old White's Coinmatser 2900D that wold like to have tuned up, but I am not able to spend alot of money on it. I called White's and they said $68.00 just for tuning it up, any parts would be extra and shipping. $68.00 just for a tune up from the company that makes them! I don't need it tuned up that bad. So who else does tune ups on old machines that don't charge an arm and a leg?
I hope Garrett and Tesoro doesn't charge like this if my other two machines need tune ups.
 

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Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,003
17,106
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Afraid you might be in for bad news all around. There is probably a "bench fee" of a minimum hourly charge to crack the case open. (And it'd the full-absorption hourly rate for a skilled technician, like the rates car repair shops use that include overhead). A couple years back I had an out-of-warranty Minelab that needed a repair and they were only $15/hr, which was a bargin.

Check the dealer sites for regional authorized repair shops and start contacting them. You may find a better rate.
 

Sandman

Gold Member
Aug 6, 2005
13,398
3,992
In Michigan now.
Detector(s) used
Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I am afraid Charlie is right on this. Finding repairs or tune-ups for these old detectors can be time consuming and costly if done right. I suggest you stick with the manufacturer for the repairs or tune-up as nobody knows their machine like they do.
 

EasyMoney

Sr. Member
Sep 15, 2007
476
7
Sweet Home, Oregon
Detector(s) used
Primarily my Fisher cz-70 and Compass Relic & Coin, plus many others
"Ain't no such thing" as a "tune up" on a metal detector.

If there's anything wrong with it, it will always show something wrong in it's behavior. That old dino can be bought for less than $50 in second hand stores, after haggling with them for 5 minutes. I have a couple of old White's that I bought for $25, one a 6db and the other a hip mount 6000d, both at $25. Both work like new, but one is typically Whites of that era, it has it's off and on moments because of the overdriven circuitry in it's discriminate mode.. I have two old Compasses that I bought for $25 each too, and both run right over the top of the White's, real good detectors. The White's do have a pretty good all-metal mode though.

White's does not let out it's diagrams or schematics. It keeps them from the public like an illegal hand grenade, one of the things I hated the most when I repaired other people's detectors in the 80's. Usually, I just told the customers to send it back to White's.

A good used Tesoro is a lot better way to go, and in the long run cheaper too.

$68 sounds like an hour's shop time.
 

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