"Why would I want to buy Steve's Equinox shaft?"

[sgoss66]

So, you've spent several hundred dollars on a new Equinox, and maybe you've heard some chatter about aftermarket carbon-fiber shaft alternatives that are out there. Why would you want to spend MORE money -- after you just ponied up for a new detector -- just to replace something (the shaft) that already came with your machine?
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This is a question I've been asked several times; it essentially boils down to "what is the advantage of your carbon-fiber shaft system; why would I want to spend money on a new shaft?"

It's actually a very good question, in my opinion, and one that I'm happy to offer some answers to.

1. THE CAM LOCK! My entire shaft was designed first and foremost around a proper, heavy-duty, secure cam lock. Minelab's shaft, of course, utilizes a combination of the twist-lock, and the spring button/button hole design, to achieve connection between the shaft sections. I feel that this is an inferior design for a couple of reasons.

A -- the spring button/button hole design is cumbersome, tedious, and it unnecessarily limits your options for lower rod adjustment length;

B -- the twist-lock cam is notoriously bad, for those who hunt in/around sand, with the twist locks eventually running the risk of seizing up, due to sand intrusion; and most importantly,

C -- even with BOTH the spring button/button holes AND the twist lock being used in tandem, to achieve shaft section attachment on the stock shaft, this is STILL not the best, most stable/secure connection system for shaft sections (as illustrated by the notorious Equinox "wobble" that has been noted, especially on many of the older, original units).

Given all of these issues, a proper, strong,secure, heavy-duty CLAMP-TYPE cam lock was THE number one focus of my shaft design. Using this cam lock, and the adjustable clamping strength which is permitted by the inclusion of the fine-tuning screw on the clamping lever, I guarantee ROCK-SOLID connection between the shaft sections. In addition, this cam lock allows unlimited adjustment lengths for your lower rod, as this cam lock's superior clamping strength permits ELIMINATION of the spring button/button hole design. The bottom line is -- my customers really, really like this cam lock design, and the stiff, stable, easily adjustable shaft that is achieved as a result.

2. LIGHTER WEIGHT. My carbon-fibershaft is roughly 25% lighter than the stock shaft overall...BUT, perhaps even MORE important is...

3. MY OPTIONAL COUNTERWEIGHTING SYSTEM. While light weight is great, IMBALANCE is not, and with the Equinox design -- i.e. all the weight at the coil end, and essentially ZERO weight at the butt end -- the result is a nose-heavy machine that is ergonomically incorrect. And not just incorrect, but incorrect to the degree that many Equinox users experience wrist/arm/shoulder fatigue, and even pain in some cases, when swinging the larger coils (especially the 12" x 15") for long periods of time. My optional counterweighting system ELIMINATES the nose-heaviness, resulting in balanced, ergonomically proper machine that -- as many customers have attested -- resolves the fatigue/pain issues. SO -- while adding counterweighting WILL make the shaft heavier, in an "overall" sense, placing that extra weight in the proper amount, and in the proper location, will result in a shaft that feels and swings "lighter" and much more comfortably, than the stock shaft.

C. STRENGTH. Carbon-fiber is a superior-strength material, as compared to aluminum -- lighter in weight, but stronger. I know of instances where the stock aluminum middle shaft section has snapped, at the upper cam lock, after repeated use of the unit under heavy tidal/water stress conditions. Carbon fiber withstands more stress than aluminum.

D. AESTHETICS. While this may be a minor issue for many, carbon fiber adds aesthetic appeal to the Equinox. This is especially true, for some users, when considering that colored carbon-fiber shafts are also available from Steve's.

And last but not least...

E. CUSTOMIZATION. In addition to my standard shafts, I am more than willing to build you whatever shaft you might need, for your specific situation. Do you need a longer "tall-man" lower rod? No problem. Do you need additional cuff holes? I'm happy to add them for you. Do you prefer a three-piece "travel" type rod, as opposed to the standard two-piece? You got it. I've even built custom one-piece "dive" shafts, I've done short shafts for younger/shorter detectorists, and -- on occasion -- I've even built shafts with each section limited to specific lengths, so that the shaft can be broken down to fit a travel bag, or even a specific model of hard case you may have invested in previously, and now need your Equinox shaft to collapse into...

In summary, I believe my shafts are a lighter-weight, better-balanced, stronger shaft as compared to the stock shaft; they offer easy, unlimited adjustment of your lower rod length with a simple flip of the cam locking lever, with no spring buttons to mess with, and no button holes to limit you; they look better, feel better, and are a stiff, stout, heavy-duty, wobble-free alternative to the stock shaft -- and I offer nearly unlimited customization options to meet whatever needs you may have.

So, these are the main reasons that I believe my Equinox shafts are worth the investment. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, at [email protected], or visit my website (Steve's Detector Rods, home of Equinox and CTX 3030 carbon-fiber shafts and rods) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/stevesdetectorrods) for additional information.

THANKS!

Steve​

 

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