New MXT Pro--Coil cover? Use in rain?

[Ugarte]

MXT Pro on the way, with 12" coil and 6X10 DD. Are coil covers necessary? Would you hunt with this in the rain after fitting a homemade rain barrier? (Will be searching lawns, fields, woods, gravel beaches, mud flats, stone foundations, etc.)

[Sandman]

Coil covers aren't necessary if you have the extra money to replace coils when they are damaged from rubbing on sand or rocks. You can also apply duct tape to cut the abrasions. If coil is out of warranty, some hunters apply an epoxy coating which you will never have to have the black sand cleaned out of the coil cover.

[treasurehound]

A few years go I got a coil with a coil cover and hated it. Yeah it is nice to keep from scratching but taking it off all the time to clean was just too much. They fill up with water and dirt and I had to pry off with a screwdriver after every hunt to clean. Now I just wash and wipe down. So much easier. It is more of a personal preference that anything else. I just don't like them.

[Lost2Much]

I agree with Treasurehound. Also the weight of the cover is my main reason for elimination.
In the woods and fields you can't scrape the ground, so why use one.

[Sandman]

I agree with Treasurehound. Also the weight of the cover is my main reason for elimination.
In the woods and fields you can't scrape the ground, so why use one.

How much weight are you saving?

[Ugarte]

Thanks for the advice, folks. I'll be hunting gravel beaches so I think I'll invest in a cover for that coil at least.

I'm happy to report that I went on my first hunt today and found some very nice pieces of metallic trash--too few and too trashy to warrant boring the community with a photo; no doubt the first and last time I'll be happy with trash. Such is the journey of a novice detectorist. HH.

[Sandman]

Be glad your finding trash as that at least tells you people have been there and your not using to much disc to miss any chance at the gold. Keep the coil cover on till cleaning as you can use a garden hose jet on the gap to flush out any black sand. Lots cheaper than wearing the edge of the coil off which is the thinnest part.

If your the adventures type you can apply epoxy to the gap and you won't have to worry about cleaning the cover again.