Hairline cracks excalibur 2

[WWZESQ]

Hello everyone. I finally bit the bullet and purchased an excalibur 2 1000 last week. I love the machine so far but noticed what appear to be fine hairline cracks radiating out from the mounting holes of both the main unit and the battery pod. It this normal or is it something I should be concerned about. If it is not an issue, I certainly don't want to have to send it back and miss out on a week of hunting. Thanks for your help. -Z

 

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Photos please.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

This is not normal.
I suspect that you have either a defective product ( if it was purchased new).
Or that the metal detector has been dropped or overstressed as the cracks are radiating the control pod and battery pod.
The cracks could also be the result being exposed to temperature extreems.

If purchased new, I would immediately contact the vendor who sold it to you who hopefully will replace this detector with a new one.
Think about how this effects the resale value, would you buy such a detector used from any one unless you got an exceptional deal,
I know I wouldn't.

If a replacement is not possible, the repair center should be immediately contacted so that they can check it out and replace defective/ ovestressed
part under warranty. I would be especially concerned about the battery Pod. Theese Pods can explode while charging when defective.

Cracks never get stronger, they only get larger and weaken!

Hello everyone. I finally bit the bullet and purchased an excalibur 2 1000 last week. I love the machine so far but noticed what appear to be fine hairline cracks radiating out from the mounting holes of both the main unit and the battery pod. It this normal or is it something I should be concerned about. If it is not an issue, I certainly don't want to have to send it back and miss out on a week of hunting. Thanks for your help. -Z

 

[WWZESQ]

Thanks. I will post some photos of the cracks tomorrow. I'm waiting for my camera battery to charge. I wasn't sure if this was a common thing as they are on all of the mounting holes. Both on the battery and detector. It's a brand new machine. I haven't even had it a week!

 

[WWZESQ]

Here are the photos. The holes in the main unit have the same cracks!

 

[DewGuru]

Looks like some fine Malaysian craftsmanship if I ever saw it.

 

[bigscoop]

The problem with hairline cracks is that they are very susceptible to temperature changes which will cause them to expand, vibration can obviously cause the same effect. Once those cracks are there they can only grow over time.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

It's a no brainer - The product you received is defective!
If you bought it from a local minelab dealer, return it to him and exchange it for a new one that is not defective.
If this is not possible, contact the repair center immediately to get return authorization.

I would be furious receiving such a product, terrible quality control.
It will be serious problem once the cracks spread as you will not be able to mount the pods on the shaft.
I would try to get the repair center to eat shipping costs both ways as you should of never received it in this condition.

 

[WWZESQ]

Just received an e-mail back from Darin at Minelab Service. He checked the photos and said that the machine is fine, that is just how they are made. Can anyone with an excalibur check the holes in their machine just to confirm. I don't want to send the machine back and lose several days detecting, if I'm just going to have the same problem with a replacement. Thanks a lot. -Z

 

[bigscoop]

Just received an e-mail back from Darin at Minelab Service. He checked the photos and said that the machine is fine, that is just how they are made. Can anyone with an excalibur check the holes in their machine just to confirm. I don't want to send the machine back and lose several days detecting, if I'm just going to have the same problem with a replacement. Thanks a lot. -Z

"If" those are cracks, and not just mold line streaks (hard to tell from the photos), I for one am stunned you were told this. The machine I use is an older blue model, around 2001, beat it to death, and I still have no such fracture lines. Hard to believe Minelab would allow such a low standard if those are indeed cracks/fractures.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Wow! Does this mean that I should return the XCAL ll 1000 that I purchased new almost two years ago back to Minelab Service so they can add what looks to me like a flaw: {stress patterns, hairline cracks, mold lines, whatever) before my warranty expires. I sure don't want a machine that does not meet current standards (LOL)! Or maybe, I just need stronger glasses as I sure don't see any on my Xcal.

Just received an e-mail back from Darin at Minelab Service. He checked the photos and said that the machine is fine, that is just how they are made. Can anyone with an excalibur check the holes in their machine just to confirm. I don't want to send the machine back and lose several days detecting, if I'm just going to have the same problem with a replacement. Thanks a lot. -Z

 

[WWZESQ]

Hello Walter.

Good news. That is 100% okay. All the tubes look that as it’s how they are made. Went and double checked some replacement parts we have to confirm.

Regards,
Darin


Darin Brown
Customer Care Technician
Minelab Americas | 1938 University Lane, Ste. A, Lisle, IL 60532
Customer Care: 1-877-767-6522 | T: 1-630-401-8162 | E: [email protected]

Just going by what Minelab support told me.

 

[shawninNY]

I bought my excal 2 just before minelab changed hands , I don't have any cracks in mine ( hairline or otherwise) that being said I don't think you'll have a prob , how often are you going to remove the pod from the shaft? And I charge my batt without removing from its mount! Keep a printed copy of the email so you have proof of correspondence . If by the end of the season they have changed at all send it in ! Good luck luck man, the excal is the best water unit out there, IMO

 

[WWZESQ]

Thanks. I've been going back and forth with Darin most of the afternoon and he assured me it is not an issue. Nonetheless, I have saved all of the e-mails just in case. Thanks for all of your replies. See you on the beach -Z

 

[OBN]

I don't believe they are made that way it is just something that does happen to Most over time, some seem to be worse then others....I have several and all are cracked, You will be fine but try and use Nylon washers to spread the load when mounting, if you use bolts.
I worked on about 50 Excalibur's last season and only one had a piece of the mount missing, and I'm not sure if it was related to the cracks.

 

[Brother Al]

I don't believe they are made that way it is just something that does happen to Most over time, some seem to be worse then others....I have several and all are cracked, You will be fine but try and use Nylon washers to spread the load when mounting, if you use bolts.
I worked on about 50 Excalibur's last season and only one had a piece of the mount missing, and I'm not sure if it was related to the cracks.

In the graphics industry we use methylene chloride to correct problems that appear to be identical to these fractures . Over tightening fasteners can cause these in brand new components . ( maybe done at Minelab during quality check ) ?
Whatever the reason, if this material is acrylic a small amount of the solvent will seep into the crack, melt both surfaces and form a very strong weld which prevents the spreading of the cracks. Any sign company larger than the strip mall quickie vinyl store will have some called " trim cap glue". Take the detector in and have them use the syringe to apply a drop or two. If they charge you anything at all it would surprise me. God bless, Brother Al.

PS. If you take it home with you note that it will evaporate very quickly and is a toxic carcinogen.

 

[bigscoop]

In the graphics industry we use methylene chloride to correct problems that appear to be identical to these fractures . Over tightening fasteners can cause these in brand new components . ( maybe done at Minelab during quality check ) ?
Whatever the reason, if this material is acrylic a small amount of the solvent will seep into the crack, melt both surfaces and form a very strong weld which prevents the spreading of the cracks. Any sign company larger than the strip mall quickie vinyl store will have some called " trim cap glue". Take the detector in and have them use the syringe to apply a drop or two. If they charge you anything at all it would surprise me. God bless, Brother Al.

PS. If you take it home with you note that it will evaporate very quickly and is a toxic carcinogen.

Thanks for that tip!

 

[dbsmokey]

The same thing happened to my brand new Excal II. I sent it back to Minelab and they fixed it with no questions; it took less than a month, if I recall. They replaced the whole compartment and water tested.

It is disappointing to me that this happens with such a fine-performing detector. I wonder why the other brands that use a similar "ear" don't have similar problems. The plastic is nearly the same thickness on the other detectors. Is it a different plastic? Different forces? Either way, I wish it would be redesigned.

I would send it in ASAP. If it is under warranty, Minelab will make it right. Best of luck on getting it fixed.

 

[WWZESQ]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Based on my numerous e-mails back and forth with Darin from Minelab, I seriously doubt that they will replace the machine. When I advised Darin that many people on the online forums said that these "cracks" were a defect, he replied back that ALL of the replacement parts he had on hand had what appeared to be fine cracks, but these were not a defect. I would hate to lose a month of quality detecting time waiting for my machine to come back, only to find that it comes back on the same condition. It is a brand new machine, only 1 week old, so I have plenty of time on the warranty, so if they get any worse, I can always send it back at the end of the season. OBN, thanks for the tip on the nylon washers. I am currently using a semi-rigid neoprene washer. Do you think I should replace them with Nylon?

 

[WaterWalker]

The marks are more than likely in the mold that the parts are cast into. That area of the mold must have "slides" that pull out so the pins that make the holes can be retracted and the part removed. If it did not have slides the part could not be removed from the mold as designed. Another possibility if the "lines" are not the same on is that the liquid plastic might be making a knit line, the area where the liquid plastic comes around a pin and the leading edges of the flow meet and mend together. Nothing that I would worry about unless they creep (grow bigger) outward from the hole. The only problem I have had with plastic parts was the original WOT coil's waterproof tube, which had no UV stabilizers added to the plastic and the sun's rays caused cracks and the tube broke like a mirror would. And that was back in the 1990's. Trust Minelab and IF it is a problem down the road, keep copies of the emails and I am sure they will take care of anything that might break.