As BS posted “A straight shaft” provides a “huge” advantage because you can balance the unit out, otherwise the stock shaft leaves it front heavy and fatiguing."
Further, depending upon your height, you can sweep a wider sweep side to side significantly extending the area hunted on any trip. I use an Anderson composit tall man shaft as I am over 6 ft tall. Also, get your self a lower composit shaft as it is lighter than the stock lower rod.
The 8 inch Tornado DD coil which is stock on the Minelab ll 800 is actually 7.25 inches in diameter, there are 41.354 square inches under this search coil
The 10 inch Tornado DD coil which is stock on the Minelab ll 1000 sees 78.675 square inches under it.
In other words the 10 inch search coil covers approximately twice (1.902) times as much surface area as the smaller coil.
The advantage(s) of smaller coils are:
- They are more sensitive to smaller items such as gold chains, which are very difficult to detect unless there is a pendant or large clasp, oherwise it will only sense one link at a time - not the whole chain (unless the chain is lumped in a ball) .
- They are ideal between objects such as large rocks on the beach or bushes in a park.
- Ideal for trash areas as there will be less targets under a smaller search coil.
The advantage of larger search coil are:
- It allows you to hunt a larger area in a given hunt as there is more surface area under the coil.
- Allows you to detect deeper larger items.
As a rule of thumb, under Ideal conditions, you can approximate the maximum depth by adding 2 inches to the diameter of the search coil.
- Theoretically, You should be able to detect a US Quarter at 9.25 inch depth with the Tornado 8 inch coil (actually 7.25 inch diameter).
- Theoretically, You should be able to detect a US Quarter at 12.00 inch depth with the Tornado 10 inch coil.
Note: I used the US Quarter as that is the size coin that US coin detectors are often calibrated at.
Please be aware that the CZ 21 uses a concentric coil (cone shaped pattern) while the mine lab uses a DD coil (chopping knife pattern).
The advantage of the concentric pattern is that it is easier to pin point with as the target is in the center of the coil and it is supposed to detect deeper.
It's disadvantage is that you have to be very careful to overlap your sweeps or you will miss targets.
As the DD coil sees a chopping blade shaped pattern directly under it, it is easier to isolate multiple targets and overlapping sweeps is not as critical.
However, it is more difficult to pin point where the target actually is.
Happy Birthday:
I would go with the Minelab ll 800 or 1000 depending on where you hunt and what you are searching for.
I would definitely repair my CZ 21 as it has different capabilities.
Almost forgot , you can sweep a smaller coil faster than a larger coil as there is less work for the processor to do.
This allows you to selectively search a large area, as you only have to slow down where there are a lot of targets.
Okay so after,I get done hunting today,I'll make my decision
based upon the comments I get Excal 2 8 inch or 10 inch coil detector for my present
.I was gonna order the 10 inch CZ21 again,but thought I already have an 8 inch coil,so why not try the Beast out,like everyone,
hopefully I can learn that curve
everyone talks about..Should I get a straight shaft as well and coil cover??
And to shop around for the best prices Hopefully I find something good today,,HH
Happy Birthday!
