Coil Cover - yes or no?

[wildheart]

Newbie here, wanting to know opinions on coil covers. I got a new Ace 250 for Xmas, and since I'm up in the frozen north, won't likely be taking it out for a few months yet. Meanwhile, am wondering if I should buy a coil cover for it. I'll be using it with the standard 4 x 9 it came with. Any opinions? Thanks.

 

[The Master Chief]

Coil covers are a must.

 

[undertaker]

Cover it. Covers for the Ace are affordable and don,t hurt performance. Ive got one and other than a few scratches its held up great.

 

[littletwig]

Personally I think coil covers are worthless. I bought my Ace 250 in Oct of 2006 and damaged the coil by banging it against rocks so much that wires were exposed. I bought a new coil and coil cover which was only a thin piece of brittle plastic. The coil cover didn't last long against rocks and once again pieces of plastic chipped off the bottom of the coil. I tried repairing it with epoxy, but it only chipped out . I then put roofing tar where the plastic and epoxy chipped out. It never solidified so I wrapped duct tape around it. It hasn't affected the performance at all. Three quarter of my outside coil has tar and tape on it and a few inches of the inner coil. The picture shows the epoxy and areas where the epoxy chipped out.

Man it looks like you suffer from COIL RAGE.

I always use a coil cover. Much cheaper than a new coil.

 

[crazyjarhead]

I never use one because if you are supposed to hunt 1/2 to 1 inch above the ground, what's going to tear it up?

 

[goodmore]

Yes to the cover. When I see coils for sale on the web people want to see pictures of the bottom of the coil. No scratches are always asked for. Protect your resale $$$. I have never seen a coil that beat up by the way. And I always drag my coil across the ground. Why give up an inch? Why bear the full weight?

 

[BuckleBoy]

Here's my issue with coil covers: In the decade and a half I've had a coil cover, I only had a few light scratches, total. If those scratches had ended up on the coil, big deal.

For those that tear up a coil like the one pictured above, then no coil cover is going to protect against that type of damage.


-Buck

 

[thompy]

id say it depends on the coil, i beat my t-2 coil in the rocks and woods, sometimes its a weed wacher but i have only 3-4 light scratches, i no longer use the covers, gotten enough stuff in the covers to ruin a hunt and wondering what was wrong, olny to find dirt in the coil

 

[coin hunter]

Try this. Cut a rubber hose in half,I use clear. Next cut on inner curve of the hose. Place over coil and tape leaving the open ends of the hose exposed so you can flush it later if dirt does get in it. When metal detecting it leaves the coil about 1/4 inch off the ground which is recommended anyway and the sides of the coil won't be damaged. Does this effect depth ,I don't think so.Check out my finds using this method.

 

[CWnut]

Have you ever noticed that whenever anyone is trying to sell a used detector, most everybody wants to see a pic of the bottom of the coil?

A coil cover will help increase the resell value of your detector.

 

[godisnum1]

Yes to the cover. When I see coils for sale on the web people want to see pictures of the bottom of the coil. No scratches are always asked for. Protect your resale $$$. I have never seen a coil that beat up by the way. And I always drag my coil across the ground. Why give up an inch? Why bear the full weight?

 

[R-bass]

Hey a coat of wax on a car helps protects the finish well why not a coil cover 20$ investment also helps with resale value

 

[utah1066]

Welcome to Tnet yes use a cover and have a great hunt come spring

 

[glasskeeper]

I use a coil cover on my Ace 250. Hunting in cornfields and on rocky lakeshores can be a little rough on a detectors coil and it doesn't seem to hinder the performance. Let the cover take the abuse not the coil.
Jim

 

[Lowbatts]

I found I could not remove the coil to clean it on one of my CZ's. The tolerances must be rocket-science tight. Wound up breaking the cover to get it off. Had a lot of grubby hard dust in there, found the other coils to be as tight and as full of dirt. Never put them back on, either. Got countless hours on those coils and they're still fine.

Now, Duct Tape? Duct tape is metallic and will reduce your detector's performance, possibly driving it crazy depending on the particular composition of the tape.

 

[47thelement]

I always use protection!

 

[lumbercamp]

As crappy as my coil is and as much duct tape I have on it, the performance hasn't gone down. I still find tiny pieces of wire, bullets, small nails and yes occasionally pull tabs deep in the woods. I 'm still sticking to the no coil cover needed.

 

[Dirt Fishin Dale]

Lumbercamp
Whoever goes hunting with you must be brave. Are those coil damages also from shin hits?
Great way to claim your area

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Yes.



Ray S

 

[greydigger]

I use a cover and also don't split firewood with my coil.

Maybe if I scrubbed the rocks it would wear the coil but I clear them with my feet if they will move.

If not I stay an inch or so away.

Grey

 

[Yellow Hammer]

Down here in the So California desert I would not be with out one. Unlike where you are located it never gets frozen. Today it's 59deg and rain but last week it was 85deg so we hunt all year long and I go thru 3 covers a year. You should never hunt with out a cover. I would hate to ruin a 600.00 18" coil.