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.

 

[Monty]

Yes. Monty

 

[berkshiregold]

Cheap insurance!

 

[BIG61AL]

I have one and never use it. Dirt got in it and drove the signals crazy. I might use it if I was out in the desert with rocks.

 

[arizonaames]

Problem with the cover is that the coil attracts black sands. The black sands gets in under the coil cover and drives the detector nuts. I have one for the 6x10dd but took it off because of this happening again. I think that if I decide to use it, I will put a silicone sealer around the cover and the coil. This should protect the coil better and also keep the black sands from getting in between the coil and coil cover.....jim

 

[greydigger]

I haven't used mine in the ocean yet where sand could get in from the top but would probably take it off afterwards and hose everything down. I don't like the idea with the silicone because it would get condensation.
Just my 2 cents.

Grey

 

[mlayers]

yes put on a coil cover it will save the life of you coil and a lot cheaper...Matt

 

[Golden1]

Yes

G1

 

[trezurhunter]

I say Yes.

 

[extractor]

yes

 

[camperlee]

a coil cover is always nice to have handy in case you get caught in the rain and even good to keep your machine dust free.

 

[gleaner1]

I never use coil covers. Coil covers add weight. I cant stand 'em. Too hard to get off and clean. They might be good in some very unusual cases. If you are banging the coil against rocks so hard that it damages a quality coil, you might want to re-think about what you are doing in the first place. Coil covers should be the last thing to worry about.

 

[lumbercamp]

If you are referring to me I have no problem banging a quality coil against rocks. I find just as many relics with a banged up coil as I did when it was brand new. I don't detect well manicured lawns or tot lots, where in my opinion, it would be very difficult to do any damage to a coil, so no need for a cover. I do all of my digging in the woods where there are plenty of rocks to bang my quality coil into. I have found plenty of iron among rocks where they had dug old RR grades, old rocky lumber camp foundations, rocky spoil banks at old mining towns and just detecting on rocky hillsides. I'm not one to baby my detector. My first detector lasted 25 years of banging the coil on rocks and it didn't die from a banged up coil.

 

[camperlee]

wildheart. I started out using a cover but once I learned to keep the coil about an inch off the ground I stopped using it I had lots of problems with moisture
and dirt getting in between them and I think it really affected the way the machine worked. Lee

 

[gleaner1]

lumbercamp, interesting info. I wasn't referring to your response specifically. I saw a couple or three responses involving rocks and I never read the authors names, my first thought was rocks must be the worst enemy to coils. Its interesting to hear from guys that hunt the rocky stuff alot and still dont like covers. The last cover I used I had to hack-saw off the coil. That was 12 years ago. I just cant see any reason for the things.

 

[CanadianTrout]

When I bought my 250 online I called the dealer first to work out a bit of a deal. I was getting a Leche digger as well and wanted to see what else he had. While talking we worked out a deal and he threw the coil cover in for free. So I took it. Keep it on all the time except after a hunt when I clean my gear.

I hunt both tot lots, park grass and around woods and rocky river banks.

 

[hotrod53]

YES... no question. The coil takes a beating!

 

[brokenarrow]

ive always used a coil cover. its cheap insurance to protect your investment. coils arent cheap.

 

[longsocks]

used covers for 28 years cheap investment.. I just bought a fisher F - 70 and a coil cover for it... its reasonable to think if the cover takes a beating, and you didn't have one, that's what the coil will get . Cheaper to replace a cover than the cost of a new coil.. If your worried that a cover will prevent you from getting that extra half inch of depth, ya prolly wouldn't have found it any how..Also it only takes a few min to pull a cover off and remove whats under it once a week or month or what ever..

 

[RPG]

YES Much easier then replacing a Sliced Coil.

Just don't paste it fast.

No matter how well you think you've Done so, something will get in

And you will think your detectors Sensitivity went Bad.

Clean it out every night.

Why not paste it fast? If you use silicone to seal it, you would never need to take it off and clean it. Will this affect the performance of the unit?
Randy

 

[boogeyman]

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.

Always used covers. Put a spritz of static guard in the cover. Put the cover on then finger some silicone around the edges. Seals out the moisture fine magnetite etc. Cover can be removed after running an X-acto knife around it.