passing along some info. i got from minelab usa - yesterday

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

i emailed them and told them i was going to send in one of my excals for some mods. i wanted to add the phone plug so i could switch phones to my gray ghosts and make a coil change.............................oh boy

here is the reply i got back..........................could be maybe they are thinking about a newer model coming out .................who knows....................
"Hi Mr. Braithwaite,

You have a real problem. We no longer modify any minelab product. Which means we do not put on any one else’s

Coil or modify units with headphone disconnects. The brass decided at the first of the year, no modifications, only

Stock.

Sorry, you can always call management, but so far it has not changed.

Best Wishes,

Robert"




B U T

Mr Bill from surfscanner detectors saw the post and said he would make the head phone changes for anyone, so that is not so bad now.

good luck

 

[FloridaBill]

Will that void the warranty though?

Mr Bill from surfscanner detectors saw the post and said he would make the head phone changes for anyone, so that is not so bad now.

 

[FloridaBill]

What's going on with Minelab? I just saw this on another forum, and I have heard from a friend that it took over four months to get his machine fixed and back to him !!!

You can't Buy the Extended 2 year Warranty for the Minelab Excalibur II any more. It comes with a one year Warranty only and thats all you can get. But on all of the other ones they will give you a 3 year Warranty now. I dont like this at all.

Tom

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

probably will

yes bill i guess it would

one would have to ask minelab for certain.

 

[erikk]

I have the extended warranty on mine. Does this just apply to any new sales?

 

[FloridaBill]

I have the extended warranty on mine. Does this just apply to any new sales?

Pete, I just high-jacked the guys post I would imagine it is new policy on machines bought now

 

[gravediggermax-vabeachva]

bill i think something is getting ready to happen

maybe new model will be coming out soon

or who knows, we will have to sit back and see

i have heard of some long waits for sure

 

[FloridaBill]

it will be interesting to see

My beachhunter300 (year old) leaked and I had to send it back to White's under warranty. Not even a two week turn around and I have in my hands another brand spanking new detector. I hunt 3 or 4 times a week (always in the water) six to seven hours a day (year round) and I am in some of the saltiest water the Gulf has to offer so I give them a work out.....

Thanks White's your #1

 

[coolpix9]

I'll bet you someone has hired an attorney after a modification. I would think they(Minelab) are covering their a$$e$ in case of litigation. Just a thought, there are some crazy people out there. Cheers, Jim

 

[davest]

isn't or hasn't Minelab been internationalized? (current word for made in China). Face it, the old time warranties have gone the way of the old time jobs. No one wants to make a product that is gonna possibly cost them fifty dollars to fix down the road, it just isn't cost effective.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Minelab is still Australian, like every thing else some electronic components come from China, but they are still assembled in Australia.

Maybe ML owners should start emailing the home office with our dissatisfaction with the way it is headed.

Bill, the reason I traded my BHID was it leaked twice on me, traded it in on my first Sovereign GT.

 

[EZrider]

100% Made in the USA

 

[COTTON]

Ezrider -very very nice i also am a big fan of the older Ford. Minelab.has made alot of changes they had to down size,I still cant under stand why they let Sandy go,She was a lot better than the one they have there now.The one they have there now taking Sandys place is just a CPA.Now they let Dick go.Whats up with that.Im Glad i had all my Mods.done when Dick was still the main man. Anyone wanting to buy some Excalls an a GT,,,,,Cotton

 

[JP]

I sent my Excal to the shop in January. It had problems because of the headphones. I requested if they could put an adapter so I could change out the headphones. Robert explained to me that they no longer were able to make changes like that. He was very nice about it. I received my machine back around 3 weeks after I sent it in. The repair man also did some extra work for me without any charge. (for ex. put a new connection and wiring for the battery connector)

I'm sure just like every place that one deals with that there are good days and bad ones. The changes that we all are wanting are aftermarket changes. That's where others come in and offer us things like different shafts, etc.

I was also told that the number one reason that repairs are needed by a majority of Excals sent in are because of the unit being installed on a hip mount.

 

[digum smacks]

i called and asked the same thing 2 weeks prior.i have a brand new machine and ext warentee.no longer i chopped it up and put a 15"wot coil on.no more warentee for me.i believe its a real peice of you know what. i cant speak for any other of minelabs products because i havent used them.but this i know the excals suck,i dont know what the heck i was thinking.getting another one i guess desperation cause someone stole my garrett and i wanted something now.perfect situation i was digging a target last night and i knew it was a dime but next to it was a beer can,so i decided to dig and move the beer can well it wasnt a beer can.it was a big silver.so i went ashore grabbed a beer can dropped it and a couple feet away i dropped the ring.scanned them both they sounded "EXACTLY"the same.i actually slammed my scoop and wanted to wrap that machine around a tree.what else am i missing i will tell you alot of gold.this thing wants to get me in anger management program.i have a deep hatred for these machines.my garrett infinium was way better than this garbage.never again

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Diggum,

Some times a beer can will sound the same as silver, it depends on the alloy they have in the can.

I have owned 2 Excal 1000s, still own 1, and I own 2 Sovereign GTs, one has been water proofed. I don't know if there is a problem or if there is a problem what it is, but I have no problem with any of my Minelabs.

I have had good luck with my excals in the past, found nice gold and no problem recognizing it as gold when I found it , and I would not hesitate to own another one.

I currently use the water proof sovereign gt, (basically same as excal but tones are sweeter) with the 15 inch WOT as my primary water detector and I love it. I have no fear at all that I am missing any gold as I walk by swinging the coil. July 4th 2008 I found 5 rings on the beach with it and every one screamed gold...........

 

[FloridaBill]

The changes that we all are wanting are aftermarket changes.

Correct and it too bad that these companies, all of them don't take notice and start giving all the things that everyone changes anyway like the straight shafts.....

 

[Clyp]

Take a look at this-

After this kind of revenue

ACQUIRING metal detection company, Minelab, has given electronics manufacturer Codan a huge lift.
The Newton company yesterday reported a 44 per cent increase to $6.7 million in net profit after tax for the half-year ended last December. Managing director Mike Heard said the result was very pleasing in ``challenging times''.
Minelab is contributing above the level of the business level which justified our acquisition,'' he said. ``It's performing well.''
_________________________________________________
They still have the %alls to say this on their website

For 50 years, we have earned a reputation for unsurpassed quality and customer
service in the most demanding environments on earth.

lets all email this guy
peter.charlesworth@minelab.com.au General Manager of Minelab
I can't find the emai addy for Mike Heard the GM of Codan.

 

[FloridaBill]

yeah well since they changed hands unfortunately its not from Metal Detector sales !!! We are probably like a dot on the I to a huge company like that, they could care less about a lone guy out there with a metal detector.....

 

[NGE]

Sure glad I bought a "First generation Explorer XS" there is only one minor glitch that I have noticed, but I can live with that! Every now and then, when I pick it up from the ground, it will change modes on me, must be a loose wire where the connector attaches to the connector that is coming from inside the box, I just reset to the previous program and keep on hunting! Since I have owned this machine, I have added the SunRay X1 probe, 2 weeks ago I added the 11 inch "DD" Pro coil, and just last night fabricated a solid coil cover for the "DD" coil, also I fixed my minor problem of the upper shaft coming loose from the control box. In my quest to see how things were made throughout my life, I have disassembled many things that I couldn't figure out how to put back together, so therefore I have boxes and boxes of itsy bitsy screws and such, some are self tapping others are machine threads. I disconneted and removed the upper shaft from the control box, then re-assembled it without the connectors in the way, (heaven forbid I drill into them wires!) I drilled three itsy bitsy holes through the plastic on the control box and into the aluminum upper shaft, and put three itsy bitsy machine threaded screws into these holes and snugged them up, then sealed all around my repair area with silicone sealer. I do not have to enter this area for coil changes since I have another lower shaft with my 7.5 inch coil attached and I disconnect at the switch box on the SunRay X1............NGE