what to look for when buying a used excal 2

[adamBomb]

I was looking for a PI but it turns out there is a used excal 2 in my area that I am going to check out tomorrow. If I can get it for a decent price it could be fun to MOD and test out compared to my CZ21. Anyway, I know these machines can have quality issues....So what should I look for when checking out the machine? All that I know is that it is out of warranty and has never been sent in for repairs.

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Check how it responds to quarter, nickle, gold ring and iron nail or screw in both desc and all metal.

Check the knobs and how easy they turn, do they stop at off position.

Look at the cable between controls and coil, is it in good condition or does it have spider cracks,? Check entire cable for any cracks.

Look at controls are there spider cracks in controls or battery case.

If they are all good then it is down to price... If you get it, send it in for maintenance, if your looking at mods then have them done since your already going to have controls open anyway. Have the o-rings replaced and you can have mods done at same time.

I recommend sending it to Kellyco repair center, they are an authorized Minelab repair center and they do excellent work...

 

[adamBomb]

Thanks for the tips. This was all very helpful and the recommendation to send to kellyco for tuning and mods is a great suggestion and something I would do if I get it. Now I assume cracks in the wires/box are a huge no no, right? Since that could mean water might be in there destroying the electronics? Should the knobs be a concern or just something that would be replaced? and if there are these problems how does that affect price?

The unit also does come with a straight shaft and the original.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Thanks for the tips. This was all very helpful and the recommendation to send to kellyco for tuning and mods is a great suggestion and something I would do if I get it. Now I assume cracks in the wires/box are a huge no no, right? Since that could mean water might be in there destroying the electronics? Should the knobs be a concern or just something that would be replaced? and if there are these problems how does that affect price?

The unit also does come with a straight shaft and the original.

Cracks means a potential of water intrusion, but not necessarily happen. Some people don't hunt past waist deep. If knobs are hard to turn could mean o-rings are drying out, that is easy and fairly cheap fix as are replacing the knobs....

O-rings should be checked and if you have mods done replace at same time as it is covered under labor for mods and o-rings are about $10 with out labor if I remember correctly.

Cracks in cable only usually means cable is going bad, water can get in and when you go in water if controls are hot from sitting in a hot car when it his cool water it acts like a vacuum sucking water up cable. It doesn't happen instantly and is rare but potential is there if cable isn't replaced.

If mods are done at Kellyco it will come back more waterproof than new from factory. Techs there are retired naval aviation maintenance officer and retired NASA shuttle tech. They are more than qualified to work on detectors...

 

[penzfan]

If you send it to Kellyco, give Rusty Henry a call first. Let him know what you have and what you're looking to do with the Excal and he'll take good care of you.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

There is no rusty working in kellyco repair, it is Dave or Barry in repair center and jemia does paperwork...

 

[adamBomb]

I did have a chance to look at the unit tonight. It looks nice but was salty/sandy so I know its not really cleaned well. A few knobs were hard to turn. My only concern was that there were some spider cracks in the main units plastic around the bolts. I am not sure how much of a problem that really is.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Spider cracks on wings where bolts or clips go on both battery and controls is not unusual and not a big deal, its spider cracks in control pod or battery pod that you want to be concerned about....

 

[penzfan]

My mistake TH, thinking about Tesoro. Dave and Barry are also experts in relation to Minelabs...

There is no rusty working in kellyco repair, it is Dave or Barry in repair center and jemia does paperwork...

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

My mistake TH, thinking about Tesoro. Dave and Barry are also experts in relation to Minelabs...

Your right, I talked to Rusty for about an hour one day, he is an expert when it comes to Tesoro..👍

 

[MrMikeJackie]

Just my two cents, you have a fisher CZ21 (awesome&deep) so do you really need the Excal? Get a PI and find what the Fisher/Excal would both miss. If it's a matter of want, well then get the Excal and mod the heck out of it.

 

[Mach1Pilot]

I second the making sure the knobs stop turning at their normal stop points. Some of the controls can be forced past a stop, requiring a replacement of that pot. Generally the parts aren't overly expensive, but the labor can add up. this is more of a problem when oversize knobs have been added to replace the smaller Minelab knobs.

 

[adamBomb]

Just my two cents, you have a fisher CZ21 (awesome&deep) so do you really need the Excal? Get a PI and find what the Fisher/Excal would both miss. If it's a matter of want, well then get the Excal and mod the heck out of it.

Agreed. I do not need it. It was just a good deal with someone living a few mins from me and I thought it would be fun to mod. Having said that, I did not buy it. He was the 2nd owner and I was not convinced it was taken care of. It was a few years old, never sent in for maintenance, and I just didnt get the best feeling when I tested it. I probably saved myself about $1500 because I would have bought it, sent it in for repairs, and done some mods. I might as well just buy a new one and do the mods if I am doing all of that. Anyway, I am back to the PI. Probably going garrett SH2. Its cheaper than the whites, has more depth than the sand shark, and has interchangeable coils. I think it will work well at wrightsville beach and in the water. I dont think it will work at the other beaches around me (ie topsail/carolina) as I ignore tons of iron scraps on those beaches.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

Sea Hunter is a great machine, indestructible. I particularly like that you can change coils. Seems like Garrett is only the company that can get that right. However the Whites is just a monster on deep gold. Good luck on whatever choice you make.