As for CTX issues: Original stock coil went bad within a month, dealer swapped me his coil. I had some weird pin point issues but discovered it was a frequency issue with another CTX, at least after changing freq it cleared up. It would lock the machine up.
Lower shaft was wearing and getting wobbly around the clamp joint. Took it all apart to see what the issue was and then talked to someone at Minelab, who told me taking it apart was a technical violation of the warranty, but they sent me some rubber bushings to go inside the clamp area. Put them in and it worked well. I think the wear issue is from my sort of balancing myself with the machine while I dig a plug with the shovel left handed.
It froze up a couple of times, like maybe 3 in 2 years, but just took battery out and back in and it restarted.
Large coil now seems to take about 15 to 20 mins to get it's act together after turning on. Weird tones, no depth readings, no numbers, but icons in right places, and after about 15 minutes it usually figures out what it is supposed to be doing and runs correctly. I noise cancelled several times, restarted several times, checked connections several times, added the electrical grease inside the pin holes on the connections and still it is having issues. Going to swap big coils with someone to see if it is the coil again. I thought for a while it was other machines, Fisher F5 and F75, but it does it while I am solo also. Funny, it started doing this right after I got a new F75 Ltd. SE for a backup in trashy places. She may be jealous. I will plug it back into the PC today and see if it clears up also.
One time it was doing weird crap and I plugged it in the PC and the next day it was fine.
As for shovels I use an Ace hardware Floral shovel ($26 and 10 year warranty!!!!!) that I welded 5" wide by 6" tall quarter inch plates across the back and up the back a bit. Went through 4 sets of them before I welded it. I bought pairs of them as they broke regularly right in the middle, and got embarrassed swapping them out every 4 months for new ones. So the welding job, hasn't failed since. I know, I know, the shovel looks bad but I need something to lean on and I hunt demolitions almost exclusively and even on those I make a big effort to cover the holes.
I really dont like going in parks anymore as there are so darned many busy body "I am in charge, Affirmative Action appointees" that want to demonstrate their authority and lack of statute knowledge. I dont need the hassle.
Anyway, almost 16,600 coins dug in 2 years, not counting all the pieces of junk, rings, foreign coins, etc.. The CTX is a great machine!
