Excal 1000 0r 800

[mrcolin2u]

I am about to purchase an Excalibur and I have almost decided on a 10"coil but wondered if anyone here has a 1000 and wishes they had an 800 or vice versa?
Thank you in advance for your replies.
Colin.

 

[cabochris]

If you will mainly hunt in the water go with the 800. In my group of hunters we find as much in the water with the 800 as with the 1000, despite the smaller ground coverage of the 800. We travel to the Caribbean to hunt and most now use 800 II. It is easier to control and pinpoints better in the water. But if you will mainly hunt sand/wet sand and occasionally surf, go with the 1000 II. Also some use the 1000 inland and I feel it is better for that then the 800. But if you will never go underwater, I would take a long look at the Sovereign and hip or chest mount it. You can change headphones and coils at will! With either Excalibur you will want an aftermarket balance rod or hip/chest mount. The factory set-up is not balanced very well. But you should be happy with either a 1000 or 800. CC.

 

[goldnugget]

Go for the 8 inch coil, I have no problem swing it and go real slow in the water,less drag. I live about 4 hours from the coast so when I go to the gym I swing 10 lb weights.-goldnugget,Charlotte,N.C.

 

[hershey1]

If you are going to dive I would think the 8 inch otherwise go with the 10 inch. I have no problem at all pin-pointing with the 10 inch. JMHO HH

 

[NamVetLesTreasureSeeker]

I have been an AVID WATERHUNTER and using EXCALS' since 2000!! I totally AGREE with CABOCHRIS'S Advice!! BEST OF LUCK, Les Robinson

 

[erikk]

IMHO & I have been an avid water hunter before there were dedicated water machines and the simple fact is that you want to get as much depth and coverage a you can. The way to do this is to use the largest coil you can physically handle which in my case is the WOT by Coilteck mounted on my excal's. I have not had any experience with the SEF coils so I cant comment on them but for the excal I like the WOT and on the Infinium the big DD and the Sea Hunter MK2 the big Concentric
The only advantage I can see in using the 8 inch is if you are going to be doing a lot of air travel but if that were the case I would still go with the WOT and a waterproof connector

 

[Tony in FL]

I believe the Excalibur's with the larger (10') coil hold there value better, probably because they are in higher demand and I think at one time there was even a retail price difference between the 800 and 1000 (older version). I am not saying that resale value should be your main deciding factor, but it may be something to consider when looking at all the pro's and con's of each choice. I have an Excalibur II 1000 and am glad I opted for the larger coil to maximize depth and coverage.

 

[pamlicopanther]

Is that the mod to the Excal that allows you to change coils in your picture?

 

[graytcote]

I would recommend the 10" unless you are diving. The 10" will cover more area on the beach and in the water. I use my Excal II with the 10" coil in lakes during the summer and it works great! Pin pointing is not a problem for me. Scooping does take a while to learn though. The Excal 800s have been back ordered at Minelab. I am still waiting on the ones I ordered at the beginning of April!
Check out my website for my package deal and my Excal Custom Straight Rods Page. Also visit my Excal Accessories Page which includes the new shaft locks, chest mounts, hip mounts, and knob guards.
Indian Nations Detectors

 

[erikk]

Is that the mod to the Excal that allows you to change coils in your picture?

Correct-waterproof connector from coiltek

 

[Finderskeeper]

The newer 10 inch coil on the Excalibur II 1000 is thinner than the older coil on either the older 800 or older 1000.

I had the older blue 800 and sold it to get an older blue1000. Both were brand new. When the new Excalibur II came out, I got the Excalibur II 800. I did not like the coverage on the beaches or in the water so I sold it and got the Excalibur II 1000. I really love the 1000. The iddy biddy coil on the 800 is just to darned small for me.

As far as swinging in the water with the 1000, the newest coils are a breeze to swing in the water. They are a lot thinner than the older coils. If you hunt water, you just can't have girly arms. It takes a good strong arm to move anything through the water for 8 or 10 hours at a crack.

I have absolutely no trouble pin pointing with any of the Excaliburs I've had or have. I guess it takes a bit of practice but for me, pin pointing is not an issue with the 10 inch coil.

I hunt during the winter the beaches and waters of Florida and in the summer the beaches and waters of Lake Erie. I probably spend more time than most hunting. It is an addiction I tell ya. Nothing like finding a gold and diamond ring worth a couple grand. Done that a few times. Rolexes are nice to find too. Did that only once.

Now that the oil spill in the Gulf has polluted the waters, I hunt the east coast of Florida along the treasure coast and the beaches of Miami and Daytona in the winter.

 

[muggsc]

8 to 10 hrs So you're the one that's been taking all the loot.

 

[pamlicopanther]

Thanks. Did you do that yourself?