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Running Your Coils Without Covers

F

fsa46

Member
I'm curious as to how many run their coils without covers ?

I have covers for my coils, but every time I remove them to clean them, ( especially my 950 ), there is moisture and dirt . I do a lot of early morning MDing right now and with the wet grass I always have a moisture issue that turns the dirt to mud. I prefer not to silicone them so I just removed the cover and like it a lot better.
 
I use bed liner spray from PEP Boys. I coat the bottom and sides of my coil with it. Basically everywhere a coil cover protects. I beach hunt and coil covers are a nuisance. Taking them off and cleaning them out is time consuming and a pain. After a while they crack or just don't fit as tight and then you have more problems. The bed liner spray wears very well. Touch it up at the end of the detecting year and you are good for the following. Silicone on the cover looks like crap compared to bed liner spray. It peels and allows the stuff to collect anyways. I have done probably 15 coils and never had a problem. The latest one I have done is on my AT Pro. The way that coils is designed it gathers loose grass from the morning dew like crazy. With bed liner spray I hose it off and done. Does bed liner spray void a warranty? Once I'm sure the coil works from the factory I have never had a problem with it after that.

Lightly sand the coil before you apply. I mask off any stickers on the top and put the wire in a plastic bag. I mask off where the wire goes into the coil. Flip the coil upside down on a cardboard box and spray away. Three coats about a half hour between each one. Let it harden for 72 hrs. After that one light coat a season.

And if you want to see what it looks like I have an S-12 coil for sale in the Accessory classifieds. The top of page 2 for the time being.
 
goodmore said:
I use bed liner spray from PEP Boys. I coat the bottom and sides of my coil with it. Basically everywhere a coil cover protects. I beach hunt and coil covers are a nuisance. Taking them off and cleaning them out is time consuming and a pain. After a while they crack or just don't fit as tight and then you have more problems. The bed liner spray wears very well. Touch it up at the end of the detecting year and you are good for the following. Silicone on the cover looks like crap compared to bed liner spray. It peels and allows the stuff to collect anyways. I have done probably 15 coils and never had a problem. The latest one I have done is on my AT Pro. The way that coils is designed it gathers loose grass from the morning dew like crazy. With bed liner spray I hose it off and done. Does bed liner spray void a warranty? Once I'm sure the coil works from the factory I have never had a problem with it after that.

Lightly sand the coil before you apply. I mask off any stickers on the top and put the wire in a plastic bag. I mask off where the wire goes into the coil. Flip the coil upside down on a cardboard box and spray away. Three coats about a half hour between each one. Let it harden for 72 hrs. After that one light coat a season.
Click to expand...

Great advice right here:detecting:
 
Some of those who dont use covers feel like its just part of the hobby.... maintenance and up keep to buy new coils. Some look at it as ... if i buy a used coil and its all scratched up we some how didnt get our moneys worth. Ive always liked the bed liner idea thou never used it. Anyone using a ML knows it takes very little between the coil and cover to affect depth and TID.. not to mention the air gap and additional 1/8th of an inch. Im sure the industry has thought of using something like RHINO liner... but then it would be an accessory we wouldnt buy. Anyone that uses a Pro coil surely has thought about it.... man take a look at that coil cover. Why was that thing not FLAT.

Dew
 
Hi fsa46, I find that after many years of detecting, that for me, coil covers are more trouble than they are worth. I don't beach hunt, and most all the terrain I hunt is free of rocks and any real abrasive or sharp edge material to damage a coil.I don't "scrubb" my coil as some do going after that added depth. Some of my coils came with covers and some didn't and I still use some of those that came on the smaller coils, but the larger ones I remove and no longer use. Removing that tiny bit of weight from the larger coils adds greatly to the ease of my swing and is every bit worth any scratches to be had . From what I see it would take the "average" person swinging a coil, probably a hundred years to wear a coil to any amount to need to be replaced. That may be a bit of a stretch ,but that's the way I see it.The advantages of going coverless are just to many for me not to run that way.Some covers are a real pain to take off, some won't stay on, and if you get slack and don't clean them after every hunt you will find that you should have, and always be wondering what that crap under the cover caused you to miss.JMHO, but covers are nothing but a pain in the butt in "most" situations,I still use some of the covers on my small coils, but those hard to remove are gone soon as I get them off. HH Charlie
 
I use covers and to tell you the truth, I really don't think that they are needed for most conditions. If you do small coil/course gravel detecting, yes. Normal grass and dirt,no.
 
I remember watching the cover of my SEF heading for the deep blue. Funniest thing I ever had happen to me beach hunting. I just smiled and waved good-bye. I have sold used coils with covers on the entire time and I have sold coils with bed liner spray or nothing at all on them. Usually a used coil is a used coil. Notice I did not say abused coil. They fetch the same amount. In my opinion coil covers are a money maker for the manufacturers.
 
I have to agree with Scott, under most conditions, they are not needed. Back in the old days when the coils were made of thin plastic and you hunted in rough or abrasive ground, yes they were needed. Now most coils are made with tougher plastic, epoxy filled and epoxy exposed and the chances of wearing one out are pretty slim IMHO. If I spent most of my hunting in sand or gravel, I would probably use one but what a hassle cleaning the things after every use.
 
Well, I've seen this subject come and go fairly often over the last couple of years. I don't find cleaning a cover to be all that big a thing from time to time, so I use them. However, I'm not about to argue the point with those that say they don't need them for most of the hunting they do as grass, less abrasive soils and no rocks or sand generally don't cause a problem. Bottom line IMHO is if you like them, use them. If you don't, then don't. I don't think either choice is a serious right or wrong.
BB
 
My Garrett's Infinium got a little heavy for me the last time I had it out for a short 2-3 hour salt water hunt with the brand new 11X14" Mono Coil.

This AM I decided to take it out again to see if somehow I might find a more easier way of handling it and perhaps do some wet sand hunting too.

I happened to look at the bottom of the coil and imagine my surprise when I found this!!!!!!!!!!!!

[attachment 203733 LostRings020Large.jpg]

[attachment 203734 LostRings023Large.jpg]

[attachment 203735 LostRings025Large.jpg]

The coil was scuffed through in several places where the plastic seems to be very thin and there is nothing inside it but a hollow space as far as I can see!

I have many hundreds of hours of water hunting behind me with the five water machines I own, but have never had a coil show so much wear so fast.

It's as if the bottom covering was being eaten away on just about the whole coil!!

The surface is not even uniformly scuffed in that the original shiny finish is largely still there and yet the plastic is gone on the edges where the bottom plate attaches!

I was planning the "Bed Liner Spray" covering as protection as I have in the past, but wanted to be sure the coil was alright first as it was a new one!!

I have an E-mail w/pics into Garrett and am awaiting a reply!!

Wish me luck,

CJ
 
I've heard several stories of coils worn thru by abrasive sand which is one reason I prefer to use covers although when using a cover one should be aware of the possibility of falsing if not cleaned regularly. I'm hoping that Garrett comes through for you - were you hunting in water when this wear occurred?
BB
 
UGH !!! that post by cupajo says it all as to why I use covers,I'm one of those that won't buy a detector with a scuffed up coil.I baby my detectors,and take care of it.To me its like buying a new car and never washinig or waxing it or cleaning inside of it. Your not going to buy a vehcle not taken care of right? same witha detector IMHO. But this question will be asked a million times and you will get as many different answers.And it will be to each his own
 
I look at it like a guy said on another forum " I use bed liner spray. If I ever wear a coil out I'll sell a ring." Both sides of the issue have been well stated. I will add one final thing. When a coil cover becomes loose get another one. Don't put it on with zip ties. You are going to have to clean it out in there.
 
As I mentioned above, I was water hunting for 2-3 Hours to assure myself that the new coil was functioning properly.

My intention was to coat the coil for protection after I determined it was OK.

After that day I set it aside until yesterday AM when I was stunned to find the extent of damage caused by scuffing the coil on our local stony bottom.

This is the first time since 1982 that I have ever seen such destruction in such a short time!

My experience is based on using 5 water machines in this same hunting ground from a variety of manufacturers (mostly Garrett's) and coils.

Thanks for your replies.

GL&HH Friends,

CJ
 
Hi Cupajo, If I read your post(s) correctly I didn't see that you said you had used all the previous coils "coverless," so I may not be understanding the whole situatioin, as to how we could make a comparison between the lack of wear on the previously used coils and the wear on the new "coverless" coil. Whatever thoughts we can gain from it all, we know , as well as do those folks making coils, that some formulas are proven to be better at wear resistance than others. I think we can now safely say that the formula used on your new coil will "necessitate" the use of a "cover", thus pretty much making sure of the sale of covers, and easing folks of that ole nasty question of wheather to go coverless or not,,,, at least for one coil anyway,,,,and maybe giving us a hint of even more lesser same type coils to come,,,, thus solving the coil cover delima for us all. lol, and Good luck !! HH Charlie
 
That is just an opinion.
 
Hi Charley,

I have only used a cover on one of my numerous coils, the Dual Field.

All the others were "coated" with plasticoat or (only one) with bed liner spray.

I even taped clear vinyl plastic tubing over a couple back in the '80s.

They were only covered after I used them long enough to be certain they worked as they were supposed to.

Thanks for your reply,

CJ
 
Iam a newbie so I have never use a coil cover. But I do see myself geting one for my XLT in the future. I know white company has them for cheap.
 
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