Saving up

[Sailorman]

Been doing a little beach hunting with both the AT-Pro and Etrac and doing fairly good but......

I'm saving for a dedicated water machine and I'm torn three ways. PI like a Garrett Sea Hunter is tempting but where I may be in a few years the beaches are sometimes pretty trashy. A CZ-21 or Excal are on top of my list but my concerns are durability. I realize the differences between PI and VLF.

Now, I'm not looking for brand wars or anything but I may be headed for a somewhat remote location for an extended (as in years) period of time and sending a unit in for repairs is going to be an ordeal. Still, want to take a good beach, wading, diving machine with me.

Now I know everything electronic is going to die one day but let's face it some are more durable then others. So, if you were headed into something like this which might you prefer from your experiences? I'm less worried about how cutting edge the electronics are or how many bells and whistles it has or even if I have to end up digging all the trash with a PI as I am with sheer dependability. I'll have the time to run it here for a while but once I go, if it all comes together, it's going to be a long wait if it needs service. It's in a tropical environment and I will be diving and wading a lot. There probably will be few US coins but a mix of stuff to find from tourist drops to WWII stuff.

So my impressions, which may be totally wrong and need correcting, are that the Excals seem a bit more prone to needing service then the CZ's and the Sea Hunter. The Sea Hunter seems to have a rep for durability above the others. Just looking for experiences and advice. I'll live with the choice I make and learn the machine well just want to make a well informed choice.

 

[tvr]

So my impressions, which may be totally wrong and need correcting, are that the Excals seem a bit more prone to needing service then the CZ's and the Sea Hunter.

I have not had a Sea Hunter; have had a CZ20 for several years and an Excal for just over a year and a half. Both were bought used. I've replaced O-rings on the Excal battery pod due to a little water seeping in and have done nothing to the CZ other than replacing the alkaline batteries when they are shot.

So, that is a very small sample of data for you.

May want to see if there is a dealer anywhere near where you plan to be. That may make any returns for repair a little less painless if there is a dealer who could help.

Good luck with your choice.
Cheers,
tvr

 

[scubadetector]

LOVE my CZ. Never had an Excal but heard there are more problems with them and the repair time I heard was also bad. BUT thats hearsay. I had problems with my CZ's and have had them repaired. First Texas has gotten a LOT better taking care of their people. I love to hipmount my machine and it seems the Excal with its long tube would be a pain. BUT thats my opinion. I am in FRESH water though and I love how silent my machine is. The Excal loves to make noise.

Either machine will find what your after. I have a friend that swears by his Excal. He wades, I dive.

 

[Smudge]

Here are my suggestions, based on your criteria:

If I was taking a dependable PI detector, I would take either the Garrett Sea Hunter or the Tesoro Sand Shark, with the Sand Shark being my preferred choice as I believe it is more sensitive to smaller targets. Both are built like tanks.

If I was taking a VLF detector, my first choice would be the CZ-21, followed by the Excal as a distant second due to quality and repairs issues that Minelab has had of late and are well documented on the forums.

Those are my personal suggestions based on my experience with all of the above machines.

Good luck on your final choice and have a safe trip.

 

[MHirschmann]

My apologies, but I have to agree with several of the above comments. I have owned 4 excals and currently own 3. They are great machines and built very well. I have had to send one in before and turn-around time was excellent. Minelab used to be slow with returning excals but they have improved tremendously. Most, if not all, issues that I have seen people have with excals are due to neglect. As with any water machine, you should wash and maintain your excal every time you get out of the water. I have never had leaks of any kind and that is because I wash my machine off every time I get out of the water and then I use silicone spray (made for scuba equipment) on all rubber on the machine. Maintenance is important for every machine and if you dont take the time, it will fail. Good luck on your choice. I am very biased towards the Minelabs as I have had tremendous success with them over the past few years but I have heard good things about the other brands mentioned as well. Good Luck and HH -Marc

 

[mikeothmer]

If I was you I would get something that best fits your needs now. Learn the ins and outs of you machine and then when your situation changes either keep your machine or trade into what ever best fits your new needs. No one machine does it all . Most machines hold their value well and would be good trading property when the time comes. To buy a machine today that might fit your future needs doesn't sound like a great plan to me. If the machine you buy and use in your current conditions works well for you it will more than likely pay for it's self leaving you free to purchase. what ever you want when your needs change