Minelab Excalibur 1000
Street Price $1000 - Beach, water
Number of Reviews: 51
on 6 pages.
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Excalibur 1000 in Hawaii
Ken in Kapolei, HI -
I've owned my Excalibur 1000 for 10 years now and I live in Hawaii. Here is Hawaii the all detectors have a hard time. I've also owned a White's Surf Master PI which had even more problems. My Excalibur has served me well here in Hawaii. The finds I have are to many to list. If you come to Hawaii please don't expect to find jewelry the minute you step in our waters, it just doesn't work that way. Somedays I don't find anything at all, but its not the detectors fault. The Minelab Excalibur 1000 is truly a great water machine to use and I won't be giving that up anytime soon.
Jul 20, 2009
17 Yes
3 No
LEARNING IS THE KEY!
M. McColley in Orlando, Florida -I purchased my Excalibur 1000 from Kellyco (Wanda is terrific)a few years ago before I even knew how a beach detector operated, just threw in my money and expected the gold to show up. The learning curve was so frustrating that the unit was for sale a couple of times that first year. Man am I glad nobody was willing to pay because it all changed as soon as I bought a book from a profesional treasure hunter and Excalibur master named Clive James Cylnick. My Gold, silver, watch and sunglass collection grows every time I go out! I've since read four books on the excal and beach hunting and just ordered his newest work. I mounted the unit on my lower back as described in his excal book and it's my baby. Changed out 2 knobs for larger ones (mode & sensitivity) and of course the straight shaft is a must. Head phone build quality sucks to be honest. Tape up the outer drain holes to seal in more sound. Love this detector, getting good at it. Buy the book and you will be WAY ahead of the game!
Jan 24, 2009
45 Yes
4 No
Great Unit
Sue McCool Coulombe in Paradise, California USA -Use it, enjoy it and never will you regret it... this metal Detector is wonderful, fun and something you will not want to put down. Too all the LBGT Comunity. I personally know a good about of couples who own the Minelab units. GO FOR IT, my friends. My partner & I love it. Susan McCool-Coulombe
Nov 21, 2008
5 Yes
26 No
THE BEST EVER ! ! !
Lynn McCool in San Ramon, Ca USA -This unit is very enjoyable to use. Perfect and Fun. Minelab is the best Lynn McCool
Nov 21, 2008
3 Yes
21 No
Minelab Excalibur 1000
Jerry in New jersey -I have used the Minelab excalibur for 10 years and have found coins from 1675 to 1800's. This machine is simply the best for finding coroded or salt disguised treasures. This machine does not waste your digging time which is crucial to a long day on the beach. Reliability 100% perfect with no failures. Try to find a used one for sale and see how well they hold there value !! Only serious detectorist need to buy this machine !!
Jul 10, 2008
78 Yes
8 No
A Flawed Masterpiece
O. Barnes in Madagascar -
I've been diving using U/W metal detectors for 35 years, and as concerns sensitivity and general detection ability, I like the Excalibur best. But having said that it is far from being a perfect machine, and strangely, Minelab doesn't seem interested in taking the steps necessary to improve its design - the 2008 model carries on the same problems as the previous generation. (I know numerous users have written to them on the following problems, as I have - this was confirmed to me during phone calls to MInelab some 4 years ago!). The major problems relate to the ergonomics of its design.
Basically the Excalibur it is a land use device that is waterproof. The balance and design is fine on land but but not a good U/W design. Even when using the short shaft underwater the weight becomes tiring on your arm. (just try lying on your stomach on the floor, hold the Excalibur in front of you with an outstretched arm and try sweeping the unit back and forth, then imagine trying to do that for an hour or more - this is basically what a diver has to do).
The problem is that the bulk of weight is too far forward of your hand. A better design would have been to have the battery pack and instrument pod positioned further back over your forearm.(I've actually done this modification to my unit and it is a BIG improvement).
The other point that Minelab don't understand is that the mounting of the battery pack and instrument pack either side of the tubing arm in a vertical plan actually creates a noticable drag when sweeping horizontally underwater. Again a layout of these two packs in a horizontal plane corrects this and makes the unit easier to handle underwater.
Finally as regards design flaws is the type of knob/shaft combination used on the controls. After some time the controls seem to become a little stiff and the knobs spin on the metal shaft. Especially underwater, when it is harder to feel the knobs slipping on the shaft, this can mean your detector is not actually set on the indicted setting.
As far as the electronics go I have nothing but praise except for one area. The battery charging system is something from the 1960's. NO battery charge indicator to let you know you are actually charging the unit whenever it's plugged in, and NO battery charge status indication. And the battery charger connection plugs for any underwater device released in 2008 is simply sub standard - basically they've just gone with the cheapest solution. (As an example of what they could have done my sealed unit electric toothbrush charges without any metal to metal contact - to charge just place the indentation in the base of the unit over a plastic knob on the charger - no chance of corrosion or bad connection and a seemingly ideal solution for any device that has to work underwater).
So in summary, a great unit as regards its detection ability, sensitivity and screening befitting a $1,000+ unit as long as you want to use it on the beach or wading in the water. But if you're working a wreck site it's a tiring unit for a diver to use underwater for extended periods. And the battery charge system is junk.
Jun 15, 2008
176 Yes
1 No
Junk=minelab excaliber
dave eithier in baltimore,md -
I didn't learn the first time, this is my 2nd one in 6 months they both work exactly the same, they don't. If you want to spend all your time fooling around adjusting and listening to a lot of undecernable noise that finds you nothing, then this is the machine for you (not to mention the weight of the thing)the dealers will tell you it's the best detector made and somehow people listen and put out the big bucks only to find out the only valuable thing this one will find is your wallet. I have been detecting for over 35 years, if you want an easy, super light, inexpensive, beach machine get the White Beach Hunter I.D. and really enjoy the hobby. I took this one from coast to coast in 07 and found so many goodies I can't list it all. Good luck.
Feb 25, 2008
73 Yes
31 No
Minelab Mysteries
6000 Di Pro in New Hampshire -In mid November of 2007 I bought a new Excalibur 1000 and in the beginning of Dec. I bought a used once Excal 800 for my son. Well first day out with the 1000 I found like 62 coins- I really like the way you can pretty much distinguish if the target is junk=a low bong sound or if its a coin with a high zing sound like. The Pinpoint feature helps out a lot on digging the target up usually on the first scoop.
The detector started to act up some on me for an unknown reason? Also the knobs on the control switch shafts are push on's and moved on me several times/not a set screw style like most other detectors have=I had to get my Gerber Multi-tool out to turn the detector off and reset another control/same thing on the 800 the control knobs spin on the shafts. Well i got it home and started to cleaning off the fine sand/Well I found a silver like chip that looked like wire on the battery wire 2" out from the battery towards the control unit and there was a chip of plastic missing that was 1/2 way through the battery pod.
Called the factory=Ended up sending the 1000 back. They replaced the battery pod and the wire from the battery to the control unit. I Got the unit back and used it again and the Sens. Control is messed up=Every time I'd move the sensitivity above say 12 O'clock position towards say 9 or into the Auto position it would go from a threshold sound to a Buzz after 15 seconds=Overloads 90% of the time rather I went up on the Sens. or lowered it towards the 12 O'clock position. Back to the factory it has gone again. I tried the 1000 in different places figuring electrical interference? Nope, still defective. The 800 would work fine after the Sens. knob was turned either way and in the same area as I tested the 1000/so that tells me the 1000 had a problem.
Other drawback I dislike about the Excal's is that when you go over iron it will Buzz letting you know you went over iron/but the tone will still stay buzzing until you go over a good target again. If you went over a good target it will sound and go right back to the threshold sound a few seconds later. Kinda defective design there if you ask me on the iron continuously buzzing.
I don't honestly believe the Excaliburs are worth $1,100+ USD. More like $7-800 would seem like it. I definitely wouldn't buy another one. $5-600 Maybe?? Not $1,200 that they want for them now.
Overpriced!!!
Feb 12, 2008
63 Yes
5 No
Excalibur is the best U/W detector
JIMABEACH01 in THE MIDWEST,USA -I have 7 excaliburs all with different coils for different locations. I have never sent one in for repair. I use my original unit the most (serial number 153) one of the originals...I prefer the originals as they have more better quality parts in them & were built better then the 800-1000. They also seem to be a hotter detector then the newer models. I have been into water hunting "big time" for over 12 years and had broke the 1400 gold ring count last year. I have also found thousands of silver rings. I do think they could improve on this detector by putting in a way to gauge battery life left but otherwise it is an excellent machine. (Duracell alkalines last about 8 hours, I have found out from experience) I do use a straight shaft on all of my machines and the new soverign shaft is a great straight shaft, I have broken many of so called Florida shafts so I do not prefer them. I have hunted in over 30 states, fresh & saltwater and 12 different countries. No problems!!! Great detector!!!
Jan 22, 2008
25 Yes
5 No
excalibur 1000
dave sorton in cape coral florida -The worst detector I ever bought, so much so that I just got 2 that were total junk, don't work properly underwater, 1st 1 didn't work at all. The second worked well on land but erratic in water "beware of this product"
Oct 31, 2007
19 Yes
22 No