Minelab Excalibur 1000

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

86 Yes
8 No

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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

200 Yes
2 No

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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

75 Yes
37 No

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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

73 Yes
5 No

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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

30 Yes
5 No

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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

22 Yes
30 No

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I love my Excalibur 1000s

Treasure_Hunter in Orlando, Fl USA -
I love my Excalibur 1000 so much that the back up for my Excal is another Excal 1000.

I have owned one for about 11 months and the other for 2 months and I have had no break downs or problems with either one.

Suggestions.

1. Get rid of the stock S shaft and get a balanced straight shaft. I use the Florida Straight Shaft.

2. Get a long handle big scoop for those deep targets in the water.

Sep 10, 2007

32 Yes
4 No

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Very Good Machine

Bert in Hawaii USA -
When I first used the Excalibur 1000 I considered it as a fair machine but as I learned more about the Excalibur, the more I like it. I now considered it to be an exceptional machine.
To get good results I would turn up the sensitivity all the way, without going to Auto. Then set the threshold until there it little threshold tone or just turn it a little above threshold until it is silent.
What I also found is that the target tone is very different from all types of tone one may come across. So even if there is a lot of noise that is not targets you will definitly know. The target tone is a low hum very different from other signals. I have a CZ20 and it is a good machine but if I was to get another water machine it will be an Excalibur 1000.

Aug 21, 2007

15 Yes
0 No

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slow down part two

jw slow down 2 in jw sayrville nj -
made adjust ments to excalibur 1000 with new hand rod from Kellyco for the 1000 it balances will now and easier to handle.
went to same location off LBI this time found silver dollar, silver dollar size civil war botton, found solid gold botton, three rings, one was 4K ruby 14 band 2 sinkers, barber dime 1911 and a 1913 wheat great shape
from some of the complaint that I have read it seems that those units maybe lemons. So far been using my minelab 1000 three weeks and found it much better than the others with one same flaw, light beach hunter they have the lights , but you have to get use to the music. again I like all my other machines dfx, mine se, beach hunter and new kid on the block 1000, after these pass weeks 1000 is my number #1 machine in water and dfx #1 on land love that pin point for dfx. In the water 1000 and locks on to the target GREAT!
jw slow your swings down .

small story! watch other detector people work their machines went over the same spots 1 hour later, found over 15 dollars in change with the dfx, slow down or someone like me will have the rewards been detecting for 7 years seen them all good lock!

Jul 09, 2007

17 Yes
7 No

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slow down

jw in sayrville nj -
please to say that testing the minelab se, whites dfx, whites beach hunter , and finally minelab 1000.
a) whites beach hunter is a good metal detector a little bit light in the nose and it dose not lock on to target as hard as the minelab 1000

b) the minelab 1000 is heavy and that is to keep the unit down in the water. however minelab has made a new rod to balance of the feeling of being to heavy (kelly co sale the parts). Also the 1000 locks very hard onto targets in the water.

minelabs ex se is really nice machine and is easy to learn and its not that heavy, have to love that iron masking set-up, had a lot more fines.

white's dfx great pin pointing and great machine over all easy to learn and easy to handle look into the programs that are supplied to set-up pin pointing correctly

BUT minelabs do go deeper.

in wet sand or dry.
went to vero beach with whites beach hunter got down as far as 16inches dry sand found hair spray can

minelabs ex se in same area found picnic table 25 inches buried in sand from pass strom, still chained to the beach post

whites beach hunt found 1781 reale in new jersey 6 inches in the waters off oflong beach island

just received the minelab 1000 pin pointed 4 inches to find a flying eagle one cent

those 4 machines I find to be the best but slow down your swings and let the disk touch the ground or sand

good lock jw

Jul 02, 2007

11 Yes
4 No

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