Minelab Excalibur 1000
Price: $1000
Avg. Score: 
3.86
Based on 64 reviews
3.86Based on 64 reviews
Avg. Durability:
1.00
Avg. Ease of use:
1.80
Excalibur 800 & 1000
April 14, 2005
I bought my fist Excalibur 800 in 1996. I liked it so much that I got the
1000 a couple of years later. In 2001 I got my third Excalibur again the
800. The 1000 I found to heavy even in the water. The 800 is much easier
to mover through the water with and much easier on the arm out of the
water. I thought the 1000 would go deeper but that was not my experience.
Service with Minelab has actually gotten cheaper (Out of warranty service.)
My wife was using the Whites PI but now has adopted my first 800. The
1000 is back up if I have to send a unit in for service.I prefer to search in the all metal mode and use the discriminate to use the Iron-Mask feature. My discriminate level is 0 otherwise. I prefer to dig everything. I've found that if you don't register nickels then you can't find platinum and that a diamond ring is seen as a pull tab.
I usually use auto sensitivity or lower it if I get a lot of interference. I prefer to tune my unit by first selecting discriminate and have a very slite sound and then turn it to all metal. The discriminate setting under good conditions has a very smooth threshold but if close to a radio station or if the Navy decides to play with their electronics it can get so erratic that all metal is your only choice. Even under these conditions you can use discriminate to check if the target is iron.
I've had a lot of detectors but I prefer the 800 over the rest.
Overall Rating
Darrell P. from
Honolulu, HI
380
Excalibur 1000
February 15, 2005
I have owned mine for aabout 6 months now. Took some getting used to as I
had a viewer on my previous machine. It takes some getting use to. The
threshold does bounce between quiet and loud but I that is just the machine
resetting the automatic threshold.At first I thought I was not using it right. No major finds when others were finding stuff. I started checking their finds (while in ground) and sure enough, I heard each of them. Conclusion, if I move over it, I will hear it.
Only complaint, the knobs loosen.
Overall Rating
Gary Bear from
Southern Cal.
110
Excalibur 1000
January 10, 2005
I have problems with this detector
maintaining a constant threshold tone. It continually changes from high
background tone to low and in
between. Although it hunts well on the beach it was a disappointment when
hunting relics in nothern VA.
Could not detect a Minie ball only a couple of inches in the ground. I
returned the machine to Minelab and
although they said they found nothing wrong with it they replaced the
circuit board just to make me feel
better about it (they are very nice people to deal with). I'm still not
comfortable with it for relic hunting and
will probably reserve it for the beach, relying on my Nautilus DMCII and
Fisher 1266 for Civil War relic
hunting. Would appreciate hearing from others on this machine.
Overall Rating
Lee ivester from
Mooresville, NC, USA
134
Minelab rocks!
January 01, 2005
Everyone has there own "OPINION" and
thats ok but from my "REAL LIFE" experience the excalibur 800 is the best
beach detector that i have
used. AND remember before you can give an opinion on any detector you have
to use it,some people
talk bad about different brands without even using them and thats wrong.I
love my excal 800 and proud of
it. I also use a DFX and an ace 250 wich cant be beat for the price.
Overall Rating
Johnny t from
Lincroft nj usa
123
Minelab Excallibur 1000
December 16, 2004
I have owned this detector for 5 months now.
Took a little getting used to since my first had visual ID.
Used objects from previous finds to "fine tune" my ear before getting wet.
I hunt mostly in the salt water with this unit. So far have had NO problems. I've been wiped out by more than my share of waves and the Excalibur just keeps on finding the good stuff.
Has good depth, finds at 10 - 12 inches, and if you invest the time to learn the detector before rushing out expecting to find the big one, you'll be impressed.
Discrimination is great. Leaves the bobby pins(I can still hear them however)but finds the chains with a nice tone.
If your looking to the water, this is the unit. Spend some time ear training, knob adjusting to ID targets etc.
Treat it with a little TLC at the end of the day and it will reward you time and again.
Overall Rating
Dave from
At the BEACH ...silly.
220
Minelab Excalibur 1000
October 27, 2004
I bought my Minelab Excalibur 1000
approx. 2 years ago. Took it to Hawaii and after endless searches on the
beach and in the water, I finally
gave up. Every one around me was finding jewelry, and this unit just did
not. I sent it to Minelab and they
replaced the motherboard and some other things. and .....it still does not
work. I am ready to get rid of the
unit.I will take it to Hawaii again, and if it does not perform in 1-2 days, I will look for a local metaldetecting store and buy something else. Not sure yet what it will be, but not a Minelab. It has been a totally frustrating experience. I had lots of static in the unit while in Hawaii, Oahu. The local dealer who I met on the beach told me that this happens frequently with the Minelab.
If you are looking forward to spend a nice vacation in Hawaii metal detecting on the beaches, it is very disappointing that the unit is just not performing what the ads tell you.
Overall Rating
Mary from
USA
149
Minelab Excalibur 1000
August 04, 2004
I've had my EXC 800 for about 2
weeks now and I love it. I have owned several other brands. I've had the
Surfmaster PI which worked
very well but has no discrimination. You will dig a lot of small DEEP iron
targets. I also have a CZ-70
which I love as well. But it won't go diving. Something that most of you folks appear to be overlooking is that the Excalibur is designed as an underwater unit. I get the feeling you bought it as a beach unit. Yes, it's heavy. Try using a waterproof unit underwater and you will complain about it. Why? because it will float. The Surfmaster floated and was a pain to use underwater. The Minelab doesn't float. That's the way it should be. Yes, there is a problem with the wiring when you hipmount. However, I've seen the Fisher CZ-5 wiring break several times on the same unit after hipmounting. This problem isn't isolated to Minelab. The discrimination works very well. You don't need the pinpoint function. It pinpoints just fine in discriminate mode. I guess if you are digging ferrous material maybe the pinpoint mode would be helpful. The depth is fine by me. I've dug targets 12-14 inches deep. Battery life is good. I thinks folks are being critical here. I haven't run the batteries dead yet. Here's why. I charge it up each time I'm finished with it. Average time is around 10-15 hours. Come on folks, I doubt that there are many of you are out there swinging a detector for 10 to 15 hours non-stop. Price?? A little high but what isn't besides a Bounty hunter. You get what you pay for.
I would rate this Excalibur as a top of the line unit. That's just my opinion.
Overall Rating
Don from
USA
262
Excalibur 1000
May 25, 2004
This is my third machine I mostly do
underwater metal detecting. My other detectors would sound off at every
piece of iron that was in the
water and I would have to continually adjust the discrimanation button.
Which I believe costed me many
rings or coins. My new excaliber 1000 does a great job in the water and on the beach. It gives off a very loud signal on targets and goes deep. The only draw backs are the weight of the unit and the knobs on the equipment always comes lose. Also when you are recharging the battery it has no indication that it is on. Other than that it is a very reliable detector and works well in all types of soil. I am very happy with it.
Overall Rating
Da Hunta from
USA
190
Minelab 1000
May 01, 2004
Another Minelab piece of rubbish. All tat and no performance!
Overall Rating
Fred from
USA
439
Minelab Excalibur 1000
January 17, 2004
This is the fourth year that i have this
detector,i have found it to be the best out of the ones that i had before,
Whites & Garretts,goes deep,
smooth threshold,hipmount is a must and as the other guys say the problem
is in the control nobs they
keep slipping,but apart from that briliant machine Overall Rating
Raoul from
Australia
110