A Few Problems

[skirmishline]

First of all I am really impressed with the performance of this machine and have found some great stuff with it. Lately though I've had a few problems with durability. One of the tabs in the grip that hold the control box to the handle broke off, luckily my warranty will cover that fix. I was hunting a couple days ago and realized that the armrest stand had fallen off my machine at some point. I was sure that the screw was tight before the hunt. Minelab referred me to some dealers that carry replacement parts but none of them carry the armrest screw. Does anyone know if it's possible to receive a replacement directly from minelab?

 

[Digger]

The control box has a shaft that slides down into the grip, which should be held in place by a little self-threading screw that comes with the X-TERRA. Not sure why, but I know some guys have reported they don't use the little screw. But in my opinion, not having the shaft of the control box secured down to the grip could result in breaking something. If you need to remove the housing to pack and transport the X-TERRA, it's a simple procedure to remove the screw.
As to replacing the armrest screw...... if you can't get one from your dealer, I'm sure you could pick up a replacement at a good hardware store. It appears to be about 1 1/8 inches of fine thread, +/- 1/8 inch in diameter. Just based on appearance, it's tough to tell if it is metric or US specs. If it were mine, I'd take my detector to the hardware store with me, go to the aisle that has toggle bolts etc, and see if you can't find one that fits. If you can't find one with a little plastic knob, make sure you put a washer around the bolt to keep it from stripping into the plastic armcup. JMHO HH Randy

 

[hotrod53]

Many guys don't use the armrest screw because its the wrong screw and you would have to hog it in there to get it in. That should be a self tapping screw, not a sheetmetal or wood screw. There is no easy/correct way to use that unless you force it in there.

Armrest... yep, lived that nightmare. The armrest comes with a brass insert pressed in underneath, unless like mine, it was missing from day 1. I went to the hardware store and they sell a brass threaded insert with a flat rivet-like head. I drilled the correct sized hole clear thru the stand and up thru the rubber pad. I inserted the brass insert down thru the rubber and ran the screw up from the bottom. Minelab sent me a replacement but I haven't even installed it yet, my fixed one works perfectly.