There has been the problem with the camlocks not locking as tight as they should and also when the first Explorer's came out, the problem with the camlock pin cracking the plastic on the control box. But as far as I know, the problems have been fixed. If you plan on using one in a competition, then later on you might have to put some electrical tape on the upper shaft to make it fit better due to the paint getting worn off on the end of the shaft but it just normal day use, you shouldn't have that problem. As far as Coil Splitting, that is a new one to me and haven't heard of anyone having such a problem with theirs. There is a few minor problems that Minelab needs to address in the Explorer 3 when they bring that machine out and they are 1. The Carbon Lower Rod. It is a great idea and lighter weight than the original lower shafts that is for sure but they didn't think the shaft entirely thru. Where the shaft goes into the upper shaft, there is a square spot on the very top to make it fit the tubing used for the upper shaft. The problem here is that they only squared the top about a 1/2" and then the rest of the shaft is round. This makes the lower rod wobble back and forth a bit when you swing the coil and it is very annoying. They need to keep the idea of the Carbon Rod but extend the square part of the shaft a good 2"-3" so it doesn't give this problem. The only way to fix it now is to wrap electrical tape around the shaft where the camlock is so it is tighter fitting. 2. The plastic used for the armcup. The original armcups would break pretty easily but then they brung out a better plastic and made the armcups black which I like. The problem here is that they are a bit stronger but they still break. They don't break as fast as the original armcups but after a lot of use they start to crack and eventually break. Easy fix here would be make the armcup also out of Carbon Fiber and maybe just a bit thicker at the base of the sides. May cost a little more but I like the design of the armcup and it would be well worth it I think. 3. Stiffer Battery Compartment. On my Explorer XS, after excessive use, the handle on my detector wants to move back and forth like it is weak in this area and if this was made from a better plastic or made a little thicker it would make for a stiff handle without any movement. I think Carbon fiber the armcup,leave the lower shaft Carbon Fiber,and also Carbon Fiber the battery housing that is part of the handle as well. This in turn will lighten and also stiffen the detector and have less problems. 4. The detector stand. It is an added improvement to the Explorer 2 but I see guys with bent stands all the time so I would have to say that they come out with a little thicker Aluminum Stand and this should solve the problem. I think that just about covers any problems so it is up to you to decide if you want the Explorer or not. As far as the Quattro, the only down side I seen with that machine was that the response to items is way too slow. If you went over an item and swung the coil over different items too fast, the other items would give the same ID and tone as the first item you went over and that to me is a big negative but I personally have never field tested one so I could be wrong. Just base your decision on what you are looking for,weight of machine,and affordability. Just remember this though, if you want the best detector and want to find the most with it, just look at all the other forums here and look at the Minelab Forums. For me, it's got the be a Minelab Explorer no matter what the problems are. Good Luck with your decision and HH.
