How long has everyone had thier Etrac, and how long will they last?

[lespaul]

How many years will an Etrac last if you take care of it? I have a 6 year old machine that works great. Should it last me another 10 to 20 years?
Opinions?

 

[Mark kus]

I don't see why they wont last awhile as long as you take care of it keep it clean not drop it.
I have no idea how old mine is I asked Minelab and they said they had no Idea ??? Even with
the serial number?
All I know is it's a good one made in Ireland was in mint condition when I bought it because it was
used very little..

 

[sprchng]

I've had mine since 2011 and used it constantly for the first 4 years. It probably has over 4000 hours on it. I ZZAAAGGEEDD it when I first got it and and have done nothing but wash the screen with the exception of taking the cover off and blowing the dust out once the warranty ran out. Still fires up and runs like new. With all electronic things I accept that the next time I turn it on may be it's last,,, getting out of bed each day has the same risk. 10 or 20 years????

 

[D&P-OR]

If it lasts another 10 or 20 yrs. it will in all probability last long than you & I--huh sprchng!-------Seriously though--Etracs are well made. If you look at some of the older Explorers, many of them are still "trucking along".----So---10 yrs. on an Etrac?--There's a good chance (if you take care of it) and a plus there is the fact that Minelab will repair their (dis-continued) detectors out to 10 yrs. should they discontinue the Etrac at some point AND should it break down.----Twenty yrs. out--WHOA, no comment on that one!----------Delquote=sprchng]
I've had mine since 2011 and used it constantly for the first 4 years. It probably has over 4000 hours on it. I ZZAAAGGEEDD it when I first got it and and have done nothing but wash the screen with the exception of taking the cover off and blowing the dust out once the warranty ran out. Still fires up and runs like new. With all electronic things I accept that the next time I turn it on may be it's last,,, getting out of bed each day has the same risk. 10 or 20 years????[/quote]

 

[hershey1]

Good answer D&P from Oregon. If mine goes down tomorrow it has been a blessing. HH

 

[TerryR]

Got mine in Sept. 2008 and it's still going strong. Great machine

 

[floodplaindetector]

Talk about a great durable machine. I bought my original Etrac in December of 2008.
I never used a screen cover and put thousands of hours on it. It has been in temps from 5 degrees - 100 degrees.
I have also ran it for 8 hours at a time in constant rain without the cover numerous times.
Last year I put it out to pasture and bought a new one and shrink wrapped the screen on the new one to prevent scratches.
The original has battle scars but is still working and is my backup.

 

[treasure_hunter]

FYI, by law Minelab is required to support a product for 7 years after it is discontinued, after that they support the product as long as parts are available and after parts run out the Minelab Repair center at kellyco will continue to do any repairs that don't require the parts no longer available. Since Minelab is still producing the ETrac there is at least another 10 years of support for the ETrac

 

[D&P-OR]

And what is Kellycos service center turn around time on Minelab products (detectors) that are out of warranty these days???

FYI, by law Minelab is required to support a product for 7 years after it is discontinued, after that they support the product as long as parts are available and after parts run out the Minelab Repair center at kellyco will continue to do any repairs that don't require the parts no longer available. Since Minelab is still producing the ETrac there is at least another 10 years of support for the ETrac

 

[treasure_hunter]

First it isn't Kellyco repair center, it is Minelab Repair center that is located in Kellyco, it was built by Minelab.

Right now they are working end of Jan detector repairs and should start working Feb next week which has 23 detectors in boxes according to Dave who runs it.

Some like to complain about the repair time yet a good portion of the back log time is due to owners. Dave reports people send in everything but the kitchen sink when they send in their detectors. Example, have bad keypad on xterra they send in the entire shaft, coil, headphones, chargers and original box when all that was needed was the controls. 3030s sent in original box with every accessory that was in the original box for a LCD replacement when all that needs to be sent is the UI upper shaft. Everything sent in has to be logged in and all serial numbers recorded.

Excals are sent in still on shafts and the controls are frozen on the shafts because they were never removed and cleaned, coil cables tied to shafts with electrical tape that has to be cut off. It takes time to remove from the shafts, detectors are sent in full of dirt and sand which has to be cleaned off before they can be put on the repair bench. Time removing and or cleaning detectors before they can be put on bench means time spent not repairing.

They get detectors sent in with no name or contact info inside the box and the return address is damaged in shipment or boxed by a shipping company with their name and address so there is no way to know who owns detectors and owner did not register detector so they can't get it from Minelab data base records. Detectors sent in with no note on what the issues are and no phone number to contact the owners to ask so time is spent unboxing, logging in, then they try to run serial numbers through Minelab data records to see if it is registered and when nothing is found because it wasn't registered they have to just stored them on shelves till owners call in asking status.More time spent not working on repairs.

They get many calls a day from people who sent in detectors wanting to know if the repair center received their detector even though they have a tracking number that shows it was delivered, time spent looking for and verifying detector was received when owners already know it was delivered by tracking number means time spent not working on repairs.

People sending in detectors that are not waterproof such as sovereigns yet were used in the ocean and hit by waves or dropped, it takes hours to repair them.

There is also always a parts issue as parts run out and are back ordered at times so detectors needing them have to wait till parts are shipped in from Chicago and when out of stock there then have to wait for parts shipments from Australia or Malaysia

The average wait time for repairs when repair center was in vegas was 7-9 weeks and you couldn't talk to the repair center. Wait time in Chicago was 6-8 weeks many times.

 

[UtahRich]

So, to put all those excuses for being months behind in a nutshell, you're saying that KELLYCO's Minelab repair department is UNDERSTAFFED.?

Oh, and by the way, it isn't just Minelab customers that make these types of mistakes returning items for repair. Regardless, Items still need to be evaluated and repaired in a prompt fashion. Minelab prides themselves in their position in the industry so I find it curious that they are getting further behind. If what you are saying is correct, they are JUST GETTING TO February's repairs. That puts them in the 11 weeks to category just to look at a detector even before they diagnose it and figure out if they have the necessary parts on hand and if not it was a three month wait just to figure out you get to wait some more.

Wow, that's not good. As a Minelab owner since 2000, I am disappointed to hear this.

Rich (Utah)

First it isn't Kellyco repair center, it is Minelab Repair center that is located in Kellyco, it was built by Minelab.

Right now they are working end of Jan detector repairs and should start working Feb next week which has 23 detectors in boxes according to Dave who runs it.

Some like to complain about the repair time yet a good portion of the back log time is due to owners. Dave reports people send in everything but the kitchen sink when they send in their detectors. Example, have bad keypad on xterra they send in the entire shaft, coil, headphones, chargers and original box when all that was needed was the controls. 3030s sent in original box with every accessory that was in the original box for a LCD replacement when all that needs to be sent is the UI upper shaft. Everything sent in has to be logged in and all serial numbers recorded.

Excals are sent in still on shafts and the controls are frozen on the shafts because they were never removed and cleaned, coil cables tied to shafts with electrical tape that has to be cut off. It takes time to remove from the shafts, detectors are sent in full of dirt and sand which has to be cleaned off before they can be put on the repair bench. Time removing and or cleaning detectors before they can be put on bench means time spent not repairing.

They get detectors sent in with no name or contact info inside the box and the return address is damaged in shipment or boxed by a shipping company with their name and address so there is no way to know who owns detectors and owner did not register detector so they can't get it from Minelab data base records. Detectors sent in with no note on what the issues are and no phone number to contact the owners to ask so time is spent unboxing, logging in, then they try to run serial numbers through Minelab data records to see if it is registered and when nothing is found because it wasn't registered they have to just stored them on shelves till owners call in asking status.More time spent not working on repairs.

They get many calls a day from people who sent in detectors wanting to know if the repair center received their detector even though they have a tracking number that shows it was delivered, time spent looking for and verifying detector was received when owners already know it was delivered by tracking number means time spent not working on repairs.

People sending in detectors that are not waterproof such as sovereigns yet were used in the ocean and hit by waves or dropped, it takes hours to repair them.

There is also always a parts issue as parts run out and are back ordered at times so detectors needing them have to wait till parts are shipped in from Chicago and when out of stock there then have to wait for parts shipments from Australia or Malaysia

The average wait time for repairs when repair center was in vegas was 7-9 weeks and you couldn't talk to the repair center. Wait time in Chicago was 6-8 weeks many times.

 

[treasure_hunter]

They are not falling further behind, they are in fact cutting the back log down, there was at one time 200 detectors there for repairs, there is less than a 100 now and they should be through Feb repairs in 10 days according to what I was told..There are many factors involved in the back log, I simply posted what owners could do to help based on what I was told..


Repair center is also doing repairs on out of stock detectors that the repair centers in Vegas and in Chicago would not repair any longer because they were no longer supported by Minelab, they also do work on detectors that have mods, Minelab stop working repairs on detectors that had been modded before when repair center was in Vegas, if you sent a detector in for repair that had an after market coil on it as example they would not repair it unless the after market coil was removed.

 

[Tenspeed]

I have had my Etrac since January 2009 and I have never had an issue with it. I did put an RNB battery in it in 2013 and that was the best move I ever made.

 

[UtahRich]

They are not falling further behind, they are in fact cutting the back log down, there was at one time 200 detectors there for repairs, there is less than a 100 now and they should be through Feb repairs in 10 days according to what I was told..There are many factors involved in the back log, I simply posted what owners could do to help based on what I was told..

Sorry treasure_hunter,

I was just doing the MATH on the number of weeks you stated on turn-around time from Vegas, Chicago and now Florida. The math says they are taking longer, BUT, from what you're indicating Minelab Repair Florida is significantly decreasing the backlog so it should be this year they will be up to date and cutting the turn around time way down. It sounds like you have a good contact there. Everybody with a Minelab HOPES this is the case. I've only dealt with Minelab repair back in 2000 in Vegas in getting the Explorer XS locking cam issue taken care of.

I have had my Etrac since January 2009 and I have never had an issue with it. I did put an RNB battery in it in 2013 and that was the best move I ever made.

I second your thoughts here Tenspeed. RNB was a great addition to my etrac.

Rich -

 

[nalc472]

I have had my e-trac for 2.5 years. Only complaint is the dim screen. If I could find somebody to replace it with a brighter screen I would. Will keep it until it quits. Hopefully a long time from now. Cannot afford another decector right now. Good I also own a F75LTD2. Wife would shut down my operation if I only had one and it quit on me. LOL

 

[calibil]

I got mine used but not abused 7 years ago, from Nor Cal beaches in damp fog and salt moisture to Sierra foothills
Caked in mud and powder dust it lives up to it's name, I'll drive it till the wheels come off , then ask mother for another.

 

[lespaul]

I bought mine used almost 5 years ago. Only had about 1yr left on warranty. Ive had no problems.