Longevity and storage of ACE 250 or 350 ?

[andrew9091]

Just curious.....I metal detect for about 15-20 hours a month 6 months out of the year......How many years can I expect to have my ACE 350 ??? Is there longevity time frame on them ? Also....I usually take my ACE 250 apart after every use and store in a bag.....Is it ok to just keep it assembled and hang it in a safe place (never dissasembling until winter ) and use it whenever or is it best to dissasemble each time ?? Any info and feedback on these two questions would be so appreciated.....thanks so much !!!

 

[Orion42]

I only disassemble my detectors when they need a good cleaning. Store them inside the house all winter, assembled, in their carry bags. The main thing for long term storage (over a month or so) is to remove the batteries.
I don't know about the 350, but my 550 is still working great after 12 years.

John

 

[andrew9091]

Wow John...thanks so much for the feedback...that sounds great......any more feedback on these two questions I asked ??? Its so appreciated.

 

[rglyons]

Keep it from banging around and with no extreme temperatures, it will last for years and years.

As mentioned, take out the batteries while in storage. A corroded battery will ruin the insides like nobody's business.

My Ace 250 is now four years old and still looks almost new.

 

[oldranger]

I gotta agree with the advise youve
been given . i like to keep my GTI
as clean as i can .. since myACE is still
an hr away at mycousins house .. i hope he
kept it clean and batteris out!!!'
MyGTI is so clean ( im BORED) that it
looks new I even got stickers from Garrett!
However when i get the chance to use it , ill worry
about its looks after im done

THINK SPRING

HH

Ron

Rangers Lead The Way

 

[rglyons]

Oh, BTW, I keep my Ace 250 assembled year round. I keep the coil cable taped straight up the back of the shaft until the top where I make a few tight coil just before it plugs in to the detector housing. This will cause a lot of falsing to vanish and also, it's a bear to untape and then tape back. Also, I'd advise getting a coil cover. I knocked a chip out of the coil bottom last year but thank goodness it didn't go all the way thru. You can get a little more depth by scraping the ground with a coil cover.

 

[zamora]

I knocked a chip outa mine too i just put some black electrical tape around it, i hope that doesent make it loose debth

 

[andrew9091]

wow so u tape the coil straight up the shaft then wrap a few times and tape before the screw in ??? Anyone else do that ? Thanks !

 

[rglyons]

Seems to work for me, Andrew.

I leave a small amount of play at the coil end and tape the rest straight up the back of the rod using a wide piece of black electrical tape to hold it in place ~ then make two or three coils at the top near the plug in. I also wrap the coils at the top with electrical tape. I started using this method years ago with my White's Coinmaster 6000 Di.

It really does make the unit more stable but makes it hard to dissassemble, so I just leave it up year round.

In your case, if you change coils regularly, doing this may be a pain.

 

[Orion42]

I tape mine to the lower shaft also. For when I change coils, I bought extra lower shafts. Makes for a quicker change and no undoing the tape.

John