Snap buttons for lower rod are you interested

[otlew]

I tracked down a supplier of the double snap buttons that go inside the lower coil rod and other places like rod clip mounts for the Excalibur, and probably several other detector makes. The ones I am looking at are made of 410 Stainless Steel. Heres the problem the minimum order is $50 for 59 clips (double button) assemblies and thats 86 cents each plus of course shipping costs.

I can never use 59 of these things, but I would'nt mind having 10 since you can't seem to buy the things retail. If four or more folks want to go in for 10 units I would order and go to the trouble of mailing those out. This would be actual cost, for clips and First Class mailing costs.

IF interested PM me and we can go from there.

 

[ivanll]

I get mine singularly from our local prospecting/detector dealer........Minelab "shaft spring clip" part # 30-8004-0006.

ivanll

 

[Critterhunter]

You can also try odering them from window cleaning supply houses, as they are used on Unger and Etore telescoping window cleaning poles to hold the plastic tool mount to the top of the shaft. Not sure what material they use but I suspect they are designed to stand up to wet and outside conditions for years because Unger and Etore make quality professional grade window cleaning tools.

Some home improvement store chains carry their poles. Etore are blue, Unger are green. I prefer the Unger. I cut off a piece of the inner Unger pole for making a light weight shaft for my GT and used it as my upper shaft, because it's a much lighter gauge aluminum than the stock shaft yet still rigid. I used a Whites tall man carbon fiber rod for my lower shaft to save more weight, and since it's about twice as tall as the Minelab lower shaft I was able to shorten the Unger upper shaft a good bit to save even more weight.

By doing that and using a Whites arm cup, a bike end bar for my grip, and running a lipo battery in my alkaline holder, I dropped almost a pound and a half from the GT's stock weight. Now the stock shaft/arm cup setup is designated for my water rig so I just would throw my control box into the chest mounted Minelab bag for the control box and off I go. Don't have to switch coils either since the stock 10" Tornado stays on the water shaft and my 12x10 stays on the custom land shaft.

Only problem with the Whites tall man rod is that the mount is not as wide as Minelab, but from a home improvement store I just bought a cheap pack of faucet replacement washers that were the same diameter as what Whites used, and then paired two up on each side of the mount to span the extra space of the coil mounting ears on my coils. Works great. I glued them together in pairs for easier installation, and had to drill out the washer's holes to fit the Minelab stock nylon bolt through them.

So I got a two-fer for using the Unger pole's inner rod for my upper shaft on my custom land rig, because it also had the two headed snap pin. The 5 foot poles that extend to like 10 feet or so are around $16 I think, but I think they also sell shorter ones that could be used at a cheaper price. An added perk is now you have a good telescoping pole for doing window cleaning on the house or changing light bulbs (you can buy tool adaptors for the poles) and such. Just replace the two headed snap pin with a bolt and nut on the pole because you'll never need to take off the plastic tool holder mount on top of the pole for anything anyway.

 

[otlew]

Thanks guys,

Very good tips. I know I could never justify buy 59 of these suckers just for myself.

 

[otlew]

I have Googled the part number only found a supplier in the Australia. If you know of someone in the US please PM me.

Thanks

I get mine singularly from our local prospecting/detector dealer........Minelab "shaft spring clip" part # 30-8004-0006.

ivanll

 

[ivanll]

Try the XTerra forum there are some volunteer enthusiasts with big boots that like to tell you where to go.
Over here all Good dealers have them next to Minelab accessories.
Forum rules no useful link permitted, sorry!

ivanll

 

[otlew]

Hey thanks. Seems to me if one of the forum sponsors does not carry something then how could it hurt their business . Rules are rules I suppose.

Try the XTerra forum there are some volunteer enthusiasts with big boots that like to tell you where to go.
Over here all Good dealers have them next to Minelab accessories.
Forum rules no useful link permitted, sorry!

ivanll

 

[Tin Fin]

I would take 10 of the Otlew - let me know if you are going to do this or go some other route.

 

[Rob (IL)]

Found them in pool section at Home Depot. They actually sell them separately for about 84 cents each. Garrett sells them $1.34 each.

 

[otlew]

I checked one local HD and they didn't have any, went to the Lowes and they had a pole repair kit with a plastic version of the clip. I have a couple more Home Depot stores in my area so I may check at those. However since if I get those from Garrett, they would cost closer to $2 each since I will have to pay Texas sales tax and shipping, but hey no big deal 5 would probably last me a very long time. If enough people show interest then I may just order them from the manufacturer.

Found them in pool section at Home Depot. They actually sell them separately for about 84 cents each. Garrett sells them $1.34 each.