Minelab...... Ireland VS Malaysia???????????

Has there been any difference in the quality issues since they are making E-tracs in Malaysia compared to Ireland. Seems like things are going as planned and no problems that I have heard of.. any thoughts?

I don't think that Malaysia is the issue at all with ML .......I think the coparison should be ......Ireland and USA !!.......The same folks who KNEW how to build a ML machine in Ireland are no longer here in the USA ..... From the machines that are coming out of the USA , I don't think these guys have a clue !!...... I got a Malaysian E Trac before Minelab made the move , and I can't tell the difference between it , and an Ireland machine ....... NOW that they are in America , the build quality went to hell ..... It started with the Excal , and now it's spreading to other machines .... I haven't pulled any machines apart , but I would guess that cheaper parts are also being used .....Again, this is a guess, but I would bet that I'm not too far off on this guess ...Jim

Where is there a ML production facility here in the US? I thought all that changed was US sales and service went from Vegas to Chicago?

Tom will be able to able to comment on this topic...intelligently and accurately...soon.

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synthnut
.... I haven't pulled any machines apart, but I would guess that cheaper parts are also being used .....

You really need to speak with facts... else Tom may banish you to Findmall.

Please clarify your statement Jim.-----The Minelab service center has been moved from Vegas to Chicago---but that is their SERVICE CENTER (not production facility).-----As far as build quality, I have owned/used many Minelabs and I don't see their quality as going "down hill".----In fact I see it as the other way around.---I have owned & used Excall, Explorers, Etracs & Xterrras---I have had FAR more issues with the earlier ones than the later ones as Minelab has actually "addressed" (most) of the problems.----What's left are more "inconveniences" rather than performance issues (such as the persistant--and still-- screen glare on the SE/Etrac).------Quality--my wife & I have owned/used Etracs that were assembled in both Ireland & Malaysia (four different Etracs)---in both my tests & in-field use, I seen ABSOLUTELY NO difference in the performance of any of them.---All performed excellent in their hunt environment.----The ONLY problem I had with any of these four machines was that one had a loose (rattling) foot stand--that was an irritation, not a performance issue but Minelab replaced that machine IMMEDIATELY.-------New service center in Chicago---true, repair turn around time has been slow (in some cases, very slow)--BUT, that is improving.-------So I don't understand what you mean when you say Minelab build quality has "went to h--" and is now speading to other machines.------------Del



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2011 05:07PM by D&P-OR.

If both ML manufacturing facilities are ISO9000 certified, I have a hard time believing there's any differential in build quality between the two. Actually if the Malaysia facility is newer, it may well have an edge of the Irish facility.

Ive not seen many electronics that didnt have some issues.... thats the nature of the beast. Service at ML has suffered... but seems to have been addressed.

Dew

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You really need to speak with facts... else Tom may banish you to Findmall.

That post would be deleted on findmall.

I think it's much easier to just let this one stand on it's merit (which is none). Synthut if you're buying Minelab machines that are made in the U.S., they're fake.

I havent had any problems with my Malaysian built Excal yet...it runs great.

I think it is a joke the way you can't compare brands on findmall! It didn't seem to upset minelab or fisher users as much as users of that other brand. Makes you wonder doesn't it?

I stand corrected !!......Perhaps I should have said the " Quality Control " issues , and the repair issues , have gone to hell .... Repairs have come back to folks , and they have NOT been done correctly , and many folks have had issues with the more recent machines ..... Build quality was WRONG wording ....My bad ...... They're built great , they just don't work properly ...
It seems to me that all this started with the company moving things around ..... I'm not so sure that the same people who ran the businss are even doing so now ......Big company takeover has not done them any good ...... Prices go up , and quality control goes down ..... I appologize for my wrong terminlogy ......

BTW, I got one of the first Maylasian E Tracs and have had NO problems with it .....I'm taking about the more recent machines that problems have surfaced on ...... Perhaps its the way the ecomomy is putting a hurting on companies today ....??????....... Jim

Another question is .....If the quality of these machines are just as good , then why are there so many bad machines being put in the hands of the buyers ? ........IS the quality really the same ? ........ Has anyone taken one apart to see if the parts are the same quality ? ....... Jim



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2011 10:01PM by synthnut.

It does appear, hundreds of Internet posts attest to it, that after Minelab was purchased by Codan LTD the quality issues started. That cannot be denied. Now whether the quality issues are as bad now as in the past...that I do not know. See my prior post "Price hike !!" regarding Codan.

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It does appear, hundreds of Internet posts attest to it, that after Minelab was purchased by Codan LTD the quality issues started. That cannot be denied. Now whether the quality issues are as bad now as in the past...that I do not know. See my prior post "Price hike !!" regarding Codan.

"Appears" is the right word. They had issues returning warranty repairs in a timely manner, and that's caused a lot of pissing and moaning, but I don't think we have any proof of a quality problem. There aren't any knew minelab owners in our club that are having a build issue. Could it be possible that they sell a heck of a lot of machines making the vocal minority seem larger than is reality?

There were a few around here locally in NY/ NJ area that had definate problems with Excals , and the guy that I bought my Excal 1000 from ended up having problems with the new one that he bought when he sold me the older one !!..... The repairs were not only not done in a timely manor , but they were not done correctly ....What about the folks that waited for months to get their machine back and it was STILL not fixed properly .....Call it what you want , but if you were one of these people that "APPEARED " to have a problem , you would be singing another tune ...... There have been issues menitoned on every forum , not just one forum and not by the same people .... Any meniton of Minelab years ago was always positive .....Guys had machines for many years and used them hard for YEARS before needing any service .....Now complaints are popping up all over the place ..... If the amount of people was so small , why has it become such an issue ? ..... This is reminding me of the problems that nobody had with the AT Pro !!..... Remember ? .....I think back then it was only Keith and I that had problems with our AT Pro ......Everybody else was pefectly happy wtih theirs !!...... I guess because it was only a couple of guys the problem didn't really exist ? ....... We know better now !!.....Jim

You can find your type of posts on virtually all types of electronic and mechanical forums all over the web. It's just someone pulling the fire alarm. I have an Excal II also - initially had some seal issues that I fixed myself - other than that nothing. I hunt with an Explorer in the dirt.

Here's the thing that is missing from these types of threads. Folks want the machine that performs the best, and there's just no doubting abilities. Myself, I'd buy two Excal's before I bought and struggled with some other brands. I hunt in dirt with one of the slowest machines on the market... why would a seemingly intelligent person do that? Finds.

I have had 2 Xterra 70's and 2 Xterra 705's. I have a Xterra 70 ,SN 00066, made in Ireland that I think is hotter than any of the others. I do think that there is a difference in some ways, but that's just me........

I"ve had at least 4 Sovereigns, and have one coming to me right now , I have an Excal 1000, an E Trac , and an SE Explorer that I am pulling apart to make a water machine out of ........THey are ALL older machines except the E Trac ....My ETrac is one of the first Malaysian E Tracs ... .... I have had issues with NONE of them ......M.L's reputation was always good .....Guys did not like when they changed the number line on the Explorer series to the line on the E Trac series but that was because they got use to the old "S" line , and could not get use to the staight 13 line ....... I'm not debating , nor am I having any issues by saying the M.L. machines are top shelf machines .....What I AM saying is that they are having quality control issues , and they are also having issues getting the machines back in a timely fashion , and in some cases the machines are not even fixed properly .....Was your Excal a new one ? .......You mention you had seal problems .......Why should there be seal problems on a new $1200 machine ? ...... What if you were not handy ? .....How long would you have waited to get your machine back ? .....I had my issues with my AT Pro .....I sent it off to Garrett and it came back to me in a total from start to finish in 2 weeks !!...... Yes, there are problems with other machines too, but you will NEVER get a machine back from ML in 2 weeks ......You will pass 2 mos and wonder what's going on !!...... and then hope it was fixed properly in the end !!...... This is not a fire alarm that someone is pullng ....This is actually happening !!..... Why did you go thru the expense of buying new seals and doing the job yourself ? ..... According to you , these guys are pulling the fire alarm .....Why didn't you just send it in under warranty ? ...... I'd be willing to bet that you would be one of the unfortunate ones still waiting for your detector ...... I'm THRILLED with my ML machnes and have a few of them for backup in case one goes down ..... My last machine from ML was a Malaysian E Trac and thank GOD I got a good one ...... If any of my machines broke right now , I wou;d wait until I KNEW that ML had their act together ...... I would run another machine in the mean time .....What do the guys do that don't have another machine ? ......Jim

My current E-Trac is a Malaysian made model and have had it a year now and no problems, I've the stories about slow turn around times
from those sending theirs in for repairs but think some of that was due to ML customer service move to Chicago. Not speaking from experience
because as I said I've not had any trouble from mine, but reading about it on the forums, it doesn't excuse the slow turn around times for repairs
but does make sense that if they were in the middle of moving operations from Las Vegas to Chicago could be cause for some delays. JMO.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2011 05:47PM by Coyote65.

LasVegas to Chicago. : )

Sorry I have relatives in Arizona and was thinking of them while I was typing I corrected it thanks. :-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2011 05:47PM by Coyote65.

Sounds like me...I'm good at multi-tasking as long as its one thing at a time.

The Etrac that Tom had tested last week was a new in box, Malaysian unit.


NASA-Tom [ PM ]
Re: steve g, I feel your pain
March 18, 2011 08:32PM Registered: 4 years ago
Posts: 3,277

For those that are interested.......I am heavily REevaluating the E-TRAC. Some points of potential interest:

The E-TRAC will detect a clad dime to a max of 12.4" in Florida dirt.
Will not unmask the clad dime (in the complex test-garden set-up in the DVD).
SunRay X-5 (5" coil will unmask clad dime in complex test-garden with ease/clarity......nearly as good as F75 w/5" DD coil.
Audio Menu "Conduct" is a nightmare whilst in the presense of nails/iron.
Audio Menu "Ferrous" provides substantially better human intelligibility factor.
QuickMask is a MAJOR feature if used properly.
SunRay X-5 (5" coil will detect a clad dime to a max depth of 11.0" WITHOUT coil cover. (((Will not detect 11.0" deep dime with coil cover))).
Auto-Sensitivity is extremely conservative (Manual Sens is nearly a requirement).
Some loss of depth/performance whilst increasing Disc. (Not as bad as most other units; yet, does occur).

Some of my settings: Multi-tone, Recovery = "Fast", QuickMask, Manual Sens ('30' most of the time......with '25' minimum), Ferrous, Trash Density = "Hi", Ground = "Neutral", Variability = '30', Response Range = "Long".

With all of the special software for infinite special programming; I still find QuickMask the favored set-up. Very powerful mode.

Very interesting read Aaron and nice to know and a special thanks to Tom for testing it, I'm glad the two of you did this as it should quiet
some of those Ireland vs Malaysia made grumblings.