Fisher 1266x Performance

[khobbs5]

I have an old Fisher 1266X that I bought from a friend 20 years ago. It was a great machine and found lots of good stuff for me. It has set up in a closed for about 10 years and now it isn't as stable as it used to be. It was stored without batteries. It sputtered some when I got it back out, but I shot some contact cleaner in the pots, and that pretty much cleared up. But the discrimination ability is about gone, and it doesn't pick up as deep as it used to. What could go wrong with it over time? Better yet, how could it be rejuvenated?

Thanks!

 

[khobbs5]

Another thought just hit me. The little sensitivity knob doesn't do anything any more, even pushing it in or pulling it out. Maybe that's what's gone bad. If so, where can I get a replacement?

Thanks again!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

The 1266x was WAY too squirrely sensitive for my blood. And the disc. is all but useless after the top 5" or so, if there's the slightest bit of minerals in your soil. Everything began to sound the same after 5" (bent nails, etc...). That is a very very dated machine. It was a great dry-sand hunter (could get a quarter at nearly 1.5 ft. deep when using the large coil). But other than that, was just way too squirrely.

 

[hoser]

but I shot some contact cleaner in the pots, and that pretty much cleared up.

OK , contact cleaner only works if it hits the affected area. Are you sure it got on the wiper coils. Can you get to the pot coils? If so, scrub them with a pencil eraser to break a film that may have built up on them over time. We are talking low voltage here after 20 years. I have got a very expensive piece of machinery to run buy just cleaning the contacts in a relay by rubbing a simple dollar bill between the contact points. Sometimes the simplest things can work in your favor.