Minelab Pro-swing 45 Harness

[billdean]

I have been searching this site as well as others for one simple question and can't seem to find the answer. Will this harness fit fat guys. I mean I am 5'11 and 275 pounds. Will the hip straps adjust enough for us bigger guys? I would like to buy one as my arm has been taken a beating.

[Jin]

Hi Billdean, 

This dosnt address the size of the harness but more so my opinion of the pro swing

I couldnt wait to use the pro swing harness after i bought my gpz. What a disapointment.

Its pretty simular to the normal minelab harness except for the struts in the back which presumably take the weight of the detector,  were as your shoulders usually take the weight. Also it has a cross beam thingy that is suposed to centre the weight of the detector rather than have the weight of the detector fall to one side of your body. 

The first time i used it felt so uncomfortable. I watched enless videos on how best to set it up and got it adjusted to suit my size but i wasnt happy. Even tried the setup described in Martin Stone's youtube video on Pro Swing harness setup.

The biggest problem i encountered was the design of the pro swing when swinging the heavy zed actually pulls you forward slightly. The weight should be transfered to your hips but it isnt. At the end of the first day (after it was adjusted properly) my lower back was rooted. 

I then proceeded to remove the cross beam and the two j struts which made the harness more like the original minelab harness. Then fitted my hipstick and away i went. Even swinging my 20" X-Coil is a breeze now. I can detect all day with minimal fatigue. 

Ive also got a water bladder backback that has hooks near the shoulder that will accomadate the hipstick and that also works well.  

[Jin]

Yes sure cant. Some people will be happy with mediocre and others want something better. Think im one of those funny buggers that questions everything and tries to improve everything. Dosnt work out great all the time though.

With the pro swing i just couldnt handle the fact that it pulls you forward slightly. Probably more notacble with me than others as my lower back isnt that great anymore. And as we know the zed isnt a light weight.

Cheers

Rick

[Steve Herschbach]

I never bothered with the strut stuff as I was ok without.

Anyway, I know a really large guy that used one and his only issue was the waist belt was not long enough, most of the rest has plenty of adjustment but if it won’t fit around your gut not much you can do, so he just left it unhooked at the waist and it actually worked fine. I think you’d have no problem, but at most might have to just put an extension on the waist belt. Easily done with the common plastic buckles and some extra nylon belt.

[Reg Wilson]

If you are happy to be trussed up like a Christmas turkey then go for it. All you need now is how to do the little bugaloo figure eight dance and you are away. How easy can it be?

[madtuna]

I don't feel trussed up like a turkey Reg. 2 clips and it's on. I need to put my duel speakers and my booster somewhere and a harness makes sense and it carries my water too.

I carry my pick on my shoulder, so In 42 degrees heat like yesterday the strap of the proswing stops the pick burning a permanent imprint into my shoulder and guards against that horrible burning flesh smell.

I can put the detector down and walk away with the harness on. Works well for me!

[Reg Wilson]

Yeah, madtuna, when I was younger it was bearable, but now it is just an avoidable pain in the buttocks. Duel speakers, Really?

[madtuna]

yep one right under each earhole. works for me as I find head phones uncomfortable in summer

[PeterInSa]

Have seen a number of setups like what I will try and describe, the idea being to put the weight back on the belt ( my comment).

Basically a flat Al strip ( maybe thinner steel) about 2 inchs wide 3/16 thick is bolted to an AL strip on the belt offset say 2 inches from the minelab fabric support  that goes up your back. This AL strip goes right up your back and from memory about 4 to 6 inches above your shoulder, then right angle  about 6 or 8 inches to the front that the occ'ie strap/7k detctor is connected to. Where the Y section is on the Minealb back strap, another AL strap is bolted to the Minelab fabric at the Y section then bolted to the vertical AL or steel Strip.

You, like myself maybe skeptical of this arrangement, but this setup is in use by a number of 7000 operators.

Peter

[Reg Wilson]

All this is totally unnecessary. Instead of palming of some cumbersome converted military mine detector with minor modifications onto the prospecting fraternity, and a message of 'kiss our arse in gratitude', and then coming up with a pathetic truss to support the weight of this ill begotten monster, they could have designed an ergonomic prospecting specific detector.

I just can't believe the way this cynical opportunism has been accepted by the detector public without so much as a whimper. They say that you get the politicians that you deserve, well that must apply to detectorists as well, and if so, we must be a bunch of suckers.