MPL

Like Steve said on an earlier post, I think you'll find it's pretty much a non issue for most. It's so light, (especially after I've been swinging a CTX w/17" coil) that balance really doesn't come into play for me at all, and I've been swinging many brands for 45 years.

Jamie of Minelab took care of my shaft issue bigtime. She requested that I send it in. Turns out the cam locks on both the middle and upper shaft were not tightening correctly.  Minelab (Illinois) received my unit on Monday, March 12th and I received the unit back, (with new rods), on my doorstep on Tuesday, March 13th. Yes, the next day!!!

I stopped using KellyCo many years ago. There are so many small dealers that provide both better deals and communication.

Steve - Thanks for the reply. The handle is secure. The issue seems to be the camlock area where the lower rod is seated into the upper rod. I may be confusing folks (even myself) with the term "shaft play". It's more of a "twist". I can tighten the camlock all the way or loosen it as far as you can and the result is the same. You can still "twist" the lower rod pretty easily as if there is no lock at all. Which really seems odd because the pin of the lower rod is seated correctly into the upper rod. When you push the coil flat to the ground you can "twist" the handle right or left of center an inch each way from center(two inches total). I hunted with it yesterday with no problem but a few people have responded to me that their units are locked tight ( as with every other detector I have ever owned). On the other hand, a few have noticed the same issue. I had a few "wow" moments during my hunt yesterday. It's going to be a fun machine to use. Can't wait to figure it out a little better. I'll reach out to Minelab with my concerns and see what they think.

Sadly, I'm a tad "challenged" with computer stuff. I was able to send the vid from my phone to my e-mail so if anyone wants to provide their e-mail address I can send it to them,

Very nice. Congrats

I wish I wasn't a hundred years old or I would know how to post a pic or video haha. I do have a video of it on my phone however. Nuke em - The handgrip and upper shaft camlock are tight. It seems that the issue lies where the lower rod goes into the upper shaft. The camlock is tight but you can still twist the lower rod even when seated correctly. I called my dealer yesterday after I picked it up (sent him the video) and he checked his unit and said there was a good amount of play in it as well. He hadn't really noticed it and when you swing the coil it's not a problem.

That was my post on the other forum. To those who think it was simply a complaint, read it again. I was inquiring about something that I noticed upon assembling my detector, and it appears that a few others have the same issue. It's not a "little play", it's a significant amount (like about two inches). I can literally twist my handgrip left to right (with coil flat on ground) so that the control panel is either one inch left of center or one inch right of center. I've been detecting for over 45 years and have used literally dozens of machines. Never encountered this in any make or model. The unit works as should in my one outing, but I'm guessing that the lower shaft itself, or the camlock on the upper shaft could be defective in some way. No need for anyone to question my intentions. I enjoy all of my Minelabs.