While most amateur metal and gold detectors ain’t that heavy – more professional detectors on the market come with quite some weight.
To be able to do some lengthy detecting sessions, it’s important to distribute the weight of the detector onto your body. Your arm should only guide the maschine instead of carrying all the weight of the maschine.
Minelab Pro-Swing 45
Over the years a few companies are developing metal detector harnesses. The best metal detector harness is the Minelab Pro-Swing 45. This vest was designed for ultimate convenience and functionality and is by far the most developed weight distribution system. The detector is connected with an elastic strap to the harness which makes it easy to release the detector and has many different features:
Features
- 8 Adjustment Points
- 8 Attachment Points
- W8 Technology – The ergonomic harness design evenly distributes weight from your shoulders, via the J-strut, making your detecting swing lighter.
- Left & Right Capability – The PRO-SWING 45 harness is designed to suit both left & right handed users.
- Universal Fit – Suits Any Detector
- Simple Bungie Adjustment – One handed operation to adjust detector distance in an instant. (Bungie included)
- Quick Release R-clip – easily switch between detecting and digging at the flick of a clip. (R-clip included)
- Padded Back Cushion – Ultimate comfort and improved ventilation from the extra wide strap and additional padding.
Specifications
- Belt width: approximately 2″
- Belt loop width: approximately 3″
- Universal S-cuff attachable to any detector – one size fits all.
Minelab W8 technology
W8 technology employs three biomechanical strategies to transfer the detector mass (weight) away from the operator’s arm:
- remove flexion and extension muscle strain,
- use solid skeletal structure to support loads,
- avoid soft tissue anchor points.
These effectively remove the need for the arm’s muscles to tense in a flexion extension position while swinging the detector, and therefore prevent the muscle fatigue and soreness that is commonly experienced with metal detecting.
W8 technology also allows the arm to freely medially rotate and abduct to swing the detector without the need to hold it up off the ground.
Most traditional bungy and harness systems are only effective at removing the load from the upper arm and forearm, leaving the shoulder to bear the weight of the detector. Other systems attempt to rectify this by using a strut to transfer the weight from the shoulder to the front of the hip in a concentrated point. However, this is a soft tissue area and incapable of supporting a load without discomfort. Additionally, since this area of the body is soft, the strut sinks into the hip and pulls down on the shoulder, thus becomes ineffective at releasing the strain in the shoulder.
W8 is the first technology that significantly reduces the load on the shoulder without transferring it to a soft tissue area. W8 technology achieves this by directing the load to the back of the hip, which is a solid anchor point for the strut. This ensures the shoulder is released from the majority of the strain, the only load left is to hold the top of the strut upright. This small remaining load is dissipated by the wide shoulder straps and back cushioning.
The result is a detecting harness that allows the operator to detect in comfort for longer, resulting in more finds and more enjoyment.