Angus Mackirk EXCALIBUR Reloaded Highbanker

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 12:57 pm

Here's the way it shows in their catalog.

I watched the one video on Youtube and didn't like the "water canons". They didn't seem to clear the dirt very well. A friend of mine on the GPAA Msg Board wrote me and sent me pics and actually his upgrade he came up with to his Excalibur. I told him he needed to send it to Mackirk and let them look it over. So he did. Mackirk wrote him and said that they weren't happy with the canons as well. They changed to his design!

So when I got mine in April, here is the revised spray system.

I added the clean out take off for a hose.

Also there was a problem with the mounts on the bottom tray. It positioned the sluice to far forward.

So I plugged their bolt holes and drilled my own where the "Dimples" were in their name plate.

Works better, but realistically, I could have put the new bolts about 1/2 way between the two holes.

I use an 1 & 1/2" Clear water pump and motor from Harbor Freight, until it got stolen from my trailer break in. I have a 1 & 1/2" clear water pump that I bought to run my old Gold Grabber II. It works OK, but I have to run it flat out. I just need to replace the Harbor Freight one soon.

The only problem is the second tier. It has 2 trays. a "nugget" tray and a tray underneath of it that then directs the smaller stuff to the bottom sluice. This 2nd tray gets loaded up and every so often you have to "whack" it with your shovel to get the material moving. I bought a vibrating mechanism that I just need to screw it in and hook up a 9 volt battery. That should keep the material moving in the 2nd tray.

The really nice thing is, it's light enough that I can load the motor, hoses and highbanker into my van and go!

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 1:24 pm

Nice. I want one. LOL Razz

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 3:05 pm

loki258 wrote:

Nice. I want one. LOL Razz

I really tried and do my home work before I purchased it. I thought this was the best one for my situation. Light, yet not a light weight. and I could pack everything into the van. (This was before I had the trailer.) Also, I like the Mackirk line. The Honcoop HB-17 (?) was my #1, but at $1300, it was out of my reach.

Joined: 28 Oct 2011 Posts: 5 Location: British Columbia

Could the bottom tray be loading up because of inadequit water flow?

Joined: 28 Oct 2011 Posts: 5 Location: British Columbia

I`m thinking of purchasing one of these and have never seen one in real life. You`ve got the best pics. I`ve seen of the unit, would you have a pic. of the first tray and how it screens off the fines. Thanks. Darin