Predator Revo 12.4mm

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
After reading up on the technology involved in the latest Predator shafts and all the mixed reviews and opinions of forum posters I decided to pull the trigger for a Revo of my own. I bought the 12.4mm Uniloc shaft from Seyberts as soon as they became available for purchase and I received the shaft a couple days ago. I had the tip changed to a Zan grip hard by Seyberts as that is what I have used on my previous shaft, a 314'3 before and have liked it well.

To start off here is a picture of what you get when buying a Revo.

1oWTbCA.jpg


So you get a Revo shaft with a JP, some wipes and patches and in my case some Seyberts related stuff that is seen on the picture. There is also a pamflet of sorts that tells you about the shafts maintenance, warranty info and a small form for tip replacements and the thickness of the red silencer pad under the tip. Not really necessary in my case as I can change my own tips but it is there none the less :rolleyes:


I tried my best to keep an open mind to a new product without any expectations regarding its feel or characteristics to be able to get an honest opinion about the shaft without falling for the hype or hate of others about it. Up on receiving the shaft the first thing that caught my eye was the surface finish on the shaft. I expected to see a little smoother, more polished surface but it has these small grooves on it that is shown in the pictures below. More on that later on. The second thing to cross my mind on the first few strokes was the sound the shaft makes as it glides in your bridge hand, it makes this subtle but noticeable noise as it goes moves across the hand but it is something that I got used to within the first few racks playing with it. The surface finish most definitely plays a part here, the texture makes a little noise but it sure makes up the sound by being extremely comfortable and slick feelwise. Smoothest shaft ever to play with without a glove, thumbs up for Predator for that. Another noticeable characteristic of the shaft is its static stiffnes. It is very stiff when applying sideway force by bending it against the table for example. I like this feature a lot, it gives a nice comfortable feel to shots where you need to bridge over balls or play with a very long bridge. The lack of a ferrule was weird for the first day of playing but I soon forgot all about it when I started to get a hang of it. Shaft stays clean well and is nice to play with or without a glove. Still havent opened any of the wipes as it is as smooth and slick still as it was fresh of the wrapper. Hit of the shaft is surprisingly natural and pleasing even with the hard tip that I had put on it. I like the hit better actually than the 314 and that is a lot said as I prefer the feel of 3rd gen 314 over the likes of Mezz for example. More feedback with the revo and a feel that is just gives you a confident feel when the ball is struck well and pure. Reacts well to extreme english aswell, it doesnt make a buzz or a nasty feel but the same solid feel that you expect from a center ball hit. Long story short, I like the feel a lot.
Here is a closeup picture of the shafts surface that I wrote about earlier on:
ATCglGt.jpg



Playwise it is a little different than the 314 I was previously used to and it took me a few hours to get a grip of the Revo and to get my game going with it. Deflection is lower than a 314 by quite a lot and shots with extreme side took a little practice to get right. However the time spent getting to know it was surely well worth the effort. The revo is by far the most powerful and straightest shooting shaft I have used to date. By powerful I mean the immense energy transfer of the shaft, easily noticeable when breaking with it. I love the stiff hit of the shaft and the feel of pure power when breaking with it. Sorry BK2, you are taking the backseat for a while now :rolleyes: By shooting straight I refer to how much compensation is needed from shot to shot when the force of shot changes. The difference of compensation needed from soft to medium hard shot is minimal and it just makes me feel good about my game, gives a nice confidence boost and makes for one less variable to think off when taking a shot. I took a short video to give a taste of what the revo sounds like when hitting a ball with it. The same shot takes with a 314'3 w/ the same tip is also shown in the video for comparasion :rolleyes:
Apologies for the poor audio quality, the video is taken with a phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmRLRJ3kat4&feature=youtu.be


And some more pics for your viewing pleasure:
0AUteWn.jpg


hRTEO4k.jpg



To sum it all up in short;

The Revo shaft is a radically different take on cue building and shaft technology that will be something one likes and the other one hates. It is clearly not directed for the traditionalist but more to the new generation of players that have interest in new technology. With the price point being what it is not all players are willing to spend the money on one but I still think that money spent on a Revo is well spent. It is something new, something different than we are used to and I appreciate Predator for spending the time and money coming up with a carbon shaft.
On a sidenote I have high hopes for a carbon composite break shaft aswell.

Feel free to ask anything by commenting or by PM, I will do my best to answer if something comes up :smile:

Hopefully you enjoyed the read!

- Kimmo
 
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RoadHustler

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good review

I had a chance to use one at omega billiards in Texas last summer. I liked it too... Although the price is a bit steep for a cheapo like me.
 

M.G.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you very much, Kimmo. Perfect and informative as always.
Kiitos :thumbup:

Something I like very much from my Snooker shaft is the brass ferrule. It establishes a very nice contrast (and is neither white, black or blue, grey) and I'm able to estimate the distance to the CB very well and can cue rather close.

How do you establish this contrast with the Revo? By the blue tip or the red pad?

Cheers,
M
 

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you very much, Kimmo. Perfect and informative as always.
Kiitos :thumbup:

Something I like very much from my Snooker shaft is the brass ferrule. It establishes a very nice contrast (and is neither white, black or blue, grey) and I'm able to estimate the distance to the CB very well and can cue rather close.

How do you establish this contrast with the Revo? By the blue tip or the red pad?

Cheers,
M


Actually I use the shaft itself as a reference point. It took a while to get used to but after a while it became just like playing with a shaft with a black ferrule. I just point and shoot, simple as that ;)

E: Daz uses a thin piece of white plastic under the tip for a softer hit and a ferrule like reference. It would work without a doubt if the black shaft bothers your sighting.
 

9ballhasbeen

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nice, thoughtful and thorough write up. Thank you for sharing with all of us. Looks pretty cool on your cue, is that a Classico?
 

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nice, thoughtful and thorough write up. Thank you for sharing with all of us. Looks pretty cool on your cue, is that a Classico?


Thank you and yes the butt is a linen wrapped Classico. For some reason it is the best hitting butt of all the cues I own. Even though I have an Ikon serie cue that is supposedly one of the better Predator butts but it just feels numb compared to the Classico. Great cue, I like it a lot :smile:
 

Bobkitty

I said: "Here kitty, kitty". Got this frown.
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thanks for a great review of your REVO. I have the 12.9MM radial ordered. Come to find out, the radial joint Revos were always behind the unilocks in production. I'll hook it up to my Predator Roadline LE-4.
 
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RickLafayette

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thank you and yes the butt is a linen wrapped Classico. For some reason it is the best hitting butt of all the cues I own. Even though I have an Ikon serie cue that is supposedly one of the better Predator butts but it just feels numb compared to the Classico. Great cue, I like it a lot :smile:

I agree. I have the Classico SP (unwrapped) and it is a better hitting butt than some of my customs.
 

Superiorduper

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As always Kimmo, thanks for the well written review. I'm look forward to trying one out for myself. The durability and resistance to warpage is quite the enticement.

As for the finish of the shaft, have you contemplated polishing and/or waxing it yet?
 

Cocoa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As always Kimmo, thanks for the well written review. I'm look forward to trying one out for myself. The durability and resistance to warpage is quite the enticement.

As for the finish of the shaft, have you contemplated polishing and/or waxing it yet?

This is from Predators website:

REVO SHAFT FINISH MAINTENANCE. REVO carbon composite shafts should never be sanded or modified. Sanding the surface of the REVO shaft will damage the exterior finish and weaken the shaft’s structural integrity and release potentially harmful materials that could affect your health. Any sanding, polishing, or treatment of the surface of the shaft with chemicals or abrasives of any kind will void the shaft’s limited-lifetime warranty and negatively affect the shaft’s longevity and performance. Never use talcum powder, baby powder, hand chalk, or other shaft treatments on a REVO carbon fiber composite shaft.

To clean the surface of your REVO carbon composite shaft, you can use one of the following two solutions: REVO Wipes, or Isopropyl Alcohol (90%) cleaning.
Step 1. Wipe the shaft with the included microfiber cleaning cloth, brushing away any lose dirt, dust and debris.
Step 2. Using a REVO wipe or soft cloth towel with a reasonable amount of Isopropyl Alcohol (90%), work up and down the shaft, from the joint end toward the tip while rotating your hand around the shaft’s circumference. You may see dirt on the towelette – this is normal. Continue to work the shaft until all areas have been thoroughly wiped, allowing 1-2 minutes for the surface to dry.
 

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As always Kimmo, thanks for the well written review. I'm look forward to trying one out for myself. The durability and resistance to warpage is quite the enticement.

As for the finish of the shaft, have you contemplated polishing and/or waxing it yet?

Thank you for the kind words :smile:

As for the finish goes I dont feel any need to do anything about it. As I stated in my initial review the shaft is extremely smooth and glides well. The sound when stroking has either turned down a notch or I have grown used to it as I no longer feel distracted by it. I tried the wipes that came with the shaft today and to my surprise the shaft was totally clean from top to bottom, nothing more than a hint of chalk came off. I expected to see some dirt come off as some say that there is an issue with dirt build up with these shafts but that doesn't seem to happen to me.

Also it has been a little over a week now playing with the Revo so it is time to catch up a little :embarrassed2:
I have grown to like the shaft a lot. The stiffness definitely gives an advantage in certain shots and the power transfer is way beyond a standard shaft. I break better and harder with the Revo w/ a leather playing tip than I do with my BK w/ synthetic break tip. I would denitely want another one with a Taom tip for a break shaft but my wallet says otherwise :thumbup: The only downside for now are long drag shots where minimum speed is required to pocket a ball. I tend to overhit them every now and then but I am still adjusting to the shafts finer characteristics. However I am quickly getting the hang of the feel, power and the control with shots like these is getting better by the day. I am now playing my usual speed with the Revo and will keep playing with it for the time being as I do like the way it feels and the fact that it stays clean and always feels the same :rolleyes:

The shafts have been in public use for a while now and there has been surprisingly few reports of any structual issues with them. I for one sincerely hope that will not change any time soon, if the Revo proves to be as durable as it is said to be and with the fact that it does perform superbly we may finally have a viable contender to traditional maple shafts :eek:
 

Gorramjayne

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well this is half a dream realized, I definitely was praying they'd offer a thinner shaft. I just wanted a little bit thinner than this.

Does anybody know if they are going to offer a smaller diameter in the future? I would love it if they could go down to 12mm or 11.75...
 

Gio Sr.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Great review Kimmo. I tried one ant the Expo. Really amazing draw, even with the object ball way down the table. I had to go back to center ball as it really spins the cue. I liked it a lot but it's not for a guy on social security lol.
 

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Great write up. Glad you like the Revo. Your combo is awesome. The Butt is a winner.
 

mrinsatiable

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The interview from Paul constain..CMO and owner of predator on the WPS site..says they'll have a few more smaller sizes....11.8mm or possibly smaller for the snooker players.

With the testing and r and d from predator pro team..a revo break shaft is likely to come out as well in the near future.

I'm also excited to see a revo playing shaft preferably in 12mm - 12.25mm

-doug-

Well this is half a dream realized, I definitely was praying they'd offer a thinner shaft. I just wanted a little bit thinner than this.

Does anybody know if they are going to offer a smaller diameter in the future? I would love it if they could go down to 12mm or 11.75...
 

gregnice37

Bar Banger, Cue Collector
Silver Member
Well, I was bored out of my mind at this time yesterday morning & have been going back & forth on giving this shaft a try, especially since it came out in the smaller diameter. After reading this thread & taking advantage of Seyberts deal to do a payment plan, I bought the 899 revo cue they had. Hope to have it by Monday day.
 

Marky Mark

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well, I was bored out of my mind at this time yesterday morning & have been going back & forth on giving this shaft a try, especially since it came out in the smaller diameter. After reading this thread & taking advantage of Seyberts deal to do a payment plan, I bought the 899 revo cue they had. Hope to have it by Monday day.

Post your thoughts on the cue once you get to try it out. I'm assuming you're getting the 12.9 Revo shaft?
 

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi Kimmo, out of curiousity why did you choose to put a hard tip on an already stiff shaft?

I just like the feel and control of hard tips, regardless of shaft. I actually tried a medium tip on the Revo as predator says themselves that most players prefer a grade softer tip on the shaft but it just doesnt feel right for me. Cut it off and put on another Hard on it and all is well again :smile:
 
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