Chinese knock off Predator P3 and SP2

[vincett]

They have the p3 racer clone for like $90. I might get it just to see how good or bad it is. I love that cue but can’t bring myself to pay what they want for just the butt. lol I wouldn’t use the shaft but It’s uni lock so hopefully my revo just connects right to it. I’m sure it will end up in a case some place but for $90 I wouldn’t mind getting it and reviewing it for Everyone

I came to a friend who had the Sp2 and P3 from Temu. Both of them looking from afar is very similar to the real Predator. Until examining it closer. The SP2 in close examination from just visualize is low quality. You can tell that it doesn't have the pain/polish job like predator do. The Wrap is of cheap quality which feels awful as leather wrap it feels even worse than my sport V2 wrap. The wrap on my sport V2, you don't want to leave it, just gotta keep playing with it. The wrap on both Temu one is...disgusting...you don't want to hold it.

The Unilock is also counterfeit or so, it threads are slightly larger, I couldn't fit my Cuetec or rhino shaft on it, except it very own shaft. I felt resistances putting it on so I wouldn't want to damage mine and didn't forcefully twisting it on.

On the predator, the Unilock has series number and the Temu one doesn't.

The weight on the butt's are pretty light in a sense that if you hold your stick and ready to strike position. Then rotate it in your back hand, it weight doesn't feel as concentric and focused as my Sport V2.

When playing with them, I could feel the differences in the butt with the follow through which is very important on long distance draw shot. Even the Sport V2 doesn't feel as solid and confidence as the real P3, let alone the counterfeit one, and I verified with my other friends whose strength is into draw shots. Even his lucasi is a step behind my Sport V2 but the real P3 gave him the feeling that he would want one. Actually, after this experiment, I also want 1

Now back to the Temu P3, the appearances look cheaper at the joins, the wrap and the cocentrical weight were similar to the temu SP2. It is safe to say that judging by appearances, the Temu P3 look better and closer to the authentic than their SP2. However, they both plays, feels, and vibe off a cheap cue vibes, just like the one you could grab off the shelves in the bar....probably in better shapes...depends on the bar .

 

[smiling_Hans]

I came to a friend who had the Sp2 and P3 from Temu. Both of them looking from afar is very similar to the real Predator. Until examining it closer. The SP2 in close examination from just visualize is low quality. You can tell that it doesn't have the pain/polish job like predator do. The Wrap is of cheap quality which feels awful as leather wrap it feels even worse than my sport V2 wrap. The wrap on my sport V2, you don't want to leave it, just gotta keep playing with it. The wrap on both Temu one is...disgusting...you don't want to hold it.

The Unilock is also counterfeit or so, it threads are slightly larger, I couldn't fit my Cuetec or rhino shaft on it, except it very own shaft. I felt resistances putting it on so I wouldn't want to damage mine and didn't forcefully twisting it on.

On the predator, the Unilock has series number and the Temu one doesn't.

The weight on the butt's are pretty light in a sense that if you hold your stick and ready to strike position. Then rotate it in your back hand, it weight doesn't feel as concentric and focused as my Sport V2.

When playing with them, I could feel the differences in the butt with the follow through which is very important on long distance draw shot. Even the Sport V2 doesn't feel as solid and confidence as the real P3, let alone the counterfeit one, and I verified with my other friends whose strength is into draw shots. Even his lucasi is a step behind my Sport V2 but the real P3 gave him the feeling that he would want one. Actually, after this experiment, I also want 1

Now back to the Temu P3, the appearances look cheaper at the joins, the wrap and the cocentrical weight were similar to the temu SP2. It is safe to say that judging by appearances, the Temu P3 look better and closer to the authentic than their SP2. However, they both plays, feels, and vibe off a cheap cue vibes, just like the one you could grab off the shelves in the bar....probably in better shapes...depends on the bar .

There is no comparison between the real and fake.

 

[vincett]

There is no comparison between the real and fake.

Pretty much as simple as that

 

[garczar]

I came to a friend who had the Sp2 and P3 from Temu. Both of them looking from afar is very similar to the real Predator. Until examining it closer. The SP2 in close examination from just visualize is low quality. You can tell that it doesn't have the pain/polish job like predator do. The Wrap is of cheap quality which feels awful as leather wrap it feels even worse than my sport V2 wrap. The wrap on my sport V2, you don't want to leave it, just gotta keep playing with it. The wrap on both Temu one is...disgusting...you don't want to hold it.

The Unilock is also counterfeit or so, it threads are slightly larger, I couldn't fit my Cuetec or rhino shaft on it, except it very own shaft. I felt resistances putting it on so I wouldn't want to damage mine and didn't forcefully twisting it on.

On the predator, the Unilock has series number and the Temu one doesn't.

The weight on the butt's are pretty light in a sense that if you hold your stick and ready to strike position. Then rotate it in your back hand, it weight doesn't feel as concentric and focused as my Sport V2.

When playing with them, I could feel the differences in the butt with the follow through which is very important on long distance draw shot. Even the Sport V2 doesn't feel as solid and confidence as the real P3, let alone the counterfeit one, and I verified with my other friends whose strength is into draw shots. Even his lucasi is a step behind my Sport V2 but the real P3 gave him the feeling that he would want one. Actually, after this experiment, I also want 1

Now back to the Temu P3, the appearances look cheaper at the joins, the wrap and the cocentrical weight were similar to the temu SP2. It is safe to say that judging by appearances, the Temu P3 look better and closer to the authentic than their SP2. However, they both plays, feels, and vibe off a cheap cue vibes, just like the one you could grab off the shelves in the bar....probably in better shapes...depends on the bar .

Predoair are SHIT. Its as simple as that. no need for a whole review.

 

[MitchAlsup]

Crazy that pool is now a part of the bootleg world.

If shafts were $100 there would be no black market, at $400 there is.
Simple economics: the producers are charging enough to directly support a black market.

 

[fastone371]

I've already seen them at the pool halls.

It happened to be somebody I know. I saw a big cat and a black shaft. As I got closer to him to shake his hand, I noticed that is not a model Predator has. To be fair, someone bought it for him.

Someone had to tell me it was fake.

Cues have become a status symbol now. It use to be about how they shoot.

What has always been a status symbol were Instroke/Justis cases that housed our cues.

Not sure where you shoot but it certainly does not appear that cues and cases are not a status symbol in our area.

 

[garczar]

If shafts were $100 there would be no black market, at $400 there is.
Simple economics: the producers are charging enough to directly support a black market.

Yep. People aren't knocking-off $30 timex's.

 

[vincett]

It is hard to debate carbon fiber shaft. It is pretty much carbon Fibre and epoxy in a tube mold. However, the pricing differences are totally justifiable to me. Both my Cuetec and Revo shaft are playing greatly different than my Rhino which is considered a quality of the cheaper side of carbon fiber shaft.

I am not about to find out whether or not there are differences in those shaft when it comes to physical abuses such as walking it against something else. I took care of my stuffs. Though I did drop my cue once accidentally and the Revo did hit the wood wall first that it bounced back and dropped on the wood floor. Luckily nothing happened to it. Made my heart pounding as so.eone said he dropped ot once and caused a hole in his carbon shaft.

What so different in these shafts ? IMO, the long distance english and draw shots are greatly different. The minimal deflection rate Revo beat everything else, next up is Cuetec. However, the feedbacks on the Revo is amazing, the most wood like there are. Still, I would love a wood shaft if it could be as low maintenances and as resilience...

I also found out today for myself that the butt differences would also make the differences. The feedbacks and the feels I got from playing a P3 is greatly different than playing my sport V2. It could be the phenolic parts differences or constructions of the butt. But the P3 hits amazingly accurate with english applied and long distance draw shots. With the V2 I calculate the trajectories and the geometry of the balls and with the P3 I can feel it after the hit. Weird and hard to explain but very very satisfying to hold and to have

 

[garczar]

It is hard to debate carbon fiber shaft. It is pretty much carbon Fibre and epoxy in a tube mold. However, the pricing differences are totally justifiable to me. Both my Cuetec and Revo shaft are playing greatly different than my Rhino which is considered a quality of the cheaper side of carbon fiber shaft.

I am not about to find out whether or not there are differences in those shaft when it comes to physical abuses such as walking it against something else. I took care of my stuffs. Though I did drop my cue once accidentally and the Revo did hit the wood wall first that it bounced back and dropped on the wood floor. Luckily nothing happened to it. Made my heart pounding as so.eone said he dropped ot once and caused a hole in his carbon shaft.

What so different in these shafts ? IMO, the long distance english and draw shots are greatly different. The minimal deflection rate Revo beat everything else, next up is Cuetec. However, the feedbacks on the Revo is amazing, the most wood like there are. Still, I would love a wood shaft if it could be as low maintenances and as resilience...

I A-B'd Revo, Cuetec, Rhino. Shot about 50-75 shots of varying speeds/spins and could not tell much diff. at all in how they played. Some sound/feel diff's but as far as making balls and moving CB around i saw very little diff. in the three. Cuetec sounded more like wood than the other two. Rhino for the $ is a great buy.

 

[vincett]

I A-B'd Revo, Cuetec, Rhino. Shot about 50-75 shots of varying speeds/spins and could not tell much diff. at all in how they played. Some sound/feel diff's but as far as making balls and moving CB around i saw very little diff. in the three. Cuetec sounded more like wood than the other two. Rhino for the $ is a great buy.

Needless to say both Cuetec and Revo are ways expensive than Rhino. The only down side about Rhino is that I wasted a whole bunches of wipes and rubbing alcohol to clean it when it arrived out of the box LOL

 

[smiling_Hans]

It doesn't matter how much you wipe it.

I like to equate carbon shafts to computer keyboards. Eventually with sweat and oil from your hands it will look polished in some areas. Just like an old keyboard with polished keys and worn out letters.

I have already seen the worn carbon shafts. They get polished around the area where the bridge hand is.

 

[trob]

I came to a friend who had the Sp2 and P3 from Temu. Both of them looking from afar is very similar to the real Predator. Until examining it closer. The SP2 in close examination from just visualize is low quality. You can tell that it doesn't have the pain/polish job like predator do. The Wrap is of cheap quality which feels awful as leather wrap it feels even worse than my sport V2 wrap. The wrap on my sport V2, you don't want to leave it, just gotta keep playing with it. The wrap on both Temu one is...disgusting...you don't want to hold it.

The Unilock is also counterfeit or so, it threads are slightly larger, I couldn't fit my Cuetec or rhino shaft on it, except it very own shaft. I felt resistances putting it on so I wouldn't want to damage mine and didn't forcefully twisting it on.

On the predator, the Unilock has series number and the Temu one doesn't.

The weight on the butt's are pretty light in a sense that if you hold your stick and ready to strike position. Then rotate it in your back hand, it weight doesn't feel as concentric and focused as my Sport V2.

When playing with them, I could feel the differences in the butt with the follow through which is very important on long distance draw shot. Even the Sport V2 doesn't feel as solid and confidence as the real P3, let alone the counterfeit one, and I verified with my other friends whose strength is into draw shots. Even his lucasi is a step behind my Sport V2 but the real P3 gave him the feeling that he would want one. Actually, after this experiment, I also want 1

Now back to the Temu P3, the appearances look cheaper at the joins, the wrap and the cocentrical weight were similar to the temu SP2. It is safe to say that judging by appearances, the Temu P3 look better and closer to the authentic than their SP2. However, they both plays, feels, and vibe off a cheap cue vibes, just like the one you could grab off the shelves in the bar....probably in better shapes...depends on the bar .

Yeah I’ll think I’ll pass.. haha thanks for the review

 

[garczar]

Hypothetical: IF china started a new airline called 'Predoair' would you fly on it? Their slogan would be straight from Ron White: 'We get you to the crash-site cheaper'.

 

[garczar]

Needless to say both Cuetec and Revo are ways expensive than Rhino. The only down side about Rhino is that I wasted a whole bunches of wipes and rubbing alcohol to clean it when it arrived out of the box LOL

Mine was clean after a couple papertowels and some 90%.

 

[Kim Bye]

Hello I wonder if anyone else is aware of this ? There are many different cues that look exactly like predator with the same name P3 and SP2 from Chinese Temu app. They are selling extremely cheap at 80-120 or so. I wonder if the butt's play an important roles ? And beside your love for the brand, is there any technical reasons that you should only get authentic predator butt's only? And is there a way to tell a fake one from an authentic one if you were to buy a used cue ?

Been like that for years. "Predator" is the most well know fake brand and I have had customers that genuinely thought they had a Predator cue.. Copyright laws are lax/non-existant in China.
The irony is that Predator is made in China too..

 

[vincett]

Been like that for years. "Predator" is the most well know fake brand and I have had customers that genuinely thought they had a Predator cue.. Copyright laws are lax/non-existant in China.
The irony is that Predator is made in China too..

Wow! And I thought they made in the USA Argggg...

 

[Kim Bye]

Wow! And I thought they made in the USA Argggg...

"Designed in USA" Taican wood makes most of the Predator cues, except LE cues and the Revo shafts.

 

[vincett]

"Designed in USA" Taican wood makes most of the Predator cues, except LE cues and the Revo shafts.

What about the P3 limited Racer Purple ?

 

[Kim Bye]

What about the P3 limited Racer Purple ?

I'm fairly sure those are made at the Taican plant. The limited edition cues are often made by Jacoby, Pechauer, even Mezz has made some back in the day.

 

[straightline]

What's the gray part on the shaft?