Predator tip silencer pad replacement - voids warranty?

WildWing

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
c-money said:
Good info. Anyone who ordered their predator with the Kamui clear has the pad they can keep in place and not be concerned with what's under it.
Click to expand...

Yes, another good example. The Kamui clear has a composite/plastic pad of some type that serves basically the same purpose of fiber pads, though less glue wicking, etc. If kept in place, either protects the warranty pad on the Predator, or other shaft with a warranty pad, for that matter. Just don't screw it up by shaving down the OEM pad.

All the best,
WW
 
K

KMRUNOUT

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WildWing said:
The intolerable weight of the fiber pad is???

Ruining the hit???
Click to expand...

Weight is not much. However, one of the big selling points of the 314-3 was a 3% reduction in endmass. So adding mass to solve a problem is not exactly in line with the design philosophy.

Ruining the hit? Yeah. a fiber pad feels different than no fiber pad. If you liked it without the fiber pad, and don't like it with the fiber pad (like me), then I would call that ruining the hit.

Pretty straighforward stuff...

As I said, the solution is great if the only consideration is maintaining the warranty status.

KMRUNOUT
 
K

KMRUNOUT

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
mortuarymike-nv said:
I fully understand Tip pad , but how many players out there realty understand that the tip pad is not part of the tip ???

My point is there has to be a few uneducated players that do there own tip that have no idea if the accidently cut the tip pad off it voids the warranty .

What if a cue repair man changes the tip but only skims a little off the pad for a clean glue surface and the shaft cracks and the warranty is voided because the pad had been shaved a little ..

Seems like if you don't send the cue to predator every time it needs a tip the warranty is voided ..........
Click to expand...

Which is extremely stupid on Predator's part.

KMRUNOUT
 
K

KMRUNOUT

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WildWing said:
Exactly, Mike. That's why I would always suggest a fiber pad between the new tip and the warranty-oem pad, as it protects it. I've done this many times, and there's no problem with hit, weight, etc. I have no idea what some of the earlier squacking was about.

All the best,
WW
Click to expand...

Imagine everything we didn't know didn't exist?

KMRUNOUT
 
pfd studios

pfd studios

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Predator tip silencer pad replacement - voids warranty?
OKAY - here is the long and short of it . . .when replacing the original existing tip on ANY Predator shaft you might consider NOT removing all of the leather from the existing tip (unless absolutely necessary) - this will provide a clean uniform surface when done properly in the lathe and will eliminate ALL the discussion on voiding any warranty. Bonding to the VERY thin layer of the old tip will give you a nice porous surface for the new glue to adhere to and now you will not have worry about removing ANY of the ferrule material or silencer pad - ever.

Try it it works . . .

Paul
 
Poolhall60561

Poolhall60561

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have 7 Predator cues, got my first over 16 years ago. I never new about the tip pad. I guess I never read the fine print. It is a little bothersome. I hope the guy that has been replacing my tips knows about this.


image.jpg



If in fact if they are not there, do I just need to replace with Kamui Clear or shoul I send them to Syberts to be repaired.

Sorry about the condition of my shafts, I didn't realize how bad of shape they were in until I took that pic
 
Kimmo H.

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tip silencer pad is only there on the newest 3rd generation shafts, the previous models dont have anything like that. Your shafts look like older model predators so no worries there :)
 
W

WillyCornbread

Break and One
Silver Member
pfd studios said:
Predator tip silencer pad replacement - voids warranty?
OKAY - here is the long and short of it . . .when replacing the original existing tip on ANY Predator shaft you might consider NOT removing all of the leather from the existing tip (unless absolutely necessary) - this will provide a clean uniform surface when done properly in the lathe and will eliminate ALL the discussion on voiding any warranty. Bonding to the VERY thin layer of the old tip will give you a nice porous surface for the new glue to adhere to and now you will not have worry about removing ANY of the ferrule material or silencer pad - ever.

Try it it works . . .

Paul
Click to expand...

Paul - thanks for weighing in. I didn't know that this would be an option thinking it would somehow be a weaker bond, much appreciated.
 
WildWing

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
pfd studios said:
Predator tip silencer pad replacement - voids warranty?
OKAY - here is the long and short of it . . .when replacing the original existing tip on ANY Predator shaft you might consider NOT removing all of the leather from the existing tip (unless absolutely necessary) - this will provide a clean uniform surface when done properly in the lathe and will eliminate ALL the discussion on voiding any warranty. Bonding to the VERY thin layer of the old tip will give you a nice porous surface for the new glue to adhere to and now you will not have worry about removing ANY of the ferrule material or silencer pad - ever.

Try it it works . . .

Paul
Click to expand...

This actually would work pretty well, if done religiously. Unless doing your own tips, it probably wouldn't work very well with busy cue repairmen. At any time, they have a bunch of tips to replace, and the chance of them leaving that small sliver of remaining leather from the previous tip...? Well, let's just say it's the chances of the Clintons staying together if Hillary loses. However, I agree with you, this does work, it does the function of a fiber base to protect either the ferrule or the OEM ferrule base.

On the fiber base ruining the hit of a cue, as opined above. If this was the case, most every cue built by George Balabushka and Gus Szamboti would have a ruined hit, as they used tips with fiber bases. Also, the cues today made by Barry Szamboti and Pete Tascarella would have a ruined hit with fiber bases, as that's how they make them. Anybody believe that? No, I don't think so.

As another erudite poster on this forum often states, you truly can't make this stuff up.

All the best,
WW

There will be some contorted response, I guarantee..
 
Dave-Kat

Dave-Kat

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Excellent suggestions WW and PDF:groucho: & Predator scamming workaround. Feel sorry for all the suckers that drop $100 to have their V3 serviced.

$30 ship to and from
$30 new $3 'silencer' pad
$40 new tip
------------
$100 = ripoff

-Late,
 
WildWing

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
Dave-Kat said:
Excellent suggestions WW and PDF:groucho: & Predator scamming workaround. Feel sorry for all the suckers that drop $100 to have their V3 serviced.

$30 ship to and from
$30 new $3 'silencer' pad
$40 new tip
------------
$100 = ripoff

-Late,
Click to expand...

You're welcome. We aim to please. But be careful who you listen to.

All the best,
WW
 
Majic

Majic

With The Lights ON !!
Silver Member
WillyCornbread said:
Hi all,

I have a Predator 314-3 shaft, and have been trying different tips to identify my preference. Each tip change, a small amount of the grey 'tip silencer' pad is faced off - eventually this will need to be replaced.

When I asked Predator about getting replacement pads they told me that the shafts have to be sent back to them, that they don't sell them and putting a different pad on there would void my warranty.

This really doesn't sit well with me, in fact if I would have known this I would have looked a whole lot harder at keeping my OB vs. Predator. I enjoy working on my own cues, and given the need to face off the pad, it's a consumable that they are strong arming into an extra hassle and cost to me.


2 questions:

1) Am I off base here, doesn't this seem unreasonable?
2) Does anyone know if it *really* matters, meaning can I just get some generic carbon fiber pads and use that when the time comes?

Thanks for entertaining the question -

b
Click to expand...


Predators customer service has become annoying. They require repairs to be done by a Predator certified repair person. The guy that repairs for them, D&D Cue, in my area is a joke. Never returns calls even when prodded by Predator.
There can't be anything magical about the pad so why not replace it with a pad your local cue man carries and eff the Predator warranty.
 
Last edited:
K

KMRUNOUT

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WildWing said:
This actually would work pretty well, if done religiously. Unless doing your own tips, it probably wouldn't work very well with busy cue repairmen. At any time, they have a bunch of tips to replace, and the chance of them leaving that small sliver of remaining leather from the previous tip...? Well, let's just say it's the chances of the Clintons staying together if Hillary loses. However, I agree with you, this does work, it does the function of a fiber base to protect either the ferrule or the OEM ferrule base.

On the fiber base ruining the hit of a cue, as opined above. If this was the case, most every cue built by George Balabushka and Gus Szamboti would have a ruined hit, as they used tips with fiber bases. Also, the cues today made by Barry Szamboti and Pete Tascarella would have a ruined hit with fiber bases, as that's how they make them. Anybody believe that? No, I don't think so.

As another erudite poster on this forum often states, you truly can't make this stuff up.

All the best,
WW

There will be some contorted response, I guarantee..
Click to expand...

Wild Wing, sorry you're having trouble with this. A fiber pad *changes* the hit. If you like the hit with a fiber pad, then no worries. If you prefer the feel of a hit without that, then adding one will change the hit. I can't say it any more simply than that. If someone bought a Balabushka or Szamboti and they came with a pad, then there is nothing to ruin...that is the hit of the cue. The point (which I thought was simple and straightforward) is that the hit will change. This may or may not be desirable.

KMRUNOUT
 
9Ballr

9Ballr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WillyCornbread said:
Hi all,

I have a Predator 314-3 shaft, and have been trying different tips to identify my preference. Each tip change, a small amount of the grey 'tip silencer' pad is faced off - eventually this will need to be replaced.

When I asked Predator about getting replacement pads they told me that the shafts have to be sent back to them, that they don't sell them and putting a different pad on there would void my warranty.

This really doesn't sit well with me, in fact if I would have known this I would have looked a whole lot harder at keeping my OB vs. Predator. I enjoy working on my own cues, and given the need to face off the pad, it's a consumable that they are strong arming into an extra hassle and cost to me.


2 questions:

1) Am I off base here, doesn't this seem unreasonable?
2) Does anyone know if it *really* matters, meaning can I just get some generic carbon fiber pads and use that when the time comes?

Thanks for entertaining the question -

b
Click to expand...



I don't understand why the LD crowd won't go to Tiger.
They make amazing shafts, have much better warranty, and stand behind their product.
At least with them there is a little bit of a feel left in the cue once you put one on.
 
F

fluna760

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Willy Cornbread, I had the same question a while back with my 314-3 shaft. I contacted predator and the only way to replace it was sending it to them. I contacted Brandon from Billiards Direct here local to me who is a Predator repairs men authorized. He told me that predator hasn't sent them those particular pads yet but they recommend any pad should do just fine. It's more so just to protect the shaft from splitting. He placed a regular fiber pad and I have not seen a difference in the way my shaft plays.
 
K

KMRUNOUT

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
9Ballr said:
I don't understand why the LD crowd won't go to Tiger.
They make amazing shafts, have much better warranty, and stand behind their product.
At least with them there is a little bit of a feel left in the cue once you put one on.
Click to expand...

I hear you. I've tried Tiger shafts. The regular sized one and the small one. Whatever was their low deflection at the time. The squirt was noticeably more than with Predator or OB. I think a decent cue with a 314-2 feels ok. The 314-3 feels more solid and more like a regular shaft from a hit perspective. I agree that the Tiger shafts felt even more like a traditional shaft, but at the cost of additional squirt. Right now I think the OB Classic + is a great balance of feel and low squirt. That said I'm playing with a 314-3 which I like. I was kinda turned off by Tiger's sales approach. The guys that worked their booth were making claims that were not smart to make, and in some cases flat out false. That was really the main reason I never looked any closer at Tiger. Also, it should be noted that OB has great service. Predator, not so much.

KMRUNOUT
 
WildWing

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
KMRUNOUT said:
Wild Wing, sorry you're having trouble with this. A fiber pad *changes* the hit. If you like the hit with a fiber pad, then no worries.
KMRUNOUT
Click to expand...

I'm glad you've come around a bit. At first, you said the fiber pad "ruined" the hit, rather than "changes" the hit.

No worries, and I agree with you. The fiber pad does change the hit, makes it a bit more compliant, if it's done right. And the choice of glue has an effect as well, the super glues and epoxies produce a harder, crisper hit, and Tweetens is a bit more flexible, softens the hit a little. Carpenters wood glue is a bit inbetween, but you have to have the right materials, large wood tenon, fiber ferrule, or other than will accept it.

I don't think you're a bad guy, but I think you jumped the gun by saying my advice could "ruin" something, when the OP was asking for help. My experience in putting tips on cues with and without pads, goes back to 1970. That's 43 years; every combination you can think of.

Respect my advice, and I'll be glad to respect yours. Please think carefully before you use the word "ruin" if I've given advice. Those who do will get a debate.

All the best,
WW
 
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