Hi guys and gals I just bought but haven't recieved yet an older predator with a 314 1st generation. Shaft. I used one back in the day but not sure the pros and cons or just cons. Anyone notice the differences ?
314 1st generation vs. 314-2 differences
- Thread starter oldschool2791
- Start date
I know the first gen was made in usa and very well made has a maple shaft feel but with lower deflection the 314- 2 is made over seas from what the guys say not made as well don't have the good feel and feed back of the 1st gen but it does have the lower deflection of the two hope this helps I'm sure others will chim in and give better info then I did :thumbup:
The first gen's were made in Canada...
2nd gen has less deflection but to me 1st gen has better feel. The z has even less feel. But once you complete the transition to any of the 2nd gen predators, it's difficult to switch back, for better or worse.
DJ
Respect, Courage, and Commitment!
DJ
Respect, Courage, and Commitment!
Okay, I feel very qualified to answer this. I shot with a no name sneaky pete butt with a 1st gen 314 for 6 years. It played good and had a solid feel. I then bought a P2 with a 1st gen 314 off this forum about 2 years ago. Honestly, the cue has a very hollow feel to it. Don't know if its the 314-1 shaft that came with it but it just felt very dead to me. Bought a Z2 for it and it had a more solid feel to the cue. The butt though just felt hollow like I was using a metal pipe. Couldn't get used to the Z2 so I bought a 314-2. Okay….now the cue felt super dead. No feel at all but I could make balls. Went on another cue buying journey and ended up buying a lambros with a standard shaft. The feel is great and I don't really notice a difference in aiming.
So in sum, the 314-1 is a good shaft. Great feel to it and felt solid. The 314-2 is also a good shaft, but to me it just has no feeling at all. Granted, that could be due to the P2 butt. Its just funny cause everyone loves the P2, but it kind of feels hollow to me. To each there own. Both are good shafts but the feel when you actually hit the ball is something that each person will prefer.
So in sum, the 314-1 is a good shaft. Great feel to it and felt solid. The 314-2 is also a good shaft, but to me it just has no feeling at all. Granted, that could be due to the P2 butt. Its just funny cause everyone loves the P2, but it kind of feels hollow to me. To each there own. Both are good shafts but the feel when you actually hit the ball is something that each person will prefer.
Maybe it's all personal preference or perhaps the joint. My player is an old Predator sp
5/16 X 14 ss joint, I have every generation of Predator shaft for that and I like them all. The Z2 feels best with the original 314(pre-cat) a very close second, like a 1a and 1b. The shaft that I like the least is the 314-2. But even so I can't say I don't like 314-2.
I also have a next generation sp, red vaneers, uni-loc joint also every generstion of predator shaft and the only one I really like with it is the Z2. I also have a predator with a radial joint and I didn't care much for the Z2 with that one at all, but I really like the 314-2 with that one. Forthe radial I also purchased a Z2 that had been finished by tiger, it had insert at the joint like in their ultra x shafts, this one plays great and has an awesome feel to it. Just for fun I also tried a Dominiak D3 shaft with the radial, it also has the insert. Again the feel was great.
Maybe the tip, maybe the joint, maybe the climate, who knows. I tend to believe it's a personal preference. I know people that wouldn't play with a predator if you paid them to, personally, I wouldn't be without it
5/16 X 14 ss joint, I have every generation of Predator shaft for that and I like them all. The Z2 feels best with the original 314(pre-cat) a very close second, like a 1a and 1b. The shaft that I like the least is the 314-2. But even so I can't say I don't like 314-2.
I also have a next generation sp, red vaneers, uni-loc joint also every generstion of predator shaft and the only one I really like with it is the Z2. I also have a predator with a radial joint and I didn't care much for the Z2 with that one at all, but I really like the 314-2 with that one. Forthe radial I also purchased a Z2 that had been finished by tiger, it had insert at the joint like in their ultra x shafts, this one plays great and has an awesome feel to it. Just for fun I also tried a Dominiak D3 shaft with the radial, it also has the insert. Again the feel was great.
Maybe the tip, maybe the joint, maybe the climate, who knows. I tend to believe it's a personal preference. I know people that wouldn't play with a predator if you paid them to, personally, I wouldn't be without it
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I think this is a pretty good summary. I've used 314 shafts since not too long after they came out. The original 314 had perhaps a harder hit than the newer ones. I do think the wood quality was better, but some of the construction techniques were not. They used to use slip on and glued joint rings. Kinda cheap in my opinion. I've had them fall off. A threaded joint collar would have been better. The construction of the 314-2 joint is far more durable, although not everyone will like the phenolic insert. It really dampens the hit and eliminates some of the feedback Busboy was talking about.
I have an original 314 with an aftermarket joint ring installed. It is threaded on and made out of quality phenolic, not the cheap plastic Predator used. This shaft plays VERY nice!
Overall though, the 314-2 definitely improves on the low deflection properties that makes Predator what it is. I have played with 314-2 for a lot of years until recently converting over to the OB Classic Pro shaft. I find the OB to be superior in all ways, and roughly equal in deflection. But if I hadn't switched, I'm not sure that I would choose the original 314 over the 314-2, mainly because of the lower deflection. Now I wish I had a 3/8-10 original 314 to test on my current cue.
Hope this helps,
KMRUNOUT
What I don't like about Predator is that when they moved their production to China their product quality went down but their prices went up.
To me that seems like a weird reason to out-sorce your labor.
That being said I have a 2nd gen 314 and it's works fine on an old Schon cue I use a lot. Like it with a soft kamui black.
Actually works better for me than any of the OB's I've played.
So there......
To me that seems like a weird reason to out-sorce your labor.
That being said I have a 2nd gen 314 and it's works fine on an old Schon cue I use a lot. Like it with a soft kamui black.
Actually works better for me than any of the OB's I've played.
So there......
I disagree. First Gen would have been made in the USA by the Clawson Cue Company.
Freddie
Seems like you are saying the opposite of what the poster that you quoted (Busboy) is saying. Maybe I need to reread it.
Anyhoos, all of my 314-1 have more squirt than any of my 314-2, except for the one 314-1 that had its cap lopped off. Its squirt characteristics are very close to my 314-2 shafts.
Freddie
Haha Freddie...not exactly but maybe one part. I think the playability he described was accurate, and the overall quality (the wood, lamination, etc.) was perhaps better on the older ones. It was only the joint ring that I found lacking on the old ones. That's why I said it was a pretty good summary instead of an excellent summary haha. (No offense guy I quoted whose screen name I forget).
By the way, you've probably heard this before: The pessimist says the glass is half empty. The optimist says the glass is half full. The engineer says the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. lol.
KMRUNOUT
More deflection and felt
almost clunky. I hated it personally.
I made the transition from standard maple shafts over a period of about eight to twelve months. I'm using a Lucasi Hybrid LHF-69 butt with P3 style 314² uni-loc shafts set in phenolic.
From the factory the shafts do seem to be somewhat lifeless and that can be attributed to the taper making them feel stiff rather than the phenolic as was suggested in another response. I played with them this way for a while and recently had both shafts re-cut to 12.50mm using a 14" Pro-taper as well as replacing the tip with an UltraSkin M.
The tip is fully seasoned and I would dare anyone to bring any generation shaft to me and claim it plays any better than this. There is always the fact that people have a personal preference but that doesn't make me wrong. The quality of the product I received was absolutely perfect. Both shafts came to me @ 4oz.
From the factory the shafts do seem to be somewhat lifeless and that can be attributed to the taper making them feel stiff rather than the phenolic as was suggested in another response. I played with them this way for a while and recently had both shafts re-cut to 12.50mm using a 14" Pro-taper as well as replacing the tip with an UltraSkin M.
The tip is fully seasoned and I would dare anyone to bring any generation shaft to me and claim it plays any better than this. There is always the fact that people have a personal preference but that doesn't make me wrong. The quality of the product I received was absolutely perfect. Both shafts came to me @ 4oz.
I own two 314's, one 314-2, and Z shaft that I can put on a Predator SP 8 point or a 4 point butt. I keep trying to play with the 314-2 but always go back to the either 314 shaft. I just seem to play better with the 1st gen 314. The 314-2 has a good tip on it and it seems to feel good. Perhaps the difference in deflection is what I am sensing. Perhaps, it is in my head.
Oh, I do not use the Z shaft as I do not like the 11.75 shaft diameter. I prefer the 12.75 mm shaft.
Al
Oh, I do not use the Z shaft as I do not like the 11.75 shaft diameter. I prefer the 12.75 mm shaft.
Al
I have been playing with a first gen for 15+ years.IDK of any difference but the shaft is indestructible and has low deflection properties.I break with my shooter and have had no problems at all other then the occasional bad tip.
I know some peeps don't like the taper on the 314,that did take some getting used to.