How long do Predator shafts last?
- Thread starter EL'nino
- Start date
TheThaiger
Banned
My approach to Predator shafts is; they are great, but they fail. Be prepared to keep paying for them.
ps am I alone in thinking OB shafts suck? People complain of a dead hit with Preds but OBs have never even been born IME.
ps am I alone in thinking OB shafts suck? People complain of a dead hit with Preds but OBs have never even been born IME.
TheThaiger
Banned
They do. :wink:
Actually, Tim, I agree with you -- for the OB-1 and OB-2, that is. The OB Classic and OB Pro (formerly known as "Classic Pro") don't have a dead hit *at all*. I like the OB Pro, and that is the only LD shaft I have *ever* liked -- equivalent to a one-piece plain maple shaft. The "LD-ness" isn't in your face, like other LD products.
Just my two pence,
-Sean
TheThaiger
Banned
I had never thought of that and think there is probably something in it. I just swapped my old Z for a new 314 and the difference is amazing, far more powerful. Could just be the difference between a Z and a 314, however...
TheThaiger
Banned
I have only used a OB1&2. They reminded me of a ferruleless snooker cue I once had, come to think of it.
TheThaiger
Banned
Well that was prophetic. Two hours after peeling the sticker off a new 314-2, there's a hairline crack in the ferrule. This is the fifth Predator I've owned that has developed a problem.
I have two precats, straighter than when they were new.( dont really know, but its to prove a point) My friend has a new predator that warped BAD in a couple of months. was it a lemon or is it the company? who knows, but wood reacts to the atmosphere around it, wideing and constricting, its always changing, its a crap shoot and luck.
notorious for this for 10-15 years
I'd say....,about that long.
I don't know, I love Predator shafts and don't understand the hate. I've only had one, and it's fantastic. Had been shooting with a 30 yr old Joss shaft that's still arrow-straight, but the dull feel of the old style shaft is no match for a new 314-2. When I told local players I was considering a Predator, there was the same type of discussion going on as in this thread, but after I got used to it I would say that it is superior to a solid maple shaft...hands down. To answer your question, there's no reason why it shouldn't last as long as you choose to own it.
the years are much dependent on how much they are played, some said a few years but how much action do they actually played?
some pros in my country, they play with Mezz and Predator everyday, 8 hours or more everyday, and they expect to get new shafts once or twice a year.
some pros in my country, they play with Mezz and Predator everyday, 8 hours or more everyday, and they expect to get new shafts once or twice a year.
Mine 314 lasted about 7 years.
But I experimented with it often and finally wore it down to where the ferrule disintegrated and the shaft gave up. Without my doing that, I'd guess it would still be just fine.
And I broke with it, too. I'd guess it lasted about 250,000 shots or so.
Jeff Livingston
I cant speak about the older 314 shafts but I recently decided to try out a 314-2. was not impressed with the quality of the wood. I play every day and every night when I got home there were nicks all up and down on the shaft. the first day or two I just wrote it off the to shaft getting bumped into something or whatever. steamed out the nicks and went back at it. literally 12 days in a row there were nicks all over the shaft and me having no clue how they got there. since you cant use steam on predator shafts because they say it will void the warrenty due to steam causing the wood to delaminate. what can you do? sand the nicks out of the shaft every night? shaft wont last very long at that rate. My overall review of the 314-2. they play good but terrible quality of wood.
I'm with Renfro, have had a Z2 and several 314-2's over the past 5 years or so, they end up lasting maybe 2 years or a bit more then I've had issues with the hit or worse hairline fractures along the glue lines. All have been replaced so far by warranty, so can't complain, but I also knew people at Predator and that process was perhaps slightly easier.
After my latest 314-2 doing the same thing - I can hear the crack but can't quite see it yet - I tried out some OB shafts after talking to Shane at OB and doing some research and demoing. Recently bought an OB Classic and this weekend my OB 1 arrived, both specifically piloted for Schon cues, fit is great, lifetime warranty attractive.
Leaning toward the Classic at this point, initial results have been good, but the hit is a little stiff with the Schon - maybe just a bit stiffer than what I was used to with the 314-2, especially if it was wearing out a bit as Renfro described and I've experienced. Even though I normally don't like the dampened feel of the OB1/2 I will spend some time testing out the OB1 and then decide between them, they are very similar performance and deflection wise.
Scott
After my latest 314-2 doing the same thing - I can hear the crack but can't quite see it yet - I tried out some OB shafts after talking to Shane at OB and doing some research and demoing. Recently bought an OB Classic and this weekend my OB 1 arrived, both specifically piloted for Schon cues, fit is great, lifetime warranty attractive.
Leaning toward the Classic at this point, initial results have been good, but the hit is a little stiff with the Schon - maybe just a bit stiffer than what I was used to with the 314-2, especially if it was wearing out a bit as Renfro described and I've experienced. Even though I normally don't like the dampened feel of the OB1/2 I will spend some time testing out the OB1 and then decide between them, they are very similar performance and deflection wise.
Scott