Predator Warp Problems?

bud green

bud green

Dolley and Django
Silver Member
I was considering getting a predator shaft for a Viking cue I have but a friend of mine has bought two and they both warped. The last one warped in less than a year and he doesn't leave his cue in his car or anything obviously damaging.

200 bucks is a lot for a shaft that might warp in a year or two. Anyone else have problems with warping? I know there are some issues with the ferrule, but I've only seen one that had a ferrule problem and it looked like it overheated from table friction on break shots.
 
I've seen one shaft warped, but it came from a rinky dink local cue maker that supplied it to a player. The guy got a bunch of them wholesale. They were a stock with nothing, no collar, or even the pin size drilled into it yet, so that a cuemaker and can customize to whatever an order asks for. You could tell it was a predator, but the damned thing warped in a few months. Could've been that the cuemaker didn't drill it right causing it to be crooked. He could've also screwed up the taper, maybe? I don't know.

Other than that I've never seen a purchased brand new predator ever warp. Nothing with the ferrules or anything like that.

bud green said:
I was considering getting a predator shaft for a Viking cue I have but a friend of mine has bought two and they both warped. The last one warped in less than a year and he doesn't leave his cue in his car or anything obviously damaging.

200 bucks is a lot for a shaft that might warp in a year or two. Anyone else have problems with warping? I know there are some issues with the ferrule, but I've only seen one that had a ferrule problem and it looked like it overheated from table friction on break shots.
Click to expand...
 
Bustah360 said:
I've seen one shaft warped, but it came from a rinky dink local cue maker that supplied it to a player. The guy got a bunch of them wholesale. They were a stock with nothing, no collar, or even the pin size drilled into it yet, so that a cuemaker and can customize to whatever an order asks for. You could tell it was a predator, but the damned thing warped in a few months. Could've been that the cuemaker didn't drill it right causing it to be crooked. He could've also screwed up the taper, maybe? I don't know.

Other than that I've never seen a purchased brand new predator ever warp. Nothing with the ferrules or anything like that.
Click to expand...

I don't beleive warping is much of a problem with Predator shafts. Actually, I don't see what any cue-maker could do that would make a blank warp for that matter unless maybe he leaves the blanks out on the back porch before installing. I've installed about 50 Predator blanks onto customers cues without any warping enough for any complaints, that I know of. When a cue-mechanic gets a Predator blank the blank is completely finished other than the deco-ring and insert. It is already tapered, polished and has a tip. A cue-maker could install the insert crooked or face the shaft wrong so that the shaft comes off the butt at an angle butt the shaft itself shouldn't be warped.
Dick
 
50 cues with no complaints is a pretty good record if the shafts stayed straight for couple years. My friends shafts were straight when he got them initially. I'll grill him (CONFESS!) and see if he did any cue-bashing after a bad shot. I doubt they'd be as popular as they are if a lot of players had this problem. I just don't want to drop 200 bucks and then learn that warpage is fairly common.

His shaft that warped in less than 8 months starts to hook somewhere around the middle and gets worse near the tip.
 
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no problem

I've got five, and one is warped but that was my fault. I have heard a lot of people with complaints about warping. the two guys that I shoot in league with also have pred shafts with no warping problems. I did have a ferrule problem on the shaft that is now warped but predator replaced the ferrule for free
 
I have been with predator products for the last 8 years. I have never had any shaft problems. I was without my break cue for over 4 months so I used my playing cue to break (I have an average break speed @ 20mph), and never had a problem. I used the original predator break cue and I did have a problem with the finish on the butt of the cue, sent back to them and they sent me a brand spanking new PREDATOR BKII break cue. Nope! No problems here.
 
I love my new Predator shaft. The feedback and spin I get is awesome.

Just thought I would bring this up, again.
 
Predator shaft fan

bud green said:
I was considering getting a predator shaft for a Viking cue I have but a friend of mine has bought two and they both warped. The last one warped in less than a year and he doesn't leave his cue in his car or anything obviously damaging.

200 bucks is a lot for a shaft that might warp in a year or two. Anyone else have problems with warping? I know there are some issues with the ferrule, but I've only seen one that had a ferrule problem and it looked like it overheated from table friction on break shots.
Click to expand...
Bud,
I own a total of 5 predator shafts which I had the cue maker who built my custom cues match to my cues (install matching trim rings). I haven't had any warping problems with my predator shafts and i'm sold on how they play (less deflection).

SCCues
 
My only direct experience is with my many years old 1st Edition Predator. Love the stick, no problems at all.

The only thing warped is the person holding it..... :D
 
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