Rhino shaft buyers, let 'er rip.......

[garczar]

Well i started this little AZ buying frenzie so lets hear some takes, the good/bad/ugly. Feel free to talk about the shaft(s) itself, cust. service, whatever's in your head. Me personally am really digging the shaft. I've tested a bunch but this is 1st cf purchase. I have zero complaints, the product and the customer service are both first rate imo. A lot of pool related co's could learn a few things from how this outfit operates. Fire away fellow Rhino drivers!!!

 

[rexus31]

The first break shaft I got has an imperfection in the tube about 6"-8" up from the collar. I reached out to Rhino and they facilitated an exchange and guaranteed the replacement would be perfect, which it was. I love the shaft I got but hated the tip. I've never been a full phenolic break tip guy having used an Ice Breaker II for about 10 years. I sourced some Gen I Ice Breaker tips and had one installed. Huge difference! Happy customer here. If I didn't already have a Cynergy 12.5mm with custom ringwork to match my player, I'd give one of their other shafts a go.

 

[SKILLZELITE]

Good shaft for the price, there is a difference in deflection that becomes more prevalent the harder the stroke is.
The shaft plays good, but is still a step below bigger name brands particularly revo, engage, fortis.
The price makes up for that to an "extent".
Rhino wouldnt be my 1st ,2nd or 3rd grab, but a good backup for someone who only has 1 or 2 playing shafts.

Miss me with the "well the deflection isnt big enough to make a difference"
because thats straight b.s. , & one size fits all statements typically stem from a point of view thats naive & narrow minded.

 

[Quesports]

Well i started this little AZ buying frenzie so lets hear some takes, the good/bad/ugly. Feel free to talk about the shaft(s) itself, cust. service, whatever's in your head. Me personally am really digging the shaft. I've tested a bunch but this is 1st cf purchase. I have zero complaints, the product and the customer service are both first rate imo. A lot of pool related co's could learn a few things from how this outfit operates. Fire away fellow Rhino drivers!!!

Thank you bringing this too our attention.

Do you know if they have a wavy 2 joint? All I saw was a wavy joint and I assume there is some difference and they are not interchangeable.

 

[garczar]

Thank you bringing this too our attention.

Do you know if they have a wavy 2 joint? All I saw was a wavy joint and I assume there is some difference and they are not interchangeable.

Wavy 1 will fit either pin. Wavy1-W2 have same major diameter but W2 has smaller minor so: Wavy1 shaft will fit either but a W2 shaft will only fit W2 pin. Rhino Wvy will fit either.

 

[DeadStick]

there is a difference in deflection that becomes more prevalent the harder the stroke is

If by "deflection" you're talking about net change in aiming point needed, that's normal for any shaft, because any change in stroke speed changes the point at which the sidespin swerves the ball back towards the shaft line (assuming the butt of the cue is elevated to some degree).

Hit it hard enough, and the swerve won't take effect before the CB contacts the OB, and deflection will be effectively be maximized. Hit it soft enough, and the swerve takes effect within several inches.

This is why it's recommended to shoot a short, hard shot when testing a cue for it's deflection properties to eliminate the speed effects on swerve. It's usually done by hitting a straight shot from 1-2 diamonds away with sidespin into an OB and trying to stop the ball dead, while using BHE and measuring the pivot point of the cue.

Regarding true deflection (squirt), or the initial off-angle direction of the CB, here's what Dr. Dave's website has to say (relevant parts highlighted):

 

[SKILLZELITE]

@DeadStick good info,,
Anytime I test deflection , I adhere to Dr.Daves methods / recommendations.

 

[garczar]

Good shaft for the price, there is a difference in deflection that becomes more prevalent the harder the stroke is.
The shaft plays good, but is still a step below bigger name brands particularly revo, engage, fortis.
The price makes up for that to an "extent".
Rhino wouldnt be my 1st ,2nd or 3rd grab, but a good backup for someone who only has 1 or 2 playing shafts.

Miss me with the "well the deflection isnt big enough to make a difference"
because thats straight b.s. , & one size fits all statements typically stem from a point of view thats naive & narrow minded.

Not bs at all. I AB'd this shaft, a Cynergy and a Mezz Ignite the other day. When shooting from about center table towards the middle diamond on the end rail the difference in squirt in all three MIGHT have been 1/8", probably less. Pretty impressive when you consider the Rhino tested is 12.8, the Cyn is 12.5 and the Mezz 12.2. BTW, deflection does NOT increase with speed. Speed just carries the initial 'squirt line' further out. ALL shafts do this. Its called' physics'. Have you tested ANY CF shafts side-by-side yourself? Or are these statements merely guesses/opinions? I've tested most CF shafts on the market today and the difference in the best/worst in terms of deflection is tiny. What's 'naive and narrow-minded' is to just assume that so-called 'big name' shafts play/perform different without actually putting this theory to some kind of test.

 

[DeadStick]

I just ordered a 30" Rhino pro-taper in 12.5mm to be a backup. When it arrives, I'll do a careful natural pivot-point measurement of its deflection, and compare it to my current player (Cuetec Cynergy 12.5) and my old Predator Z2 shafts. Think I might have an old 314.2 laying around that I could throw it to the test as well.

Side-note for anyone playing with a Cuetec Truewood butt: the Cuetec joint diameter is 21.3mm (older Cuetec butts, 2019 and earlier, are 20.0mm), and the Rhino is supposed to be 21.5. I figure I won't notice a 0.2mm difference in diameter (that would be a net difference of 0.1mm around the circumference of the joint).

If it bugs me (I'm a "chin on cue guy", so can feel joint size difference on some shots), I might take the risk of sanding down the joint of the Rhino a bit on my lathe. It's only money lol.

 

[DeadStick]

@garczar yes ,I have tested them multiple time being I currently own nearly all of them. The rhino is a good shaft, but is more deflective , not by a major amount, but there is a difference.

More deflective than what shaft(s)?

 

[SKILLZELITE]

@garczar yes ,I have tested them multiple times , being I currently own nearly all of them.
The rhino is a good shaft, but its more deflective , not by a major amount, but there is a difference.

@DeadStick
revo12.4 ,11.8, both fortis ld and pro

 

[Black-Balled]

I expect the pool cue shortly and will not do anything or not tell nobody nothin never.

Im gonna pack it away as a collectible.

 

[garczar]

@garczar yes ,I have tested them multiple times , being I currently own nearly all of them.
The rhino is a good shaft, but its more deflective , not by a major amount, but there is a difference.

@DeadStick
revo12.4 ,11.8, both fortis ld and pro

Roger that. Just curious but just how do you test them? I know my method is not lab. grade but its pretty accurate. I put a piece of chalk on the rail and shoot at it. I think i'm real close as far as speed control and i just don't see much difference in them. The Mezz at 12.2 is very low in deflection and this Rhino is less than the width of a chalk difference. I played a while with all three shafts. No adjustment necessary whatsoever when using spin. The Mezz 'might' have been a tad less on hard spin shots but not much. Rhino and Cuetec were dead-heat in all areas. Shafts 12.4 and less should be lower deflection regardless of material. Lowest deflect. shaft i ever tried is the Pred. Z wood shaft. Hate the little size but it barely squirts the cb at all.

 

[SKILLZELITE]

@garczar I dont own the mezz ignite, but Ill take your word for it When vs'ing Rhino.
I agree with you on the z2-3 shafts having very low Deflection.
Paired it up with my revo 11.8 and they deflect nearly the same, more power for revo, more feel with the z shaft .
Ive used that same method in the past with the corner of a piece of chalk, its cool on some round about results, definitely gives an idea within the ball park.
Now in days I use Dr.Daves methods to test deflection, and I also record the results while using the deflection chart he provides.

Got the smo coming in , but gotta send it out to re-tap the joint to get it to go from a 3/8x8, to a 3/8×10. Once I get it back from the re-tap from Downey, Ill be testing that to get a idea where that lands in the cf shaft pack. Granted Im no robot, but I feel I still get pretty consistent results .

Ill keep yinz posted.

 

[StrokeofLuck]

You guys, what a bunch of sheep!! All ordering a Rhino based on an AZ thread!

Mine just arrived in the mail

Got a 12.6 in 3/8 x 10
Customer service was excellent with email updates and quick shipping
Extra tip came in the tube
I laid it next to my 29" shafts and it looks to be about an inch longer as advertised. I thought that might bother me being on the shorter side, but it didn't at all.
I didn't do any specific deflection tests. For me, I've been playing pool for 50 years and can tell in a hurry if something suits my game or not. Loading up spin, knocking in balls, didn't require any real adjustment on my part and thought it played great.
I don't use a glove and it seemed to be a little noisier going through my bridge hand but that's in my quiet basement room, so a minor quibble. Nice and smooth, with no real seams or flaws that I could tell.
Tip is tall with layers but hits really good. I got the M. I'd like that maybe cut down a bit.
For CF reference, I've tried Meucci, Jacoby, JP, and Cynergy. I have a Becue and Nitti (wood shafts) as my current players. This thing hits at least as good, if not better, and with energy transfer that is better than some of those.
Cheaper than most wood shafts and way cheaper than other CF shafts. I think it's a great buy.
Good competition from these guys and that's probably going to bring the other company's shafts down in price. I know a lot of people jumping on these.

 

[dendweller]

The Mezz 'might' have been a tad less on hard spin shots but not much.

Why do you suppose that is, does it swerve more efficiently? That's a serious question, I've experienced it when comparing a 314 with other shafts, that the 314 seems to stay more ld on hard shots. And yes, I get that the experts say it can't happen.

 

[SSP]

@garczar yes ,I have tested them multiple times , being I currently own nearly all of them.
The rhino is a good shaft, but its more deflective , not by a major amount, but there is a difference.

@DeadStick
revo12.4 ,11.8, both fortis ld and pro

The shaft doesn't "deflect" the cue ball deflects with ANY shaft when struck off center, you must account for this while aiming when using ANY shaft, LD shafts only help limit A SMALL AMOUNT of the cue ball deflection when struck off center, if you play with the same cue and shaft you will learn the amount of defection that your shaft has, there were no such things as LD shafts back when Efren, Earl Strickland, Mike Sigel and many others played and did very well, it's the Indian not the arrow.

 

[Quesports]

Wavy 1 will fit either pin. Wavy1-W2 have same major diameter but W2 has smaller minor so: Wavy1 shaft will fit either but a W2 shaft will only fit W2 pin. Rhino Wvy will fit either.

Thank you very much !!

 

[garczar]

Why do you suppose that is, does it swerve more efficiently? That's a serious question, I've experienced it when comparing a 314 with other shafts, that the 314 seems to stay more ld on hard shots. And yes, I get that the experts say it can't happen.

Its 12.2 and has very low-mass front end thus less deflection. The deflection 'start line' is the same on low and hi-speed shots its just the speed that makes the ball stay on that line longer. Low deflection is low deflection. CB does not swerve back unless speed is low or you jack-up. Hi-speed shots don't swerve back without some sort of masse hit.

 

[dendweller]

Its 12.2 and has very low-mass front end thus less deflection. The deflection 'start line' is the same on low and hi-speed shots its just the speed that makes the ball stay on that line longer. Low deflection is low deflection. CB does not swerve back unless speed is low or you jack-up. Hi-speed shots don't swerve back without some sort of masse hit.

Ok, didn't understand the part about "a tad less on hard spin shots".