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Western arrogance is alive and well
- Thread starter JC
- Start date
TheThaiger
Banned
Thanks for that. How does the Players HXT shaft compare with the 314-2 deflection-wise?
JC
Coos Cues
I appologize. I realized that the second I wrote it and deleted it. Wish you would also.
Um, no. I'm employed and happily so. But thats a crappy thing to say towards a lot of displaced workers.
So who are you talking to then?
JC
Coos Cues
Yes that was unnecessary. You're trolling got to me.
Please ignore my last question. This has taken an ugly turn and I want no further part in it. With complete sincerity I wish you the best and hold no grudge.
To me I prefer it, I actually turned around and sold my 314-2 to another player the very same day. It feels more alive to me, as the predator just feels dead and lifeless. One major thing I have noticed is slow rolling long straight shots is heads over heels more accurate, and we all know how dreadful it can to be slow rolling on bar boxes. I personally will never go back to predator shafts after this Player's HXT. For $80, it's one of the best investments pool wise I have ever made. Granted being a Kamui tip on the end does help as well.
JC
Coos Cues
The main objection I have to predator shafts is they are crazy soft. Seems like you can dent them with your fingernail by accident.
I remember when the 314 first came out, the ferrule was so soft no one around here would tip them because they would destroy it. I ended up sending them into Mueller's to be tipped. They seemed to be the only ones delicate enough to re-tip it. I also had a huge problem of the shafts getting sticky/tacky no matter how often I cleaned and washed my hands. Then again that could have been the venues I was at as well.
TheThaiger
Banned
Grateful if you could put a review in this thread.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=246017&highlight=predator+Z2
I always find it a shame when people go to the trouble of comparing equipment and no one seems interested enough to add alternatives.
Anyway, how do they compare deflection-wise? Personally, I see no point in LD shafts that still deflect quite a bit (such as the Lucasi Flex).
Just put up a review, 1 step ahead of you. Deflection wise I personally think it's better than Predator. I wasn't a believer in LD shafts, until I got my first 314.. but that slowly died off and I actually went back to stock shafts, but this HXT has lit that fire again. I really do enjoy this shaft. Enough so that I recommend it to anyone I run across inquiring about it. I rarely if ever let anyone touch or play my cues, but this shaft is too good to let people pass up for $80.
Must of missed whatever spurred this remark, but I will say this...I was, until this very week, one of those displaced American workers...for almost two years. My reason for losing my job had nothing to do with other countries stealing my job. It had to do with a crooked employer who wanted me to violate state law, or lose my job...I lost my job. Got another job a week later, just down the street from the last one...same job, same shift. I worked 2 days...all the other employees loved me and my work ethic...I'm happy. A day later I get a call from a very embarrassed manager telling me that the owner has decided that I do not have 'the right equipment swinging between my legs, and he really prefers a man for the position'. Out of work again! A couple of months later, I get another job with a office cleaning outfit. The are having us use unknown and unmarked chemicals, and mixing them. No MSDS sheets available to even see what we might be mixing together! Additionally, they are having me handle and dispose of bio-hazardous waste, without the proper equipment or training. I go to OSHA....I lost my job.
At no point was I able to seek any real resolution to the illegalities I faced. Washington is a 'hire/fire' state...thanks to Boeing and Microflaccid...who demanded the state change their labor laws in order for them to keep their business in Washington. There is basically no recourse. Additionally, I attempted to file a sexual discrimination complaint...but in Washington there has to be at least 8 employees employed by the offending business. Since the guy never reported or paid the state the L&I Insurance for these employees, there was no record of them...and therefore the business did not meet the requirement for me to be able to file a discrimination complaint. Lastly...Washington also offers no protection under Whistleblower laws...at least with regards to private sector employment...only state employees get that protection. And while OSHA did find and fine the business on over 12 violations...the state does not care about private sector worker health and safety.
This is one of the many reasons that our country is failing....we continue to allow bad employers to continue to violate...and the good workers keep getting screwed. Sadly...the more that this happens, the more employers that chose to follow these practices....great for their bottom-line....bad for America as a whole.
Don't even get me started with the practice of many employment agencies both brick and mortar and online telling older job seekers and those unemployed for more than 6 months to not even bother to apply, because their applications will not be processed. WTF?!
What is wrong with our country is a cancer growing from within...not from anyone outside our borders.
Back to being more specific to the topic at hand.........I have a case made in China that will definitely outlast my tired ol' a$$...and maybe my kids' a$$es as well. I spend where the quality is...I don't care what country it was crafted in!
Lisa =====> needs to find someone with a newer Fury cue so she can do a side-by-side review with an American made custom.
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You would have to ask Metmot to repeat what he said to understand where all that came from, the original statement was deleted. I never claimed foreign countries are to blame for our economy's problem if that helps clear anything up.
All good.....however, it has been said before in other threads...not going off on you or anything. Just think people need to take the blinders off with regards to our country and it's 'issues'.
No problem. Sorry to hear about your job, that sounds like a real bad ordeal.
JC
Coos Cues
Nor did I. I fully understand our problems are home grown.
It was...and so utterly demoralizing, you have no idea. However, that is all behind me now, because I did finally find work...thank goodness! Hope it lasts.
off topic and chinese made goods
Lisa,
Replying to you because of crazy job regulations. In my state there are a dozen or so reasons why someone can't be fired, but they can be fired, not laid off, fired, for no reason at all!
To all, my general finding about chinese products are they are a lot like sausage, if you enjoy them best to not examine them too closely. Repairs on chinese cues taught me one thing, don't get involved. Of course that was only a few cues and I have found low end US made cues that were just as bad. Don't know the thread I pulled them from but I had some pictures of horribly crooked predator shafts when they were broken or whatever and then cut to see what they looked like. The splices were way off center. I was pretty pleased with my Jet lathe until I had to open it up and do a little work. Afterwards I did my best to forget what I saw. It sat beside an old Bridgeport mill that was as old as I was. The Bridgeport was still going strong and will still be going strong long after the Jet is scrap.
We want and expect cheap from china and that is what we get. I often wonder what they use in china. Is it the same crap? They are willing to meet almost any price point and do whatever it takes to get there. A children's jewelry manufacturer couldn't understand why we were upset to find cadmium in the jewelry. They explained that we made them take the lead out and the cadmium was the only other way to meet the price point so of course they used it! What did we expect?
To add insult to injury or injury to injury, china often uses subsuppliers in north korea or still poorer countries where quality control is nonexistent. Much that is made in Taiwan has components from suppliers in china with subcomponents from lord knows where.
Another annoyance is a lack of a support chain. I needed a freon manifold to charge AC units on the fly and had to buy a chinese made set of gauges from the local parts house. Used them twice and they broke. Sorry, out of warranty and no repair parts available, toss the hundred dollars away! Three hundred for good gauges but they had to be ordered. My good gauges for R-12 and R-22 were bought in 1973, still going strong without any repairs other than replacement hoses.
One of these days we will learn we get what we pay for or less, we very rarely get more than we pay for!
Hu
Lisa,
Replying to you because of crazy job regulations. In my state there are a dozen or so reasons why someone can't be fired, but they can be fired, not laid off, fired, for no reason at all!
To all, my general finding about chinese products are they are a lot like sausage, if you enjoy them best to not examine them too closely. Repairs on chinese cues taught me one thing, don't get involved. Of course that was only a few cues and I have found low end US made cues that were just as bad. Don't know the thread I pulled them from but I had some pictures of horribly crooked predator shafts when they were broken or whatever and then cut to see what they looked like. The splices were way off center. I was pretty pleased with my Jet lathe until I had to open it up and do a little work. Afterwards I did my best to forget what I saw. It sat beside an old Bridgeport mill that was as old as I was. The Bridgeport was still going strong and will still be going strong long after the Jet is scrap.
We want and expect cheap from china and that is what we get. I often wonder what they use in china. Is it the same crap? They are willing to meet almost any price point and do whatever it takes to get there. A children's jewelry manufacturer couldn't understand why we were upset to find cadmium in the jewelry. They explained that we made them take the lead out and the cadmium was the only other way to meet the price point so of course they used it! What did we expect?
To add insult to injury or injury to injury, china often uses subsuppliers in north korea or still poorer countries where quality control is nonexistent. Much that is made in Taiwan has components from suppliers in china with subcomponents from lord knows where.
Another annoyance is a lack of a support chain. I needed a freon manifold to charge AC units on the fly and had to buy a chinese made set of gauges from the local parts house. Used them twice and they broke. Sorry, out of warranty and no repair parts available, toss the hundred dollars away! Three hundred for good gauges but they had to be ordered. My good gauges for R-12 and R-22 were bought in 1973, still going strong without any repairs other than replacement hoses.
One of these days we will learn we get what we pay for or less, we very rarely get more than we pay for!
Hu