Entire setup...5.25 lbs

[Vtbow]

Well guys, this one had nothing to do with heat. No shrink tube applied to this. No de-burring or chamfering. Nothing. Straight out of the pkg and into the hole. Same testing.

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Well there ya go! As said before, use at your own risk I couldn't be happier with mine.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I gotta say it...

"It's a positioning aid."



Seriously though, everybody be safe. Go as the spirit leads you. I feel just as comfortable on my carbon fiber as I feel on grade 8s. But I hate aiders. Different strokes.

 

[IkemanTX]

So, I am not a fan of cutting these with a hack saw. The blade tried binding a few times and there was a small strand that tore out at the very end of the cut.
I am going to get a diamond cutoff wheel for my Dremel tool and do it right tomorrow.

As far as safety... I am a small guy at 5’7”, 145lb. As such, I feel like a reasonable amount of diligence will keep me from ever breaking one like shown above.


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[PJC]

I used my carbon bolts for tonight's hunt. No problem at all. I love how light they are and they slid right into my old bolt holes.

 

[BassBoysLLP]

So, I am not a fan of cutting these with a hack saw. The blade tried binding a few timesC and there was a small grand that tore out at the very end of the cut.
I am going to get a diamond cutoff wheel for my Dremel tool and do it right tomorrow.

As far as safety... I am a small guy at 5’7”, 145lb. As such, I feel like a reasonable amount of diligence will keep me from ever breaking one like shown above.


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I'm curious in your final review. Especially since you been a grade 8 one before. Im sure it will be a good review


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[IkemanTX]

I'm curious in your final review. Especially since you been a grade 8 one before. Im sure it will be a good review


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I will be hunting on climbing sticks 3 straight days next week due to property regulations. The week after that, though, will be 3 straight days on CF bolts.
I will probably play a bit on them this weekend, but I think I will hold off on my review until after my 3 day hunt.

I have used bolts for 3 years. Nothing near what some of the other bolt veterans have on here, but I have spent 80%+ of my sits on bolts in those 3 years. By my reckoning, I am nearing 700-800 hours on grade 8’s already. I think I’ll be able to come to a quick PERSONAL opinion on the carbon fiber versions. As said above... find what you feel safe climbing, and don’t take anyone else’s opinion as gold. I’m a small guy, so my word should be taken with a grain of salt.


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[BassBoysLLP]

I will be hunting on climbing sticks 3 straight days next week due to property regulations. The week after that, though, will be 3 straight days on CF bolts.
I will probably play a bit on them this weekend, but I think I will hold off on my review until after my 3 day hunt.

I have used bolts for 3 years. Nothing near what some of the other bolt veterans have on here, but I have spent 80%+ of my sits on bolts in those 3 years. By my reckoning, I am nearing 700-800 hours on grade 8’s already. I think I’ll be able to come to a quick PERSONAL opinion on the carbon fiber versions. As said above... find what you feel safe climbing, and don’t take anyone else’s opinion as gold. I’m a small guy, so my word should be taken with a grain of salt.


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That's awesome.

I doubt I'll be light. Even at lean body mass, i'm right around 200 lb generally...and im not there at around 215.

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[IkemanTX]

I think (for me) the real test will be when I loan them to @Scoutman for a tester. He has been using bolts for near a decade if I remember correctly.
He has spent WAY more time in grade 8’s than I could ever hope to have spent. When it comes to bolts... his opinion is gold for me.


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[BassBoysLLP]

I like the sound of that. I really dont care about the weight, but the reduced probability of noise is big enough for me to consider


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[PJC]

I like the sound of that. I really dont care about the weight, but the reduced probability of noise is big enough for me to consider


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I like how I can wrap a rubber band around a dozen of these and just slide them out one at a time, nice and quiet.


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[Nutterbuster]

Yep. Not having the bolt head and threads makes them way quieter. I love me my new pixie sticks.

 

[BassBoysLLP]

I'm gonna let some of the heavyweights test them out some more. Hopefully Kodiak just had a bad batch.

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[mattsteg]

I'm gonna let some of the heavyweights test them out some more. Hopefully Kodiak just had a bad batch.

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@kodiak3842 - how much did you need to bounce on these things to make them snap? How much more force than typical "correct" keeping your foot up against the tree did you use? I imagine that still accounts for a pretty good safety factor when used correctly.

The other question of course is durability over time and any temperature effects on their strength. Carbon is awesome, but the abrupt failure mode is always out there. If they break, they break.

 

[Vtbow]

@kodiak3842 - how much did you need to bounce on these things to make them snap? How much more force than typical "correct" keeping your foot up against the tree did you use? I imagine that still accounts for a pretty good safety factor when used correctly.

The other question of course is durability over time and any temperature effects on their strength. Carbon is awesome, but the abrupt failure mode is always out there. If they break, they break.

post 189 includes a report on CF composites and temperature.. IT actually gets stronger with lower temps.... The report is a good read in general if you like that kind of thing.

 

[BassBoysLLP]

post 189 includes a report on CF composites and temperature.. IT actually gets stronger with lower temps.... The report is a good read in general if you like that kind of thing.

I haven't gotten around to reading it. I want to run a simulation through Solidworks eventually.

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[Vtbow]

I haven't gotten around to reading it. I want to run a simulation through Solidworks eventually.

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Sweet, that'd be awesome! This report is nice because it is actually testing shear strength in one of the sections.

 

[PJC]

I must go at least 270 with all my clothes, boots and backpack on. They were solid for me. I'll keep using a linemans belt. Although some of the trees I have to hunt have the noisiest back you'd ever want to deal with. I'd rather climb them without a linemans belt making all kinds of noise. Safety first.


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[IkemanTX]

Alright, I haven't tested them yet due to rain and today being our Anniversary, but I was able to cut them.

I used a Dremel tool and my cute weren't near as pretty as if they had come from a factory, but definitely good enough for government work.

These things are light as HECK. My rods were a smidge longer than 4 feet, so I was able to get a full 24 bolts out of them with zero waste. I will sacrifice one to testing, and it will be the imperfect one that had a strand of carbon tear out when I tried using the hack saw.

For comparison's sake, I decided to weigh 24 grade eights with the drill and over the shoulder pouch I have them in against the 24 CF bolts in the same pouch with the same drill inside. Now, my shrink tube hasn't come in for the CF yet, so it isn't a truly apples to apples comparison. I suspect that a few ounces will need to be added to account for the shrink wrap. Regardless, there is a HUGE difference in the weight.

I am definitely impressed at this point. If I find them comfortable and feel safe in them, they will be a GAME CHANGER for my bolt setups.

 

[Vtbow]

Alright, I haven't tested them yet due to rain and today being our Anniversary, but I was able to cut them.

I used a Dremel tool and my cute weren't near as pretty as if they had come from a factory, but definitely good enough for government work.

These things are light as HECK. My rods were a smidge longer than 4 feet, so I was able to get a full 24 bolts out of them with zero waste. I will sacrifice one to testing, and it will be the imperfect one that had a strand of carbon tear out when I tried using the hack saw.

For comparison's sake, I decided to weigh 24 grade eights with the drill and over the shoulder pouch I have them in against the 24 CF bolts in the same pouch with the same drill inside. Now, my shrink tube hasn't come in for the CF yet, so it isn't a truly apples to apples comparison. I suspect that a few ounces will need to be added to account for the shrink wrap. Regardless, there is a HUGE difference in the weight.

I am definitely impressed at this point. If I find them comfortable and feel safe in them, they will be a GAME CHANGER for my bolt setups.
View attachment 6989View attachment 6990

How can you not like those numbers!!!

 

[redsquirrel]

Alright, I haven't tested them yet due to rain and today being our Anniversary, but I was able to cut them.

I used a Dremel tool and my cute weren't near as pretty as if they had come from a factory, but definitely good enough for government work.

These things are light as HECK. My rods were a smidge longer than 4 feet, so I was able to get a full 24 bolts out of them with zero waste. I will sacrifice one to testing, and it will be the imperfect one that had a strand of carbon tear out when I tried using the hack saw.

For comparison's sake, I decided to weigh 24 grade eights with the drill and over the shoulder pouch I have them in against the 24 CF bolts in the same pouch with the same drill inside. Now, my shrink tube hasn't come in for the CF yet, so it isn't a truly apples to apples comparison. I suspect that a few ounces will need to be added to account for the shrink wrap. Regardless, there is a HUGE difference in the weight.

I am definitely impressed at this point. If I find them comfortable and feel safe in them, they will be a GAME CHANGER for my bolt setups.
View attachment 6989View attachment 6990

All that and no pics of your cuts??