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gb3985
Jun 28, 2007, 6:40 PM
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Registered: Jul 15, 2006
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I find myself needing some smaller cams more and more every trip.Been lookin at C3 and TCU's
I have used TCU's a number of times and like them.I dont know any body that has any C3's is this a sign ??
What do yall think?
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bandycoot
Jun 28, 2007, 6:51 PM
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TCUs:
Upside - Cheap, lightest on the market, BOMBER and time tested, durable
Downside - Head width and U-stem on the outside of the outer lobes makes placements in shallow placements like pin scars difficult sometimes, this problem worsens as you decrease in size. The stem is pretty stiff.
C3s:
Upside - Narrowest head on the market, more flexible stem for "weird" placements, U-Stem inside the outer lobes making for easier placement in shallow/pin-scar placements. C3s also feel bomber, but I haven't climbed on them enough to really know.
Downside - Freakin expensive! Durability unknown. Heavier than Metolius Ultralights.
I climb on almost exclusively TCUs and ball nuts for the small sizes. TCUs are freakin bomber, if you can get them in. I'm finally hitting hard enough grades with the trad climbing that I'm consistently climbing thin cracks. I'll be picking up at least one C3 000 since it places so easily where TCUs won't due to the narrow head and U-stem location.
Josh
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diophantus
Jun 28, 2007, 7:45 PM
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TCU's have 3 lobes also.
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cchas
Jun 28, 2007, 8:13 PM
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Myself, I love the BD C3's, for the reasons booty had mentioned. I deal with teh cost. Never had been a huge fan of metolius (but they are durablet as hell) and had gone instead with Aliens. With CCH QC issues, I'll just stick with C3's.
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medicus
Jun 28, 2007, 11:42 PM
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cchas wrote: Myself, I love the BD C3's, for the reasons booty had mentioned. I deal with teh cost. Never had been a huge fan of metolius (but they are durablet as hell) and had gone instead with Aliens. With CCH QC issues, I'll just stick with C3's.
I did the same, but chose to stick with TCU's instead of C3's. I haven't gotten a chance to place a C3, and think they might be good, but they are soooooo expensive ;) There were a few deals on them recently at bentgate.com for like $55 or so... that would help some but still.
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rocknice2
Jun 29, 2007, 12:24 AM
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I have both and I prefeer the C3's. If you can afford them go for it.
The C3's go everywhere the TCU's go and a few places TCU's don't.
Their solid flex well and don't walk as easy.
The stiff trigger doesn't seem to be as much of an issue on the rock as on the couch.
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salamanizer
Jun 29, 2007, 12:48 AM
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C3's if you'll be climbing in pin scars.
TCU's don't work that well in pin scars which makes them pointless. Might as well just go with the Powercams.
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percious
Jul 9, 2007, 6:19 PM
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C3s are a pita to clean. That is, if you care about your second at all. Other than that they are comparable. I personally wouldn't factor in $$ when choosing a piece of gear you will have for a long time. You may regret saving the $10. For what it's worth, I love my TCU's.
-percious
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Depr
Jul 11, 2007, 7:35 PM
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the red tcu is a piece of crap. it overlaps with the green and purple c4. love the tcu's from orange to purple. wouldn't recommend falling far on purple though.
c3's. green and red to supplement your tcus. yellow achieves the same purpose as metolius tcu's and if you're in that size range you probably can use either.
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rsmillbern
Jul 11, 2007, 8:30 PM
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I have a set of tcu's and the 3 largest C3's. I really like the tcu's and use them more, but that is just because I have more time with them. The C3's are just a little nicer, the more I place them the more I reach for them...
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the_shoe
Jul 11, 2007, 9:17 PM
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I have a set of the C3's and WC Zeros. I find these two sets to be a great compliment to each other, if one of the overlappig sizes doesn't fit into something the other will.
I do agree that the C3's are pretty easy to over cam but once you have gone and f**ked your sencond with an over cammed placement you seem to figure out their camming action.
I just returned from 10 days in the Italian Dolomites climbing Trad on Limestone and I gotta say that if it wasn't for a double set of nuts and the C3's I would have run out a lot of routes a lot further the the average 15 to 20 feet that I did.
Plain ad simple the C3'S fit when you really need them to and when nothing else will.
I love them.
(This post was edited by the_shoe on Jul 11, 2007, 9:21 PM)
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talusbomb
Jul 12, 2007, 3:38 AM
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I used my new #1(red) and #2(yellow) C3's for the first time yesterday at Tahquitz.
I placed both in the thin lieback crack at the top of the first pitch of "Fingertrip" and they looked bomber.
My partner said the yellow was difficult to clean because I'd set it fairly deep in the crack and the short length of the unit made the trigger awkward to work.
The cables were alarmingly bent after removal but straightened out easily.
He also placed both on our next climb, "Dave's Deviation"... not really needed since it's mostly finger-sized..... but both looked bomber too.
They are really small and light but "feel" much tougher and more solid than my old aliens.
I think I'd feel happier falling onto the #2 C3 than the green alien?
The trigger action is stiff but I like that... adds to the overall feel of Burliness!
$69.95 each is a little expensive but,as others say, you DO get what you pay for and these are obviously well made,quality cams.
Well worth it in my opinion.
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kricir
Jul 12, 2007, 5:46 AM
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I am a big fan of TCUs sizes orange and down. Other than being really expensive, the C3’s can be hard to clean and have a smaller expansion range then the TCU. Another thing to consider for shallow, funky placements are the Trango ballnuts. Cheap, light, 2-1 expansion range, and way narrower than any cam.
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flint
Jul 12, 2007, 6:14 AM
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I use and love my TCU's. My partner uses and loves his C3's. They are fairly compairable, but it is true when I see a lot of scars, I like having the C3's on my rack for their stem shape, but if I am looking down 15 feet to my last placement, seeing that blue TCU makes me feel a lot better than the C3's, I personally just trust them more.
Also the one finger trigger of the TCU I find to be helpful with placing in smaller cracks, you can not beat the control of Metolius cams.
I also have three of the offset TCU's for flairs and I love them. Its nice to know your cams, and I know and trust the TCU's so the offset pieces place with the same confidence.
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billcoe_
Jul 12, 2007, 7:31 PM
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Hold off buying either until Metolius comes out with a product comparable to an Alien (thin head 4 cam unit) except better and not prone to failure.
Or buy a used set to get you by if you MUST have them now and cannot wait or get a partner with some. 
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shimanilami
Jul 12, 2007, 7:51 PM
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Aliens >> C3's > TCU's.
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wedgy
Jul 14, 2007, 2:48 AM
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"TCU's have 3 lobes also."
TCU stands for "Three Cam Unit". Thanks for the laugh!!
(This post was edited by wedgy on Jul 14, 2007, 2:50 AM)
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krosbakken
Jul 14, 2007, 3:14 AM
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Registered: Nov 1, 2006
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billcoe_ wrote: Hold off buying either until Metolius comes out with a product comparable to an Alien (thin head 4 cam unit) except better and not prone to failure.
I have heard this from other people also.
Does anyone have any more info on them?
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chugar
Jul 16, 2007, 8:11 PM
Post #21 of 29
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I emailed Metolius about new small cams that Billcoe wrote about and got the following response:
"We will be introducing a new single stem cam at the summer Outdoor Retailer Show in SLC in August. That's about all I can say at this time.
Regards,
John"
In reply to: Post: billcoe_ wrote: Hold off buying either until Metolius comes out with a product comparable to an Alien (thin head 4 cam unit) except better and not prone to failure.
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krosbakken
Jul 16, 2007, 8:21 PM
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chugar wrote: I emailed Metolius about new small cams that Billcoe wrote about and got the following response: "We will be introducing a new single stem cam at the summer Outdoor Retailer Show in SLC in August. That's about all I can say at this time. Regards, John"
Thanks for the info.
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clusterfuck
Aug 12, 2007, 5:33 AM
Post #23 of 29
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don't forget about aliens
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give_r
Aug 18, 2007, 4:57 PM
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I second the earlier motion that the Red TCU is crap. It is crap crap crap. That the only tcu I bought and, unless you stick it in a little pocket where it can't rome around much, it walks like crazy. Its especially crummy in a nice parallel crack, you'll really wish for that extra lobe for stability.
NS
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rockies
Aug 22, 2007, 3:11 AM
Post #25 of 29
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Registered: Aug 5, 2007
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What's a TCU? I've never heard of them, or C3's.
Cams a cam to me, and I'm a pure Black diamond fan.
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